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GAZA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian girl was killed Sunday by Israeli army fire in the Mawasi area of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Ambulance and emergency services said the girl was killed outside Israeli army deployment areas in Mawasi.

The Israel Defense Forces said troops in southern Gaza "identified a terrorist who crossed the yellow line and approached the troops, posing an immediate threat," and that they "eliminated the terrorist."

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities said stocks of medicines and medical supplies remain at "catastrophic" zero levels. They reported that 52 percent of essential medicines, 71 percent of medical supplies, and 70 percent of laboratory supplies are completely out of stock.

The authorities said the crisis is worsening as the demand for medical care for the wounded and sick grows, and called for urgent reinforcement of supplies.

Since the October ceasefire, Gaza health authorities said Israeli attacks have killed 373 Palestinians and injured 970. Overall, since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed 70,360 Palestinians and injured 171,047. 
Colleen Taylor stands by the fireplace at Freight Yard Pub in North Adams. The popular eatery is decorated for the holiday season. Taylor says the pub's steaks are among its most popular entrees. Above, a flame-grilled ribeye. The restaurant also claims to have the 'best burgers' in the county. Above is the Western burger that comes with fried onion rings. Freight Yard also has a variety of appetizers, such as this Spinach and artichoke dip. PreviousNext

Freight Yard Pub Serving the Community for Decades



One of the eatery's menu mainstays is the popular French onion soup. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Freight Yard Pub has been serving the community for decades with a welcoming atmosphere and homemade food.

Siblings Sean and Colleen Taylor are the owners Freight Yard Pub. They took it over with their brother Kevin and Colleen's first husband in 1992. The two came from Connecticut and Boston to establish a restaurant and said they immediately felt welcomed in their new home.

"The reception that the community gave us in the beginning was so warm and so welcoming that we knew we found home," Colleen Taylors said. "We've made this area our homes since then, as a matter of fact, all of our friends and relationships came out of Freight Yard Pub."

The pub is located in Western Gateway Heritage State Park, and its decor is appropriately train-themed, as the building it's in used to be part of the freight yard, but it also has an Irish pub feel. It is the only original tenant still operating in the largely vacant park. The Taylors purchased the business after it had several years of instability and closures; they have run it successfully for more than three decades.

Colleen and Sean have been working together since they were teenagers. They have operated a few restaurants, including the former Taylor's on Holden Street, and currently operate takeout restaurant Craft Food Barn, Trail House Kitchen & Bar and Berkshire Catering Co., operating as Bay State Hospitality Group. Over the weekend, it was announced they would take over management of the historic Store at Five Corners in Williamstown.

"Sean and I've been working together. Gosh, I think since we were 16, and we have a wonderful business relationship, where I know what I cover, he knows what he covers," she said. "We chat every single day, literally every day we have a morning phone call to say, OK, checking in."

The two enjoy being a part of the community and making sure to lend a hand to those who made them feel so welcome in the first place.

"Becoming part of the community, is also giving back to the community. We do help the AYJ Fund. We help PopCares. We're always helping the veterans ... we're always donating to teams and such, because we are a part of the community," Taylor said. "And I think we bring stability to the food and beverage industry in North Adams."

Running a business for so long may come with challenges or hard times. One of the things that keeps Taylor motivated is to figure out how to solve problems.

"My job is to make sure that we are on track. And so when things get tough, I work harder. I really start to look at what we can do to change whatever the hardship is," she said. "So whatever the difficulty is, I go in and I say, 'OK, how do I make this better and go through it?'"

She said one of the most important aspects to owning a business is the staff.

"You don't realize how important your staff becomes. They become like your second family," Taylor said. "You really try to help them, inspire them, and invest in them. I think the biggest thing that we've invested in is the staff, the human beings, they become more important to you than most other things."

She wants everyone to feel welcome at Freight Yard when they come in to enjoy a meal. While the restaurant takes reservations, patrons can usually choose their own seats to enjoy some of Freight Yard's popular entrees.

All of their meals are made in-house and fresh, she said. Some of the most popular are the fish and chips, black diamond steak tips, ribeye steaks, and her personal favorite, fajitas.

"My personal favorite is the fajita. I love our fajitas. You can get steak, chicken or vegetarian. I love to take the soft tacos and put all the mixings in and make that," Taylor said. "I know people love our ribeyes. Our ribeyes are deliciously juicey, they're on a flame-broiled grill, seared and those juices all stay in and are served very hot. That's one of our popular items.

"The steak tips are our staple. People know about our steak tips. You can't get our steak tips anyplace else because of the black diamond sauce."

The Taylors are also looking toward future work on the patio and to make some minor changes inside. They recently renovated the kitchen and the second floor that's often used for parties.

Colleen Taylor also hopes Freight Yard Pub stays a place to visit and share memories for a long time.

"Freight Yard is an institution, and one of the things I love about Freight Yard is the capacity to be that institution, be that, 'Oh, when I went to MCLA or North Adams State College, Freight Yard was there, I went there.' The memories are what's really important. So if you had your high school graduation, now you're coming back for your reunion. Those types of things are fun, and so I really want to see us still here, still strong," she said.

Freight Yard Pub is located at 1 Furnace St. and is open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A screenshot from the Berkshire Museum's video of the concrete flooring being poured for the aquarium this fall. The museum has been closed since January for renovations.

Berkshire Museum's New Aquarium Taking Shape



A rendering showing how the redesigned aquarium will look. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The Berkshire Museum's $12.1 million renovation project is on track for reopening the museum next summer.

The major renovation of the 1903 structure will include a new lobby, gift shop, family activity center, lecture hall, conference room, and reimagined first-floor galleries showcasing art, natural history, and historical objects.

One of the biggest attractions will be the aquarium, which will be double the size and replace the old theater.

"We're going to have a whole group of new exhibits and exhibitions. Our aquarium, which is in the basement currently, is being moved up to where the old theater is. So it's going to be our marquee addition to the museum," said Shane Frasier, director of marketing and communications. "It's going to be great. It's going to be a really nice draw for people of all ages in the Berkshires and beyond."

The new aquarium will have room for new species and a lighted walkway through the space. The work is being done by StudioHau.

"We had the person who designed that come a couple months ago, we got to see what a couple of the tiles would look like," Frasier said. "So there's a blue light underneath it, but that light can change color, so it's going to be this, really immersive vibrant experience when people go in there."

Frasier said Wednesday was a great day as the renovations could really be seen taking shape.

"We came in and it was the first time where it was like, Okay, this is real, because before, everyone's been having construction. Now the halls you can see the frames of everything. Now you can see how everything is going to look like. So, today was really exciting," he said.

The project began last January; to keep a presence in the community during the renovations, the museum has been deploying its Mobile Museum Units (MoMU). It's most recent use was at the city's Festive Frolic events over the weekend.

"Our educators have been out in the community with their MoMU programs," Frasier said. "We had Fall Fest back in October. We had it Herman Melville's Arrowhead, but we collaborated with the Berkshire County Historical Society on that program. So, we've been out there staying relevant, and helping the community have some fun."

Collaboration with other institutions has also aided the museum in keeping its annual programs running.

The museum's popular Festival of Trees is being hosted at Hancock Shaker Village this year and the annual "Ten Days of Play" for children during the last February's winter break was held at Berkshire Community College.

The museum has been closed to the public since last Jan. 6 and Frasier said officials are excited to welcome people back through the doors to experience new exhibits and see how the renovations changed the space for the better.

"It's going to be a familiar but new experience. There's going to be old favorites like the diorama room, where people are going to see kind of a fresh spin on that experience that people have loved for years," he said.

"The aquarium is going to be really the biggest, it's going to be the big marquee attraction. So people are going to love that. And then they're going to love the new exhibitions like 'Cabinets of Curiosities' immersed in nature. So there's going to be a lot for everyone of all ages. And I really cannot wait for people to explore the space."
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Tokyo says Chinese fighter jets repeatedly locked onto Japanese military aircraft with fire-control radar in an incident that represents one of the most serious military escalations between the two countries in years.

Directing fire-control radar at another aircraft is a threatening step because it signals a potential attack and may force the targeted plane to take evasive action.

The Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi said two separate radar lock-on incidents took place on Saturday afternoon and evening, calling them dangerous acts. He said Japan had lodged a strong protest with China over Saturdays regrettable incident.

Mr Koizumi said the Chinese aircraft involved were J-15 fighter jets that had taken off from the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning. He said they targeted Japanese F-15 fighter planes over international waters southeast of Japans Okinawa island chain.

These radar illuminations went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft, Mr Koizumi posted on X/Twitter.

The radar lock was detected by multiple different Japanese fighters that had scrambled to respond to a possible airspace violation by China, according to the Japanese defence ministry. There was no breach of Japanese airspace, and no injury or damage was reported from the incident.

China argued that Japans claims were inconsistent with facts and that a Japanese aircraft repeatedly approached and disrupted the Chinese navy as it was conducting previously announced carrier-based flight training.

File: Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sails through the Miyako Strait near Okinawa on its way to the Pacific ( via Reuters )

The incident near islands claimed by both Japan and China is the latest spat between the two countries, whose ties have plunged to the lowest level in decades over remarks Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi made about being willing to defend Taiwan against a hypothetical Chinese invasion.

It is believed to be the first instance of a radar lock involving Japanese and Chinese military aircraft.

We solemnly demand that the Japanese side immediately stop slandering and smearing and strictly restrain frontline actions, Chinese navy spokesperson Colonel Wang Xuemeng said. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests.

Chinas carrier Liaoning on Saturday passed between the main island of Okinawa and nearby Miyako island as it conducted aircraft takeoff and landing exercises in the Pacific.

Japan claimed the first instance of the Chinese aircraft locking radar on a Japanese F-15 took place over a period of three minutes just after 4.30pm local time on Saturday. Two hours later, the aircraft targeted a different F-15 and locked radar for a period of 30 minutes, Tokyo said.

Japanese F-15 fighter jets were pursuing the Chinese aircraft at a safe distance and did not take actions that could be interpreted as provocation, the Kyodo News agency reported, quoting defence officials.

The Australian defence minister Richard Marles, who is in Tokyo, told a joint news conference after holding talks with Koizumi: We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours. We expect those interactions to be safe and professional.

He said Australia would continue to work with Japan and stand with Japan in upholding that rules-based order while also noting that China is his countrys largest trade partner and he wants to have productive relations with Beijing. We continue to advocate to China about these issues again, in a very calm, sensible and moderate way, he said.

Since Ms Takaichis comment in defence of Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as part of its territory, China has advised its citizens not to travel to Japan and paused plans to restart seafood imports. Ms Takaichi has refused to bow to pressure from China to take back her remarks and apologise, though she has told parliament she will refrain from making similar comments in future.
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Hong Kong appeared set for another low turnout in Sundays legislative council election, as voters grappled with anger and grief in the wake of the citys deadliest fire in nearly eight decades.

Residents of Hong Kong cast their ballots in the second legislative election since a 2021 overhaul of the system eliminated the pro-democracy opposition and allowed only candidates vetted as being loyal to China.

The election comes at a time of rising public anger and demands for accountability after the blaze that tore through Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, claiming the lives of at least 159 people.

Much of the focus was on turnout, which has traditionally been robust in LegCo elections but fell to just 30 per cent in 2021 following the dismantling of the pro-democracy movement.

The city government said that the final turnout stood at 31.9 per cent of eligible voters, only tracking slightly above 2021s numbers (30.2 per cent). Polls were due to close at 11.30pm.

The government has made huge efforts to boost turnout, with the election being viewed as a referendum on the new patriots-only system.

The citys chief executive John Lee called on citizens to vote as an expression of their outrage at the Tai Po tragedy, saying it would send a signal to the government to push ahead with safety reforms. He said he would put forth a proposal to the new legislature on how to support the fire survivors, many of whom have been left homeless.

open image in gallery A Hong Kong activist delivers a speech during a press event for the victims of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong, in Taipei, Taiwan ( AP )

David Lok, the chair of the Electoral Affairs Commission, said in the wake of the Tai Po fire it is even more important that electors should cast their votes and fulfil their civic responsibility in a serious manner.

He added: I appeal to all electors across Hong Kong to make use of their sacred votes to elect the new Legislative Council and build a better Hong Kong that we call home together.

A resident of Tai Poi in his late 70s named Cheng told Reuters he would not vote. I am very upset by the great fire, he said. This is a result of a flawed government ... There is not a healthy system now and I won't vote to support those pro-establishment politicians who failed us.

Election campaigning was suspended after the fire and remained subdued in the final days out of respect for the victims. But banners and posters promoting the election and cartoon ballot boxes affixed with the 7 December date remained plastered across the city.

Officials held candidate forums, extended voting by two hours, added extra polling stations and offered subsidies to older people and centres for people with disabilities to help their clients vote.

The day before the election, the authorities called representatives of the international media with presences in Hong Kong to a rare meeting to warn them that they need to comply with the city's national security laws.

Reporters were told they would face consequences if they were deemed to have violated the law. "Do not say you have not been warned," an official was quoted as saying at the meeting, with a similar statement appearing online.

Beijing's national security office in Hong Kong said it would crack down on any "anti-China" protests in the wake of the fire and warned against using the disaster to "disrupt Hong Kong".

Press freedom and obeying the law are not mutually contradictory, the statement from Chinese officials warned. No media organisation may use the banner of press freedom to interfere in Chinas internal affairs or interfere in Hong Kongs affairs.

open image in gallery A distraught resident says his wife is trapped inside Wang Fuk Court during a major fire, in Tai Po, Hong Kong ( REUTERS )

The authorities said one man had been arrested for posting content that encouraged others not to vote or cast invalid votes in the wake of the fire.

Police said he had been accused of posting information with seditious intention on social media. That mainly included (materials intending to) incite hatred among (others) toward the Hong Kong government and the central government, Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police National Security Department, told reporters.

Last weekend, the organiser of a petition calling for government accountability over the fire was arrested by national security police on suspicion of sedition.

And Hong Kong Baptist University suspended the operations of its student union after messages were posted on campus expressing condolences and urging justice for the victims.

The Tai Po apartment complex where the fire broke out had been undergoing renovations at the time, and the government has said it will set up a judge-led committee to investigate what started the fire and how it spread to seven of the developments eight tower blocks.

open image in gallery An aerial view of the burnt buildings after a deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories ( AP )

At least 21 people have been arrested by authorities as officials investigate suspected corruption and negligence over a major renovation project that had been taking place at the housing complex before the fire broke out.

Substandard green netting covering the bamboo scaffolding that enveloped the buildings, as well as foam boards installed on windows, have been identified as among the main causes for the fire's rapid spread. Some fire alarms were also found not to be working.

The disaster has raised questions over government oversight and suspected bid-rigging in building maintenance projects, sparking a wave of public mobilisation unmatched since the 2019 anti-government protests that were eventually crushed in a sweeping crackdown directed by Beijing.
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Al Falah University is enveloped in an uneasy calm. Reporters and law enforcement agents buzz about as the university finds itself the focus of the investigation into the explosion that killed at least 13 people in Delhi, some 45km away, last month.

The suspected car bomb attack launched the relatively unknown university in Faridabad, a satellite town of the Indian capital, into international headlines and sparked a media frenzy.

The Indian government declared the car blast near Delhis iconic Red Fort monument on 10 November as a terror incident perpetrated by anti-national forces while the counterterrorism agency NIA identified Umar Un Nabi as the alleged suicide bomber .

Nabi, a doctor from the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir, was an assistant professor in general medicine at Al Falah.

The NIA claimed that Nabi was driving the car that blew up, adding that it had forensically established his identity.

Investigators subsequently arrested two other Kashmiri doctors with ties to the university , Muzammil Shakeel and Shaheen Saeed.

Police claimed that they recovered more than 3,000kg of chemicals used for making improvised explosive devices as well as detonators and wires from Shakeels rented house in Faridabad.

open image in gallery Some shops near Al Falah University have been shuttered since the Delhi blast ( Namita Singh/The Independent )

In the days and weeks since, students, teachers and families in the area have all felt compelled to insist that the tragedy had nothing to do with them.

They want to go about their lives as usual, they say, but the changed atmosphere isnt making it easy.

As an institution, Al Falah immediately distanced itself from those accused of involvement in the blast. We wish to make it clear that the university has no connection with the said persons apart from them working in their official capacities with the university, vice chancellor Bhupinder Kaur Anand said in a statement.

Were deeply saddened and anguished by the unfortunate developments that took place and condemn the same. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the innocent people affected by these distressing events.

But as federal and state investigators descended on the university, news crews in tow, to investigate what they called a white-collar terror module, it became clear that the spotlight wasnt moving away anytime soon.

open image in gallery Media crew outside Faridabad's Al Falah University, where authorities are probing links to the deadly blast in New Delhi ( Namita Singh/The Independent )

I was serving food to customers at the shop as I usually do when a number of cars, along with several media vehicles, lined outside the universitys gate, Israr Ali, who owns a roadside food stall in front of the gate, tells The Independent.

I did not understand what was happening. Someone from the press told me a doctor from the university was involved in the Delhi blast, he says.

Since then, police keep coming everyday, while the media is fixated sitting in front of the gate, running with the mic.

Inside, students say classes continue as routine and normal, but acknowledge that the mood has shifted.

Security guards now man the gate, making sure no reporter gets in. Students walk past media crews that have been stationed outside for days, although few are willing to talk. The rare ones that do request anonymity.

The once-crowded market across the road appears largely empty, several of the shops shuttered and locked.

open image in gallery Police and security personnel at the scene of the Delhi explosion on 10 November 2025 ( Getty )

Though the classes are held normally, we have been fearful since the raids and arrests began, a third-year medical student from Kashmir says.

I fear what the future will look like since there is a rumour about the university losing its accreditation, another third-year student says. I wonder if anyone will even bother to employ me after I finish my degree, once they see the name of the university.

It feels like we are in a limbo. I cannot leave for home, however much I want to, says a second-year student from Aligarh in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state. I have worked so hard to be here and now be caught in this.

Another second-year student is more angry at the media coverage since the attack, saying the entire university has been painted as a terror hub.

We pay Rs 2m (16,600) a year in fees to become doctors and surgeons. And these media houses are running stories that students coming are here and being radicalised under the garb of education. This is what you think we do? he says. I dont know who was involved and not. But this kind of coverage is putting us all at risk.

Such anxieties sharpened after the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, the quality assurance agency for higher education, asked the university to explain why false accreditation claims had appeared on its website. Students say this alone can affect their credibility with employers, regardless of what investigators ultimately conclude about the Delhi blast.

Professors still reporting for work say they feel as uncertain as their pupils. We are just getting through the day, amid lack of explanation or clarity of any kind, a senior physician says.

Another demands a complete overhaul of the university and its senior leadership.

The disquiet stretches beyond the campus.

open image in gallery Indian security forces blow up the home of one of the key Delhi blast suspects in Pulwama, Kashmir, on 14 November 2025 ( AP )

Nearly 4km away, at Fatehpur Taga, stands a worn-out home, its green door locked. This is Shakeels rented house, where police claim to have found that large cache of bomb-making materials.

In an adjacent street, a small gathering of women talk in hushed tones about the doctor who lived in the house with the green door.

Muzammil defamed us and our colony, one of them says off-handedly, refusing to talk any further.

The infamy being endured by us is a lot. Our village has never seen any instance of communal rioting or some such in the past. We are a secular village. But this is very painful, all that is being said, says resident Javed Khan, 35.

He has heard rumours about the university losing its accreditation. The hospital gave free treatment to poor people like us. This is really unfortunate and is going to deeply impact us all, he says.

I have been coming here for treatment since 2014, when this campus opened. But the situation now is such that top doctors who would treat us have quit or left. There are fewer patients as well. We are not able to get medicines inside. The hospital used to give us medicines free of cost, greatly helping poor people like me. But not anymore.

open image in gallery Dr Muzammil Shakeels rented house in Fatehpur ( Namita Singh/The Independent )

In Faridabad, police have conducted exhaustive searches of almost every place linked to the universitys more than 1,300 students and 400 employees.

Officers claimed they were looking for hidden explosive materials, though they didnt find any.

Students living off campus say their rented houses were thoroughly inspected. They checked every corner of my accommodation and my ID card, a first-year paramedical student told the Hindustan Times. They were searching for hidden explosives.

Police say hostels on campus were searched first, then rooms rented by students and staff in nearby villages.

Civic authorities, meanwhile, have launched a separate inquiry into whether construction on the universitys 78-acre campus adhered to sanctioned plans.

Officials say they will recommend demolition of any structure that violates regulations. Revenue officials have been measuring the entire facility and checking every land deed going back to 1997.

The Enforcement Directorate, a central agency for combatting financial crimes, has arrested university founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui for allegedly taking proceeds of crime by misleading students about the institutions accreditation and recognition.

The agency claims to have traced over Rs 4.1bn (38m) in tainted funds linked to the university.

On 19 November, a local court sent Siddiqui to police custody for 13 days in a money laundering case.

Questions from The Independent to the universitys vice chancellor went unanswered, while the registrar declined to comment.

open image in gallery Javed Khan at Al Falah University hospital ( Namita Singh/The Independent )

The universitys administration had earlier said that they were fully cooperating with the investigation, and denied any wrongdoing.

Outside the universitys gate, the investigation has throttled the small economy built around students and staff.

Things were really pleasant. Everyone used to visit here. But as the universitys name became attached to the incident, business was hit, Salaubbin, 22, who owns a butcher shop in the neighbourhood, says.

The media is doing Hindu-Muslim a lot, while people here live peacefully, Salaubbin complains, referring to media reports emphasising the religion of the alleged culprits.

And the university has given us a lot. The treatment that would otherwise cost us Rs 150,000 (1,227), we get for Rs 30,000 (255).

Manish, 31, who runs a small eatery on the campus, says footfall is down. Mostly it was patients who used to visit my shop but their number has come down. So has the number of the students, by 50 per cent at least, he says.

Construction activity on the campus has stopped as contractors claim they have not been paid. Painters and other workers have left, uncertain if they would ever be paid for their recent labour.

Slowly, it seems, life is getting sucked out of an institution that, until not very long ago, was thriving.
AMMAN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's King Abdullah II and visiting EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on Sunday stressed the need to achieve comprehensive calm in the region and uphold the sovereignty of states, as they discussed ongoing regional developments.

During their meeting, the two sides reaffirmed that the two-state solution is the sole basis for achieving a just and lasting peace.

King Abdullah urged adherence to the agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid, and an immediate halt to unilateral measures against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to a Royal Court statement.

The two sides also discussed ways to enhance economic collaboration, including preparations for the Jordan-EU Summit set to be hosted in Amman in January 2026, as well as a joint economic forum scheduled for next year, with participation from investors on both sides.

Kallas highlighted the EU's commitment to strengthening its partnership with Jordan and noted the kingdom's key role in supporting regional stability. 
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A devastating fire has claimed the lives of 25 people, including several tourists, after it tore through a popular nightclub in Indias Goa state. The tragic incident occurred just after midnight on Sunday in Arpora village, a well-known party hub approximately 25 kilometres from the state capital, Panaji.

Goas Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, confirmed the grim toll, stating the majority of the deceased were kitchen staff, alongside three to four tourists. Six individuals sustained injuries but are reported to be in a stable condition, with all bodies now recovered.

Initial reports from the Press Trust of India news agency, citing local police, suggested the blaze was sparked by a gas cylinder explosion. However, eyewitnesses offered a different account, telling the agency the fire originated on the clubs first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. In the ensuing panic, many reportedly rushed to the kitchen area below, becoming trapped with staff. One witness, Fatima Shaikh, recounted: "We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames."

The nightclub, situated along the Arpora River backwaters, reportedly suffered from a narrow entry and exit, forcing firefighters to park their tankers some 400 metres away and significantly hampering early efforts.

open image in gallery The charred interior of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday ( AP )

Chief Minister Sawant revealed the establishment had flouted fire safety regulations, prompting the state government to launch an inquiry into the exact cause and to assign responsibility. He pledged action against both the clubs management and any officials who permitted its operation despite the violations.

Further compounding concerns, local village council official Roshan Redkar disclosed that authorities had previously issued a demolition notice for the club due to a lack of a construction permit, but this order was subsequently overturned by higher officials.

open image in gallery A firefighter attempts to contain a fire at a nightclub early Sunday ( AP )

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the fire as "deeply saddening" in a social media post, confirming he had spoken with Chief Minister Sawant and that the government "is providing all possible assistance" while extending condolences.

Rahul Gandhi, a prominent leader of Indias main opposition Congress party, condemned the incident as "not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance." He called for a transparent investigation to "fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies dont occur again."

The incident underscores the persistent issue of safety standards in India, where accidents, particularly those involving gas cylinders and electrical short circuits, frequently lead to casualties. Goa, a western coastal state, remains one of Indias most popular tourist destinations, famed for its sandy beaches.
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Indonesia is celebrating the arrival of its first locally-born giant panda cub, a male named Satrio Wiratama, affectionately known as Rio. Born on 27 November at Taman Safari Indonesia zoo in Cisarua, West Java, the healthy cub marks a significant milestone in the nation's conservation efforts.

The 15-year-old mother, Hu Chun, gave birth to Rio, whose name symbolises the hope, resilience, and shared commitment of Indonesia and China in protecting endangered species. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the cubs name last Thursday, showcasing his photo during a meeting with top Chinese political advisor Wang Huning.

Zoo officials confirm Rio is in stable condition, under constant 24-hour monitoring. Early signs of health include strong vocalisation, effective nursing, and steady weight gain. Over the next one to two months, he is expected to develop better temperature control, grow fur, open his eyes, and begin early motor movements.

Taman Safari Indonesia stated: "This birth is the result of a long-term international cooperation program that has been ongoing for a decade, since the arrival of giant pandas Hu Chun and Cai Tao to Indonesia in 2017 as part of a 10-year conservation partnership with China." The zoo added that the baby panda is not yet accessible to the public, prioritising the health and welfare of the mother and her baby.

Zoo officials confirm Rio is in stable condition, under constant 24-hour monitoring ( AP )

Rios parents, Cai Tao and Hu Chun, arrived in Indonesia in 2017 and reside in a "palace-like" enclosure at the zoo, located around 70 kilometres from Jakarta. Giant pandas, often considered China's unofficial national mascot, are central to Beijings "panda diplomacy"  a soft-power tool involving loan programmes with overseas zoos. Their births are particularly welcomed due to breeding difficulties, with fewer than 1,900 remaining in their wild habitats across China's Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. The zoo invites the public to "join in praying for the baby pandas development so that it remains healthy and safe in the early stages of its life."
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A number of people were injured on Sunday after a suspected pepper spray attack took place at Heathrow airport.

Passengers faced severe disruption at the major transport hub, as armed police descended on the airports Terminal 3 multi-storey car park at around 8:11am.

Police understand the incident began after a woman was robbed of her suitcase in the car park lift by a group of four men, who sprayed the substance, believed to be pepper spray, in her direction.

A three-year-old child was among the 21 people were also injured in the incident.

Police have said a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault, but are not treating the incident as terror related.

Here is everything we know about the incident:

open image in gallery Police have said a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault, but are not treating the incident as terror related ( @_umarjaved/PA Wire )

What happened?

The incident unfolded at around 8am on Sunday morning, in the multi-storey car park directly opposite the check-in area for Terminal 3.

Police understand the incident began after a woman was robbed of her suitcase in the car park lift by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance, believed to be pepper spray, in her direction

Witness Tom Bate said he had been waiting to be picked up from the car park when he saw young men dressed in black darting through the crowd.

He said he felt a burning at the back of his throat after they left, with other people nearby beginning to cough.

Im so glad to hear now that its not terrorism because it felt like I was in the middle of an attack  it was pretty intense, Mr Bate told the BBC.

open image in gallery Police understand the incident began after a woman was robbed of her suitcase in the car park lift by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance, believed to be pepper spray, in her direction ( X/Twitter: @_umarjaved )

Who was injured?

21 people including a three-year-old girl were injured in the attack, the London Ambulance Service said.

Five people were taken to hospital as a result, but police said their injuries are not thought to be life-changing or life-threatening.

open image in gallery 21 people including a three-year-old girl were injured in the attack, the London Ambulance Service said ( Andrew Matthews/PA )

Has anyone been arrested?

A man, aged 31, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault and remains in custody. Officers were still tracing further suspects on Sunday.

The Met Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident, with those directly involved believed to be known to each other.

The incident is not believed to be related to terrorism or protest, police added.

open image in gallery The incident prompted travel chaos as trains and buses to the airport were halted and routes into the airports central area were temporarily closed. ( PA Wire )

How were passengers affected?

The incident prompted travel chaos as trains and buses to the airport were halted and routes into the airports central area were temporarily closed.

Travellers were advised to allow extra time, while holidaymakers later reported being stranded for hours at the airports bus stops.

By midday, dozens of passengers were waiting at the terminals bus stop for shuttles to the long-stay car park and elsewhere. One family, who did not wish to be named, said they had waited for three hours at the bus stop after their flight landed at around 8am.

Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to waiting passengers on Sunday afternoon. Rail passengers at Heathrow Terminal 2/3 station also faced long queues amid overcrowding.

At least 17 trains serving Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 were cancelled  or ran through without stopping.

Terminal 3 is used by Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and many other major carriers. British Airways has a presence at the terminal as well as its main base, Terminal 5.

Terminal 3 remains open on Monday and is now operating as normal.
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An urgent search is underway for two men who entered the River Hull while fleeing from police.

Officers on patrol in Hull attempted to stop a vehicle being driven with a defective rear light for a routine check at around 8.25pm on Friday, according to Humberside Police.

Police were forced to engage in a short pursuit of the men after the vehicle failed to stop when requested. The officers followed the car into Charlotte Street, where it collided with a wall.

The men then fled on foot and are believed to have entered the River Hull nearby at approximately 8.30pm.

Several specialist search services have been deployed to locate the men, including the police, the Coastguard, Humberside Fire and Rescue service and a specialist underwater search team.

open image in gallery The men are said to have crashed their vehicle into a wall in Charlotte Street before fleeing into the River Hull ( Google Maps )

Detective Inspector Andy Crawforth, who is leading the search, in a statement on Saturday: Following reports of two men entering the water, a search was immediately launched to locate and identify them.

We are extremely concerned for their welfare and are conducting extensive lines of enquiries in an attempt to identify and locate them. So far this has included searches by our patrol officers, the Coastguard, Humberside Fire and Rescue service and our specialist underwater search team.

The incident has led to an increased police presence in the area over the weekend as authorities continue to search for the men. The area where the men are said to have disappeared is near a local college and several local businesses.

Residents and the local community can expect to see an increased police presence in and around the area over the weekend whilst the search continues and enquiries remain ongoing, DI Crawforth continued.

To help with these enquiries, I would ask anyone who believes they know who these men are or who thinks that someone they know went missing yesterday evening to contact us immediately.

He added: I would also urge anyone who has information that could assist our enquiries including any CCTV, doorbell footage or witnesses who were in the area at the time to contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 461 of 5 December.
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The Church must resist the exploitation of Christianity by far-right populists such as Tommy Robinson, a bishop has said ahead of a carols event organised by the anti-migrant activist.

The Right Reverend Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall and the Church of Englands (C of E) co-lead on racial justice, has warned that the Church must act to resist the capture of Christian language and symbols by populist forces seeking to exploit the faith for their own political ends.

The C of E is to launch a poster campaign aimed at confronting the increasing use of Christianity for a nationalist, anti-migrant agenda.

The posters, which will go on display at bus stops, say Christ has always been in Christmas and Outsiders welcome. They are part of a package of resources available for local churches to download and display in response to far-right rhetoric.

open image in gallery Posters will be put on bus stops to challenge claims by the far right that Christ needs to be put back into Christmas ( Joy For All/jpit.uk/Andrew Gadd )

A coalition of church groups called the Joint Public Issues Team, including the C of E, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist church and the United Reformed church, have put together a rapid response resource for churches, with a call to focus particularly on Sunday 14 December  the day after Tommy Robinsons Whitehall event.

Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has organised a follow-up event to his huge Unite the Kingdom march, which saw more than 100,000 people turn out for what was billed as a free speech protest and included Elon Musk addressing the crowd, railing against the woke mind virus.

Police were assaulted after violence flared, with dozens of arrests made.

This time he has organised an event called United for Christ this Christmas, which promises bible readings, live music, and faith testimonies. He is aiming to put Christ back into Christmas, according to details posted to social media platform X/Twitter.

open image in gallery The Bishop of Kirkstall, Right Reverend Arun Arora, has said the Church must resist the far-right co-opting Christian language ( St Paul's Cathedral/YouTube )

Speaking about Tommy Robinsons campaign to reclaim Christmas, Bishop Arun said: I rejoice that Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has recently come to faith in prison. Having experienced the wide mercy of Gods grace, Stephen does not now have the right to deny it to others.

Having embraced and accepted Gods welcome, he cant now restrict it from others who may be equally lost. Nor does he have the right to subvert the faith so that it serves his purposes rather than the other way round.

He warned: We must confront and resist the capture of Christian language and symbols by populist forces seeking to exploit the faith for their own political ends. It is incumbent upon the church  in the recent words of Rowan Williams  to challenge the story that every migrant approaching our shores is an unfriendly alien with unintelligible and hostile values.

open image in gallery Tommy Robinson is planning an event called United for Christ this Christmas ( Reuters )

The danger for a Church that fails to act is that we are diminished to a people who offer religious observance as an alternative to an active pursuit of justice and righteousness.

As we approach Christmas and recall the Holy Familys own flight as refugees, we reaffirm our commitment to stand alongside others in working for an asylum system that is fair, compassionate, and rooted in the dignity of being human  when Christ took on flesh  which is at the heart of the Christmas message.

open image in gallery A protester displays the English flag and a wooden cross at Tommy Robinsons Unite the Kingdom march in September ( Getty )

Since coming out of prison in May this year, Mr Robinson has been using Christianity in his messaging, with Christian symbols such as wooden crosses common at the first Unite the Kingdom rally in September.

Ukips leader Nick Tenconi also intertwines Christianity with his partys anti-migrant politics, thrusting Christian identity politics to the forefront of the organisation that used to be the home of Nigel Farage.

Mr Tenconi is also a key figure within Turning Point UK, a right-wing student political group linked to the deceased Charlie Kirks Turning Point USA.

While Mr Robinson is organising his carols event for 13 December, an initiative called Shine Your Light is aiming for 200,000 Christians to sing carols in public spaces across the UK and Ireland over the same weekend.
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A three-year-old girl was among 21 people injured after a suspected pepper spray attack at Heathrow airport which caused severe travel disruption for passengers.

Armed police were called to the scene at around 8:11am on Sunday after reports that several people had been sprayed with the substance by a group of men in the multi-storey car park at the transport hubs Terminal 3.

Five people were taken to hospital after 21 people were injured, London Ambulance Service said. Police said their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

Police believe the incident began after a woman was robbed of her suitcase in the car park lift by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance, believed to be pepper spray, in her direction. The incident is not believed to be related to terrorism or protest, police added.

A man, aged 31, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault and remains in custody. Officers were still tracing further suspects on Sunday.

The incident prompted travel chaos as trains and buses to the airport were halted and routes into the airports central area temporarily closed.

open image in gallery A suspect is held by police at Heathrow on Sunday morning ( @_umarjaved/X )

Travellers were advised to allow extra time, while holidaymakers later reported being stranded for hours at the airports bus stops.

The multi-storey car park where the incident unfolded is directly opposite the check-in area for Terminal 3.

Footage on social media appeared to show a man being handcuffed by an armed officer while another searched him.

Witness Tom Bate said he had been waiting to be picked up from the car park when he saw young men dressed in black darting through the crowd.

open image in gallery Emergency vehicles outside Heathrow Terminal 3 following the arrest ( PA Wire )

He said he felt a burning at the back of his throat after they left, with other people nearby beginning to cough.

Im so glad to hear now that its not terrorism because it felt like I was in the middle of an attack  it was pretty intense, Mr Bate told the BBC.

By midday, dozens of passengers were waiting at the terminals bus stop for shuttles to the long-stay car park and elsewhere.

One family, who did not wish to be named, said they had waited for three hours at the bus stop after their flight landed at around 8am.

Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to waiting passengers on Sunday afternoon. Rail passengers at Heathrow Terminal 2/3 station also faced long queues amid overcrowding.

At least 17 trains serving Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 were cancelled  or ran through without stopping.

Terminal 3 is used by Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and many other major carriers. British Airways has a presence at the terminal as well as its main base, Terminal 5.

open image in gallery Elizabeth Line passengers faced long queues to exit the Terminal 2/3 station ( PA Wire )

The Metropolitan Polices Commander Peter Stevens said: Our team have been working at pace today to review CCTV from the area and speak with witnesses at the scene.

At this stage, its understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction.

This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray.

Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.

We appreciate that this has been a concerning incident and I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow Airport.

Shortly before midday a spokesperson for Heathrow airport said: The incident at the multi storey car park in Terminal 3 has now been contained by the Metropolitan Police.

Congestion remains on surrounding roads following the incident which we are working hard to resolve as quickly as possible and we are advising passengers to use public transport. There will be an increased police presence at Heathrow airport to maintain the safety of people in the area and reassure the public.

Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: "The closure of access to two of Heathrow's four terminals shows an abundance of caution by the authorities at what is regarded as a prime target for both terrorism and protest.

"Thousands of passengers are at risk of missing flights, because they will not be held for people who were caught up for an hour or more by the road and rail closures. Heathrow has little slack in the system, and planes must keep to schedule.

"The only exception is likely to be where flight crew are delayed in reaching the airport."

At least one British Airways flight from Heathrow Terminal 3 to Bucharest was delayed by two hours, though BA has not confirmed if the incident was responsible. The late morning Qantas flight from T3 to Perth also ran about 70 minutes late.

Passengers who miss flights through no fault of their own have no protection under air passengers rights rules. But given the circumstances, airlines are likely to be rebooked on the first available alternative flight without penalty.

A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said: We advise customers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport. If any customers are delayed as a result of the disruption and are unable to make their flight, our teams can support with rebooking onto the next available service once they get in touch with us  either at the ticket desk or by calling in to our customer centre.

National Highways previously said the M4 Spur Road had been closed as teams responded to a serious incident. In a post on X it confirmed the road had reopened and said the incident had been resolved.

In September, Heathrow Terminal 4 was evacuated after a passenger discharged a CS gas canister. Many flights were heavily delayed or cancelled.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla have released their official Christmas card, featuring their 20th wedding anniversary portrait.

The royal couple are pictured standing side by side, with the Queens arm linking the Kings, in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassadors residence in Rome, earlier this year.

The card is framed by a dark red border, with the printed message in a matching colour on the opposite side, reading Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

The couple marked two decades of marriage on April 9 during their state visit to Italy, and spent the evening of their anniversary as guests of honour at a grand banquet.

In the image taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson, Camilla is wearing a white and beige coat dress by Anna Valentine and a lily of the valley brooch, while the King is dressed in a blue pinstripe suit with a grey tie and a silk handkerchief in his chest pocket.

open image in gallery The 2025 Christmas card of King Charles III and Queen Camilla ( Aaron Chown/PA )

The King and Queen send out hundreds of Christmas cards each year to family, friends, world leaders, diplomats, charities and organisations.

Charles will be preparing to host the wider royal family on Christmas Day, with the royal festivities usually taking place at Sandringham in Norfolk.

The Prince of Wales divulged last year he was spending the day with 45 members of his family all in one room.

But off the guest list is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, with the former prince banished from the royal family and stripped of his titles over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

open image in gallery King Charles and Queen Camilla followed by the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, the Prince of Wales and Prince George attending the Christmas Day morning church service ( PA )

The royal family usually walk to church on Christmas morning and enjoy a traditional turkey roast with all the trimmings before sitting down to watch the Kings Christmas broadcast on television.

Last year, Charles used his Christmas address to pay tribute to the selfless doctors and nurses who provided strength, care and comfort during cancer treatment for him and the Princess of Wales.

The King and Camilla have had a busy run over the past year, despite Charles still undergoing treatment for the disease.

They travelled to Canada, met the Pope at the Vatican, and hosted three incoming state visits at Windsor  France with President Emmanuel Macron, the US with President Donald Trump, and then last week, Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

It is the first time in nearly 40 years that there have been three state visits to the UK in one year.
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An MP vowed she will continue to fight the governments decision to approve the construction of a sprawling 750m film studio complex after it was rejected by her local council.

Backed by Titanic director James Cameron and Sir Sam Mendes, director of 1917 and Skyfall, the Marlow Film Studios project promises to build a unique media campus at the heart of the west London cluster.

The development would include production space for film and TV, as well as supporting buildings such as backlots and 18 sound stages on land adjacent to Marlow Road and Westhorpe Farm Lane on the outskirts of Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Those behind the development say it would create 4,000 jobs, but Buckinghamshire Council rejected the application in 2024, citing concerns over development on green belt land, the impact on the landscape and potential traffic issues.

The decision came after campaigning from Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey and local group Save Marlows Green Belt, which said the project will cause significant and lasting harm to the environment, the local community, and the landscape.

Last week, in a move emblematic of chancellor Rachel Reevess wish to grow the economy through approving more planning applications even in the face of local opposition, the Labour government overturned the decision.

open image in gallery A CGI of the proposed entrance hub at Marlow Studios ( Marlow Studios )

The minister of state for housing and planning, Matthew Pennycook, said secretary of state Steve Reed had granted planning permission. Though a government planning inspector noted the development could harm the area visually, they concluded that the economic benefits outweighed those concerns.

The government letter confirming the projects approval stated: The economic benefits offered by the overall proposal and the commitments to upskill, offer jobs to local people and work with various bodies to seek job creation are considerable.

It added: The proposal would deliver high-value film and TV content that can generate approximately 340m in production expenditure and provide between 95m and 265m in annual tax revenues through direct and indirect economic activity.

Robert Laycock, CEO of Marlow Studios, described the governments decision as a vote of confidence in the UK and its creative industries, saying the project would provide a use for what he described as a poorly landfilled site.

He said: This is a meaningful decision for anyone who believes in the UKs future, our nations creative genius, and our unmatched capability to inspire the world.

For Buckinghamshire, this is a powerful vote of confidence in the coming generations. Regenerating a poorly landfilled site to enable new careers and pass on exceptional skills in this world-beating British industry is the right decision.

Its a signal to investors who aim for high-quality development, done in the right way, through outstanding design that brings sustainable opportunities and benefits to their community.

The decision is clear in its assessment that Marlow Studios will attract global investment, help the UK maintain its competitive creative edge, and will strengthen the west London film cluster.

open image in gallery Joy Morrissey MP (second left) supports the Save Marlow's green belt campaign ( Joy Morrissey / X )

But Mr Laycocks assessment was not shared by Conservative MP Ms Morrissey, who had a brief acting career before entering politics.

She said she supports the British film industry but does not believe there is a demand for more studios in the area, as Pinewood is nearby. She also fears that jobs created would be transient rather than rooted locally.

I think its the wrong development in the wrong location. Its a weak and worsening economic case, and its green belt, Ms Morrissey told The Independent.

It is a beautiful place for wildlife. That will be completely lost when that area goes to the concrete jungle of a film studio.

Though Save Marlows Green Belt said the governments decision marked the end of their campaign, Ms Morrissey said she is working out the next steps she will take. But she is very unimpressed that the government has gone against the local council.

She said: Were all coming together because we care about Marlow. Its about putting Marlow and the people of Marlow first. It just flies in the face of us trying to stand up for local people.

This was rejected at council level, rejected at strategic sites, rejected in a parish poll by the local residents, so local democracy has just been kicked to the curb.

open image in gallery The studio hub view at the proposed Marlow Studios ( Marlow Studio )

She added: It just feels like a slap in the face to my residents, actually.

In a message to constituents posted on Instagram, Ms Morrissey said: I will continue to fight this. She called on the council to take the next step of taking the development to a judicial review.

Peter Strachan, Buckinghamshire Councils cabinet member for planning, told The Independent: We are incredibly disappointed that the significant concerns raised by the council, local communities, and statutory consultees have not been upheld.

Our original decision was based on a detailed and evidence-led assessment of the application, which identified serious and unresolved issues, including inappropriate development of protected green belt land, concerns around landscape impact, residential amenities, traffic, infrastructure and sustainability.

Mr Strachan said the council recognises the importance of supporting the UKs creative industries and it welcomes investment, but believes a development must respect the environment.

The Independent approached the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment. It said it would not comment further as the reasons for the decision had already been sent out.
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Thomas Markle has said he does not want to die estranged from his daughter after reports he had his leg amputated following surgery in the Philippines.

Mr Markle said he would like to meet the Duchess of Sussex Meghans children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and her husband Harry, the Duke of Sussex.

It comes after Meghan was said to have reached out to her father, who she has been estranged from since her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to the big day.

A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: I can confirm she has reached out to her father.

No further details have been released, including whether or not Meghans attempt was successful.

open image in gallery Meghan was said to have reached out to her father following his surgery ( PA Archive )

Meghan is said to have previously tried to reach out to him in the past.

Mr Markle told The Mail on Sunday: Ive always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her.

I dont want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.

Mr Markle said he has not yet received a message from her, the newspaper reported.

Mr Markle, who moved from Mexico to live in the Philippines, has never met his grandchildren Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.

The retired TV lighting director ended up in intensive care on Wednesday after a three-hour emergency operation, The Daily Mail reported.

He was later said to have had his leg amputated below the knee after his foot turned black.

open image in gallery Thomas Markle did not attend Meghans wedding, where the then-Prince of Wales stepped in to walk Meghan up the aisle ( PA Archive )

His son, Thomas Markle Jr, said before the news that the duchess had reached out that he hoped Meghan would show compassion.

My only wish is that Meghan shows my father some compassion. He is literally fighting for his life, he added.

Mr Markle pulled out of attending Harry and Meghans wedding seven years ago after he was caught staging photographs for the paparazzi in the US, and then suffered a heart attack.

Harrys father, now the King, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

Mr Markle went on to repeatedly speak to the media and later claimed he had been shunned by Meghan.

He criticised the duchess but still said he wanted to reunite with her, and publicly pleaded to be able to see Archie and Lili, saying in 2023: She is not the person I knew as my daughter.

open image in gallery The duchesss new With Love, Meghan Christmas special premiered on Netflix the same day ( PA Media )

The duchess won a High Court privacy and copyright claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that reproduced parts of a personal and private handwritten letter she wrote to Mr Markle in a bid to get him to stop talking to the press.

Meghan, who has not seen her father for seven years, paid gushing tributes to Mr Markle on her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig before she married into the royal family.

She called herself a daddys girl and wrote how he invested blood, sweat and tears so she could pursue her dreams.

The Duke of Sussex, who is also estranged from his brother the Prince of Wales and has a troubled relationship with the King, has never met Mr Markle in person.

Harry reunited with the King face-to-face at a private tea in Clarence House in September after 19 months apart, after previously telling how Charles would not speak to him amid the dukes High Court battle with the Home Office over security.

Mr Markle has reflected on how both he and the King know how tough it is to be estranged from their child.

This week, the duchesss new With Love, Meghan Christmas special  which has been roundly lambasted by critics  premiered on Netflix the same day as news broke of Mr Markles admittance to intensive care.
THE HAGUE, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two Dutch F-35 fighter jets were scrambled on Sunday after an unidentified drone was detected in Dutch airspace, the country's Ministry of Defense said.

The drone later left Dutch airspace and posed no immediate threat, the ministry said in a release. Air traffic was not disrupted.

The drone did not identify itself to air traffic control via radio or transponder, according to the ministry.

The two Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35s have since returned to Volkel Air Base. The ministry noted that its fighter jets are on standby around the clock and can take off within minutes to intercept unidentified aircraft. 
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The Tories have pledged to tighten rules around a scheme designed to help disabled benefit claimants get cars through the welfare system.

Under the proposals, eligibility for the enhanced rate of personal independence payments (Pip) would be tightened to rule out people with mental health disorders such as ADHD, mild depression and anxiety.

To qualify for the enhanced rate of the benefit, claimants must currently need extra help with getting around, which can include physically moving around as well as working out a route and following it and leaving your home, according to government guidelines.

Claimants receiving the enhanced rate of Pip can then also apply to join the Motability scheme, which is designed to help with the cost of leasing a new vehicle.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the proposal to tighten the rules was fair, proportionate and reduces the burden on taxpayers.

open image in gallery Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to set out the partys wider position on welfare in a speech next week ( PA )

Welfare isnt working. Instead of a system where those who genuinely need support can access it, we have created one where it is all too easy to abuse the generosity of hardworking people, she said.

While Labour dont have the backbone to reduce the welfare bill and just put up taxes to pay for more welfare, the Conservatives are once again the party for working people, and we will get Britain working again.

She is expected to set out the partys wider position on welfare in a speech next week.

In 2017, the then-Tory government changed the rules for the enhanced Pip rate so that people would not be entitled because of psychological distress, which a High Court judge later ruled was blatantly discriminatory against those with mental health impairments.

open image in gallery The Motability scheme is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of disabled people ( PA )

The Conservatives said their plans to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and repeal the Human Rights Act would prevent future changes from facing legal challenges.

A Labour spokesperson said: This Labour Government is already taking tough action to reform the Motability scheme and save taxpayers hundreds of millions every year, including by removing luxury cars.

Decisions like these are vital so we can grow the economy, bring down debt, cut NHS waiting lists and cut the cost of living.

Kemi Badenochs Conservatives allowed welfare and debt to spiral completely out of control across 14 years of failure in government. The Tories message on welfare is: We broke it, now put us back in charge.
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The former head of the equalities watchdog has questioned Nigel Farages response to allegations of racism during his teenage years, asking why he has not offered an unreserved apology for any distress caused.

The Reform UK leader has faced allegations that he engaged in racist and antisemitic behaviour while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, a top private school in south London.

Speaking to Sky News Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, former Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chair Baroness Kishwer Falkner said she was confused and disturbed by the allegations.

open image in gallery Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has faced repeated questions over allegations he made racist and antisemitic remarks while at school (Ben Whitley/PA) ( PA Wire )

Describing the claims as ghastly on paper, Baroness Falkner said: The one thing that slightly confuses me about him, and I hear his contextualisation of it all. Why cant he just offer an unreserved apology for any distress caused?

I just dont get it. It seems to me that that would be the most genuine thing to say if hes genuinely not a racist.

Mr Farage has faced repeated questions over the allegations, which include claims that he told a Jewish pupil Hitler was right and gas them, and told a Black pupil: Thats the way back to Africa.

The Clacton MP has denied the allegations, variously saying they were categorically untrue and at other times saying he would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.

In a press conference last week, he continued to deny he ever made racist remarks in a malicious or nasty way while accusing broadcasters reporting on the claims of double standards.

Mr Farage repeatedly shouted the name of the controversial 1970s comedian Bernard Manning at journalists as part of a bizarre rant after he was asked about the allegations.

The comedian, the self-styled king of the offensive joke, repeatedly came under fire for the content of his act.

The Reform leader also read out a letter from another former pupil saying Mr Farage was neither aggressive nor racist.

open image in gallery Former EHRC chair Baroness Kishwer Falkner ( PA Archive )

Reading from the letter, he said: While there was plenty of macho, tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter, it was humour, and yes, sometimes it was offensive  but never with malice.

I never heard him racially abuse anyone.

Mr Farages former classmate, Peter Ettedgui, whose Jewish grandparents escaped Nazi Germany, is among those who have accused the politician of making racist remarks to him during their school days.

Mr Ettedgui has claimed that Mr Farage repeatedly approached him and said, Hitler was right, while they were pupils at the school.

Baroness Falkners intervention comes after a group of Holocaust survivors this week called on the Reform leader to apologise over the allegations.

The 11 signatories, some of whom have survived death camps, write that they understand the danger of hateful words and call on the Clacton MP to admit whether he said them or if he is accusing those who say he did of lying.

Zarah Sultana has also suggested on the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Your Party would team up with the Greens to keep Nigel Farage out of Downing Street at the next election. While the MP for Coventry South acknowledged that fundamentally, we are different parties, she said there has to be conversations around electoral alliances.
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The Electoral Commission has been asked to investigate cryptocurrency donations to Reform UK amid claims Nigel Farage may have abused his public position as an MP.

Both Labour and the Lib Dems have requested an investigation after the commissions quarterly report last week revealed that Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne had given Reform a 9m donation  the largest ever political donation by a single living person.

Reform has said none of the donations from Mr Harborne  who sometimes goes under the Thai name Chakrit Sakunkrit  were in cryptocurrency. But it has declined to answer other questions on cryptocurrency donations that Mr Farage has publicly claimed that the party has received.

In the letter to the commission, the Lib Dems raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest, which could undermine public trust in the integrity of our political system.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Mr Farage, which was also sent to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Electoral Commission on Sunday evening, Labour Party chair Anna Turley said the Reform leaders statements raise a number of questions which deserve an urgent answer.

On 29 May, Mr Farage announced that Reform would be the first British party to accept political donations in cryptocurrency, following the example of Donald Trumps campaign in the UK.

open image in gallery Nigel Farage addressing a rally in Falkirk on Saturday ( Getty Images )

The donation by Mr Harborne was given on 1 August. The following month, on 23 September, Mr Farage used an interview on LBC to namecheck Tether  one of the cryptocurrencies, along with cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, that Mr Harborne has shares in  when he said he was going to the Bank of England to argue against curbs on crypto.

He told Nick Ferrari: We should hang on to this and wait till they mature  and secondly, Nick, Im going to go tomorrow to say this, you know, Tether is a stablecoin. Stablecoins are the way in which money goes from conventional currencies into cryptocurrencies and back again. Tether is about to be valued as a $500bn company.

You know, stablecoins, crypto  this world is enormous and Ive been urging for years that London should embrace it.

A few weeks later, on 22 October, Mr Farage told Reuters that Reform UK had already received a couple of donations in the form of crypto assets, without giving further details.

Mr Farage has been promoting cryptocurrency since May, when he appeared at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas and said that Reform UK would launch a crypto revolution and introduce a Crypto Assets and Digital Finance Bill.

In a speech in the City of London on 3 November, Mr Farage again called for the deregulation of crypto.

open image in gallery Christopher Harborne gave 9m to Reform ( Christopher Harborne )

He said: Secondary lending is exploding and could come back to bite us. Weve ignored the burgeoning global markets in digital assets, stablecoins and crypto. The City succeeded by innovating and taking risks; weve done none of it. We should lead in these 21st-century sectors.

Reform have not answered questions sent by The Independent on who has given the party crypto donations, how much it has received and what type it received, or whether the party had a stash of Tether when Mr Farage promoted it on LBC.

In her letter to the commission, Lisa Smith, the Lib Dems shadow spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, said: The sequence of events raises serious questions about whether the public promotion of Tether by the party leader may have been connected to, influenced by, or otherwise associated with this substantial financial contribution.

It also raises the question of whether any private commitments were made to give Tether a central role in the Crypto Revolution that Nigel Farage has committed his party to delivering if they take power.

Even the perception of a link between political advocacy and major corporate donations risks undermining public trust in the integrity of our political system.

She went on: There is also a strong case, in the public interest, for Mr Farage to declare if any donations were received in the form of cryptocurrency. There is a disturbing possibility that Reform was in possession of Tether when Mr Farage promoted the coin, which would be an abuse of his public position and role as a member of parliament.

Meanwhile, Labours Ms Turley asked Mr Farage for clarification on whether he received any donations in cryptocurrency before October.

The Electoral Commission has stated that no political party has currently registered crypto assets as donations. Political parties have until the end of January to report donations they have received from 1 October onwards, but anything received before then should already have been declared.

She also asked how the party could be sure it had met the requirements under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) to ascertain the identity of its donor, and asked if he would publish Reforms vetting procedures.

Ms Turleys letter, seen by The Independent, asks whether any cryptocurrency donations were converted immediately into sterling or if they were held as crypto assets for a period of time, as well as raising concerns over the risks of money laundering and pro-Russian interference associated with crypto currency.

The letter adds: It is of course possible that Reform UK did not receive a single cryptocurrency donation above the donation threshold between May and September and that your efforts in loudly soliciting and facilitating such donations were an entirely fruitless publicity stunt.

It is equally possible that your claims about Reform UKs compliance process for cryptocurrencies, and your reference to donations in crypto that get exchanged into sterling are entirely hypothetical.

In a statement, Ms Turley added: Nigel Farage has some serious questions to answer. After boasting about taking crypto donations and putting on a front for big crypto firms, it appears nothing has been declared.

Farage needs to urgently come clean and clarify whether Reform have misled the public or if they have misled the Electoral Commission. He should provide a detailed account of who is funding him, to assure the public theres been no wrongdoing here.

Reform UK said all its donations have been reported correctly and in line with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).

Meanwhile, a Electoral Commission spokesperson said: No political party has reported any donations that they have identified as cryptocurrency.

Donations in crypto assets would be reported by political parties as non-monetary donations. As with all non-monetary donations, details regarding the nature of the donation would be available to view in the donation details on our political finance database.

Donations must be valued in British pounds (GBP) at the time of receipt of the donation. The value in GBP is the market value of the crypto asset, for example, the exchange rate of the payment provider, or if unavailable, the exchange rate on a major exchange at the time of receipt.

The Tories have also raised concerns by tabling a number of questions in parliament to the communities secretary on whether crypto regulation needs to be dealt with in the Elections Bill.

Mr Farage stated in a press conference on Thursday that Mr Harborne had wanted nothing in return for his donation.

He said: Does he want anything in return for his money? I promise you absolutely nothing. Do I speak to him regularly? Maybe once a month, maybe once every six weeks, but certainly not more than that.

He later insisted he was very, very comfortable and confident in the case of Mr Harborne that we know where his money comes from when asked about Reforms due diligence of the donation.

A Reform UK spokesperson said last week: This quarters figures show the incredible progress Reform UK is making. This is further evidence that we have all the momentum in British politics.
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The Government has been accused of delaying the publication of crucial guidance on single-sex spaces, with conflicting accounts emerging regarding when draft advice was received from the equalities watchdog.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner of Margravine, who recently concluded her tenure as chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), told The Times that the Government has possessed draft guidance since April.

This contradicts Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFaddens assertion that the advice was only received in September.

Baroness Falkner criticised the Government for its failure to publish statutory guidance following the Supreme Courts April ruling.

That judgment clarified that the terms woman and sex within the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.

Mr McFadden has said that the Supreme Court judgment "will be implemented" but declined to provide an arbitrary date for its publication. He maintained that the Government had received the EHRCs draft guidance in September.

open image in gallery A flag in the colours of the trans movement flies in central London (Andrew Matthews/PA) ( PA Wire )

Organisations across the country are still awaiting the updated guidance, which requires ministerial approval before it can be laid in Parliament. Once presented, a 40-day period must elapse before the code comes into force.

This proposed code of practice is intended to inform businesses and other organisations on the provision of single and separate-sex services, including facilities such as toilets and changing rooms.

Baroness Falkner told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: Theyve had it since April, the 8th of April, to be exact.

Its not only about sex and gender. Its an update on the 2011 code  which I think you probably wrote  which is way out of date, 14 years out of date, in nine protected characteristics: disability, age, race, the whole gamut.

They had the whole thing. We spent two years on it from 2022, they had the whole thing on the 8th of April.

She added: So the Supreme Court verdict was on 16th April, a few days after we gave it in to them, but they worked on it. They knew we were going to update 10 per cent  10 per cent of 315 pages. Thats all we needed to update in terms of the Supreme Court verdict.

They responded on 30th June with several proposals, devolved administration saying this and that, would you like to look again at this example or that example?

open image in gallery Baroness Kishwer Falkner is the outgoing chair of the EHRC ( PA Archive )

Sky journalist Sir Trevor was the founding chair of the EHRC from 2006 to 2012.

Baroness Falkner also told the programme: Let me make it clear for your viewers: the guidance is just a navigational tool. The law of the land was determined on the 16th of April, nearly eight months now.

All the guidance does is say to a service provider that if you have a shopping centre in this part and youre offering these toilets, if you want to offer single-sex spaces, they must do x, and if you want to offer unisex spaces, they must do y.

Its a practical navigational tool. It is not the law.

Mr McFadden denied that the Government was stalling on publishing guidance.

He told the programme: This is about getting it right.

The Supreme Court has clarified the situation, but the guidance will have to apply across a whole range of sectors and organisations.

Its important to get this right, because if you dont get it right, organisations will end up in further legal jeopardy.

He said the Government had draft guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission since September.

He added: The bottom line is the Supreme Court judgment will be implemented, that will mean change.

Asked when the guidance would be published, Mr McFadden said: Well get it right, rather than give an arbitrary date.
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New photographs of Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, taken during the historic Selma to Montgomery march in 1965, have been made public for the first time, offering a fresh perspective on her enduring legacy beyond her iconic act of civil disobedience. These images, captured by the late Civil Rights photographer Matt Herron, depict Parks participating in the five-day, 54-mile (87-kilometre) trek that is widely credited with building political momentum for the US Voting Rights Act of 1965.

While history often defines Parks by her refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955  an act that sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott and ultimately overturned racial segregation on public transport  these newly released photographs highlight her sustained commitment to activism. Last Friday, participants and descendants of organisers gathered to mark 70 years since that pivotal struggle in Alabamas capital caught national attention.

Released to the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, these never-before-seen photos, taken a decade after the boycott, serve as a powerful reminder that her activism predated and extended far beyond her most famous act of defiance, according to Donna Beisel, the museums director. "This is showing who Ms Parks was, both as a person and as an activist," Ms Beisel stated.

Though many of Herrons photographs from the Selma march, featuring Parks alongside other Civil Rights luminaries, have been widely published, these particular images remained unseen. Throughout his lifetime, Herrons numerous exhibits and books never featured them. Having moved to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1963 following the assassination of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers, Herron spent two years documenting the era. His lens often focused not just on leaders, but on the "masses of everyday people" who fuelled the movement for change.

open image in gallery Released to the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, these never-before-seen photos, taken a decade after the boycott

The newly public photos were discovered from a contact sheet housed at Stanford University, according to Herrons 88-year-old wife, Jeannine Herron. She explained that they were not selected for print at the time, either due to blurriness or because they featured individuals whose names were not widely known. In Parks case, the new images show her seated among the crowd, looking away from the camera. Now, Ms Herron is collaborating with historians and surviving Civil Rights activists in Alabama to reconnect these powerful images with the communities they depict. "Its so important to get that information from history into local peoples understanding of what their families did," she emphasised.

Beyond the iconic figures, Herrons work also captured the stories of ordinary individuals, such as Doris Wilson, a 20-year-old from Marion, Alabama, who was a frequent subject during the Selma to Montgomery march. Decades later, Herron expressed a desire to reconnect with her, stating in a 2014 interview: "I would love to find where she is today."

Herron passed away in 2020, before he could fulfil that wish. However, last Thursday, Ms Wilson joined other residents of Marion at Lincoln Normal School, a college founded by formerly enslaved Black people after the Civil War. There, amidst an auditorium filled with Herrons black and white photographs, people pointed out familiar faces and backdrops. While some images were known to the 80-year-old Ms Wilson, others, including those featuring her as the subject, she had never seen before.

One particularly poignant photograph depicts Ms Wilson receiving treatment in a medical tent during the march, her feet severely blistered from walking over 10 miles daily. In a remarkable turn of events, Dr June Finer, the physician who tended to her injuries, also flew in from New York to reunite with Ms Wilson for the first time in six decades. "Are you the one who rubbed my feet?" Ms Wilson asked, as the two women shared a laugh and an embrace. Dr Finer, 90, recalled being so focused on the marchers safety that she was unaware photos were being taken. Reflecting on the reunion, Ms Wilson later said: "I longed to see her."

open image in gallery Released to the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, these never-before-seen photos, taken a decade after the boycott

Ms Wilsons eldest son, Robert E Wilson, 62, who was a young child when his mother completed the march, expressed his astonishment. "Im so stunned. She always said she was in the march, but I never knew she was strong like that," he remarked, having never seen the photos of his mother displayed in the very school she once attended.

The newly unveiled collection also brought validation to Cheryl Gardner Davis, who has faint recollections of her family hosting weary marchers on the third night of the 1965 march in rural Lowndes County, Alabama. At just four years old, she remembered "hordes of strangers" erecting tents on their farm and her mother and older sister mopping up mud from people using their landline phone.

It was only as an adult that Ms Davis fully grasped the profound significance of her familys sacrifice: her mothers teaching job was threatened, their power was cut off, and a neighbour menaced them with a rifle. For years, she diligently scoured the internet and libraries, searching for photographic evidence of their hardship, or at least an image of their property at the time.

Among the hundreds of photos returned to Alabama in early December were images of the campsite at Ms Daviss childhood home. Having never seen them before, Ms Davis described the discovery as a vital way to shed light on the often-overlooked individuals of that transformative historical period. "Its, in a sense, validation. This actually happened, and people were there," she affirmed.
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More than one third of the roughly 222,000 people Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested in the first nine months of the Trump administration had no criminal history, according to newly obtained data, despite the White Houses frequent claims it is targeting violent criminals with its immigration crackdown.

Between January 20 and October 15, nearly 75,000 of those arrested by ICE lacked criminal history, according to data obtained by the University of California, Berkeleys Deportation Data Project in a lawsuit against federal officials.

It contradicts what the administration has been saying about people who are convicted criminals and that they are going after the worst of the worst, Ariel Ruiz Soto, senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told NBC News of the findings.

The agency has averaged about 824 arrests per day, according to the data, well short of a reported internal goal of 3,000 arrests per day.

ICE stopped posting detailed information about its arrests at the beginning of the second Trump term.

open image in gallery Despite the Trump administration saying it would go after criminals and violent threats, immigration officials have arrested thousands of people with past criminal record, according to newly obtained data ( Getty Images )

The data does not include arrest figures covering those detained by the Border Patrol, which has taken an increasingly prominent role under Trump leading deportation crackdowns in cities across the country, though other analyses suggest similar trends.

During a recent operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, fewer than one-third of those the Border Patrol arrested were already classified as criminals, according to internal Homeland Security documents obtained by CBS News.

As of mid-November, about 73 percent of the roughly 65,000 people in immigration detention after being arrested by ICE and the Border Patrol had no previous criminal conviction, and most of those with convictions were for minor offenses like traffic violations, according to the TRAC immigration database.

open image in gallery The Trump administration has directed unprecedented funding to agencies like ICE and the Border Patrol ( Getty Images )

In the course of chasing the Trump administrations goals of a record number of arrests and deportations, immigration officials have detained scores of U.S. citizens, including children, and agents have been accused of random sweeps using racial profiling to target Latinos.

The scope of immigration enforcement is only set to increase under the Trump administration, which has steered $170 billion to ICE and the Border Patrol as part of the Big, Beautiful Bill spending package that passed earlier this year, an unprecedented level of funding.
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In its cold open, Saturday Night Live skewered President Donald Trump for seemingly falling asleep during meetings, and poked fun at his apparent bromance with Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City.

The latest episode began with Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, played by Colin Jost, appearing at a press conference to address the U.S. militarys strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean  which have been the source of significant controversy.

Trump has my back 100%, Josts Hegseth said from behind a podium, addressing reports that the president has distanced himself from the Pentagon chief.

You wanna know why? he added. Because...hes a high energy alpha who trusts me and listens to me no matter what. Isnt that right Mr. President?

The camera then panned to Johnson, who was dozing off in a chair  an apparent reference to the presidents Cabinet meeting this week, when he appeared to close his eyes for long periods.

Stop Mamdani, you can freeze my rent anytime, the pretend president said, dreaming of the Democratic socialist.

Trump recently hosted Mamdani at the White House for a lengthy meeting, described by some as a love-fest, during which the president predicted Mamdani will be a really great mayor. The sit-down was so friendly, that a FOX News anchor joked that it had left Vice President JD Vance feeling jealous.

open image in gallery In its cold open, SNL skewered President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the administration's targeting of alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea. ( NBC/SNL )

In the sketch, Johnson quickly jolted awake.

I wasnt sleeping, he said. Im very much awake. Now someone quickly tell me where am I, who am I and what year might it be.

I was just telling everyone here that I have your full support, Josts Hegseth told the president.

Abolutely, we love Pete, hes a great guy, Johnson said, while shoving the defense secretary off stage.

He then addressed the controversial second strike that the Pentagon authorized on on an alleged drug boat on September 2. The follow-up strike  referred to by some as a double-tap  was launched after two survivors were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.

It was just fog of war right? Fog of war. Its a thing you only say after doing war crime, Johnson said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. Right you never hear a general go everything went according to plan in fog of war.

The spoof was a reference to Hegseths comments on Tuesday, during which he described the second strike as a decision made in the fog of war. He added that he did not personally oversee the attack, but that the admiral in charge, Frank Mitch Bradley, had made the right call and acted within the confines of the law.

Lawmakers viewed footage of the attack this week, with one Democrat describing it as one of the most troubling things Ive seen in my time in public service. Republicans largely backed up the Pentagon, with one calling the second strike righteous and entirely lawful.

At an event on Saturday, Hegseth refused to commit to releasing video footage of the strike, saying Well see. He added that the strikes  which have killed at least 84 people  will continue.

open image in gallery "You got questions for me? Fine. pretend im a random fishing boat and fire away," cast member Colin Jost, playing Pete Hegseth, said. ( NBC/SNL )

I stand by Pete, Johnson said in the sketch. And nothing can change my mind unless of course it could hurt me in any way in which case Ill throw him under one of Mamdanis free buses.

Earlier in the sketch, Josts Hegseth fielded questions from reporters, whom he relentlessly attacked.

Now listen up, as you probably read in some gay newspaper, were now at war with Venezuela, he said. All you nerds are like wait was there an official declaration of war?

You got questions for me? Fine, he added. Pretend Im a random fishing boat and fire away.

A reporter then asked him if there was any truth to the allegations that the defense chief personally ordered survivors of a first boat strike to be killed.

First of all, that kind of cruel heartless act has no place in Operation Kill Everybody, he responded.

open image in gallery James Austin Johnson, playing Trump, fell asleep and dreamed off New York City's incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani. ( NBC/SNL )

Another reporter asked for the fake Hegseths response to Democratic Senator Mark Kellys statement that he acts like a 12-year-old playing army.

First of all, Kelly, thats a girls name. Whats his first name: dress? he said.
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President Donald Trump is starting to grow weary of the ongoing controversies plaguing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a new report.

While the president has stood by Hegseth in public, he has shown less enthusiasm behind closed doors, The Atlantic reported Friday, citing several unnamed sources familiar with White House discussions.

[Trump] is starting to tire of the scandals surrounding Hegseth and does not push back when others suggest Hegseth is not up for the job, an outside adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official told us, The Atlantic reported.

An unnamed senior administration told the outlet its been a rough week for Pete.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

The presidents apparent dissatisfaction comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny for authorizing a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2. The follow-up strike  referred to by some as a double tap  was launched after two survivors were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.

open image in gallery The Secretary of Defense has faced increased scrutiny after a double strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean ( AP )

On Thursday, Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley, the Navy SEAL officer who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, showed lawmakers footage of the lethal strikes and answered questions.

Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters the footage was one of the most troubling things Ive seen in my time in public service. In contrast, Tom Cotton, GOP chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the strikes righteous and entirely lawful.

Hegseth, on Tuesday, said the attack took place within the fog of war and said Bradley acted within his authority and the law.

Beyond the double-tap controversy, Hegseth has drawn broader criticism for his campaign targeting suspected traffickers, which has resulted in at least 86 deaths. Some lawmakers and human rights organizations have labeled the attacks illegal, alleging they are being used to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Republicans, however, have largely backed the strikes, arguing they help stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

This week, the Defense Departments inspector general also released the findings from an investigation into Hegseths use of a Signal chat to post details about a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report concluded that the former FOX News anchors actions could have put U.S. personnel in harms way. In a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Saturday, Hegseth said he doesnt live with any regrets over the his use of Signal.

President Trump has publicly backed the Pentagon chief, telling reporters Tuesday that Pete is doing a great job. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the militarys second strike in September. However, behind closed doors, things could be different, The Atlantic report claims.

open image in gallery On Thursday, Hegseth ordered a new strike that killed four alleged drug traffickers ( X/@Southcom )

Trump has not been happy that a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are using Hegseths record as a reason to stand up to the White House, a further sign of cracks in what had until recently been unwavering GOP fealty to Trump, the outlet said.

This week, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CNN that Hegseth was wrong to claim the inspector generals report on his use of a Signal chat had exonerated him.

No one can rationalize that as an exoneration, Tillis said. We know that mission information was outside of the classified setting that it was trusted to be in.

On Friday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called on Hegseth to testify under oath about the boat strikes.

I think that Congress, if they had any kind of gumption at all, would not be allowing this administration to summarily execute people that are suspected of a crime, he told The Independent.

Still, a number of Republicans have stood by Hegseth and have argued the Pentagon is operating fine under his leadership. And a senior administration official told The Atlantic that the president cannot afford to fire Hegseth and endure another Senate confirmation battle.

The people around the president have always sensed that Hegseth isnt really qualified for the job, this official said. But hes redeemed himself in the eyes of the president because he is truly devoted to Trump.

They added: That goes a long way. Taking Pete, with all his baggage, is just how its gonna be.

At the same time, Trump has given no indication the boat strikes will slow down. Instead, he suggested the military campaign could escalate.

Very soon were going to start doing it on land too, the president said on Wednesday.
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Donald Trump indicated he regretted his decision to pardon a Democratic congressman, Henry Cuellar, after Cuellars announcement this past week that he would seek re-election.

Since his election in 2004, Cuellar has long been one of his partys most conservative members. In May of 2024, he was indicted on charges of bribery and money laundering and accused of taking roughly $600,000 in total from two banks in Mexico and Azerbaijan.

Having been under investigation by the FBI for more than three years, Cuellar long maintained his innocence and was awaiting trial when Trump issued a pardon for him on Wednesday.

But now, the president seems to be having second thoughts after Cuellar said he planned to run for another term in 2026. Thats despite the primary challenges hes faced from his own party in recent years.

Trump wrote on Truth Social early Sunday: I signed the papers, and said to people in the Oval Office that I just did a very good, perhaps life saving, thing. God was very happy with me that day!

open image in gallery President Donald Trump pardoned a Democratic congressman, Henry Cuellar, on the same day Cuellar announced hed run for re-election ( ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images )

He bizarrely insisted that Cuellars daughters would be angry with the congressman over his decision. Cuellars children do not have prominent public profiles and are not involved in their fathers work in Washington. He occasionally posts about them on social media.

Prior to posting about Cuellars pardon, Trump posted a letter he received from the congressmans daughter regarding their fathers case.

THEN IT HAPPENED!!! Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be running for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas (a State where I received the highest number of votes ever recorded!), as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison - And probably still do! Trump complained, bemoaning, Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like.

He added: Oh [sic] well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!

Cuellar responded during an interview on Sunday Morning Futures with Foxs Maria Bartiromo.

I was at church this morning with my wife. I prayed for the president, I prayed for his family, and I prayed for the presidency, because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds, Cuellar said, confirming that he considers himself a conservative Democrat and would not switch parties next year.

I follow the words of President [Lyndon B. Johnson], who said many years ago, Im an American, Im a Texan, and Im a Democrat, in that order,' he continued. And I think anybody that puts party before their country is doing a disservice to their country.

The nature of Trumps remark insinuates that the president aimed to convince Cuellar to abandon his party or his congressional seal in a show of gratitude for the pardon.

Instead, Cuellar filed for re-election the same day the pardon was granted.

open image in gallery Rep. Henry Cuellar is an ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and has given no indication that he plans to leave the Democratic Party, to Trumps chagrin ( Getty Images )

The Democratic congressman hasnt spoken publicly about the pardon process, but even under the pardon-happy second Trump administration, Americans who the president grants clemency must formally apply for it, per the Justice Departments website.

Since taking office in January, Trump has exercised the pardon authority at a faster pace than most presidents. He has used the tool to directly benefit his own supporters, including but not limited to the hundreds of Americans charged for various crimes in response to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The president also used it to pardon others who lobbied his campaign and subsequent administration. Recently, the pardon authority was used to shield members of his 2020 campaign legal team, including Jenna Ellis, Rudy Giuliani, and Kenneth Chesebro, from lingering legal responsibility for the fake electors scheme.

open image in gallery Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was pardoned by the president last month to shield him from legal liability over the 2020 fake electors scheme ( REUTERS )

Trump also turned many heads in Washington with the pardon of the former president of Honduras, convicted last year for drug trafficking, despite the Trump administrations current aggressive actions against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

Cuellar is one of the Democrats frontline members, and his seat flipping for any reason would be a blow to his party in Texas and nationally.

Most analysts and, increasingly, many Republicans are warning that Democrats are on pace to retake the House in next years midterms. Cuellar switching parties or dropping out would endanger that goal.

But Republicans have sought to make these entreaties before, and Democratic leaders (with whom he still maintains good relationships) have helped Cuellar win tough races before  making the loyalty equation a more complicated question for the congressman.
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President Donald Trump is reportedly considering moving on from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a staff shakeup that could come in time for the New Year, according to a report.

Two former DHS officials who served under both Trump and former President Joe Biden told The Bulwark that Trump is considering moving on from Noem, with the change potentially coming really soon.

A third official cautioned that the current situation is fluid, meaning Trump may still let the ex-South Dakota governor lead new enforcement operations planned for January and February, according to the report.

Trump tapped Noem to lead DHS after she dropped off his vice presidential shortlist when she admitted that she once shot and killed her familys pet dog because it was not easily trainable. She has since gone on to lead Trumps controversial anti-immigration, mass deportation agenda.

While Trump likes Noem, top White House leaders have grown frustrated with her leadership  specifically her employment of divisive chief advisor Corey Lewandowski, according to the report.

open image in gallery President Trump is reportedly considering replacing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a report ( AP )

Lewandowski denied the report in a statement to The Bulwark, telling the publication, None of that is true.

Trump has often voiced his praise for Noem, who has been an enthusiastic operator in service of the presidents agenda, often appearing in videos meant to glorify the administrations deportation program and demonize the immigrant populations it has targeted.

Noems potential exit may come as Trump wants to start the New Year with a clean slate, according to the report. On top of this, Trump may be considering tapping Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is set to leave office in January, for any potential cabinet openings.

Youngkin previously expressed interest in an economic or business role, rather than one focused on immigration, though he would still be excited to have a cabinet role, according to a CNN report.

It has been made clear that [Youngkin] is interested in working for the administration in some capacity, one senior White House official told CNN.

open image in gallery Trump could considered term-limited Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, left, who will leave office in January, for any potential cabinet openings, according to reports. ( AFP via Getty Images )

Meanwhile, Noem appears to be trying to stay onTrumps good side, bizarrely thanking him for keeping the hurricanes away during Tuesdays cabinet meeting.

Sir, you made it through hurricane season without a hurricaneeven you kept the hurricanes away. We appreciate that, she said.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson addressed the claims on X, writing, Anonymous former staffers pretend to know what POTUS is thinking and the Bulwark treats them as credible? This report  and the Bulwark  is total FAKE NEWS! Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the Presidents agenda and Making America Safe Again.
ALGIERS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed, and 23 others injured Saturday when a passenger bus overturned in Algeria's western Beni Abbes province, the Civil Protection service said.

The crash happened around 1:50 p.m. local time (1250 GMT) on National Road 50 near the municipality of Tabelbala, about 1,200 km southwest of the country's capital, Algiers.

Rescue crews treated the wounded at the scene before taking several in critical condition to a nearby hospital. Authorities opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Traffic accidents are common in the North African nation. On Aug. 15, a passenger bus plunged off a bridge in the El Harrach area east of the capital, killing 18 people.

Algeria's Ministry of Public Works and Transport has said most traffic accidents in the country are linked to human error, reckless driving, and inadequate vehicle maintenance.

Meanwhile, transport unions and bus operators have long blamed the rising number of crashes on aging transportation infrastructure and government policies, including a ban on importing buses and spare parts. 
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Sir Keir Starmer will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Monday alongside other EU leaders as Ukraine considers next steps after US peace talks.

Mr Zelensky will meet Sir Keir in Downing Street along with French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The meeting comes amid continued talks between Ukrainian and US officials on a Washington-backed plan to end the war. Ukraines negotiators were in Florida for three days last week for talks with Donald Trumps envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

On Sunday, cabinet minister Pat McFadden said that Ukraines security and self-determination would be at the heart of the leaders discussions in London. He said that talks were at a really pivotal moment.

Meanwhile, Mr Trumps special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who is due to step down in January, told a defence forum that a deal to end the Ukraine war was really close and that it now depended on resolving just two main outstanding issues.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer with Volodymyr Zelensky in London in October ( Getty )

These are the future of Ukraines Donbas region and the Zaporzhzhia nuclear power plant. He told Reagan National Defence Forum: If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well. Were almost there.

However, president Vladimir Putins top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by Russian media as saying the US would have to make radical changes to their papers on Ukraine. He did not clarify what changes Moscow wanted Washington to make.

Despite progress being made on peace talks, Russia continued to bombard Ukraine with drone attacks overnight into Sunday.

open image in gallery Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said London talks come at pivotal moment for Ukraine ( PA )

Missile and drone attacks killed at least three people in Ukraine, according to regional police. A man was killed in a drone attack on Ukraines northern Chernihiv region on Saturday night, while a combined missile and drone attack on infrastructure in the central city of Kremenchuk caused power and water outages.

Kremenchuk is home to one of Ukraines biggest oil refineries and is an industrial hub.

Two people were also killed and seven others injured in shelling by Russian troops in Ukraines Kharkiv region, according to the regional police.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed the Trump administration's new national security strategy.

In comments published on Sunday by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, he said the strategy was "encouraging".

"There are statements there against confrontation and in favour of dialogue and building good relations," he added.

The document released on Friday by the White House makes it clear that the US wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah, and that ending the war is a core US interest to "re-establish strategic stability with Russia".
Tucking into a roast at the pub last weekend  open fire roaring away, a local farmer enjoying a pint at the bar with his Jack Russell in tow  I couldnt help but think how fortunate I am to live in the Cotswolds.

Yes, it may have become a cliched posh paradise, with more resident celebs than you can shake a riding stick at. But Christmas is when this part of the world really comes into its own.

Which is why I was surprised to hear that the Cotswolds most famous ex-pat couple, former US chat-show host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, actor Portia de Rossi, are keen to be anywhere but here for the festive season.

The couple had moved into a seven-bedroom stone farmhouse in Oxfordshire the day after Donald Trump was re-elected. They planned not to return to California until hes well and truly out of the White House. Theyve since moved to a new property half an hours drive away  but they dont seem to have settled in: according to The Mail on Sunday, they have been telling friends they dread the prospect of another British winter, and intend to spend more time in the sunshine state after all.

As a Cotswold resident for the last 15 years, I think that if Ellen and Portia  who put their sprawling 43-acre estate, Kitesbridge Farm in Swinbrook on the market last summer after it flooded, and for a full 7.5m more than the whopping 22.5m they bought it for  cant appreciate the Cotswolds at the most wonderful time of the year, they never will.

open image in gallery Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi are reported to be heading to California for Christmas ( Getty )

Here in bucolic Bourton-on-the-Water, we have a floating Christmas tree, to go with the chocolate-box cottages, independent boutiques to buy the perfect present and, arguably, the most luxurious farm shop in the world, which stocks everything from truffle cheese to 135 doggy hampers. Its festive, charming and delightfully eccentric  exactly what youd hope for.

We have the Christmas lights at beautiful Blenheim, courses on tablescaping (if youre into that sort of thing, which Im not), carol singing with real reindeer (and celebrities galore) at Soho Farmhouse, and an advent calendar full of local Christmas fairs. If anything, its almost impossible not to feel festive.

Yes, it may get a bit muddy after a December downpour  especially if, like Ellen and Portia, you have dogs and horses  but thats a small price to pay for the glorious valleys, bridle paths and breathtaking views you have here.

Lets not forget that The Holiday  that cheesy film where wholesome Brit Kate Winslet swaps houses with glamorous American Cameron Diaz, and Diaz finds herself in a tiny country cottage with just a fire and Jude Law to warm the cockles of her perfectly painted toes  is now one of the most popular Christmas flicks of all time. And while not technically filmed in the Cotswolds, rather the patio of England, aka Surrey, the cottage with its honey-coloured stone, rustic interior and Farrow & Ball-coloured door is a passable dupe for the ones you might find here.

Up until now, Ellen and Portia have seemed to be enjoying all that we have to offer. Theyve been warmly welcomed in local pubs, including The Falkland Arms in Great Tew, a stones throw from the Beckhams, and Jeremy Clarksons Farmers Dog in Asthall, near Burford.

open image in gallery Picture perfect: The Worcestershire village of Broadway is often referred to as the Jewel of the Cotswolds ( Getty Images/iStockphoto )

And yes, while they might not appreciate our great British weather or seeing the region get flooded, Im sure having a helicopter must help when you want to nip to the shops.

But if they would rather go back to Montecito and make jam with Meghan and Harry, so be it. Having spent some time in both California and the Cotswolds, I can confirm that I, for one, would rather browse the golden, cobbled streets here than the vast, homogenous out-of-town malls and highways there.

Its also worth remembering that the Cotswolds are massive and span six counties, including Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Somerset, across almost 800 square miles.

Its not just about the so-called Chipping Norton set, you know. The part I live in is distinctly not posh, so if Ellen fancies slumming it and bypassing the Range Rovers, celebs and fur gilets, tell her to give me a call.
Record driven by access to new market opportunities  and in spite of the geopolitical and trading tensions threatening turmoil in world markets

Diversifying markets for our whiskey and spirit sector is really important,' Mr Heydon said. Photo: via Getty

'If we are just chasing a commodity market, trying to compete with Brazil on volumes of beef, were never going to be able to compete,' the minister said

Irish agriculture exports are set to pass a landmark 20bn this year, driven by the opening up of new market opportunities, according to the Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon.

The strong export figures come despite geopolitical and trading tensions that have threatened to cause turmoil in world markets.

A lot of commentary and attention is very focused on FDI [foreign direct investment] and the jobs provided in Ireland by foreign companies, Minister Heydon told the Sunday Independent.

Our indigenous sector sometimes gets overlooked. It employs over 171,000 people from 133,000 farm families and there are thousands of jobs in processing and the value-added end of the sector too.

Last year was a record year for food and drink exports at 19bn. But the first nine months of 2025 were up 13pc on last year at 15.7bn and Heydon believes the sector will this year surpass 20bn for the first time.

'If we are just chasing a commodity market, trying to compete with Brazil on volumes of beef, were never going to be able to compete,' the minister said

Increased market access for Irish beef and dairy was under discussion with a range of countries including Thailand, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Morocco, Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia and Saudi Arabia, he said.

The EUs trade agreement with Japan has facilitated an increase in Irish agri-food exports from 98m in 2017 to 172m in 2024  largely due to dairy and pigmeat exports.

The more market access we have, the more options there are for Irish food companies to go and get the best price.

The whiskey sector has had a difficult year but Heydon sees big potential opportunities ahead, particularly in India with which the EU is progressing a trade deal.

If we get that over the line, the opportunities for our whiskey sector are really, really significant.

And in Canada, consumers have completely moved away from American produce overnight because of the tariff wars. Weve met the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, who are the biggest customer there for our whiskey and they have absolutely identified market opportunities that Irish whiskey can meet.

Diversifying markets for our whiskey and spirit sector is really important,' Mr Heydon said. Photo: via Getty

The CETA trade agreement between the EU and Canada has already boosted agri-food exports to Canada from 107m in 2017 to 169m in 2024. Irish whiskey and Irish Cream liqueur have been the main driver, with over 90m exported in 2024.

Diversifying markets for our whiskey and spirit sector is really important, even while we continue to work across the EU in negotiations with the US for a return to zero-for-zero tariffs on spirits.

But farmers on the ground face challenges, underlined by last week by a Teagasc economic report that predicted average dairy farm income in 2026 will fall to around 80,000  down from an estimated 137,000 this year.

Income volatility is a challenge, said Heydon. Irish dairy farmers very much deal with world prices and we have an oversupply of dairy produce from the US, meaning a predicted drop in dairy farm incomes next year compared to a record year this year.

It is all the more reason why we must redouble our efforts around the value-added piece. If we are just chasing a commodity market, trying to compete with Brazil on volumes of beef, for example, were never going to be able to compete.

The reason we are looking to open new markets is to insulate the farmer and our food companies and our co-ops from that income volatility, he said.
Adrian Weckler: Teslas brand collapse is down to one glaring Elon Musk-shaped reason

Sales have slumped in Ireland and across Europe, with the company appearing to run out of charge this year

Elon Musk has had quite the year. Photo: Getty

Adrian Weckler Sat 6 Dec 2025 at 06:30

Its been a good year for electric cars in Ireland. Sales were up 36pc to the start of December. Theres a much bigger choice of affordable models at prices similar to petrol or diesel. Ranges on high-end models have increased.
Zelensky sets out Ukraines trade stall during forum with Irish business leaders

With his eyes firmly on the prize of a prosperous and just post-war peace, the war-time leader is putting his ducks in a row

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects members of the Irish Defence Forces last week. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins

Sean Pollock Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30







Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walked into Iveagh House on Tuesday evening with the look of a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
You couldnt have found an easier person to talk to, even though he was a genius  Irish theatre colleagues pay tribute to Tom Stoppard

Friends recall humility, humour and generosity of a legend who loved to bring his work here

Tom Stoppard in the Gate Theatre's green room in 2009. Photo: Anthony Woods

Emily Hourican Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

Tom Stoppard, who died last Saturday aged 88, was last week described as an intellectual magician by the New York Times, and a playwright of dazzling wit famed for the hypnotised brilliance of his dialogue.
An overwhelming majority of voters have laid the blame for the recent Fianna Fail presidential debacle squarely at the feet of party leader Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Ahead of the publication of an interval review into the selection of Jim Gavin as the party candidate, findings from this months Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll show 68pc of voters blame Mr Martin for the fiasco which has engulfed the party internally since early October.
Tensions rise in capital as anti-racism groups respond to far right by hoisting Palestinian, Pride and Ukrainian flags among others

Councillor Mannix Flynn said a sensible approach needs to be taken. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Dublin City Council has been urged to publish a petition asking Dublins residents whether Tricolour flags erected around the capital by anti-immigration groups should be removed.

Hundreds of Irish flags began to appear from September on lampposts in parts of Dublin city and its suburbs, erected by far-right groups and members of local communities, who also post these activities on social media.

In response, anti-racism activists have begun erecting Palestinian, Ukrainian, Indian, Brazilian, and Pride flags on lampposts adjacent to Tricolour flags, in recent weeks.

In some cases, the activists have dressed as council workers to protect themselves from being targeted in what is now dubbed flag wars in the capital.

Tricolour flags have been removed by these activists in some areas. The erection of Tricolours is particularly evident in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, East Wall, Crumlin and Drimnagh as well as parts of the inner city and Dublin 8.

They have also begun to appear in smaller numbers in other parts of the country. The proliferation of the flag mirrors the Raise the Colours campaign in the UK, with the widespread display of the Union Flag and the Saint Georges Cross in public places.

One well-known far-right activist, Paul Nolan, has posted multiple videos of Tricolours being erected around Dublin. He has also posted content to social media of a Pride flag being removed from a lamppost in Longford and set alight.

Last month, Nolan (37), of Leopardstown, Dublin, was jailed after he became the first person convicted in Ireland for online posts that jeopardised the anonymity of asylum-seekers. Nolan stood outside a centre for asylum-seekers in Tallaght on two days in August last year, questioning residents, including teenagers, a young woman and three men, Dublin District Court heard.

In that hearing, Judge John Hughes noted this was the first prosecution under the relevant law, which carries a possible 12-month prison term.

Nolan received a 10-month sentence, with the final three months suspended if he completes probation, anger management counselling, stays away from Ipas centres for two years and removes the videos. He has appealed the sentence.

Within the past fortnight in Dublin 8, a stencil graffiti has appeared on an electricity box stating: No to D18 drug dealing hate crime criminal Paul Nolan raising the tricolour on Davitt Road.

Security sources say they are well aware of the escalating flag wars and hope that it doesnt spill over into violence.

One source said: Its a matter for Dublin City Council to try and take action on this flag issue, before it becomes a garda matter, which hopefully it does not.

When contacted, Dublin City Council said it does not have any plans to remove the Tricolours, saying removing such flags at this time would be counterproductive.

It said it has reviewed the factors and risks associated with the ongoing issue of flags on public lighting poles and instead intends to take a positive and proactive approach. One that celebrates our collective sense of belonging to this city.

Councillor Mannix Flynn said a sensible approach needs to be taken. Photo: Gerry Mooney

It added: Working with local communities and civic partners, Dublin City Council will promote a deeper understanding of the Irish flag: its history, its meaning, and its enduring message of inclusion, equality and respect.

Where flags or items placed on public lighting poles create a hazard or risk to public safety, they will be removed in the normal course of council operations.

However, some anti-racism activists are unhappy with the councils decision and have now formally requested that it put a petition to its residents asking whether or not Tricolour flags should be taken down.

A number of anti-racism activists have contacted the council in recent days asking for the council to petition its residents on the flag issue.

In one of the emails sent to the council last week, a Dublin city resident wrote: I am most concerned also about DCCs decision to leave the Tricolours remain where it is a symbol of exclusion and anti-immigrant sentiment hoisted by the far right.

Can you publish a petition asking Dublins residents how they feel on the issue, eg: Would you like the Tricolours raised in your area in recent months to remain, or be removed? How do you feel about putting this to the citys people  the main stakeholders in the debate?

I have become distraught and stirred into action by the proliferation of Tricolours in our area

A man who lives in south Dublin, and asked to be identified as JB, has been involved in putting up counter flags adjacent to Tricolour flags in his area, promoting inclusion.

Like many in my community, I have become distraught and stirred into action by the proliferation of Tricolours in our area. These have been erected by far-right agitators who have come in from outside and plastered our streets with cheaply made and poorly secured flags, he said.

Raising the Tricolour around Ireland mimics the Operation Raise the Colours in the UK, as supported by the far-right political party Britain First, anti-immigrant campaigner Tommy Robinson, Reform UK and others.

Like many I believe the Government has badly mismanaged asylum processing, overburdened the housing system and failed to quell public anxiety on immigration. This has encouraged anti-immigration groups, but we should not punish some of the most vulnerable in society for government shortcomings.

The man said he, and others in his community, have not removed any of the Irish flags. We have not taken the Tricolour down, but have attempted to restore its inclusive meaning by adding flags of solidarity on adjacent lampposts.

Flying flags like the Palestinian, Ukrainian, Indian, Brazilian, a variation of the Pride flag with a love heart next to Tricolours somewhat neutralises their intended meaning, and reinstates its message of multicultural tolerance.

Our flags are widely seen and shared on social media where they hopefully provide some relief for those who may need it most. Like many, I am most concerned by Dublin City Councils decision not to remove Tricolours erected by the far right.

Independent south east inner city councillor Mannix Flynn said the law is clear and that the flags have been erected illegally.

Considering this, he said theres no reason not to remove the flags and in normal instances those breaking the law would be issued a fine and, if unpaid, be brought to court for littering.

"I don't have too much of an issue with the proliferation of flags. People are saying they have been put up by the far-right but we don't know who they have been put up by. I think the council needs to release a clear statement and enforce their own rules, Mr Flynn said.

If people want to put up flags, they need to ask permission and be given it and then provide a date when they will be taken down. This needs to be dealt with by the council, because tensions are rising. These flags are not just a Dublin issue, they are also being put up all over Ireland now.
Gardai have issued an appeal for information on the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of Trevor Deely.

Mr Deely, originally from Naas in Co Kildare and living on Serpentine Avenue in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, was 22-years-old when he went missing in the early hours of December 8, 2000.

He was attending a work Christmas party at the Hilton Hotel in Dublin 2 on December 7, before going to Buck Whaleys nightclub on Leeson Street, where he left between 2.30am and 3.25am on December 8.

There was extremely wet weather that night, and there was a taxi strike in progress.

At 3.35am on December 8, Mr Deely called to his place of work at the Bank of Ireland offices on Fitzwilliam Street. CCTV footage at the rear entrance shows him conversing with an unknown man at the back gate.

Gardai said they are still looking to identify this man, who may have information that could assist their investigation.

Mr Deely was last seen on CCTV passing the Bank of Ireland ATM on Haddington Road at 4.14am on December 8, 2000.

Standing at six foot one with a slim build and short red/brown hair, he was last seen wearing a mustard and brown checked shirt, beige/grey corduroy flared trousers, dark deck shoes with white stripes, a green padded jacket, carrying a large dark blue umbrella with white ACC Bank lettering.

Gardai at Peare Street garda station are appealing for information that will assist the investigation into Mr Deelys disappearance.

Even the smallest piece of information, which may seem insignificant, may assist the investigation, a spokesperson said.

Anyone with information can contact Pearse Street garda station on 01 666 9000, the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
From the Lotto to Marty Morrisseys words with Bakhurst over BBC links  what we learnt from RTE at media committee
ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Sunday "strongly and unequivocally" condemned an attempted military coup in Benin.

"Any form of military interference in political processes constitutes a grave violation of the fundamental principles and values of the African Union," the chairperson stresses in a press statement.

Youssouf called on all actors involved in the coup attempt to immediately cease all unlawful actions, to fully respect the country's constitution, and to return without delay to their legitimate barracks and professional obligations.

He further encouraged all national stakeholders in Benin to prioritize unity, dialogue, and the preservation of national peace.

Meanwhile, the AUC chief expressed "deep concern over the troubling proliferation of military coups and coup attempts across parts of the region." He underscored that such actions continue to undermine continental stability, threaten democratic gains, and embolden military actors to act outside constitutional mandates.

He emphasized that the pan-African bloc remains firm and consistent in defending democratic governance, the rule of law, and the sovereign will of the African people.

Benin's armed forces have foiled an attempted mutiny aimed at destabilizing the state and its institutions, Minister of Interior and Public Security Alassane Seidou said in a statement on Sunday.

Seidou made the remarks after a group of soldiers announced earlier in the day on state broadcaster Benin TV that President Patrice Talon had been "removed from office." 
Its killing me, and thats why I have to speak out: Willow Park school sex abuse victim breaks silence ahead of paedophiles sentencing

Aidan Moore says he will never get over the ordeal that former teacher Peter Kelly put him and other young boys through

Aidan Moore was a pupil at Willow Park primary school in Dublin. Photo: Fergal Phillips

Ali Bracken Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

Aidan Moore will attend court tomorrow to witness the jailing of the paedophile teacher who sexually abused him and seven other young boys.
Another woman was injured in the blaze on Saturday at the property in Edenderry

The scene of a house fire in Edenderry, Co Offaly, where a woman and a young boy have died. Another woman is currently being treated in hospital following the blaze at the domestic residence on Saturday evening. Photo: Aisling Hyland/PA Wire

Gardai have launched a murder investigation after a boy (4) and woman in her 60s were killed in what has been described as a reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home.

Emergency services, including Offaly Fire and Rescue Service, the National Ambulance Service and gardai responded to a fire at a house in Castleview Park in Edenderry shortly before 7.45pm on Saturday.

The fire was put out and the remains of two people, a woman aged 60 and a four-year-old boy, were discovered.

They have been named as Mary Holt (60) and Tadhg Farrell (4).

A second woman, aged in her 50s, was taken from the scene and is receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries.

A garda spokesperson said: An Garda Siochana has commenced a murder investigation into all the circumstances of a fatal house fire that occurred at a domestic residence in Castleview Park, Edenderry, Co Offaly on the evening of Saturday, December 6, 2025.

"The house has been declared a crime scene and is currently subject to technical examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

The office of the local coroner and the State Pathologist have been notified.

The remains of both deceased have been removed from the scene and post mortems will be carried out by the Assistant State Pathologist Margot Bolster at the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, commencing this afternoon.

This murder investigation is being coordinated from an incident room at Tullamore garda station under the direction of a Senior Investigating Officer.

A Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to the families.

An Garda Siochana believes that the house was attacked by a person or persons unknown at this time, and that the fire was deliberately started. This was a reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home.

Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan said he strongly condemns the deliberate callous attack on a house in Edenderry, Offaly which sadly resulted in the loss of two lives including a young child.

"There is no place in a civilised society for such heinous violence. I join An Garda Siochana in appealing to anyone with information to come forward, he added.

Local councillor for Edenderry, Claire Murray-Smale, described the incident as a horrific tragedy.

The scene of a house fire in Edenderry, Co Offaly, where a woman and a young boy have died. Another woman is currently being treated in hospital following the blaze at the domestic residence on Saturday evening. Photo: Aisling Hyland/PA Wire

The Fianna Fail councillor told the Irish Independent: I would just like to offer my deepest condolences to all involved in what can be described as a horrific tragedy.

Thanks also to the emergency services who attended the scene.

"The community will feel this loss for evermore.

Meanwhile, Independent Edenderry Councillor Fergus McDonnell said he knew the family personally and passed on his deepest condolences to friends, families and neighbours of the deceased.

At the scene this morning, Mr McDonnell described the day as horrendous for the community, suffering from the tragic loss of innocent life.

Its something that doesnt sit well with the area at all. Everyone is extremely shocked and disgusted, Mr McDonnell said.

A garda community van set up at O'Connell Square, Edenderry. It will remain open this evening and tomorrow for locals to report any relevant information regarding the investigation.

Offaly TD John Clendennen described the news as devastating for the town.

Mr Clendennen said: My thoughts and prayers are also with the woman currently receiving treatment in hospital, and I sincerely hope she makes a full recovery.

My heartfelt sympathies go to the family, friends, neighbours, and all those affected by this awful incident. This is a deeply distressing tragedy for the entire community, made even more difficult as we approach Christmas and the festive season. My thoughts are with everyone grieving at this unimaginable time.

The garda spokesperson added: Gardai in Offaly are appealing for any person with any information on this fatal incident to speak with investigating gardai.

Gardai want to speak with any person who was in the vicinity of Castleview Park, or adjoining roads between 7pm and 8pm, yesterday Saturday, December 6, 2025, to speak with investigating gardai.

Gardai want to speak with any person who was driving in the vicinity of Castleview Park, or adjoining roads between 7pm and 8pm, yesterday, Saturday, December 6, 2025 and who may have any dashcam video footage or images to contact investigating gardai.

The investigation team can be contacted at the incident room at Tullamore garda station on 057 932 7600, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station, in particular Edenderry garda station.
Donal Carey was praised for using his office to fight for the underdog

Former Fine Gael minister Donal (Dan) Carey has died just over a month after his 88th birthday. Born on October 15, 1937, in Clarecastle village, just south of Ennis, Co Clare, he went to St Flannans College in Ennis and studied at University College Dublin.

In 1973, he married Evelyn Forde, from Co Carlow, who was a stalwart supporter of his political activities until she died suddenly on January 31, 1993.

Carey worked in the Lana Knit factory at Shannon, and his political career took off in 1974 when he won a seat on Clare County Council in the Miltown Malbay electoral area. He was re-elected in 1979, 1985 and 1991.

His first attempt at a Dail seat was in the 1977 general election, but he was eliminated on the fifth count. After an unsuccessful second attempt in 1981, he was elected later in the same year as a senator on the Labour Panel.

His third attempt to enter the Dail was in February, 1982, when he won at the expense of sitting Fine Gael TD Madeleine Taylor-Quinn. He retained the seat in five more general elections, and his strongest performance was in 1989 when he topped the poll with 19.7pc of first-preference votes and was elected on the third count.

Ahead of the 2002 general election, he surprisingly failed to win a nomination at the Fine Gael selection convention for the constituency, at which two other contenders were chosen. He was added to the ticket by party headquarters, but lost his seat to Fine Gael colleague Pat Breen.

On January 27, 1995, as part of the Rainbow coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left, Carey was given a dual role as minister of state at the Department of the Taoiseach, with responsibility for western development and rural renewal, as well as minister of state at the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, with particular responsibility for the Irish-speaking areas. He held the two positions until June, 1997, when Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats took the reins of power.

Symbols brought to the altar represented his love of politics, family, Clarecastle GAA, greyhound racing and coursing

His son, Joe, won a seat on Clare County Council in 1999, later following in his fathers footsteps by becoming a Fine Gael TD, from 2007 until 2024, when he retired from politics for medical reasons.

Careys daughter, Leonora, stood in the 2024 general election, when she secured 5,251 first preferences, but was eliminated on the 16th count. She later contested the Seanad election on the Labour Panel at the beginning of this year, losing out on the 12th count.

Another son, Donal Og, is co-founder and co-owner of Carey Corbett Financial Solutions.

Careys funeral took place in Clarecastle Church last Saturday. Symbols brought to the altar represented his love of politics, family, Clarecastle GAA, greyhound racing and coursing.

Members of Clarecastle GAA club formed a guard of honour when his remains left the church to be taken to Clarehill cemetery for burial.

Captain Martin Cuddihy represented Tanaiste Simon Harris, who said in a tribute: He was someone who brought a real sense of kindness, humour and wisdom to the job, always willing to support younger colleagues who were starting out on their political journeys.

Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe said in a tribute: Donal Carey was a huge figure in Clare politics and gave his all in serving our county in public office. He was known throughout Clare to be a kind and compassionate man who always used his political office to fight for the underdog.
With a cerise jumper thrown casually across his shoulders, oversized glasses and a half-moon smile, Hugh Wallace was a flamboyant character who captivated the popular pursuit of getting a glimpse into someone elses home  or property porn as it is commonly known.

His funeral service at St Patricks Cathedral in Dublin on Friday was told by his friend John Waters that Wallace was a man of very strong words and offered them, whether asked to or not.

Describing himself as shy but no shrinking violet, Wallace opened some of Irelands most stylised and desirable homes for public scrutiny with a series of programmes that featured everything from perfect interiors to dilapidated mansions and repurposed bungalows.

He attributed his love of design and architecture to dyslexia, which was diagnosed when he was a teenager. But in the end, it was the thickest boy in the class who rose to become perhaps the most famous.

A judge on RTEs Home of the Year since its inception in 2015, he went on to present the property renovation programme The Great House Revival for five series. It championed the renovation of old and neglected vernacular buildings with the help of restoration grants.

In 2021, he also fronted My Bungalow Bliss, which involved giving a new lease of life to the much-derided one-off houses from off-the-shelf plans by Meath architect Jack Fitzsimons.

His excitement at discovering stylish renovations, no matter the budget, was palpable, and his opinionated take on design features helped to bring a frisson of excitement to his TV productions. He also ran an architectural practice, which, at the height of the Celtic Tiger, employed 160 people before going bust in the crash.

Wallace, who died suddenly last Sunday, just shy of his 69th birthday, was born the only child of a Protestant couple in south Dublin on December 9, 1956. His parents, Ken and Susan, were reasonably well-off, and he attended the fee-paying Sandford Park school in Ranelagh.

The Wallace family were intrepid travellers, his father driving a caravan around Donegal and Connemara during the summer. In later life, Hugh would delight in travelling to more exotic locations.

Celebrity architect Hugh Wallace, who has died aged 68. Photo: Paul McCarthy

I was dyslexic in school so I was just assumed to be thick, he said last month. It was a period where I had no confidence in myself to do anything. When I was diagnosed as dyslexic, it was such a relief that I decided that I was not going to rely on anyone else.

He said he always knew he was going to be an architect.

When I was four or five, all I played with was Lego and Meccano, and I loved making buildings, he said.

Allowed to do his Leaving Cert orally, he got enough points to get into a design course in Bolton Street College, where I met Catholics for the first time. He left and, with college classmate Alan Douglas, started Douglas Wallace Consultants in 1982.

Their early contracts included working for Peter Mark, the hairdressing group, and moving the Brown Thomas department store across Grafton Street to its present location.

We give loyalty to our clients and the clients are loyal to us

When the property crash came, he spent time in Oman working for a wealthy businessman.

The period around 2009 when we lost the business  talk about seeing into the abyss. But our clients were very loyal to us, people like Peter Mark, Dunnes Stores, Gerry Barrett, that was very important, he said.

Loyalty is very important in business. We give loyalty to our clients and the clients are loyal to us. We are all in business and we can all make mistakes, but its about how you deal with it.

He told the Sunday Independent that both he and his father had a nasty relationship with alcohol and both eventually gave up. He said it was only after his father stopped drinking that they got to know each other.

The Douglas Wallace partnership eventually regrouped, and at the time of his death employed more than 25 people in design and consultancy. As well as relaunching his career as a television personality, he was an accomplished cook and was awarded five stars when he appeared on Virgin Medias The Restaurant.

His other passion was travel, and he recalled a balloon ride over the Skeleton Coast of Namibia and a visit to Luxor in Egypt as the highlights of his experiences. He fell in love with Rome, and Italy in general, because of its ancient architecture, but also because its people own the streets.

'My Bungalow Bliss' host Hugh Wallace

Wallace met his husband, hairdresser Martin Corbett, from outside Thurles, Co Tipperary, in The George pub in Dublin on Valentines night in 1988, and they entered a civil partnership in January, 2012. Although they had different tastes in interior design, food and other things, they had a close relationship.

Weve had some wild experiences, Wallace said, describing how they accidentally ended up in a brothel in the middle of a cornfield in Egypt.

They lived first in Ranelagh, where Corbett has a hairdressing salon, before moving to McMahon Street in Portobello, where they did their first renovation job. Talking about the project, Wallace said he enjoyed colour, texture, wallpaper and lots of artwork.

Martins a minimalist, Im a maximalist, he said, but they managed to compromise.

More recently, they had renovated a house in Clanbrassil Street in Dublins south inner city, which got them into some planning difficulty. The furniture arrived after his death and the couple were planning to move in to their new home after a three-year renovation this weekend.

I am a very lucky man. I have the best of both worlds. I spend three days a week working as an architect and the rest of the time Im out looking at houses, filming for TV, meeting homeowners, advising people on their homes thats the fun stuff and I love what I do, Wallace said recently.

I am particularly passionate about The Great House Revival. We talk about sustainability, but the most sustainable home is the one that gets reimagined and reused. Its a crying shame when you drive around the country and see homes that are abandoned and not just very old houses, recent ones too.

Despite all his accomplishments, Wallace said his proudest moment was receiving a lifetime achievement award from TU Dublin 12 years ago for his contribution to the design industry.
Security review under way over drone sightings during Volodymyr Zelenskys visit to Ireland

No formal complaint has been sent over Navys handling of the situation

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Ireland last week. Photo: Collins

Mark Tighe Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

The Defence Forces and gardai are reviewing how they handled security during President Volodymyr Zelenskys visit last week after drones were observed over the Irish Sea.
Stark inequality of access to GP care across the country laid bare by HSE analysis

Data shows scale of problem, with one GP to 5,000 people in Meath

Labour Party health spokesman Marie Sherlock

Conal Thomas Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30







Huge swathes of Dublin are among the worst areas of the country to access the care of a GP, new figures show.
Support for Fine Gael slumps to a 10-year low, new poll shows

Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll shows 70pc unhappy with Simon Harriss promotion to Finance MinisterMajority back RTEs decision to boycott next years Eurovision over Israels participation

Ireland Thinks Poll for December does not make happy reading for Simon Harris and the government parties

Conal Thomas Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

Support for Fine Gael has slumped to a 10-year low, with a review of the party now under way in an attempt to revive its popularity.
The latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll was conducted on Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5. The sample size was 1,069. The margin of error is +/-3.1pc. Changes indicated are since the November 2, 2025 poll unless otherwise stated.
Migration Minister Colm Brophy pictured in his office in The Dept of Justice Picture; Gerry Mooney

There have been 61 critical incidents in accommodation provided for asylum seekers this year to date, with two ending in the death of residents.

That is according to new figures provided by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Colm Brophy TD (FG) who revealed that the 61 critical incidents in 2025 to date already tops the 57 total for the 12 months of 2024.

The figures provided by Minister Brophy show that the two on site deaths at International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centres this year compare to seven on site deaths for 2024.

In a written Dail reply to Paul Lawless TD (Aontu), Minister Brophy disclosed that 11 of the 61 critical incidents concern violence towards staff/others though the total of 11 is down sharply on the 23 under that heading in 2024.

Minister Brophy confirmed that there have been 28 mental health/self harm cases at IPAS centres this year and this is slightly more than the 25 mental health/self harm incidents in 2024.

The largest increase in critical incidents at IPAS centre has come under the heading of other which last year increased to 20 from two in 2024

Minister Brophy said: Critical Incidents are events that happen in a centre that are outside the normal range of experience and may lead to significant injury, property damage or even death.

If a Critical Incident occurs in a Centre, Centre Management will assess the situation and alert emergency services as appropriate. Critical Incident Staff Training is provided to staff working in IPAS Accommodation centres. They are given examples of what constitutes a critical incident and what to do to respond.

Information on the location of incidents is not reported in order to protect the privacy and confidentiality of resident information."

In a separate written Dail reply on IPAS centres, the Minister for Justice, Jim OCallaghan TD stated that 22 IPAS centres have been notified of contract termination by the Department to date this year and details of each contractual process are treated as confidential and commercially sensitive.

Minister OCallaghan has told James OConnor TD (FF) said that in 2025 to date, there have been 372 inspections completed by the International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS), covering 341 separate properties.

He said that the State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people in nearly 320 IPAS centres around the country, over 9,500 of whom are children.

In a separate Dail reply on deportation orders, Minister Brophy stated that this year 4,428 deportation orders have been signed up to November 28, while 1,909 people have had their departure from the State confirmed.

He said 344 people have been the subject of an enforced deportation.

He said that this year, six charter flight operations have removed 205 people from the State. Of these, five operations to non-EU destinations removed 182 people who were subject to deportation orders and one operation removed 23 EU citizens on grounds of criminality.

Minister Brophy told Padraig OSullivan TD (FF) that of the 344 individuals whose deportation orders have been enforced by Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) so far in 2025, 267 were detained prior to deportation and of this group, 28 had criminal convictions.

He said that of the 267 people who were detained for the purposes of deportation this year up to November 28, 206 were detained in Cloverhill Prison, 24 in Mountjoy Female Prison, 16 in Cork prison, 10 in Limerick prison, seven in Castlerea Prison, three in Midlands prison and one in Dublin Airport Garda Station.
A generation still bears the scars  and it affects their memory, their focus and their decision-making skills

On August 15, 1998, an IRA splinter group killed 29 people plus two unborn children in Omagh. Photo: Getty

A generation of people in Northern Ireland who lived through the Troubles still bear the mental scars, a new study has found.

Almost one in every 20 people over the age of 50 in Northern Ireland is currently living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), say the researchers.

And of those with PTSD, nearly 60pc pointed to the Troubles as the source of their trauma, despite the conflict having largely ended over 25 years ago.

Researchers from Queens University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin said the findings point to the long-term consequences of the civil conflict among older adults.

Given the global escalation of armed conflicts and the disproportionate burden borne by civilians in modern hybrid warfare, understanding the long-term neurocognitive consequences of conflict-related trauma is a pressing public health priority, the authors wrote.

The study examined data from 2,142 adults aged 50 and over who took part in the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Participants completed interviews about their physical and mental health, detailing their experiences of the Troubles, traumatic events and PTSD symptoms. They also underwent cognitive and physical tests, and bio-markers in blood and urine were analysed.

Those with PTSD performed worse on memory tests, recalling around half a word fewer in the verbal recall tasks than those without the condition. People with the disorder also scored lower on general cognitive tests, which measure areas such as memory, concentration and decision-making.

The findings suggest an effect of trauma on cognitive function at a population level, said the authors.

Effects of conflict are still felt. Stock image: Getty

PTSD is a mental health disorder that can develop after exposure to traumatic events and is considered a significant public health burden.

Previous studies on veterans of armed conflict, refugees and trauma-exposed groups have documented similar links between PTSD and poorer memory.

The research in the North found that the rate of PTSD among the over 50s tested was 4.74pc, which is high, relative to other international estimates.

Those with PTSD were less likely to have higher levels of education, twice as likely to be single and more than three times more likely to live in the most deprived areas.

They also tended to have multiple long-term health problems, were more likely to smoke, had lower levels of physical activity and reported greater levels of social isolation.

There was no major difference recorded between men and women, according to the study, which was published in the Social Science & Medicine journal.

This study highlights the unmet need of older adults in Northern Ireland

To our knowledge, this is the first study to consider the potential impact of PTSD on cognition in the population of Northern Ireland, wrote the authors.

When the researchers accounted for factors such as depression, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity, the association between PTSD and poorer memory became weaker. The research team said this may mean there are opportunities to intervene and lessen the long-term effects.

Dr Claire Potter, one of the authors, said there is chronic underfunding of mental health services in Northern Ireland, which do not match the needs of the population.

These findings support what is already widely accepted  that the Troubles had a significant effect on the health and well-being of our population, said Dr Potter, who is a lecturer at Queens University Belfast.

However, rather than assume the impact has been left in the past, this study highlights the unmet need of older adults in Northern Ireland.

A significant portion of this group is experiencing symptoms of PTSD  and there are strong links to depression, social deprivation and harmful health behaviours which can affect memory in later life.

She said there is a need to support trauma-informed training across health, social care and community sectors, along with integrating lifestyle and social isolation interventions in communities and addressing workforce gaps.
This photo taken on Dec. 6, 2025 shows a damaged "Friendship Gate" in the border town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan. Five people were killed and five others sustained injuries due to a clash that erupted between Pakistan and Afghan forces in the border town of Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Spin Boldak district chief Mawlawi Abdul Karim Jihadyar said Saturday.

The clash, according to the official, erupted on Friday night after the Pakistan border forces opened fire on the Afghan side and the Afghan forces responded, which lasted around two and a half hours. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)

KABUL, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and five others sustained injuries due to a clash that erupted between Pakistan and Afghan forces in the border town of Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Spin Boldak district chief Mawlawi Abdul Karim Jihadyar said Saturday.

The clash, according to the official, erupted on Friday night after the Pakistan border forces opened fire on the Afghan side and the Afghan forces responded, which lasted around two and a half hours.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Friday night that "the Pakistani side once again launched an attack on Afghanistan in Kandahar's Spin Boldak district, which compelled the forces of the Islamic Emirate to respond."

The Afghan Ministry of National Defense has yet to comment.

Border clashes between the two neighboring countries left scores of casualties from both sides in October. Both sides agreed on a ceasefire brokered with the mediation of Turkiye and Qatar in Doha on Oct. 19. 

This photo taken on June 15, 2025 shows an undamaged "Friendship Gate" in the border town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan. Five people were killed and five others sustained injuries due to a clash that erupted between Pakistan and Afghan forces in the border town of Spin Boldak in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Spin Boldak district chief Mawlawi Abdul Karim Jihadyar said Saturday.

The clash, according to the official, erupted on Friday night after the Pakistan border forces opened fire on the Afghan side and the Afghan forces responded, which lasted around two and a half hours. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
Brendan OConnor: If you could counteract drones by pulling out of Eurovision, wed be a superpower

Howth incident could be a wake-up call for country that wants it every way

Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin last week. Photo: Getty

Brendan O'Connor Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

Its a sobering thought that if you wanted to invade Ireland, you could make a quick stop into your local electronics store and emerge fully equipped to take over the country without much resistance. Therell be kids on Christmas Day wholl unwrap the power to bring the country to a standstill.
Eilis OHanlon: Singing Give Peace a Chance is not a credible foreign policy for Ireland

Why did Simon Harris give up Foreign Affairs when security is more important than ever?

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky with President Catherine Connolly during his first state visit to Ireland. Photo: Brian Lawless/Getty

Eilis O'Hanlon Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

In her inauguration speech last month, President Catherine Connolly declared not only that Ireland was well placed to articulate alternative diplomatic solutions to conflict and war, but that our experience of colonisation was a mandate for Ireland to lead on such issues. A mandate, no less. Get us.
Jenny Maguire: I bear the scars of a healthcare system that fails trans people

We need a service made for the needs of trans people, not the fears of others

Jenny Maguire is co-organiser of Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Jenny Maguire Sun 7 Dec 2025 at 06:30

What is it like when you get erections? is a question you do not want to hear in a 9am meeting. You would expect at least a little weekend catch-up before getting into all that.
Councillors have accused Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of being totally disconnected from West Cork with parts of the N71 an accident waiting to happen unless steps are taken immediately.

At this weeks meeting of the West Cork Municipal District Cllr Daniel Sexton called on Cork County Council to write to TII calling for immediate resurfacing of the N71 between the junctions with the L8016 Bohonagh and L8020 Knocknageehy and also for the N71 Newmills Owenahincha realignment to be included in any upcoming funding.

Cllr Sexton said the section between the junctions is subsiding to the left and the right, when you're driving there your car is pulling into the ditch. There's something wrong if you have to grab the steering wheel with your two hands and hold on that you don't go into the ditch. That particular section of road is an accident waiting to happen, it is dangerous. There will be a crash or fatality on it and TII will be the cause of it if they dont wake up and get a bit of action on it quickly.

The Independent Ireland councillor said the Newmills Owenahincha realignment is also an urgent safety issue. He said that after a fatal crash there in 2014, funding was announced but nothing has happened since. It's a very, very dangerous section of road.

Council engineer John Ahern responded that a meeting took place between TII officials and a deputation of Cork County Council in October at which the two locations were discussed, adding that we await funding allocations for 2026.

Cllr Sexton said he was very disappointed with that response but I could have predicted it. What can we do to wake this crowd up? Its just a disgrace how TII is treating West Cork. If Cork County Council were in charge of it I think it would have been sorted, but TII is totally disconnected from West Cork.

Cllr Joe Carroll said he was part of the delegation that recently met with TII. They said they'd look at our complaints and when they get money, we might get something. But the N71 is not a priority. I'm after seeing the TII twice or three times and nothing. The TII has been written to. You might as well be writing to Santa Claus. They look at these things and they throw them in the bin. You might get a reply from Santa Claus, the Fianna Fail councillor said.

Cllr Carroll said that nobody living around Skibbereen uses the N71 to get to Cork. We do not use it, we wouldnt even think about using it. Itd take me 25 minutes longer to go to Cork. Thats putting it in perspective. It shouldnt really be called a national road because its not fit to be called a national road.

Independent Ireland Councillor Danny Collins said he was part of a delegation that met with TII in 2016 in which the councillors outlined all the issues with roads in West Cork. That journey was a waste for us to be quite honest. We went up by train, came down, basically with our tails between our legs. It's nearly 10 years now and what we were requesting at the time, nothing has been done.

Cllr Sexton said that if a TII delegation ever wants to come to West Cork, theyre more than welcome, well give them a spin all around West Cork, well do the whole N71 a couple of times and Im sure all the other councillors would jump in the car too. Theyd better hold on tight.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Padraig Nolan well and truly fits into the latter category. The Ballyduff native, who now calls Listowel home, revealed to The Kerryman on Friday afternoon that he has been sleeping in his jeep in the Manor West car park every night since Monday night, all so that he can keep a close eye on his pride and joy, the UH1H Huey Helicopter.
What I spend on Christmas: I would imagine that my total will be about 2,000 and the majority of my budget will be on my own kids
A man who circulated intimate images of a teenage girl to her family in Afghanistan has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Mustafa Pacha (22) of Prospect Wood, Co Longford appeared at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of harassment, which occurred between December 2022 and May 2023.

Detective Garda Sinead Brosnahan told a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court that the defendant met the victim, who was aged 16 at the time of the offence, while at the IPAS centre in Citywest, Dublin. Soon after meeting the victim, Mr Pacha allegedly became infatuated with her.

Both parties are from Afghanistan and had come to Ireland as refugees.

The victim later moved to a direct provision centre outside the jurisdiction. Mr Pacha, who was friendly with the injured partys brother, tracked her down through social media and began contacting her.

Counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly BL, informed the court that communication began on December 2, 2022. After some contact, the victim began to feel pressure to share images of a sensitive nature with Mr Pacha.

The court was told that, given her background, she would ordinarily have worn a hijab, but in the images she was not wearing one.

Some images included photographs of her nude, with his name written on her body, including on her chest, in the form of the letter M with a love heart. The marking was not a tattoo but a temporary, henna-type design.

The accused also shared nude photos of himself. When he sent a photograph of his face, she recognised him from Citywest and blocked him on social media.

The court heard that Mr Pacha obtained the injured partys phone number and used it to add her on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. After the defendant was blocked, he continued to harass her by saying that he loved her and by sending images of himself self-harming.

Mr Pacha then sent the naked pictures to her brother and to her family in Afghanistan. Some of the images were not of the victim but of other women, and he had blurred the faces on several of them. The defendant also created fake accounts in the victims name and circulated the images online.

Det Brosnahan testified that in Afghan culture this would bring great shame on a family and said the motive behind the harassment was that the victim saw him as a friend rather than a romantic partner. The court was told that the victim has since been shunned by her family and has had no contact with her brother for the past two years.

The court heard that the pair communicated in English as well as in their native language, Pashto.

Members of An Garda Siochanas Divisional Protective Services Unit in Wicklow town obtained a warrant to access the data on the relevant accounts. All logs obtained were included in the book of evidence.

During interview with gardai, Mr Pacha said that he believed they were in a relationship. He admitted to all allegations and it was noted that he was very cooperative with gardai.

Mr Kelly, for the prosecution, read the victim impact statement to the court.

It said that the victim had once been a happy and outgoing girl, but that her family life has been deeply affected and she is now being used as an example by her relatives. She wrote that the impact of the offence affected her entire last year in school and that every day now feels the same.

She described how she went from being an extrovert to becoming an introvert and that she often wakes during the night crying.

Counsel for the defence, Damian Sheridan BL, instructed by Dermot Hickey, told the court that Mr Pacha, who was aged 19 in 2022, had arrived in Ireland one month before the harassment began. Mr Pacha has since been granted asylum status.

The court was informed that since his arrest he has engaged with the probation service and has abided by all his bail conditions.

During cross examination, the garda agreed with the defence that Mr Pacha is genuinely sorry for what he did and that he believed the victim was 20 at the time of the offence. The victim said in a written statement that Mr Pacha was aware she was 16.

The court was told that he has since apologised to the victims brother, due to him being the head of the family in there culture. The victim said that the plea of guilt means nothing to her and she is still extremely depressed.

Judge Patrick Quinn offered to speak to the family in Afghanistan and explain the situation if it is needed.

He further remarked what would happen to Mr Pacha if he was in front of a court in his home country.

Mr Sheridan told the court that Mr Pachas behaviour is due to his lack of family support and the difficulties he faced after coming from a socially conservative society and having to deal with those cultural changes.

He said that Mr Pachas actions were motivated by infatuation.

The court was told Mr Pacha has stage 4 asylum status and if the court was to impose a sentence the Justice Minister could remove his status.

Mr Pacha worked at a bakery in Longford, but has since been fired due to his employers becoming aware of the charges he faced.

Three references were handed into the court. Mr Pacha is actively seeking employment, said Mr Sheridan.

During sentencing, Judge Quinn said that the criminality in this case had the most profound impact on the victim, who had been completely overwhelmed by the breach of trust.

In locating the offence on the sentencing scale, Judge Quinn said he had to consider the defendants co-operability, as well as the effect on the victims family and the enormous harm done.

The maximum sentence for the offence is seven years. Judge Quinn placed the offending at the upper end of the mid range.

Judge Quinn handed down a sentence of three years, with the final 12 months suspended for a period of 12 months.

He noted that serving such a sentence would be more difficult for the defendant due to his circumstances.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Fr Rory OBrien of the St Patricks Missionary Society, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, was laid to rest on Friday in his native Co Offaly having served in the dioceses of Ogoja, Nigeria and Bamenda, Cameroon.

Fr Roderic Francis OBrien, popularly known as Rory, died peacefully on Tuesday, December 2.

Rory was a big man with a big heart. Whether in the hurling fields of his youth or in the mission fields of Africa, he gave of himself totally for the cause. He was a missionary who led by example and always available for his people.

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His style of pastoral work was that of total involvement, encouraging and cajoling his parishioners to work with him in building up the church and the mission. His family and his many friends from home were so inspired by his dedication that they too rallied to support his missionary work which bore great fruit in both Nigeria and Cameroon.

Rorys work ethic was grounded in a very deep spiritual life, which radiated a great sincerity and faith. This led to Rory gaining a reputation for being a very wise and authentic spiritual guide and thus drew many closer to God.

He was born on the October 10, 1929, in Ballinamere, Co Offaly to Daniel and Annie OBrien. He was the fourth child in a family of six girls and four boys. Four of his sisters entered religious life. He attended Ballykilmurray National School from 1934 to 1940. He attended Tullamore CBS from 1940 to 1942 and proceeded to St Finians Mullingar from 1943 to 1948.

In September 1948 Rory joined the Spiritual Year in Kiltegan. From 1949 to 1951 he studied Philosophy and then studied Theology in Kiltegan. He was among ten priests ordained for St Patricks Missionary Society on Easter Sunday on April 10, 1955.

After ordination Rory was appointed to Ogoja diocese in Nigeria. His first appointment was to Ikom Parish with Fr Tommy Loughlin who introduced him to missionary life.

When he returned from his holidays in January 1967, he was appointed to the parish of Afikpo which was one of the largest and oldest parishes in the diocese. The diocese of Ogoja was part of the Eastern Region of Nigeria which seceded from the rest of Nigeria on May 30, 1967 and declared itself the Independent Republic of Biafra. Civil war broke out on July 6 and Rory quickly found himself in its midst. Rory recorded his experiences of this war, which lasted until January 1970, after he retired from missionary life, which were published in 2018 with the help of Fr Gary Howley.

The overriding impression one gets from this account is of Rory being a man who epitomized what it means to be a missionary, who ministered to his people in their suffering, and never baulked at the most difficult tasks he took on to help them. With typical humility he wrote: The risks, the dangers, the escapes, were many and great, but God was with us. God used us as instruments to help others in their hour of darkness and need.

Rory worked in different parishes in Abakaliki diocese after it was carved out of Ogoja in 1973, which included Ohaozara and Effium parishes, as well as in the catechetical Centre in Kpri-Kpri. In 1989 the Society opened a new mission in the diocese of Bamenda in Cameroon and Rory was asked to lead this new mission. Here he spent the next 26 years in the parish of Fanantui, in a very rural part of the diocese where he gained the reputation for being a very spiritual man whose prayers were treasured by those who came to him for healing and counsel.

In 2015 after celebrating his diamond jubilee of ordination with his parishioners in Fanantui, Rory retired to Ireland and lived in Tullamore, close to his family and friends and became chaplain to the Mercy Sisters. After a few years old age caught up with Rory and after celebrating his 90th birthday he retired to Kiltegan.

Rorys funeral service was held on Friday in the Church of the Assumption, Tullamore, followed by his burial in Durrow Cemetery.

Rory is predeceased by his parents Daniel and Annie, his brothers Michael, Donal, Ted, sisters Sr Josephine, Rose, Sr Annmarie, Sr Loretto and Claire. He is sadly missed by Sr Corona, his nephews and nieces and their families, his GAA family, and his Society family in Kiltegan.
KABUL, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghan counter-narcotics police have arrested 52 people on the charge of drug smuggling in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the country's Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Sunday.

Police have detained the individuals allegedly involved in the sale, purchase and smuggling of the contraband during a series of separate operations conducted on the outskirts of Kabul, according to the statement.

A quantity of illicit drugs, including methamphetamine, hashish and stimulant tablets, has been seized, the statement added. 
Aughrim Post-Primary Education graduate, Martina Byrne, a teacher at Avondale Community College, Rathdrum, with her John OConnor Award for the student who achieved the highest grade in business studies in their cohort.

Abbie White, from Laragh  who was honoured with the overall Student of the Year Award  pictured celebrating with her boyfriend James Coffey at Dublins Convention Centre during the 25th annual Hibernia College Conferring ceremony.

Two Wicklow teaching graduates had double cause for celebration after achieving top of their class status at the 25th annual Hibernia College conferring ceremony, held at Dublins Convention Centre.

In addition to receiving her Masters qualification, Aughrim post-primary education graduate, Martina Byrne, a teacher at Avondale Community College, Rathdrum, was honoured with the John OConnor Award  presented by the Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland to the student who achieved the highest grade in business studies in their cohort.

Laragh post-primary education graduate, Abbie White, who teaches at Presentation College Bray, received the overall Student of the Year Award  presented by the college to the student in each cohort with the highest grade across the post-primary programme. In 2023 Abbie was also selected by the Writers Centre to receive a mentorship under the National Mentoring Programme.

Martina and Abbie were two of what was a record number of over 1,000 graduates from all 26 counties to qualify with masters in primary and post-primary teaching, and, for the first time, a masters or postgraduate diploma in inclusive and special education, or a BSc in nursing.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD was guest of honour.

Congratulating the graduates and acknowledging the remarkable achievements of each and every one of them, Dr Mary Kelly, President of Hibernia College Group, emphasised that those gathered had demonstrated exceptional dedication and resilience throughout their studies. She affirmed her confidence that each graduate will go on to make a vital and valuable contribution to their chosen profession.
Our expert reveals her tips to surprise the skincare and make-up fanatic in your life

"Here are some professional artist favourites and fabulous skincare and fragrance sets that will have you in the good books with Santa  and the beauty obsessives in your life." Photo: Getty

I wont reveal who in my family likes to turn up empty-handed at Christmas  one time with a massive bow on her back to remind us all that she is our gift. I know, I know  but when it comes to pressies, its hard to know what to buy the beauty lovers in our lives who already have everything and know everything about make-up and skincare.

If you want to score some points though, here are some professional artist favourites and fabulous skincare and fragrance sets that will have you in the good books with Santa  and the beauty obsessives in your life.

Laura Mercier Delicious & Decadent Ambre Vanille Collection (89, boots.ie)

Decadent Days

Everyone loves a luxurious bath and body routine to ease away the stresses of the silly season, and this is something I feel you might not buy yourself but would absolutely love to receive. Laura Mercier Delicious & Decadent Ambre Vanille Collection (89, boots.ie) contains a trio of body care essentials, scented with the brands iconic Ambre Vanille fragrance, including the Serum Body Cream, Hydrating Body Wash and Honey Bath. They look so luxurious and make YOU look and feel expensive.

Mesme Beautys The Discovery Gift Kit (90, mesmebeauty.ie)

Wrap It Up

I swear I havent trained Mini, my 10-year-old daughter, to do these nail wraps on me. Obvs they are so handy to do yourself but Mini loves getting involved in this. Mesme Beautys The Discovery Gift Kit (90, mesmebeauty.ie) gives you all you need for 3+ day, 10-day and 14-day UV wraps, along with a mini UV/LED lamp, high shine top coat, nail file, prep pads and mini file, mini buffer and cuticle stick. You get to choose from a gorgeous set of UV or UV-free gel nail wrap options for perfect talons this Christmas.

NAK Blowout Smooth Mist, 26, kentroireland.com

Hair Today

My sister Laura who lived in Oz told me about NAK Hair, Australias No 1 hair brand, now available in Irish salons. The NAK Replends Creme Leave-in Moisturiser (26, kentroireland.com) is so popular that one is sold every four minutes. Meanwhile, the Blowout Smooth Mist (26) and Styling Polish (26) are two new additions that use high-performance, hair-loving ingredients that support the scalp and strands to strengthen and replenish the hair from root to tip.

Ariana Grande Cloud Pink Holiday Set (56, retailers nationwide)

Wickedly Good

All the tweens in my world are obsessed with Ariana Grande these days, thanks to the new Wicked movie, and Evan, my 15-year-old nephew, told me about this Cloud perfume when he was helping me out in the office. Its a big hit with the teens, he tells me, because of its magical blend of lavender blossom, juicy pear and whipped coconut cream. The Ariana Grande Cloud Pink Holiday Set (56, retailers nationwide) includes a 50ml perfume and mini to keep you smelling delightful for good!

Issey Miyake Pour Homme Gift Set (84, theperfumeshop.com).

Homme Homage

Wait until I tell you how I knew Will was the one for me from the moment I first met him He smelt so familiar! I have worn LEau DIssey Miyake for years and, would you believe, Will wears the male version so, of course, Im going to get him the Pour Homme Gift Set (84, theperfumeshop.com). Designed in collaboration with Philippe Apeloig, it includes LEau dIssey pour Homme Eau de Toilette and shower, which contains citrus, spices and sandalwood  mmmmm.

Treat

Save face

Its very annoying when you take a shower and the water drips all over your make-up and ruins it. Youre going to look crazy, but if you wear a disposable, waterproof visor on your forehead while showering, itll keep your face dry and prevent your make-up from getting wet. Many of us get lash extensions or lifts at this time of year and this little trick will help them to last longer.

Love Your Vulva by the Fabulous Pharmacist, aka Laura Dowling, 19.99, mccabespharmacy.com

Trick

Love your bod

I feel like the amazing book Love Your Vulva by the Fabulous Pharmacist, aka Laura Dowling, (19.99, mccabespharmacy.com) should be available to endorsing secondary schools, Its an honest guide to womens health and bodies, covering everything from anatomy and hygiene to menopause and sexual trauma. It gives women a safe, shame-free space to learn about their bodies. Everything is explained in Lauras warm and funny manner to celebrate women at every stage of life.

Treatment

Anti-age ritual

Go and get this treatment now  on special offer (160) till December 31 at the Codage Magistrale Treatment at Velvaere Spa in Dublin 8 (@velvaerespa), not too far from Grafton Street  its a transformative anti-ageing ritual created in collaboration with acclaimed facialist Chantal Lehmann, using a blend that includes peptides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to stimulate collagen, accelerate cell renewal and restore youthful vitality. It uses more than 450 precise movements to lift, sculpt and revitalise the complexion. Sienna was my therapist and she was incredible.
Former Rose of Tralee winner, Dr Clare Kambamettu, and her fiance, radio presenter, Ryan Tubridy.

Dr. Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy attend The Irish Post Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel on November 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Montgomery/WireImage)

Ryan Tubridy and long-term girlfriend Dr Clare Kambamettu have tied the knot in Co Galway.

A statement from Tubridys agent Noel Kelly confirmed the news this afternoon.

"Ryan Tubridy and Clare Kambamettu are happy to announce that they have married in a ceremony with their close friends and family this afternoon in the west of Ireland, the statement said.

A picture from their wedding day was also shared, it was captured by Aoife Herriott, who is a photographer based in Connemara, Co Galway.

The couple had been spotted in Clifden in Co Galway, where Ryans cousins Brian and Ronan Hughes own the Abbeyglen Castle hotel.

Ryan Tubridy and Dr Clare Kambamettu were married yesterday at the Abbeyglen Castle hotel in Clifden, Galway. Photo: Aoife Herriott

Tubridy has a stand-in for his Virgin Radio show in London from Monday for the rest of the week, DJ Emma B.

Ryan has been telling colleagues hes getting married this weekend, a Virgin Radio UK source told us.

Former RTE Radio and Late Late Show presenter Tubridy confirmed his engagement earlier this year when ODalaigh Jewellers in Clifden posted on social media that he had bought an engagement ring for a very special lady.

Tubridy (52) proposed to Dr Kambamettu (41) by the Atlantic shore, and the couple later celebrated in local hotels.

Confirming the news on his radio show at the time, Tubridy told listeners: I have a little bit of news that I've been keeping to myself, to ourselves.

I'm very, very, very happy to confirm I did get engaged to my partner Clare in the west of Ireland.

Tubridy thanked a number of listeners for sending in their well-wishes following the announcement and said its a very beautiful feeling and a very exciting time to be alive.

"We were surrounded by gorgeous people who we didn't know, strangers in the hotel and people who were working around the place and got a beautiful ring organised and the weather was gorgeous, he said of the couples time last week.

"And it's just the accumulation of a lot of lovely things happening, and I just decided now is the time. More to follow in terms of details and all the rest of it. And by the more to follow, I mean I'll tell my family first.

"It's a very exciting time to be alive. I'm a very, very lucky man, and I think it's one of those beautiful moments where the world feels lighter.

Ryan Tubridy and Dr Clare Kambamettu. Photographer: Aoife Herriott

Today's News in 90 Seconds - Sunday December 7

Tubridy chose Joe Duffys retirement party in June to make his first public appearance with his new fiancee Clare since the announcement of their engagement.

The pair turned up to Duffys going-away drinks in Dublin city centre pub The Duke.

A beaming Tubridy called over photographers and said with a smile, I presume you want a picture of the ring?

His fiancee then proudly showed off her sparkler, with the couple being congratulated by well-wishers.

Clinical psychologist Dr Kambamettu, who lives in Athy, Co Kildare, with her mother, trained in London and later won the London Rose pageant in 2010.

Daithi O Se was the presenter of that years Rose of Tralee pageant, which Dr Kambamettu went on to win.

Ray DArcy hosted the pageant in 2005 at which Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain won and who four years later, went on to date Tubridy.

Ryan and Ni Shuilleabhain split in 2014 after a five-year relationship  she went on to marry Carlos Diaz in 2017 and the couple have two children.

Tubridy himself is a former Rose of Tralee presenter, in 2003 and 2004.

The presenter was previously married to broadcaster Anne Marie Power, who is the mother of his two daughters  Ella and Julia.

Dr Kambamettu has also dipped her toe into the world of broadcasting, having been a co-presenter of The Eco Eye from 2020 until it was axed.

She was interviewed by Tubridy on his RTE radio show in March 2023, discussing topics like manifestation, which is linked to her previous Rose of Tralee win.

They made their first public appearance as a couple later in 2023 at the Irish Post Awards in London.

Tubridy has made the capital his base, since departing RTE after a storm of controversy two-and-a-half years ago over his pay.
This morning will start dull, bringing outbreaks of rain and drizzle, which might turn heavy at times

Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow wind warning for Ireland on Tuesday.

All counties can expect very strong and gusty winds, with possible gales near coasts.

The national forecaster has warned of increased risk in coastal areas due to a coincidence with very high spring tides and flooding of low-lying coastal areas.

Other possible impacts include difficult travel conditions, wave overtopping, debris and displaced loose objects, with outdoor events likely impacted.

The warning will come into effect from 3am until 9pm on Tuesday.

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A Status Yellow rain warning has also been issued by the national forecaster for six counties for tomorrow night.

Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, and Waterford will see the warning in place from 9pm on Monday until 9am on Tuesday.

Met Eireann has warned of localised flooding in those areas, as the heavy rain will fall on already saturated ground.

The public has also been advised of difficult travelling conditions.

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This morning will start dull, bringing outbreaks of rain and drizzle, which might turn heavy at times.

It will later clear in Connacht and Munster by afternoon, which will see a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers.

The remaining rain will clear to the northeast this evening, with only some scattered showers, as temperatures will range between 9 and 12C.

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The UKs Met Office has issued a Status Yellow rain warning for all of Ulster until 3pm today.

Counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry will see heavy rain, possibly leading to some disruption today.

Tonight will be clear, but showers will continue to spread from the Atlantic, with some turning heavy with the chance of hail and isolated thunderstorms.

Temperatures will drop to between 4 and 7C, with some fresh to strong winds at the southern and western coastal parts.

Met Eireann Weather Warnings Explained

Met Eireann meteorologist Deirdre Lowe said: There is some uncertainty in the track of a deepening area of low pressure which is expected to move up from the South Atlantic close to Ireland on Monday night into Tuesday.

"Current indications suggest that it will become wet on Monday night with some heavy falls of rain and spot flooding possible, particularly in the southern parts.

"The rain is giving way to brighter, showery conditions on Tuesday. Strong winds look likely to develop too, and it may possibly turn stormy in parts of the west and north in particular.

"However, it will stay mild, she added.
The RSF has been accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing in its grinding advance

A Sudanese Armed Forces soldier on the bank of the River Nile in Khartoum. Photo: Getty

The Sudanese paramilitary group accused of murdering tens of thousands of civilians in Darfur has killed more than 30 children in a drone strike on a nursery school, according to a doctors group.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the rebel militia fighting against the government, hit the school in the town of Kalogi in South Kordofan state on Thursday, the Sudan Doctors Network said.

Fifty people, including 33 children, were killed, the group reported. It accused the RSF of a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, especially children, and vital civilian infrastructure.

The death toll is expected to grow higher as communication blackouts in the area have made it difficult to report casualties.

Survivors have testified to a campaign of rape and murder

Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga, an exiled broadcaster based in the Netherlands, that dozens of children were killed inside the nursery, which was struck in two separate attacks. A third drone hit a nearby hospital, where locals had gathered to search for their relatives.

One local official said that a total of 79 people had been killed, including 43 children.

Sudan has been racked by brutal civil war since 2023, with the RSF accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing in its grinding advance against the Port-Sudan-based authorities.

Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of childrens rights, said Sheldon Yett, the Unicef representative for Sudan, speaking on Friday. Children should never pay the price of conflict.

Hundreds of civilians were killed throughout the Kordofan states in the last few weeks as fighting shifted from Darfur after the RSF took over the besieged city of El Fasher.

It is thought that more than 60,000 people have been killed in the Darfuri capital, making it the site of the worst massacre in a ruinous civil war that has left at least 400,000 dead and 12 million people displaced.

The city is now eerily deserted, according to Nathaniel Raymond, the director of Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, which has published detailed satellite imagery recording the RSF takeover and its aftermath.

Survivors have testified to a campaign of rape and murder that left piles of blood and bodies visible from space. The RSF has so far refused to allow aid convoys to enter the city despite a pledge to allow in both aid and UN war crimes investigators.

Sudan Doctors Network said dozens of bodies were piled up inside houses

Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, has warned that Kordofan could face new atrocities like those committed in El Fasher.

In October, the Sudan Doctors Network said that dozens of bodies were piled up inside houses in Bara, a town in North Kordofan that fell to the RSF.

The RSF has also stepped up assaults on other urban centres in Kordofan, surrounding the city of Kadugli, which the UN said last month was experiencing famine, and the town of Dilling, which may be on the brink of famine.

The Sudanese army killed at least 48 people, mostly civilians, last Sunday in an aerial bombardment of the town of Kauda in South Kordofan.

In 2021, the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces overthrew the transitional civilian government before turning on each other two years later.

International mediators are now exploring ways to revive stalled peace talks, although the Sudanese army has shown little interest in previous ceasefire proposals, including a roadmap for peace put forward in September by the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.

Army chiefs have instead insisted that the RSF withdraw from all civilian population centres before committing to any agreement.
Charles and Camilla have chosen their 20th wedding anniversary portrait for their official Christmas card this year.

The British king and queen a are pictured standing side by side in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassador's residence in Rome, earlier this year.

The photograph is framed inside the card by a dark red border, with the printed message in a matching colour on the opposite side reading "Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year".

The couple reached their milestone 20 years of marriage on April 9, while out of the country and on royal duty during their state visit to Italy, and spent the evening of their anniversary as guests of honour at a grand banquet.

In the image taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson, Camilla is wearing a white and beige coat dress by Anna Valentine and a lily of the valley brooch, while Charlies is dressed in a blue pinstripe suit with a grey tie and a silk handkerchief in his chest pocket.

The king and queen send out hundreds of Christmas cards each year to family, friends, world leaders, diplomats, charities and organisations.

Charles will be preparing to host the wider royal family on Christmas Day, with the royal festivities usually taking place at Sandringham in Norfolk.

The Prince of Wales divulged last year he was spending the day with 45 members of his family "all in one room".

But off the guest list is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, with the former prince banished from the royal family and stripped of his titles over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The royal family usually walk to church on Christmas morning and enjoy a traditional turkey roast with all the trimmings before sitting down to watch the King's Christmas broadcast on television.

Last year, Charles used his Christmas address to pay tribute to the "selfless" doctors and nurses who provided "strength, care and comfort" during cancer treatment for him and the Princess of Wales.

The king and Camilla have had a busy run over the past year, despite Charles still undergoing treatment for the disease.

They travelled to Canada, met the Pope at the Vatican, and hosted three incoming state visits at Windsor - France with President Emmanuel Macron, the US with President Donald Trump, and then last week Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

It is the first time in nearly 40 years there have been three state visits to the UK in one year.
Two members of Take Back Power in front of the display case. Photo: Reuters

Four people were arrested yesterday after apple crumble and custard was thrown at a display case containing the British crown jewels in the Tower of London.

Take Back Power, which describes itself as a new non-violent civil resistance group, claimed it was behind the act as it called for a citizen-led assembly that has the power to tax the rich.

Footage shared by the group showed one demonstrator removing the large foil tray of apple crumble from a bag, and then slamming it against the glass protecting the Imperial State Crown.

Another then poured a tub of bright yellow custard on the front of the case.

The activists then opened their coats to show their T-shirt slogans which read Take Back Power, before shouting: Democracy has crumbled.

Another shouted Britain is broken. Weve come here, to the jewels of the nation, to take back power. Join us at takebackpower.net.

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage

Surprised tourists could be seen reacting to the stunt which happened yesterday morning, while a Tower of London worker quickly approached shouting: Excuse me, excuse me, as she radioed for help.

Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which looks after the Tower of London, said the crown jewels were not damaged during the incident.

It added that the tower was open to the public, and that the Jewel House, which is home to the historic treasures, temporarily closed while police investigated but has now reopened.

King Charles in the Imperial State Crown. Photo: Getty

The Imperial State Crown, the famous symbol of the British monarchy, is used at state openings of parliament.

The priceless ornament was worn by King Charles as he left Westminster Abbey on his coronation day and during his appearance on the palace balcony.

It was originally made for the coronation of his grandfather George VI in 1937 and contains 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, four rubies and 269 pearls and weighs over a kilogram.

Take Back Power, which targeted the Ritz Hotel on Wednesday by emptying bags of manure next to its Christmas tree, said it carried out the stunt to demand the UK government establishes a permanent citizens assembly  a House of the People  with the power to tax extreme wealth and fix Britain.

The Metropolitan Police said: Four protesters have been arrested following criminal damage at the Tower of London.

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. They have taken into custody.

Our political class serve the super-rich; they dont care about working people

The group pledged to carry on taking non-violent action to resist the super-rich, who are driving us towards social collapse until the UK government makes a meaningful statement in response to our demand.

A Take Back Power spokesperson said: Since 2011, the poorest 10pc of British households have paid a combined tax rate of 44pc on their income and wealth gains, while the richest paid 22pc.

Our political class  be it this government, Reform or Tory  serve the super-rich; they do not care about working people.

Thats why we must demand real democracy, with ordinary people at the heart of decision making.

Miriam Cranch (21), a retail worker from Leeds and among those said to been involved, said: Britain is broken because the super-rich are pocketing billions, whilst working people struggle to get by.

This wealth inequality is leading us towards civil unrest, and it doesnt have to be this way.

Billionaires should not pay a lower tax rate on wealth they generate doing nothing, than those of us working jobs.

Its time ordinary people get a say on how to tax wealth with a permanent House of the People.

Zahra Ali (19), a student from London, who was also said to have taken part, said in a statement released by the group: Our country is crumbling before our eyes.

We have homeless people dying on the very streets that King Charles passed on his way to the coronation, whilst there are more empty homes than unhoused people in this country.

Its time the ultra-rich pay their fair share. We demand a permanent House of the People. Its time to take back power, tax the rich and fix Britain. Join us at takebackpower.net.

UK policing minister Sarah Jones branded the incident disgraceful, thanked the police for their swift response and said a full investigation is under way.

There is a clear difference between the democratic right to protest and unacceptable behaviour, she added on X.
After being sidelined by Trump, Europe is now framing a plan to end the conflict in Ukraine

Indian and Russian presidents Droupadi Murmu and Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Activists and relatives of Ukrainian POWs at the monument to poet Taras Shevchenko last week. Photo: Getty

After months on the sidelines of US-led peace talks, Europe is trying to rise to the challenge of guaranteeing Ukraines post-war future in the event of a ceasefire.

Britain and France are leading the push for a so-called reassurance force in Ukraine, to retrain the army and uphold a peace deal if it emerges.

Downing Street said Britain is making plans for a multinational force to be drawn from partners on the Continent, despite the Kremlins rejection this week of any foreign deployment as being unacceptable.

Thousands of allied troops could be sent to cities across Ukraine to help the army recover its strength and stand as an independent deterrent to Russian aggression  if both sides can agree to terms.

The plans are months in the making, forged from discussions between Kyiv and the coalition of the willing about what security guarantees are needed to end the war.

A European presence on the ground was initially dismissed when Washington unveiled a draft plan last week that ruled out the deployment of international peacekeepers.

The US has warmed somewhat to Europes model for Ukrainian security

But the US appears to have warmed somewhat to Europes model for security after its contributions helped foster decisive progress in talks.

What could a reassurance force look like?

Over the last nine months, the coalition of the willing has committed to protecting Ukraine by helping reconsolidate its military, protecting its airspace and deploying a small number of troops.

During a virtual meeting with coalition members last week, French president Emmanuel Macron said a taskforce has been set up to whittle down ideas into tangible military commitments.

The focus would be to restore Ukraines army to full strength which would serve as an independent deterrent against future aggression.

Former British army Colonel Philip Ingram said that European training forces already working with Ukrainian soldiers in their home countries would likely be redeployed to help the military closer to home.

This could be done on a series of bilaterals between Ukraine and contributing nations, and therefore negate it being labelled as Nato, allowing Russia to be told to mind their own business, he said.

Activists and relatives of Ukrainian POWs at the monument to poet Taras Shevchenko last week. Photo: Getty

Ingram assessed that it would likely be more of a presence force, rather than a large military buffer capable of facing down the Russian army.

It is still unclear how big this contingent could be; earlier in the year, analysts gave estimates varying hugely from 20,000 to 100,000. But by August, military chiefs were already reportedly scaling back their ideas to something more realistic.

The coalition is also weighing up air support based in nearby countries, Macron said last Tuesday.

This is less likely to face criticism from Washington: Trump has already given his blessing to putting European fighter jets in neighbouring Poland.

Who would be involved?

The taskforce announced by Macron would be led by France and the UK with participation from Turkey and the United States. Macron said around 20 unspecified countries have already committed to some active involvement by air, land or sea.

Britain is still committed to stationing troops in Ukraine, Downing Street confirmed. Just before the US revealed its initial draft for peace, the British defence secretary John Healey said more than 100m was being prepared to cover the cost of sending forces to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, and that military units had already been chosen.

France is also positioning itself for a leading role, though Macron has been careful not to agitate his domestic audience. He said on French radio that France would not rush to send troops, and would station the force in fallback positions in Kyiv or Odesa.

We shouldnt sow panic among the French, because there are a lot of people who want to scare us, and who are saying that were going to immediately send troops. Thats false, he said.

Turkey has been the most hesitant to commit to specifics.

Indian and Russian presidents Droupadi Murmu and Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: Reuters

The defence ministry confirmed recently that the army was ready to contribute to any initiative aimed at ensuring security and stability in our region, but said a ceasefire needed to be agreed before any firm commitments can be made.

Macron signalled Turkey could also play a naval role, given its position on the Black Sea.

Washington has intentionally kept out of these discussions, but appeared more involved in recent weeks.

After hailing unprecedented progress in talks with Ukraine in Geneva, helped along by Europe weighing in, US secretary of state Marco Rubio joined the virtual coalition meeting in an encouraging show of support.

It is still unlikely the US will back Europes promise with a physical presence. Trump has repeatedly ruled out putting boots on the ground.

What do the experts say?

A small but effective force in Ukraine could still play an important role in helping the country rebuild after four years of bitter warfare, experts say.

Leo Litra, visiting fellow with the European Security Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, argued that a smaller force would not undermine the rationale of the mission.

The US mission in Vietnam started with 900 American instructors; the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan began with 5,000 troops, he noted.

The US would still need to provide the main guarantees  air defence, intelligence, surveillance  to deter an actual invasion, however.

But Sophia Besch, senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Europe risks promising military action they cannot deliver on and should focus on support.

Europeans cannot speak a credible American backstop into existence, she said.

In the meantime, she said Europe can help Ukraine recover its footing through training and regrouping forces.
A pastor with a large social media following claims he has been speaking with Barron Trump, and says he is very close to declaring his Christian faith.

On a December 4 episode of The George Janko Show, pastor Stuart Knechtle claimed he spoke with Barron by phone late one night and that the US presidents son went from being a sceptic to nearly accepting Christianity.

Hes very close to putting his faith in Christ, very close, said Knechtle, who has millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram.

He said that telling Barron about a friends missionary work in Africa, where he claims converts received divine revelations, helped persuade the 19-year-old Trump.

He was like, Oh, thats a very, very interesting point. And you have eyewitness testimony.

Ill never forget Baron coming back saying: Dad, that guys great

It is unclear when this alleged conversation took place or if Barron and Knechtle have ever met or spoken with each other.Knechtle and his father, Cliffe, who is also a pastor, have appeared in high-profile conservative circles in the past.

Cliffe was a recent guest on Tucker Carlsons show, and both Knechtles prayed on behalf of Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Barron, who lives at the White House and attends second-year classes at NYUs Washington campus, was a fan of evangelical activist Charlie Kirk.

Ill never forget Baron coming back saying: Dad, that guys great, Trump said after Kirk was assassinated earlier this year. You know, normally hes not full of praise. Now, he was very hurt when he saw news of Kirks death, but, I mean, everybody was.

The American president has credited his son with connecting his 2024 campaign to various right-leaning podcasts and social media streams that may have helped tip the election in Trumps favour by attracting young male voters.

An estimated 81pc of US white evangelicals backed Trumps 2024 campaign.

More broadly, Protestants made up a 54pc majority of Trump voters, according to the Pew Research Centre.

Overall, roughly 80pc of Trump voters identify as Christian.

Up to one-third of Americans think the 2024 election result was ordained by God, according to a poll in October.
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan Army said on Sunday that 12 terrorists were killed during a security operation in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said the security forces had conducted an intelligence-based operation in Kalat district of the province.

It added that the killed terrorists had been actively involved in multiple terrorist attacks in the area, and that a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the site.

Following the incident, a clearance operation was carried out to ensure no other terrorists remained in the vicinity, the ISPR said.

The military affirmed that security forces remain committed to thwarting the efforts of those who threaten peace in Pakistan. 
( Image credit : Instagram| @japdmedia| Meghan Markle and her father, Thomas Markle )

( Image credit : Instagram| Meghan Markles father, Thomas Markle, seen in a recent image )

Samantha Markle disputes Meghans outreach

( Image credit : X| Samantha Markle reacted to Meghan Markle comment on reaching out to their father! )

( Image credit : Instagram| Samantha Markle pictured in a recent appearance )

A family rift still without resolution

What had long been a private family rift has erupted back into public view, as Thomas Markle has spoken candidly about his hopes of reconciling with his daughter, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex-all while her half-sister, Samantha Markle, has fiercely challenged the duchess latest outreach claims.Thomas, 81, recently underwent a life-saving leg amputation in the Philippines after a blood clot cut circulation to his left leg. Speaking from his hospital bed, he admitted he is still struggling to process the trauma and the prospect of long-term rehabilitation. I dont want to die estranged from Meghan, he said in comments published by the. I want to see my daughter again and meet my grandchildren. Ive never stopped loving her.His remarks came after Meghans spokesperson confirmed that she had contacted her father following the emergency surgery- a claim that immediately sparked confusion.While Thomas expressed gratitude for the medical care hes receiving and the well-wishers supporting him, his elder daughter, Samantha Markle, delivered a sharply contrasting response. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 61-year-old openly accused Meghan of attempting to manage public perception rather than genuinely reconnecting with their father.Calling the Duchess communication a PR stunt, Samantha argued that any real desire to help would involve arranging appropriate medical support in the United States. She went as far as claiming that there had been no contact at all, suggesting Meghans representatives were shaping a narrative that did not reflect reality.Samantha further criticised what she sees as a pattern of performative concern, responding to posts from critics and commentators, including journalist Dan Wootton-who questioned the timing and motive behind the Duchess alleged outreach. Her tone was unmistakably blunt, insisting that public statements would mean little unless followed by tangible action.Thomas, who has long faced health challenges, including heart attacks, a stroke, and surviving a major earthquake-now confronts a lengthy recovery that will involve rehabilitation and learning to walk again. Despite his ongoing estrangement from Meghan since before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, he emphasised that he remains open to reconciliation.Samanthas latest remarks highlight just how strained the family relationship still is. Thomas may be hoping for peace and a chance to rebuild his bond with Meghan, but Samanthas public denials tell a very different story. With two conflicting versions of events and years of unresolved tension between them, any chance of a genuine reunion feels increasingly difficult, and, at least for now, sadly out of reach.
( Image credit : Jio Studios | Ranveer SIngh as Humza )

Dhurandhar 2 release date

What is Dhurandhar about?

Dhurandhar

( Image credit : Jio Studios | Akshay Khanna in Dhurandhar )

What to expect from Dhurandhar 2?

Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar 2

( Image credit : JioStudios | Arjun Rampal in Dhurandhar )

Who all star in the first film?

Dhurandhar

With Dhurandhar Part 2 already officially announced, excitement is steadily building among fans eager to see where the story heads next. The first films massive scale, intense drama, and Ranveer Singhs powerful performance have set high expectations for the sequel. As anticipation grows, viewers are keen to know what new conflicts, characters, and twists the next chapter will bring.The makers teased the sequel in the end credits of the first film, which hit theatres on Friday. They confirmed that Dhurandhar 2 is officially in the works and scheduled to release in cinemas on March 19, 2026.follows Ranveer Singh as Hamza, a young Punjabi man recruited by Indian intelligence to infiltrate a deadly terrormafia network operating out of Karachi. Blending espionage, underworld politics, and real-life events like the IC-814 hijack and the Parliament attack, the film unfolds as a gritty spy-crime thriller set across a violent, high-stakes landscape.The next chapter ofis expected to dive much deeper into Ranveer Singhs character, unpacking the mysteries surrounding his past, the personal losses and turning points that pushed him into spying in Pakistan, and how the explosive events of Part 1 will shape his journey ahead. The sequel will likely raise the emotional and political stakes, showing the consequences of his choices as he goes further into the shadows of covert operations. Viewers can also look forward to a far more intense and large-scale clash between him and Arjun Rampalscharacter, a face-off that the first film heavily foreshadowed. Alongside this, the world-building is set to expand as the story explores the Karachi underworld and the transnational terror networks in greater depth, promising a darker, more complex, and high-stakes narrative inThe cast offeatures Ranveer Singh in the lead, supported by Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal in key roles, with Rampal playing one of the central antagonists. The film also includes Sara Arjun and several other ensemble members.
The Price of Confession

( Image credit : Netflix | Kim Go-eun in The Price of Confession )

What is The Price of Confession about?

The Price of Confession

( Image credit : Netflix | Jeon Do-yeon during a scene in The Price of Confession )

The Price of Confession takes over the internet

The Price of Confession

( Image credit : Netflix | A scene from The Price of Confession )

"The Price of Confession"  The K-drama dominating December 2025 





**1. Cast power**



Jeon Do Yeon (Cannes queen) + Kim OliEun (post-Little Women peak) = rare female-led thriller duo. 40-sec uncut crying scene already Oscar bait  #JeonDoYeon #KimGoEun





**2. Killer hook** pic.twitter.com/2w1j9ltsGY



 Phong (@Phong9394) December 7, 2025

on Netflix has quickly become a sensation, drawing viewers in with its intense, suspenseful storyline and richly developed characters. At the heart of the series are Kim Go-eun and Jeon Do-yeon, whose breathtaking performances have garnered widespread acclaim and even sparked social media buzz. Combining emotional depth, gripping drama, and unexpected twists, the show offers a compelling viewing experience that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.is a gripping Netflix psychological thriller centered on Ahn Yunsu (Jeon Doyeon), an art teacher whose world is turned upside down when her husband is murdered and she becomes the prime suspect. While fighting to prove her innocence, she encounters Moeun (Kim Goeun), a mysterious inmate known as the witch, who offers to confess to the murder, but only if Yunsu agrees to carry out a murder herself.As the plot unfolds, hidden secrets emerge and moral lines are crossed, heightening the suspense at every turn. The series explores themes of desperation, justice, and betrayal, examining how far people will go when pushed to their limits. With intense twists and high emotional stakes, The Price of Confession delivers a tense and captivating viewing experience.has taken the internet by storm, dominating social media and trending across platforms worldwide. Viewers are raving about its gripping suspense, shocking twists, and tightly crafted storyline that keeps audiences hooked from start to finish. The hype is amplified by Kim Go-eun and Jeon Do-yeons extraordinary performances, whose emotional depth and intensity have sparked widespread discussions, fan reactions, and buzz online, cementing the series as a must-watch K-drama.Reacting to it, one wrote. I binged all 12 episodes of this thriller Price of Confession at once. Kim Goeun and Jeon Doyeon turned out to be a pairing I didnt know I needed. Another added, Kim Go Eun doesnt just act,she becomes. From the raw ferocity of Exhuma,to the quiet heartbreak of LIBCT,the tender realism of YAEE,and the haunting brilliance of The Price of Confession.
Why Kris Jenners $13.5 million mansion isnt selling?

The U.S. Sun

( Image credit : Instagram @krisjenner | Kris Jenners $13.5M mansion isnt selling. )

Kris Jenners iconic Hidden Hills estate

Keeping Up With the Kardashians (KUWTK)

( Image credit : Instagram @krisjenner | Kris Jenner purchased the mansion in 2010 for just $4 million. )

Why the price might be hard to meet

( Image credit : Instagram @krisjenner | Kris Jenners $13.5 million Hidden Hills mansion struggles to sell. )

Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, is facing a surprising challenge: her $13.5 million Hidden Hills estate has been on the market for nearly a year without any successful bids. Despite the struggle to sell, the 70-year-old momager is refusing to lower the price, believing her fame and the homes history add significant value.According to a source who spoke with, Kris doesnt want to drop the price; shes staying firm. She feels very strongly its priced fairly, and anyone who thinks its overpriced doesnt understand the full value of the home. The insider added that Jenner believes the extensive renovations and the prestige she brought to the house and neighbourhood have skyrocketed the propertys value.Its one of the most famous houses on TV, and she knows she popularised putting Calabasas and Hidden Hills on the map and priced the home with all those things in mind, the source said.The Mediterranean-style mansion, which spans 9,000 square feet on a 1.3-acre lot, was listed with Christies real estate in February for $13.5 million. It offers six spacious en-suite bedrooms, an office, large living and entertaining spaces, and a modern kitchen. The grand entrance features black and white tiled flooring, instantly recognisable to fans ofThe homes history makes it a piece of television history, appearing prominently on KUWTK for over 11 years. This visibility, Jenner believes, adds to the homes value in a way that other properties cannot match.Kris purchased the mansion in 2010 for just $4 million, three years after KUWTK began airing. She moved out in 2021 to a new $20 million home next door to her daughter Khloe Kardashian. Over the years, the estate has remained closely tied to the family.Her son, Rob Kardashian, moved into the home for a time. Kris said of the property, Im so grateful we still have it in the family because it makes me really happy. Rob hosted notable events there, including his daughter Dream Kardashians Barbie-themed birthday party in November 2021. During Christmas 2020, he also shared photos of elaborate decorations, including a massive Christmas tree in the entranceway.Despite its fame and historical value, the estate has not attracted bids worth accepting, remaining unsold for over 10 months. Real estate experts reportedly note that high prices combined with niche market appeal, even with celebrity status, can make properties slower to sell. Jenner, however, remains confident in her valuation.She feels the millions of dollars in renovations have more than added to the value. But more than that, she feels the prestige she has brought to both the house itself and to the whole neighbourhood has skyrocketed the propertys value, the insider explained.Even as the property sits on the market, Kris Jenners confidence in her pricing suggests she is not willing to compromise. With its blend of luxury, celebrity history, and renovations, the mansion remains a landmark property, one that embodies both Hollywood fame and family legacy.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) has been named World's Leading Cabin Crew 2025 by the World Travel Awards (WTA), marking the airline's sixth consecutive win.

In a press release issued on Sunday, RB said the achievement underscores the trust and confidence placed in the airline's signature Bruneian hospitality.

The award is especially meaningful as WTA winners are selected by industry professionals and travellers across the world, reflecting the deep trust and confidence placed in RB's service excellence, it said.

Colonel Norsuriati Haji Sharbini, RB's interim chief executive officer, said the airline is truly honored to receive this recognition once again. For six consecutive years, the airline's cabin crew have demonstrated unwavering commitment to delivering the warm, personalized service given sincerely from the heart, which is synonymous with Royal Brunei Airlines. 
Howard Shore's Academy Awardwinning score for 'Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' was performed live by the Philadelphia Orchestra and guest conductor Ludwig Wicki to a packed house in Marian Anderson Hall Friday night. Read more

It was the kind of night at the orchestra when any good hobbit could show up in a Bilbo Baggins waistcoat and feel right at home. Previously human ushers had suddenly sprung elven ears. And the action on stage involved a twisty, unlikely tale of a magical gold ring whose purpose seemed to be to exploit the flaws and weaknesses of those who encounter it.

The Philadelphia Orchestras presentation of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Friday night in Marian Anderson Hall was one of those cross-cultural experiences that ricocheted with surprising power. Two subcultures, each with its own specialized language  classical music and the fandom around J.R.R. Tolkiens world of wizards, dwarfs, and the dark forces  intensified the other.

For anyone keeping score in the ongoing battle for younger audiences in classical music, Friday was a night when it seemed everyone in the hall was 31 years old and deeply engaged. Never at an orchestra performance have I heard the audience break in so many times with applause and hoots of approval.

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Of this happy synergy, the orchestra sold out all three performances, with tickets topping out at more than $250 a pop.

Not all of the orchestras live-to-screen presentations have justified themselves musically, but here, Howard Shores score was a canvas both vast (about three hours of music) and colorful.

If theres a single label for Shores musical language, its Celtic Craggy  with notable excursions into the bellicose, the sentimental, and moods more subtle. The great value of hearing a great orchestra live in dialogue with the screen is in the emotional epiphanies, moments where the music tells you something the dialogue and action alone cant.

The sound engineering on this night favored the music over the dialogue, and smartly so.

The other beautiful dynamic at play: You didnt have to walk into the hall with any prior knowledge of classical music or Middle-earth nomenclature to feel the experience. This level of communication is simply embedded deep in being human.

The definition of human becomes hazy in the 2001 installment of Peter Jacksons film trilogy. But time and time again, the musical score homed in on the universal goodness and countryfolk sincerity embodied in instruments. Two different soprano tin whistles (one in C, the other in D), whose very pitch and storytelling inflection were skillfully stretched by orchestra flutist Erica Peel. Hornist Jennifer Montone perfectly conveyed what it feels like to be a lonely leader in the Council of Elrond scene.

The percussion section was a city in itself, conjuring folk sounds on the bodhran drum, and the anvils of war (struck by musicians on, essentially, flat sheets of steel).

Anvils? The quest for a magical ring? Dwarfs, warriors, and flawed characters? Tolkien drew on some of the same sources that Wagner did in his Ring Cycle, and while Shores score might have a Wagnerian touch here or there, the larger influence was Carl Orff, whose Carmina Burana became the musical DNA of video games and car commercials.

Colossal forces brought both precision and brutality, particularly in the repeating combination of driving percussion, screaming brass, and blocs of choral sound amassed for battle. With Ludwig Wicki conducting, the Singing City Choir and Philadelphia Boys Choir  both quite strong  provided chaos and balm. Vocalist Kaitlyn Lusk and chorus were the gentle healing we needed to hear after Gandalfs death.

The good thing was, when you tired of watching yet another wave of fiendish Orcs getting clobbered, you could always turn your eyes to the stage, decode the instrumentation, and imagine for yourself an entirely different narrative. This is the enduring promise of orchestral sound on any night at the orchestra.

No additional magic needed.
School Safety Officer Craig Romanczuk talked with fellow safety officer Lanitta Spann Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025 as he leaves Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. Read more

Craig Romanczuks voice barely gets above a whisper these days.

But speaking at all, he said, feels like a miracle.

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Five months ago, the 68-year-old retired Philadelphia police officer, a Philadelphia School District safety officer of nearly 20 years, was shot 11 times while driving in a marked patrol car. He almost died.

Life is crowded with medical appointments, surgeries, and therapies now. But Romanczuk takes it in stride, with the kind of gruff and jovial banter born of his one-of-nine-kids-growing-up-in-Kensington roots and the near-death experience that still feels very close.

After almost dying, you appreciate your family, your brothers and your sisters, Romanczuk said, pausing. Even though theyre still jerks. Now you get a chance to tell them that theyre jerks and you still love them."

Officer, can you help me?

It was a warm June morning when Romanczuk wrapped up his patrol assignment, checking on a Kensington high school building just before 2 a.m.

It had been a night shift like many others  after graduating from North Catholic High School, Romanczuk joined the police force at 19, spending his career in the 3rd District, in South Philadelphia, and finishing it in the 19th, in West Philadelphia. After he retired in 2004, his sister encouraged him to take the school police test. He spent years as an officer in schools, then took a patrol job in 2017, driving around the city to check on school buildings between 10 p.m. and 8:30 a.m.

On June 29, Romanczuk took Front Street toward North Columbus Boulevard on his way back to a district garage after the Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts job. He was stopped for a red light near Dave & Busters when a car pulled up to him.

The man said, Officer, can you help me? Romanczuk remembered. A driver exhibiting road rage had been following the man since they were both driving on I-95, he told Romanczuk, who agreed to assist.

District safety officers are not armed; Romanczuk said he planned to say, Yo, guy, knock it off, go the other way.

He opened his car door, stepping out onto the street. He didnt even have time to say a word; bullets started flying immediately.

Romanczuk was shot 11 times  in the shoulder, in the armpit, through the bicep. One bullet cut across his chest, striking the cell phone in his pocket. One pierced his neck, breaking his collarbone, damaging his Adams apple and his vocal cords. One exited out of the left side of his face, breaking his jawbone and taking nearly all of his upper teeth with it. One hit the side of his face, going through the roof of his mouth and coming out of his nose.

He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but was still injured enough to nearly bleed out.

It isnt like a movie, Romanczuk said. You feel the bullets break your bones. You feel them going through your body. Thats the pain I felt. I thought, I hurt too much. Im not going to live through this.

Somehow, Romanczuk managed to get back into his car, an attempt to elude the shooter.

I put the car in drive and I felt more bullets hitting the car seat. I was thinking, Why am I being shot? I didnt do anything. Hes not mad at me, he said. Its like the Hallmark movie  you think of your kids. I thought, Tell them that I love them.

He hit a tree. His last memory is staggering out of his patrol car.

This aint heaven

A Philadelphia Parking Authority tow truck sat across the street, its operator watching the whole scene unfold. The tow truck driver called 911 and a buddy of his who was a school police lieutenant. City police responded, ready to scoop Romanczuk and take him to the hospital, when a fire department paramedic unit drove by.

The paramedics got Romanczuk to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He remained unconscious for two weeks.

When he eventually woke up, he thought he was dead.

Im looking around, Im on the ninth floor in a dark room. I said, Well, this aint heaven. This must be purgatory. A nurse leaned over and I went, Lucifer? I went, Where am I? He said, Jefferson. I said, Is that hell?

It turns out it wasnt hell. Romanczuk remained in Jefferson until the end of July, then spent a month at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Center City, astonishing staff with his progress. He received a heros send-off on his release.

Romanczuk is full of effusive praise for the staff at Jefferson. Hes not a hero, he said.

The doctors and God are, he said. I think God was working through the doctors. They were so skillful.

Politicians like to take credit for improving homicide rates, Romanczuk said.

But its not the politicians, its the doctors, he said. Theyre so good at saving people.

He will do this again

Romanczuk could not speak at all for weeks. Now that extensive therapy has allowed him to regain a quiet voice, he wants to use it.

Ariza Giansteban is accused of attempted murder in connection with Romanczuks shooting. Romanczuk feels strongly that Giansteban, who remains in custody, should not be granted reduced bail.

I think he should spend the rest of his life in prison, Romanczuk said. I believe if they let him out, he will do this again somewhere.

Romanczuk worries that prosecutors leading the case against Giansteban and other alleged criminals do not think enough about the victims of violence.

He will continue to show up at Gianstebans court appearances when he can, Romanczuk said, to make his voice heard and remind people what he has suffered.

And he will continue to be grateful for being around to crack jokes.

Romanczuk is able to live alone at his house in the Northeast, with my sister yelling at me, and my son, he quipped. (His son is also a city police officer.)

Until the shooting, Romanczuk had no plans to retire, but his massive injuries forced his hand. The steady stream of visits buoyed him, he said.

I love my coworkers and my family, he said, and I got 20 more years to tell them so.
Washington Township School Superintendent Eric Hibbs is one of a handful of South Jersey superintendents who have merit pay as part of their contracts. Read more

Washington Townships embattled superintendent has been fighting for a more than $27,000 bonus.

The school board has repeatedly voted to deny merit pay to Superintendent Eric Hibbs, making it the latest source of infighting and disagreement in the Gloucester County district.

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You dont have to like the fact that merit pay was in there, Hibbs said of his contract at the boards most recent meeting. But, he said, he is legally entitled to the payment on top of his $215,000 annual base salary because he met the goals listed in his contract.

And he is not the only South Jersey superintendent who has negotiated merit pay or other bonuses as part of a contract. The measure is a little-known way for New Jersey superintendents to earn higher salaries.

About 54 of the states 600 public school chiefs, or about 9%, had perks negotiated in their contracts in the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Education.

Heres what to know about the practice of giving merit pay to New Jersey superintendents:

How many superintendents get merit pay and how much is it?

In South Jersey, at least eight of nearly 100 superintendents had merit or bonus pay provisions in their contracts in the 2023-24 school year, the most recent available state data obtained under the Open Public Records Act. The information may be incomplete because it is compiled from self-reporting by districts, and some superintendents have left their jobs since the data were compiled.

Among the districts offering merit pay are: Barrington, Black Horse Pike Regional, Clayton, Salem County Vocational, Washington Township in Gloucester County, Woodlynne, and West Deptford. Merchantville had it also, but that superintendent has since left the position.

How much money do superintendents make in bonus pay?

An Inquirer analysis of state data found that bonus compensation packages ranged from $2,000 to $56,989 for the 2023-24 school year.

They included additional pay granted for meeting performance goals or obtaining a doctorate, or longevity bonuses for years of service.

The districts with the most lucrative merit packages were in North Jersey: $56,989 in Bergen County Vocational; $43,272 in Hudson, and $36,489 in Union.

Clayton Superintendent Nikolaos Koutsogiannis, in his ninth year as schools chief, received $4,350 in longevity pay. He joined the district in 2008 as a principal and is one of the longest-serving superintendents in Gloucester County.

I enjoy my job here, Koutsogiannis said. They wanted to keep me here. I was more than willing to stay.

The Barrington, Black Horse Pike Regional, Salem County Vocational, and West Deptford superintendents did not respond to numerous email messages.

Some South Jersey districts where superintendents are among the highest-paid in the region do not offer merit pay, including Winslow, Lenape Regional, Burlington City, Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill.

Why is merit pay given?

In 2010, then-Gov. Chris Christie imposed a cap on superintendent salaries in an effort to curb property taxes. Christie said superintendents base pay should not exceed the governors salary of $175,000.

Because of the cap, dozens of superintendents left the state for higher salaries elsewhere and districts had difficulty recruiting educators. Others negotiated merit pay and bonuses to boost their earnings.

After Gov. Phil Murphy lifted the cap on superintendents annual salary in 2019, merit pay became less common, said Timothy Purnell, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association.

But merit pay still exists in many districts.

How are contracts and merit pay negotiated?

Superintendent salaries can vary, as boards negotiate contracts based on experience, district size, and other factors.

The New Jersey Department of Education must approve contracts, including merit pay provisions and goals. Executive county school superintendents review contracts for each district.

Purnell said his association, which provides guidance to more than 600 New Jersey school boards, generally steers them away from considering merit pay. Longevity pay, however, is encouraged as an incentive to keep quality superintendents, he said.

Many superintendents are less interested in pursuing additional goals because merit pay is not factored into pensions, Purnell said.

When merit pay is in a contract, the board and the superintendent establish merit goals at the beginning of the school year. At the end of the year, the superintendent must submit evidence that the goals were met. The executive county superintendent must sign off on the request before any bonuses are paid.

The state specifies quantitative and qualitative goals that may be included in merit pay. It also sets the value of each goal, a percentage of the superintendents base salary.

Based on a districts needs, merit pay may be given for meeting goals such as reducing chronic absenteeism, increasing student achievement, setting up learning academies, or establishing a foundation.

Hibbs goals approved by the board include completing Google training presentations, taking online professional development courses, and beefing up security.

In September, records show, the executive county superintendent approved $9,072 in merit pay for Barrington Superintendent Anthony Arcodia for meeting two goals  improved parent communication and overhauling the parent-student handbook.

Barrington school board president Mark Correa said Arcodia waived his right to merit pay for the 2025-26 school year because of the districts belt-tightening. He will be eligible for merit pay in future years, he said.

The district believes in rewarding our high-achieving, long-serving superintendent when possible, Correa wrote in an email last week.

Some school chiefs get a stipend for holding an additional administrative position, such as serving as superintendent and a school principal, typically in smaller districts.

What are the drawbacks of merit pay?

Purnell said merit goals can muddy the waters for districts because superintendents could become so focused on those goals that they lose sight of the overall strategic plan.

The question would be why do you need to receive merit pay when its your responsibility to provide a thorough and efficient education, Purnell said. You dont want the goal to become more important than the best interest of all children.

In 2007, the Camden school board bought out the contract of then-Superintendent Annette Knox after learning that she had received $17,500 in bonuses without board approval or knowledge. A state criminal probe looked into the bonuses and allegations of grade-fixing and test score-rigging in the district. Other administrators ultimately faced charges for submitting fake pay vouchers, but Knox was not charged.

A superintendent focused on achieving merit goals may neglect other priorities more difficult to assess, said Bruce Campbell, a senior fellow in the University of Pennsylvanias Graduate School of Education. Gains are often the result of team effort, he said.

Student outcomes are the result of a whole system and are heavily influenced by factors outside one leaders control, Campbell said. If a district uses merit pay at all, I recommend it be a small slice of compensation.

How common is merit pay nationwide?

Merit pay does exist in other states. Earlier this year, the state-appointed superintendent for the Houston Independent School District received a $173,660 bonus based on his annual performance evaluation, which credited him with boosting standardized test scores. His annual base salary is $462,000.

Nationwide, the median salary for a school superintendent was $156,000 for the 2023-24 school year, according to the School Superintendents Association. The group does not track merit pay.

The median superintendent salary among 91 South Jersey school districts was $176,088 for the 2024-25 school year, an Inquirer analysis found.

In Philadelphia, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. recently received a contract extension that will keep him in the nations eighth-largest school district through 2030. He is paid $367,710. He does not get merit pay.

Whats happening with merit pay in Washington Township?

In Washington Township, Hibbs has the most lucrative merit package in South Jersey. He received $25,000 in bonus pay for the 2023-24 school year, according to district records obtained by The Inquirer under the states Open Public Records Act.

Hibbs has asked the board several times to approve $27,319 in merit pay for the 2024-25 school year, indicating he had met four of the five goals approved by the board. His contract allows an annual merit bonus of up to 14.99% of his salary, the maximum permitted by the state.

The request has been rejected by the board, failing to get five votes needed. The dispute is expected to lead to another legal showdown between Hibbs and the board.

 READ MORE: Washington Township school board again rejects $27K merit pay for Superintendent Eric Hibbs

During a heated exchange at a board meeting last month, Hibbs accused the board of retribution. He was suspended for five months earlier this year over an ethics complaint. A judge ordered his return and Hibbs was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

My merit pay that was 100% approved and achieved has been consistently voted down by certain members, Hibbs said at a recent school board meeting.

Hibbs was paid $220,375 for the 2023-2024 school year, making him among the highest-paid superintendents in South Jersey. His contract runs through 2027.

Staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article.
Rowan University was back online Saturday evening after an IT service outage caused intermittent problems with internet, email, and other services since early Friday.

According to a school spokesperson: All systems are now working as expected. Delayed email messages may arrive out of order.

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The university said in a message to the campus earlier Saturday it had identified the likely root cause. The school said there was a connectivity issue with internal systems.

 READ MORE: Rowan University launches $240 million fundraising campaign

Students and staff were having trouble connecting to Rowan Wi-Fi, accessing the universitys public websites and logging into most applications.

Systems may continue to fluctuate as restoration work continues, and our teams will be actively monitoring and making adjustments throughout the day to stabilize all services, the university said.

Reached by phone Saturday afternoon, Rowan spokesperson Joe Cardona said that it was too soon to say what caused the outage and that the investigation was ongoing.

Were still delving into it, he said. It was intermittent all day yesterday. Youd have email for a while and then you wouldnt. Different systems would be down.

But, he said, most systems seemed to be up and running Saturday afternoon. Security and safety systems remained in operation, the school said.

Students on Friday were having trouble accessing homework assignments off the universitys Canvas system, Cardona said. Some people also had trouble accessing remote university meetings via computer, he said.

Students were directed to contact their professors about class schedules, assignments, and deadlines.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker speaks to the crowd at the Church of Christian Compassion in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Parker visited 10 churches in Philadelphia on Sunday to share details about her H.O.M.E. housing plan. Read more

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker traversed pulpits across West and North Philadelphia on Sunday, promoting her vision for her signature housing initiative thats heightening tensions in City Hall.

The 10-church circuit appeared to be a retort to moves by City Council last week to amend Parkers Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) program, changing the initial budget and eligibility requirements to prioritize the lowest-income Philadelphia households.

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Parker, who wants to ensure the initiative helps those with varying incomes, largely opposes the changes, which has caused one of the most notable standoffs between the citys executive and legislative branches during her mayoralty. From West Phillys Church of Christian Compassion on Sunday morning, she lobbied her constituents, saying her vision for the housing plan is to avoid trying to pit the have-nots against those who have just a little bit.

We should be about addition, not subtraction, she said to a packed sanctuary, as she sought to reclaim the narrative surrounding H.O.M.E. Her rousing 10-minute address was met with acclaim and applause, bringing some in the crowd to their feet.

Weve got to take care of the people who are most in need, but we cant penalize the people who are going to work every day, pay their taxes, contribute to the city, and they cant benefit from home improvement programs.

 READ MORE: City Council took a rare stand against Mayor Parker by allotting more housing funds to the poorest Philadelphians

The H.O.M.E. initiative calls for spending $800 million across dozens of existing programs. The bulk of the funding would go to affordable-housing preservation, the Turn the Key program, the Basic Systems Repair Program, affordable housing production, and One Philly Mortgage, which would provide loans to low income households.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, and whose district includes Church of Christian Compassion, called Councils proposal reasonable and compromised and a fiscally responsible response to Philadelphians who need our help the most in this moment.

The mayor has every right to get out into the public, to tell her side, to talk about her vision, Gauthier said in an interview, but I will say there was plenty of time to negotiate with Council on this, and plenty of attempts made from the Councils side.

Despite the disagreement over eligibility rules, Parker and Council are on the same page about the broad strokes of the housing plan; critical pieces of legislation Parker proposed as part of H.O.M.E. were approved by Council earlier this year. The changes last week did not alter the fundamentals of the program, which Parker hopes will achieve her goal of creating or preserving 30,000 units of housing in her first term.

The main sticking point in recent negotiations has been eligibility criteria for several programs: Parker, for instance, had proposed that H.O.M.E. funding for the Basic Systems Repair Program  which subsidizes critical home improvements  is open to any homeowner who makes Philadelphias area median income, about $119,400 for a family of four. Councils amendments, however, require 90% of the new funding to go to families making 60% of the area median income or less, about $71,640 for a family of four.

The changes also raise the first-year budget for H.O.M.E. from $194.6 million to $277.2 million. The city plans to sell a total of $800 million in bonds as part of the housing initiative.

Gauthier likened whats in dispute to an emergency room: The person whos having a heart attack is going to be seen before the person with a broken leg, because that person whos experiencing a heart attack might not make it if they dont get immediate assistance.

The squabble has given way to the most significant public dustup between Parker and Council President Kenyatta Johnson. In an uncharacteristically blunt statement last week, Johnson broke from his usual alignment with the mayor and defied her administrations analysis of the situation.

 READ MORE: Philly lawmakers approved $800M for Mayor Parkers housing plan in June. Now they have to redo it.

In a statement Sunday, Johnsons spokesperson Vincent Thompson said Johnson heard clearly and directly from Councilmembers and housing organizations in Philadelphia about critical issues they want addressed in the first-year H.O.M.E. Plan spending. Those concerns center on accountability, neighborhood equity, and  most importantly  making sure that the deepest investments reach the poorest and most vulnerable Philadelphians.

The amended budget could be up for a final vote as soon as Thursday, Dec. 11, Councils last meeting before its winter break, according to Johnsons office.
The Philadelphia School District said a potential SEPTA strike would affect 51,000 students. Read more

The School District of Philadelphia is preparing for a possible strike by SEPTA workers  described Friday by union leaders as imminent  that would affect nearly 51,000 students who ride buses and subways to school.

I do hope that this strike can be avoided so that we can continue to operate normally and support the social, emotional and academic needs of our students without disruption, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said in a statement Sunday.

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Should a pivot to remote classes happen, officials will ensure that all students, including and especially those with special needs, are equipped with the digital and physical materials they need to participate in virtual learning, Watlington said.

SEPTA said Sunday evening that negotiations would resume in the morning.

In case no deal is reached with Transport Workers Union Local 234, the school district said it was preparing to support students and families.

Students who are late to school or absent because of a strike will be excused if they get a note from a parent or guardian. Staff who miss work or arrive late because of travel challenges will also be excused, the district said.

If a school experiences significant disruption in student or staff attendance, the district might recommend a shift to virtual instruction for certain schools, the district said.

Teachers will not deliver in-person instruction for some students and virtual instruction for others, officials said.

Watlington said the district will also keep a close eye on staff attendance and, if necessary, move certified central office staff into schools to cover gaps.

Student latenesses due to SEPTA challenges will not count, and absences will be excused if parents provide notes.

The unions latest contract expired Nov. 7, and the 5,000-member local voted unanimously on Nov. 16 to authorize leaders to call a strike if needed during contract negotiations.

TWU last went on strike in the fall of 2016. High school attendance plummeted to 61% on the first day of the strike, compared with 87% the day before, The Inquirer reported at the time. Attendance rebounded to 71% on the strikes second day.
An elderly man was found dead in the first floor of a Nicetown home. Read more

An elderly man was found dead in Philadelphias Nicetown section with lacerations to his head and chest  the victim of an apparent home invasion.

On Friday afternoon, a relative discovered a resident of the 4500 block of North 16th Street, in the 35th Police District, motionless inside the first floor of his own home.

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A medical unit responded minutes later, declaring the 93-year-old man dead at the scene.

Police officers searched the house, finding more bloodstains in an upstairs bedroom. Although there were no signs of forced entry, a relative informed police that the victims wallet, keys, and car  a white 2007 Chrysler 300  were also missing.

A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed that detectives from the Homicide Unit were investigating the death.

The victims identity has not been released by police.
Jannette Diaz, president and CEO of Congreso de Latinos Unidos, grew up a few blocks from the nonprofit, and her family relied on the group for help with utility bills. Read more

The litany of horrors never stopped:

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For more than an hour, one domestic violence survivor after another stepped up to the microphone with tales of pain and resilience.

When people get close to me, I flinch because Im afraid they are going to abuse me, said one woman, speaking in Spanish, her words translated into English by a staffer at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, a nonprofit social services agency in North Philadelphia that provides help with housing, education, medical needs, workforce training, and after-school activities for youngsters.

Congreso is celebrating its 48th year in operation, and for 30 of those years, it has maintained a program to support people dealing with, and trying to escape from, domestic violence.

I was never allowed to go outside. He would show up at my job, the woman continued in a room decorated with purple balloons, the color symbolizing domestic violence. Each year, Congreso honors survivors and mourns, in a few moments of poignant silence, the people who lost their lives to domestic violence. Last year, in Pennsylvania, there were 102.

He would bruise my face so I couldnt see my family. I worked in a nightclub, and he would drag me out  No one wanted to get involved, she said.

No one, until Congreso did and helped relocate her to a new home.

It takes a lot of courage to come up here and share your story, Ramona Peralta, Congresos director of family wellness, said as the woman finished speaking. Were very proud of you, and we are here for you all the way.

In the main room, the mood vacillated between the heavy silence of shared pain and the cheerful clamoring of babies. Later, there was music, and before, a friendly lunch of rice with pork and chicken.

Across the hall, members of the Asociacion de Cosmetologas de Pennsylvania offered free hairstyling to the women who attended the celebration.

Congreso, as part of its program to teach police, educators, social workers, and others to recognize signs of domestic abuse, had trained this group, as well, and because of the intimacy of their work, the stylists were uniquely positioned to do so. More than most, beauty salon operators could readily see the bruises hidden under hair and makeup. They could feel the cuts and scars on the scalp. And then there were the confidences confessed during shampoos and stylings.

Among the volunteers was Wanda Gomez, owner of the Blessings of God beauty salon in Northeast Philadelphia. Thank God, Im no longer in that situation, she said, speaking through a translator. But because she survived domestic violence, she said shes in a better position to help others. She tells them about Congreso.

Elisa Zaro Doran, owner of Dominican Divas Beauty Salon in Olney, twisted a strand of hair around a curling iron as she styled Maria Rodriguezs long, dark hair. Like Gomez, Doran survived domestic abuse. The first time, when he hit me, we were having a lot of problems, so I thought it was normal, Doran said.

Hed even come into her beauty salon and hit her. My clients would try to defend me, she said. Eventually, when her son tried to protect her, she knew she had to take the necessary steps to get away and be safe  for herself and her children.

Rodriguez was there yesterday to support her daughter, who survived domestic violence, but still lives in fear  which is the reason she would only agree to be interviewed if her name was not used. He told me that it doesnt matter how many years  he will come and burn down my house with me in it, she said.

Rodriguezs daughter turned to Congreso for help after Thanksgiving a few years ago. Her oldest son told her that day that he would no longer live with her, because every night he dreamed of killing his father. He couldnt stay and watch the beatings or watch his father, in a rage, destroy the furniture in their home.

I dont know how many dining room tables I bought, the daughter said.

On that Thanksgiving, she told her husband he had to leave. It was the end of the relationship, but the beginning of a new nightmare. He followed her to work and even stood in the pharmacy, watching her as she managed the office.

Counseling at Congreso helped her name her situation for what it was  abuse. They made me see that I was in danger, and that what she thought was normal was anything but. In group sessions, she learned a critical lesson: I understood that I wasnt the only one. They made me know it wasnt my fault.

Shes still afraid to leave her home. Im going through anxiety, PTSD. It still affects me.

Besides housing, education, and medical needs, Congreso maintains a program to support people dealing with, and trying to escape from, domestic violence.

As she watched her mother get her hair styled, Rodriguezs daughter hoped her mother would absorb a lesson from the stories she would hear. The daughter wanted her mother to understand the intergenerational legacy of abuse because she believes her mother also suffered from domestic violence.

That abuse, Rodriguezs daughter believes, impacted both her and her sister, whose abuser stopped hitting her only when he thought she was dead. She teaches her sister lessons learned from counseling at Congreso. Counseling includes helping women develop a safety plan.

Rodriguezs daughter brings her own little girl, 13, to Congresos counseling groups for children impacted by domestic violence. Im saving my sisters life, and Im saving my daughters life, she said. As for her sons, Im not raising abusers, as she reminds them to respect their girlfriends.

Last months celebration in honor of the survivors of domestic abuse took center stage that day at Congreso, but Congresos programming benefits many more people in the community, 75% of whom are Latino, said Jannette Diaz, president and chief executive.

Diaz grew up a few blocks from Congreso, and her father relied on the nonprofit for help with the familys utility bills.

These days, she spends time working on strengthening relationships with fellow nonprofit agencies and with Congresos friends in the donor community.

Were all feeling the crunch, Diaz said, describing a double whammy in mid-October of the states failure to pass a budget as the national government moved into another week of shutdown. Congreso gets much of its funding from government reimbursements for services provided.

At Congreso, were very mindful of our spending. So far, were continuing to provide services at 100%, but theres only so much we can do, tapping into our reserves and our line of credit.

Sometimes its heavy, but Im also hopeful, Diaz said, explaining that the twin state and federal budget crises required a sharper focus even as demand for services increases. Changes in Medicaid regulations may impact finances at Congresos health center, for example.

But, she said, donors can be confident their dollars are being spent wisely.

Why? Because as nonprofits come and go, Congreso has survived, thanks to providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive services that are informed by data to its clients, Diaz said.

Weve been around for 48 years, and theres a reason for that. And that is how we operate within our community, she said. We forge a trusting relationship, and we try our best to do what they need. Its important that we make sure our programs have impact.

And that impact, Diaz said, goes beyond help given directly to clients. When Congreso assists a first-time home buyer in qualifying for and landing a mortgage, that homeowner becomes a Philadelphia taxpayer, benefiting the community.

When someone like Gary DeJesus-Walker earns a CDL truck-driving license through Congresos workforce training program, he can go on to build a trucking business. Now he employs three people.

Congreso  they changed my life, he said. From trucking, I started two other companies. With Congresos CDL program, if you need a second chance, you can have one for the rest of your life. This is a way you can provide for and feed your family, forever.

The stories are an inspiration to Diaz.

Even in this season, she said, we can strategize and design services that our community needs. Were not paralyzed by this crisis, and in terms of moving the needle forward, were progressing.

This article is part of a series about Philly Gives  a community fund to support nonprofits through end-of-year giving. To learn more about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

About Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Mission: To enable individuals and families in predominantly Latino neighborhoods to achieve economic self-sufficiency and well-being.

People served: 13,435 unique clients served in fiscal year 2025.

Annual Spending: $30 million

Point of Pride: Trademarked Primary Client Model that drives Congresos bilingual and bicultural approach to delivering services in a client-centered, data-informed, and culturally responsive way, whether a community member is receiving support in education, workforce development, housing, health, or family services.

You can help: Become a monthly donor, a member of Congresos Corporate Advisory Council, or a volunteer in the Congreso Cares Program. Volunteers help with participating in program initiatives like Congresos free tax preparation, supporting program and agency events, and assisting with fundraising.

Support: phillygives.org

To get help:

866-723-3014 (Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline)

215-763-8870 (Congreso)

What your Congreso donation can do
NEW DELHI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 people, including four tourists, were killed and many others injured around midnight Saturday in a devastating fire at a nightclub in India's western state of Goa, police said on Sunday.

The fire tore through a popular nightclub, Birch by Romeo Lane, in Arpora village of North Goa district, about 16 km northwest of Panaji, the capital city of Goa.

"A massive fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa, resulting in 25 deaths, out of whom four were confirmed to be tourists, 14 were staff members and identity of seven is yet to be established. Six persons are injured and their treatment is going on," reads a statement issued by the police to local media.

"Cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. Police and fire department investigation is in progress. Legal action is being taken."

Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the deaths and expressed their sympathies to the families of the victims through social media posts.

Modi has also announced an ex-gratia payment from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the victims of the tragic fire mishap.

"An ex-gratia of INR 200,000 (2,223.57 U.S. dollars) from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Arpora, Goa. The injured would be given INR 50,000 (556 U.S. dollars)," the Indian Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

Goa Police Chief Alok Kumar said that immediately after receiving the distress call at the police control room, the police, fire brigade, and ambulances were rushed to the spot.

Witnesses told the media the blast was reportedly so powerful that the flames engulfed the entire building within seconds and trapped the people inside.

Preliminary investigations carried out by the police suggest that the fire was allegedly triggered by a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder explosion near the kitchen area.

Officials said the rescue operations continued through the night, and focus has now been shifted to identifying the bodies and informing their families.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant described the incident as painful. He has ordered an inquiry into the deadly fire. "Those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law. Any negligence will be dealt with firmly," Sawant said in a statement.

A local lawmaker Michael Lobo told reporters that most of the victims died from suffocation after running toward the basement.

Chances of fire in India are often high, as owners of the buildings and houses usually ignore safety standards with regard to fire and store fuel and combustible materials in a haphazard manner. 
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on. Read more

The angry queries from GOP legislators over possible U.S. military war crimes in the Caribbean are welcome. Yet, too many Republicans avoid the urgent question that hangs over the killing of more than 80 people allegedly smuggling drugs in small boats: Why is a massive American armada hovering off Venezuela in the first place?

The official response that this is a war to destroy criminal drug cartels who are poisoning Americans and thus undermining U.S. security is a transparent lie and a clumsy cover-up.

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So, if drugs are only an excuse, is President Donald Trump really seeking regime change in Caracas (and has age dimmed his memory of his rants against regime change in Iraq and Libya)? Is he hoping for a domino effect on Cuba? Or is he fulfilling his self-appointed role as master of the Western Hemisphere (and perhaps of Venezuelan oil)?

As the United States faces domestic strife and serious conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Asia, Americans need to know why Trump is obsessed with war on Caracas. Congress must demand answers, now.

First, let us dispense with the myth that a mighty U.S. fleet is needed to combat Venezuelan drug cartels.

The vicious drug that claims thousands of U.S. victims and is at the center of U.S. drug interdiction efforts is fentanyl. But Venezuela neither makes nor exports fentanyl. Fentanyl comes nearly entirely from Mexico, where it is manufactured from precursors procured from China.

 READ MORE: Killing of suspected traffickers at sea was already abhorrent. Hegseth may have made it a war crime. | Editorial

Venezuela is a pass-through country for cocaine exports by criminals  not major cartels. But cocaine is mainly manufactured in Colombia and reaches the U.S. primarily via the Pacific Ocean. Only about 8% of the cocaine that enters our country comes via the Caribbean; the U.S. Coast Guard had been doing a fine job interdicting small boats and arresting smugglers before Trumps current war.

Yet the most obvious reason Trumps drug war is phony is his pardon last week of the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted in 2024 in a U.S. court of conspiring to import more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. (His brother was convicted in 2019 of helping import another 200 tons of cocaine.)

Trump claimed Hernandez received an unfair shake under President Joe Biden because he was the president of the country, making clear he saw the Honduran as a fellow victim of the Democratic administration. Yet, it was Trumps own former criminal defense lawyer, Emil Bove III, who, as a top U.S. Department of Justice official, pursued the conviction of Hernandez and his Honduran drug ring, for which the trafficker received a sentence of 45 years.

If there was any belief in Venezuela that [Trump] was threatening Venezuela on account of drugs, the pardon of Hernandez makes clear that is not true, I was told by Venezuelan-born Carolina Jimenez Sandoval, president of the human rights think tank WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America), and also a distinguished fellow at the University of Pennsylvanias Perry World House, a global affairs center.

WOLA opposes the U.S. killings of more than 80 mostly Venezuelan civilians without any judicial process, as well as the current, cruel U.S. treatment of Venezuelan refugees.

Jimenez Sandoval, who left Caracas in 2010 but still visits, is eager to see the end of the repressive regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who refused to recognize a massive electoral victory by the Venezuelan opposition in 2024.

She hopes Maduro can be convinced to leave office through negotiations. So far, Trump has had no luck.

However, the Venezuelan activist is deeply worried that Trump may oust Maduro by force, which she fears would only lead to more disaster in Venezuela and the region. Our concern is it would set a terrible example for the rest of Latin America, she says.

Moreover, although Venezuelan opposition groups claim they are ready to take over, Jimenez Sandoval points out that Venezuela is a complex country, whose institutions have been greatly weakened under Maduro. And many armed groups are operating in the country.

There is no guarantee Maduros large army would melt away. Moreover, sizeable numbers of paramilitary groups, known as colectivos, as well as Colombian guerrilla fighters. are present in Venezuela. They have a strong interest in protecting their corrupt control of natural resources. As Jimenez Sandoval put it, There are too many questions about the day after.

 READ MORE: Were executing people with impunity. Why are so many of us OK with this? | Luis F. Carrasco

I cant help recalling how certain George W. Bush was that the exiled Iraqi opposition would quickly take over the running of Iraq once Saddam Hussein was ousted. Instead, the returning exiles, along with U.S. troops, got mired in an Iraqi civil war between competing factions.

Despite the societal differences between Iraq and Venezuela, Trump should mind the famous Pottery Barn rule former Secretary of State Colin Powell derived from Americas disastrous involvement in Iraq: If you break it, you own it.

GOP leaders  angry at being stiffed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and at his careless handling of critical information  should stand tough and demand the details on this fake war he is refusing to provide.

Most importantly, Democrats and Republicans alike should warn Trump that they will oppose efforts to expand a war on Venezuela that has no legal or congressional justification and is based on the threat of a fictional drug war with Caracas.

Trump has huge leverage to exert on Maduro beyond a dangerous game of military chicken. The Venezuelan leader is unpopular in Latin America, and the U.S. should be allying with Venezuelas neighbors in pushing Maduro toward recognition of the 2024 election results and exile.

GOP members will be severely punished at the polls if they let Trump blunder into an illegal military regime change based on ignorance of Venezuela and a tangle of lies about drugs.
As a Cork native long-term located elsewhere, a constant feature of trips back to Ireland over the decades has always been popping into the Quay Co-Op for a sit down in that high-ceiling space overlooking the river. A place to exhale.

And then I saw a headline that it was closing down. My heart sank. Was it about to be turned into luxury apartments? A steakhouse? A carpark?

I read on. Nothing of the kind, thankfully. No, it is being handed from the vegetarians to the vegans, passed from the mighty Arthur Leahy to vegan chef Virginia OGara and her husband Donal. It will remain in safe hands.

I was in third year at school when I first came upon the Quay Co-Op. It was 1984, the year Ronald Reagan was visiting Ballyporeen. Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was organising a protest, because back then, pre-Gorbachev, we were far more worried about nuclear catastrophe than anything else.

It was the year Frankie Goes To Hollywood released Two Tribes, and two years after the release of Where The Wind Blows, Raymond Briggs gently coloured storybook about nuclear apocalypse. We were talking about things like fallout shelters.

Climate catastrophe was still just a hole in the o-zone, something we didnt start hearing about until 1985, when we began talking about aerosols. Innocent times.

I remember the first time going up the stairs of the Quay Co-Op, and seeing all these radical flyers on the walls: Gay rights, womens rights.

I didnt know Cork had any gay people, or that women had any rights. In the end, I never went on that coach to Ballyporeen  as a teen, I had little autonomy but Id like to personally thank the ghost of Ronald Reagan for introducing me to the Quay Co-Op and all it stood for. And still stands for.

Not long after Reagans visit, I was in the market, and the sight of a man in a blood-stained white coat bent over carrying half a bisected cow on his back  like some Damien Hirst horror show  started me joining the dots between meat and murder.

The Quay Co-Op became a go-to place, where Id queue up at the counter for stodgy bakes and brown rice and Textured Vegetable Protein-based dishes.

TVP was a sort of flavourless gravel-like substance you had to soak in water to make it edible, Quorn and Linda McCartney had not yet come to the rescue.

Back then being vegetarian was hard work, and being vegan was unthinkable. Living in Barcelona in the 1990s, there were three small vegetarian restaurants that served a city of 3m.

One of them had a no salt, no spices, no wine-list policy  they wanted you to suffer. It was all about personal health, rather than ethics. It lacked joy. It lacked fun. It lacked yum.

Fast-forward 40 years, and you cant get a table at Londons Michelin-starred vegan restaurant Plates until at least next March; in Soho, you have Michelin-starred French chef Alexis Gauthier offering vegan haute cuisine.

Michelin-starred and vegan have never, until now, been found in the same sentence. And yet here we are. Vegan has come a long way from brown rice and TVP.

Bravo then to the next iteration of the Quay Co-Op, the baton passed from the visionary, pioneering Mr Leahy to the next generation. True progress.

I cant wait for my next visit.
Jason OGorman

Jason OGorman is an artist, illustrator and designer from Cork.

He is best known for his Badly Drawn illustrations, which capture local landmarks, pubs and shops in a deliberately naive style that celebrates their charm and imperfection.

OGorman also produces original paintings, and a range of prints whose subject matter is mostly drawn from his native city.

Prices from 20 for Corkmas cards, 25 for the Jog Calendar 2026, 30-580 for giclee prints, and up to 750 for original paintings.

CorkiDoodledo

Jill Cotter lives, by her own account, on top of a hill between Monkstown and Passage West.

A graduate of Cork College of Art & Design, she markets her illustrations of buildings and streetscapes as CorklDoodledo.

Subjects include chip shops, pubs, hotels, and doors and windows in Cork city, Cobh and Kinsale.

Prices from 25 for giclee prints.

Tom Campbell

A piece by Tom Campbell.

Tom Campbell is a Scottish born artist long settled in Cork.

A stalwart of Outlaw Studios, he is best known for his papier-mache dogs, bronze sculptures, and surrealistic paintings and drawings.

He has organised a series of Dog Projects, in Ireland and Britain, working with volunteers to produce 100 life-sized papier-mache dogs at each.

He also works as a comic and circus performer, and as a musician.

Prices from 120  400 for original paintings.

Noelle Ferris

An image by Noelle Ferris

Noelle Ferris is originally from Co Down, but now lives in Ballincollig.

A self-taught artist, she began using felting kits and wool to make gifts for family and friends, but soon expanded into selling work online.

She now produces a range of arts and crafts, mostly inspired by the landscape, each meticulously crafted by hand from wool and other fibres.

Prices from 12 for Christmas card packs and 16 for felted soap to 80 for giclee prints and 850-1,300 for original felt paintings.

Carmel Creaner

Napkins by Carmel Creaner.

Based in Cobh, Co Cork, Carmel Creaner is a textile artist whose best-known commission was the scarf she designed for the late Queen Elizabeth II to mark her visit to Cork in 2011.

Creaner exhibits regularly with Cork Textile Network, including at the current Face the Music Christmas exhibition at Cork School of Music.

Her handmade tableware range is available through her website.

Prices range from 25 for linen handkerchefs and towels to 380 for a set of napkins in a handcrafted Irish oak box.

Siobhan Steele

An example of Siobhain Steele's ceramic vases.

Siobhan Steele is based in Kildinan, Co Cork.

Her handmade ceramics, in stoneware and porcelain, are inspired by her interest in literature and nature.

Each piece takes a minimum of two weeks to create, from forming and fettling through to decorating and glazing.

Prices from 25 for ceramic hearts and 50 for Message on a Bottle containers featuring Seamus Heaney and Maya Angelou quotations to 160 for unique vases.

Suzanne OSullivan

Based at Coolagowen, outside Fermoy, Suzanne OSullivan is a member of the Blackwater Valley Makers, a collective of artists, craftspeople and designers.

A graduate of the Crawford College of Art & Design, she has completed specialist crafts courses in Turkey, Thailand and Australia, and produces vibrant handmade glass jewellery, bowls and sculptures.

Sun catchers from 35, glass pendants on sterling silver from 50, bowls from 140, unique sculptural pieces from 250 - 2,500.

Also gift vouchers and commissions.

Neil Hodges

Fluke Chair, made from elm by Neil Hodges.

Neil Hodges studied Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking at ATU Letterfrack, Co Galway, before completing a year-long work experience residency in New Zealand.

Now back in Allihies, Beara, where he grew up, he designs and produces handmade chairs, tables, cabinets and kitchens, working in a range of wood that includes elm, walnut and yew.

Prices from 100 for chopping boards, fluke chairs from 1,000 and tables from 1,500.

Norman McCloskey

Norman McCloskey at his gallery in Kenmare.

Norman McCloskey studied photography at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, graduating in 1995, and is now based in Kenmare, Co Kerry.

He specialises in landscape studies, particularly along the coast of West Cork and Kerry, and has had work published regularly in the Sunday Times, Tatler Magazine and National Geographic.

One of his ongoing projects is Na Bothainin, a series of photographs of the fishing huts of Connemara, many of which were built by the Berridge family on the Ballynahinch Castle Estate.

Prices from 85 for open edition prints and 180-590 for limited editions. Also Headlands and Kingdom books for 45.

Carol Cronin

Carol Cronin with one of her paintings.

Born in Co Wicklow, Carol Cronin spent a summer working on the Great Blasket Island in 2002, and chose to stay on in Kerry thereafter.

She now works at her studio/gallery in Dingle town, and specialises in seascapes in oils on canvas.

Her work has been shown in New York, Sicily, London and Dusseldork, and has featured on RTE and on the Discovery Channel.

Prices from 38 for Cronins Seascapes book and 195 for limited edition giclee prints. Original paintings by enquiry.
It is not only farmyard slurry that is being spread widely across the country these days. When it comes to the debate about our water quality and the retention of Irelands nitrates derogation, many politicians and farm leaders seem equally content to hose misinformation onto the field of public opinion with abandon.

Take MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu who insisted that water quality improvements are underway and that since 2019, we have seen a reduction in total nitrogen load in our rivers by a quarter.

Ni Mhurchu managed to cherrypick two data points from a 2024 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report which indeed showed the fall in nitrogen she described. However, had she compared the 2024 number to 2016 (which is the range shown on the chart in the report) it would have shown little change, which itself may not be a bad result, except that the latest issue of the report from 2025, shows that nitrate levels have jumped back up again and are 16% above 2024 levels.

The impression that water quality is improving and that farmers simply need more time for measures which have been adopted to take effect is widespread. However, this is not supported by any data. In their most recent national assessment of water quality, covering the 2019-2024 period, the EPA found that the percentage of water bodies in satisfactory ecological health was 52%, a decline from the previous assessment when 54% were satisfactory.

Despite some improvements, the report states, overall, there has been a net decline in our water quality adding that it is reasonable to state that the programme of measures is not yet working to protect or restore water quality on a national scale.

Ciaran Mullooly, another MEP, went on Newstalk radio to exhort listeners to deal with some of the facts, saying that Corks water quality, specifically in the catchment areas where intensive dairy farming is taking place, is rated as excellent by the EPA, and that water in the Munster Blackwater specifically was excellent.

The EPA does not have an excellent water category. Satisfactory status is either good or high. In the case of the Munster Blackwater, a glance at the latest assessment shows that the entirety of the estuary and the freshwater portion of the river nearly as far as Fermoy, is polluted: far from excellent. Only 11% of the river is high status, which would be excellent, while 58% is good, meaning nearly a third of the river is failing to meet required standards.

Mullooly might have had a point if he was trying to say that the problem in our waterways is not all down to derogation farms, which is true, but in giving the impression that the main deterioration is on the east coast, in areas where we have considerable pressure with wastewater he was egregiously misleading listeners.

It is another common trope that sewage from wastewater treatment plants is a bigger problem than agriculture. A comment by a farmer on social media last month that waste water treatment plants and septic tanks have a lot to answer for and that were making far more progress than wastewater treatment plants reflects commonly held beliefs.

According to the EPA there are more than 1,000 wastewater treatment plants across the country although, disgracefully, there are still 15 towns and villages in Ireland where raw sewage is released with no treatment at all while many are not meeting standards of effluent treatment. Nevertheless, the EPAs assessment of urban wastewater treatment for 2024, states that the volume of raw sewage discharged daily has more than halved since the start of 2024. The EPA has been critical of Uisce Eireann, which operates this infrastructure, for failing to prioritise needed works and much needs to be done by the utility to meet standards.

Yet, the scale of the difference between the impact of wastewater and agriculture is poorly appreciated. According to Irelands Water Action Plan from 2024, there are 1,659 water bodies at risk of not meeting water quality objectives. Agriculture is a significant pressure at 1,023 of these, nearly two thirds of the total, and up from 780 on the previous plan period. Wastewater is a pressure on only 197 (down from 293) and septic tanks 188 (up from 166).

A 2021 assessment of the 12 river catchments, all in the south and east of the country, where a reduction in nitrogen concentrations is needed, found that only one, the Tolka in Dublin, was wastewater the source of a significant proportion of the nitrogen.

Ireland has a lax approach to inspecting farms and enforcing rules but on RTE in November Pat OToole political correspondent for the Irish Farmers Journal, pointed out that farmers in derogation are subjected to a much higher level of scrutiny and that farmers have to adhere to these regulations its very strictly enforced. It is true that there are additional rules for farmers in derogation however there is no evidence that rules are strictly enforced.

In December of last year the EPA warned that farm inspection rates were far below what is needed to drive compliance and improve water quality. The National Agricultural Inspection Programme for 2024 found that although there had been an increase in the number of inspections compared to 2023, only nine local authorities met inspection targets, with a substantial 42 per cent of farms failing. These inspections are for the protection of water quality and include, but are not exclusive to, derogation farms.

Since 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, separately undertake inspections in at least 10% of derogation farms, meaning most derogation farms have never had this derogation-specific inspection.

The ignoring of facts, the sidelining of scientists and the breezy assertions, repeated ad nauseum, that Irish agriculture is sustainable are largely responsible for the mess Irish farming finds itself in. Honesty alone will not dig us out of the hole, but it would be a start.
An emergency meeting of the Oireachtas National Security Committee will be held this week to examine the sighting of drones near the flight path of Ukrainian president Voldomyr Zelenskyy when he visited Dublin last week.

Gardai are investigating reports that an Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of the Ukrainian president's plane last Monday.

Gardai confirmed in a statement that a Special Detective Unit was investigating the incident.

As part of this, the Special Detective Unit will be liaising with the Defence Forces and international security partners.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Taoiseach Micheal Martin TD at a press conference outside Government Buildings on Zelenskyy's visits to the Republic of Ireland, Dublin. Picture: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos

Emergency meeting

However, the chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security, Rose Conway Walsh, said that she would call the Department of Defence to an emergency meeting this week to answer questions on the incident.

Ms Conway Walsh said the committee has already expressed dissatisfaction at the limitations of its remit.

"We're already having a battle about the remit of the committee but if there was ever an example of why we need oversight, this is it.

"Will be calling an emergency meeting of the committee this week. The Department of Defence will have to come in.

"I'm taking this seriously and I would be surprised if others weren't. We have the EU Presidency next year and we are not getting the answers back to ensure us that things are in place."

Further education minister James Lawless said that Ireland does have the capability to protect foreign leaders when the country takes on the EU Presidency in July, but added that he does not foresee the use of external security assistance.

"We can understand this is a real and present danger to our national security and defending ourselves is actually nothing to do with neutrality. Any neutral country must be able to defend itself properly," he said.

Mr Lawless said that Russian aggression was a "very real and present threat".

"And I think it's welcome that the wider public is beginning to get to this position (to have debate on security). Because for a long time it wasn't quite been taken seriously."

Senator Gerard Craughwell said the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security is "not being taken seriously". Picture: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

'Not being taken seriously'

Committee member senator Gerard Craughwell said that the committee is "not being taken seriously".

"Already the request to those responsible for state security to appear before the committee has been flatly rejected. The Taoiseach thinks so much of our worth that he has refused to appear also.

"Now that Ireland has suffered the embarrassment of the four drones in our airspace at a time of the state's greatest security challenge this year no comment has been sought from the committee or any member that I am aware of.

"We see in the media questions with respect to collaboration between garda and Defence Forces. Some journalists asking why the Naval Service did not shoot down the drones. Is this serious comment? Were the Naval Service expected to open fire with 7.62 ammunition where civilian aircraft were flying? What is the legislative position with respect to ground to air engagement? Are there rules of engagement agreed? I do not believe that any such are in place.

"Next year we take over the presidency of the EU, are we ready? Can we guarantee the security of visiting heads of state? I very much doubt it."
KOH KONG, Cambodia, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- A team of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) experts in Cambodia on Saturday provided free consultations and treatment to workers and local people here in southwestern Cambodia.

Held at the Cambodian Tatay Hydropower Limited in Thma Bang district, the one-day event allowed patients to experience the charm of TCM culture firsthand.

At the event, nearly 200 hydropower plant workers and residents received health consultations and treatment.

Koy Sareth, a 57-year-old Cambodian patient who had diabetes, hypertension, indigestion, and body aches for years, said she felt better after receiving acupuncture.

"I'm elated that the Chinese doctors have come to give us free treatment," she told Xinhua. "I feel less indigestion and less waist pain."

"For me, this treatment is really effective," Sareth said.

TCM is known for helping heal issues such as osteoporosis, insomnia, infertility, pain, chronic cough, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease. It consists of therapies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and Tuina remedial massage.

Suos Sareth, a 64-year-old Cambodian patient, said he has had high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis for nearly two years.

"I hope I could recover from my illnesses, and this was the first time I experienced acupuncture," he told Xinhua. "I trust this treatment, which is very good for other people and me."

"I would like to thank the Tatay Hydropower company for inviting good doctors to provide treatment to patients here," he added. 
A Cork man who pleaded guilty to public intoxication following a domestic incident has turned his life around and is no longer drinking or taking drugs, the district court was told.

Kevin Dinan, aged 43, of Fairways, Baltimore Road, Skibbereen, Co Cork, represented himself and pleaded guilty to a single count of intoxication in a public place contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said gardai were called to a disturbance at Pairc Goodman, Gortnaclohy, Skibbereen, on October 29, 2025. A domestic disturbance was reported and when they arrived Kevin Dinan was on the public road outside the house in an intoxicated state.

The court was told Dinan had 16 previous convictions for a variety of offences, including public order.

Dinan said he was living at the address in Gortnaclohy at the time and was trying to get some clothes. He admitted he was intoxicated but said he was not making noise and had been in addiction treatment for most of the previous year.

Dinan said he was working full-time in a factory as a supervisor and had moved address. He told the court he was now off everything.

When asked by Judge Joanne Carroll if there would be a repeat of the behaviour, Dinan replied: No Judge. Im very ashamed of myself.

Judge Carroll said Dinan appeared to be addressing his issues and had changed his life for the better. She said he could avoid a conviction and 325 fine if he made a 200 contribution to the court poor box. The matter was adjourned to January 27, 2026 for finalisation.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Irish Rail bosses are looking at securing additional rolling stock to meet increasing demand at peak times for commuter passengers in Midleton.

They issued the response following complaints from local councillors that a shortage of carriages at peak times on the Cork-Midleton route means passengers are crammed in almost like the Tokyo underground and some are unable to board trains as there is no room.

Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme (CACRP) delivery manager AJ Cronin has written to councillors in the East Cork Municipal District and has promised to meet them for discussions on the matter next month.

Mr Cronin acknowledged that at present the service is at capacity.

He said "in the short-term, we are exploring the possibility of securing additional fleet to meet this higher demand at peak travel periods as new fleet enters service across the network and allows a cascade of existing fleet to Cork".

In addition, while he said he is aware of the parking issues at the Midleton station, Irish Rail has no plans to extend the car park.

While there are currently no plans to expand parking at this station, additional parking is included in the designs for new stations across the Cork network. The proposed strategic park and ride stations at Dunkettle and Blarney will each provide between 400 and 600 spaces, Mr Cronin added.

Social Democrats councillor Eamonn Horgan said while he welcomed the response, some aspects of it were vague.

Commuters are packed into carriages now and there needs to be some mitigation to the situation in the present tense.

"We can't wait for a trickle-down effect from other locations to free up space on the network while towns and villages across East Cork expand at a phenomenal rate, Mr Horgan said.

He said traffic on the N25 is only getting worse and commuters are crying out for effective public transport, the train being the best option for many.

So many are turned off from using the train as theyve nowhere to leave the car during a day of work in the city or Little Island, Mr Horgan said.

Fine Gael councillor Rory Cocking said lack of available standing room on the two-carriage service has been experienced as early as 7.15am midweek.

I acknowledge Irish Rail is exploring the possibility of securing additional carriages in an effort to manage demand.

"But its dependent on new fleet entering service as part of the wider improvements under CACRP which continues apace.

"Capacity and frequency issues on the line are to be addressed under this programme but we welcome upcoming discussions with Irish Rail to see what measures, if any, could possibly be implemented in the interim, he said.
The HSE is set to scupper plans to build a new 50-bed mental health residential facility at St Stephens Hospital in Glanmire  a move that is being welcomed by local mental health advocates.

The health service had spent more than two years planning for the facility, which was projected to cost some 64m.

However, at a recent briefing for elected representatives in Ballincollig, the HSE confirmed that the project is now officially under review. It is understood the HSE is no longer pursuing the project, and will instead prioritise the development of acute mental health services at the site.

The planned 50-bed unit had been criticised by some mental health advocates locally given its remote location. It had appeared at odds with the HSEs stated preference that long-term acute residential patients be facilitated within their own communities.

A HSE spokesperson said it is currently exploring options for a multi-purpose development on the St Stephens Hospital site in Glanmire to better meet the needs of the region. A dedicated review team is evaluating alternatives for this site.

The spokesperson said that in doing so, the HSE was reflecting its commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which mandates that people with disabilities should have the right to live independently in their own community.

St Stephens Hospital is situated about 11km north of Cork City.

Social Democrats TD for East Cork Liam Quaide, a prominent advocate for mental health and psychiatric services in the county, had recently written to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, querying the suitability of St Stephens for a purely residential facility.

He noted that the proposed location was entirely at odds with the progressive trend that has been core to every national mental health policy seen over the past 40 years.

In response, the commission said it had been calling on the State to prioritise community living for those in institutional settings.

Its chief commissioner Liam Herrick said it would be its expectation that any plans to establish a new health facility (at St Stephens) would be subject to an Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment, in consultation with affected rights holders.

Mr Quaide said he was pleased that the HSE now looked to be abandoning its plans.

I very much welcome news that the HSE in the south-west are moving away from a proposal to centralise long-term residential mental health service provision on the grounds of St Stephen's Hospital, Mr Quaide said.

It is vital that alternative community-integrated settings be sourced, and that there is not a reflex move to transfer people prematurely to nursing homes," he said.
Russia has welcomed the US governments new national security strategy in comments by the Kremlin spokesman published by the countrys Tass news agency.

Dmitry Peskov said the updated strategic document was largely in line with Moscows vision.

There are statements there against confrontation and in favour of dialogue and building good relations, he said, adding that Russia hopes this would lead to further constructive co-operation with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement.

The document released on Friday by the White House said the US wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core US interest to re-establish strategic stability with Russia.

The spokesmans comments came as Russian missile, drone and shelling attacks overnight and on Sunday killed at least four people in Ukraine, after US and Ukrainian officials wrapped up a third day of talks aimed at ending the war.

Rescue workers put out a fire of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, last month (AP/Andrii Marienko)

A man was killed in a drone attack on Ukraines northern Chernihiv region on Saturday night, local officials said, while a combined missile and drone attack on infrastructure in the central city of Kremenchuk caused power and water outages. Kremenchuk is home to one of Ukraines biggest oil refineries and is an industrial hub.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call weaponising the cold.

Three people were killed and 10 others injured on Sunday in shelling by Russian troops in Ukraines Kharkiv region, according to the regional prosecutors office.

The latest round of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday he had a substantive phone call with American officials engaged in talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. He said he had been given an update over the phone by US and Ukrainian officials at the talks.

Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace, Mr Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

Speaking on Saturday at the Reagan National Defence Forum, US President Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said efforts to end the war were in the last 10 metres.

The United States outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said the Donbas region remains an outstanding issue in the peace talks (Ukrainian Defense Forces via AP)

He said a deal depended on the two outstanding issues of terrain, primarily the Donbas, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia controls most of Donbas, its name for Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which, along with two southern regions, it illegally annexed three years ago. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is in an area that has been under Russian control since early in Moscows invasion of Ukraine and is not in service. It needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

Mr Kellogg, who is due to leave his post in January, was not present at the talks in Florida.

Separately, officials said the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany would participate in a meeting with Mr Zelenskyy in London on Monday.
12/07/2025

Jacksonville State University and Gadsden State Community College have strengthened their long-standing partnership by signing a new agreement designed to help more Gadsden State graduates continue their education at Jax State. The signing took place in the Executive Conference Room in Angle Hall, where Jax State President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr., and Gadsden State President Alan Smith formalized the updated memorandum of understanding.

The agreement supports the Alabama Commission on Higher Educations (ACHE) Pathways to Progress Initiative, a statewide effort aimed at increasing the number of associate degree holders who go on to earn bachelors degrees. Through the partnership, qualified Gadsden State graduates will receive guidance on transfer admissions, financial support available through the initiative, and the next steps needed to pursue a four-year degree at Jax State.

President Killingsworth said the partnership reflects the two institutions shared responsibility to provide students with clear, attainable educational pathways. Were excited about this opportunity to help more students move forward, he said. Gadsden State has been a trusted partner for many years, and this agreement adds another meaningful component to the relationship weve built together. ACHE has invested in this work because the state needs more graduates with four-year degrees, and were proud to be selected as part of that effort.

President Smith said he supported the initiative as soon as it reached his desk, noting that many students begin their academic journey at Gadsden State before advancing toward a bachelors degree. I was glad to sign this document, he said. Our institutions are stronger when were working together, and hopefully this is going to help us do that and give our students a clear pathway to continue their education. Im intrigued by how this opportunity could benefit our students and have a positive economic impact on the communities we serve.

Under the agreement, qualified Gadsden State graduates will receive personalized communication from Jax State about transfer options, financial assistance available through Pathways to Progress, and guidance to support a smooth transition to a four-year program. Gadsden State will inform recent graduates of their eligibility and the opportunities available to them under the program.

The agreement will renew annually and reflects a shared commitment to expand opportunity, support student success, and strengthen the regions educational pipeline. Funding for Pathways to Progress is limited, so those interested in learning more about the statewide initiative can visit www.jsu.edu/academicaffairs/p2p/ad.html.
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  The European Broadcasting Union declined o have a vote on whether Israel should be allowed to participate in next years Eurovision singing contest. Several European countries had argued that the countrys genocidal behavior in Gaza was grounds for excluding it from the competition. Russia used to participate in Eurovision, as well, but was expelled after it invaded Ukraine.

In response, Ireland has pulled out of Eurovision and its state media service, Raidio Teilifis Eireann (RTE) will not broadcast the contest.

The broadcaster said in a statement, RTE remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory.

Israel refuses to allow journalists into Gaza and so the Israeli total war has never been fully reported on in Europe and the United States, on the specious grounds that the stringers in Gaza who reported for Al Jazeera and TRT World were unreliable. Hundreds of those stringers have been killed by Israeli strikes, in some instances apparently deliberately.

The Israelis have killed at least 70,000 people in Gaza, and probably many more  and the bulk of them were children, women and noncombatant men.

Please help. Other news outlets wont report this story with these details and avoiding on the one hand on the other hand equivocation.

Or by check:

Juan Cole

P. O. Box 4218,

Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548

USA

(Remember, make the checks out to Juan Cole or they cant be cashed)

Slovenia, Spain, and the Netherlands also announced that they would boycott the competition.

Britain and its BBC, and Germany and SWR said that they accepted the EBUs decision and would broadcast the event.

Eurovision Song Contest:  All 37 Songs of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025  | #Eurovision2025

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The Irish Times reports that the spokesperson for Irelands leftist Sinn Fein Party, Joanne Byrne, said that RTEs decision to boycott is correct and prinicipled, given the ongoing genocide by Israel in Gaza: I commend RTE for taking such a brave and principled stance. She said she was appalled that the EBU did not allow a vote on Israels participation.

Never miss an issue of Informed Comment: Click here to subscribe to our email newsletter! Social media will pretend to let you subscribe but then use algorithms to suppress the postings and show you their ads instead. And please, if you see an essay you like, paste it into an email and share with friends.

Spains RTVE had pledged in September that it would not carry the Eurovision competition if Israel were allowed to participate.

Holocaust guilt drove the EBU decision. Germany led a charge against Israels expulsion, and Austria, the site of next years competition, threatened to withdraw as host if Israel were not allowed to participate.

Spain is counted among the Big Five countries that donate the most money to Eurovision for its production. It had participated in every Eurovision contest back to 1961.

The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros also announced that it would not take part.

The chairman of Avrotros, Taco Zimmerman, issued this statement: This has not been an easy decision, nor one taken lightly. The Eurovision Song Contest is of great importance to us. Culture unites, but not at any price. What has happened over the past year has tested the limits of what we can uphold. Universal values such as humanity and press freedom have been seriously compromised, and for us, these values are non-negotiable. As a public broadcaster, we have a responsibility to remain true to our core values, even when that is difficult or sensitive.

Although Belgium has not yet announced a boycott, it had joined the others in asking for Israel to be expelled by the EBU.
Existing plans to triple renewable energy, double efficiency, and slash methane  coupled with real regulations like the EUs  offer a way forward.

( Foreign Policy in Focus )  It appeared to be a grim deja vu when the final gavel dropped in Belem, Brazil and the COP30 text once again avoided naming fossil fuels.

But this apparent diplomatic failure obscured something more consequential: after hours of fraught, last-minute negotiations, countries reaffirmed the United Arab Emirates consensus from COP28  the only UN agreement to date to reference a fossil-fuel phaseout. And the pathway it implies is already taking shape. In April, Colombia and the Netherlands will convene governments in Santa Marta, Colombia for the first global summit dedicated explicitly to the transition away from fossil fuels.

Tripling Renewable Energy, Doubling Efficiency, and Cutting Methane

At COP28 in Dubai, governments committed to tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. Combined with deep cuts to fossil methane, these pledges form a powerful trio. According to the Climate Action Tracker, fully implementing them would reduce projected warming by about 0.9C this century, from 2.6C to 1.7C  enough to determine whether Paris Agreement targets remains within reach. If delivered, they would do more to collapse fossil-fuel demand than any language missing from the COP30 outcome text.

The energy system is already shifting. In the last two years, China has driven an unprecedented solar surge  adding more capacity in 2024 alone than the rest of the world combined, now hosting roughly half of global installed solar power, and exporting ultra-cheap panels that are flooding markets globally. As solar prices plunge, renewables are undercutting coal and gas markets globally. Doubling energy efficiency, if it can be achieved, cuts demand at a scale equivalent to adding vast new clean-power capacity, but without the economic and environmental burden of new plants.

Deep cuts to fossil methane  the primary component of gas, and a climate pollutant roughly 80 times more powerful than CO over 20 years  require producers to eliminate leakage, venting, and routine flaring. These measures raise compliance costs, increase saleable gas, and make new fossil expansion harder to justify. Taken together, these commitments amount to a key part of the de facto fossil-fuel phaseout pathway.

But voluntary pledges alone wont get us there. The Global Methane Status Report 2025 finds that despite over 150 countries endorsing the Global Methane Pledge, methane emissions continue to rise.

And even when we look beyond voluntary pledges to the domestic laws, regulations, and policy measures that represent a plan of action  as reflected in countries Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Methane Action Plans  the gap remains enormous. Fully implementing all NDCs would cut global methane emissions by only about 8 percent below 2020 levels by 2030. That is far short of the 30 percent Global Methane Pledge goal and well below the 45 percent cut UNEP associates with keeping 1.5C within reach.

The EU Leads the Way on Methane Regulation

The missing ingredient is enforcement  and the most important development on that front is not the Global Methane Pledge but the EU Methane Regulation.

Adopted in 2024, the EU rules apply not only to methane emitted within Europe but also to imported fossil fuels. Because the EU is the worlds largest importer of oil and gas  and its suppliers account for roughly 30 percent of global oil and gas methane emissions  these rules may do more to cut global methane than any voluntary pledge ever could. For the first time, countries exporting gas and oil to Europe must meet strict leak-detection, monitoring, and venting and flaring requirements. Non-compliant fuels can effectively be shut out of the EU market.

This is regulatory gravity: when the worlds largest buyer sets a standard, producers must adapt or lose access.

Some already have. Companies like ConocoPhillips have set near-zero methane-intensity targets by 2030 and earned top-tier marks for emissions reporting  clear signals that they intend to compete under strict import regimes. Meanwhile, fossil-fuel trade groups are lobbying aggressively to weaken the EU rules, arguing they threaten U.S. LNG exports. Investors disagree: in October, asset managers representing over 4.5 trillion urged the EU not to dilute nor delay its methane law, highlighting methane as a material financial risk.

The deeper truth is that the EU methane rules are already going beyond the Global Methane Pledge and achieving reductions in fossil-methane emissions across borders, backed by market access and legal penalties rather than voluntary promises.

Science points in the same direction. The International Energy Agency concludes that methane from fossil-fuel operations could be cut by around 75 percent by 2030 using technologies available today. Combined with renewable and efficiency pledges, these reductions undermine the economic case for expanding fossil-fuel production. New LNG terminals, oil fields, and long-lived gas infrastructure would rapidly become uneconomic  stranded assets in the making.

Pledges Are Not a Plan

Methane is responsible for roughly a third to a half of todays warming, and because it is short-lived, rapid reductions can deliver measurable cooling within a decade. Without binding limits on fossil methane, the world cannot meet its climate goals, no matter how fast renewable energy grows.

This is the real lesson of COP30: pledges are not a plan. Tripling renewables, doubling efficiency, and slashing methane can transform global energy systems  but only if they are backed by binding rules, border measures, and enforcement. The EU methane regulations represent the first serious attempt at such enforcement.

The next opportunity to broaden that effort will not come at COP31, but in April 2026, when Colombia and the Netherlands co-host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta.



Photo of solar power plant in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China, by   on Unsplash

It will be the first global summit to center the production side of the climate crisis. And it exists because grassroots movements made it unavoidable: years of pressure from youth organizers, Indigenous land defenders, and frontline communities pushed governments and companies toward positions once dismissed as radical  including todays mainstream demand for a fair, full fossil fuel phaseout. Santa Marta is happening not as a symbolic gesture, but because people insisted on real action.

If COP30 could not bring itself to state that fossil fuels must be phased out, Santa Marta can. And it can ground that commitment in the tools governments have already endorsed: accelerated renewables, deep efficiency gains, and enforceable methane standards  led, in practice, by the EU.

For the United States, the moment is defining. Federal methane rules are being dismantled. But U.S. states need not wait. Colorado, New Mexico, and California already have some of the strongest methane rules in the world. By aligning with Europes approach  and sending governors or senior officials to Santa Marta  they can help build a transatlantic coalition for binding methane limits and an orderly fossil-fuel phase-down.

The path from COP30 requires fewer pledges and more enforceable governance. Countries already know what must be done. The task now is to turn an implicit roadmap into a binding framework capable of delivering the cuts that matter most  starting with methane in the oil and gas sector.
By Melinda Haas, University of Pittsburgh

(The Conversation)  A largely overlooked directive issued by the Trump administration marks a major shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy, one that threatens bedrock free speech rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-7, issued on Sept. 25, 2025, is a presidential directive that for the first time appears to authorize preemptive law enforcement measures against Americans based not on whether they are planning to commit violence but for their political or ideological beliefs.

Youve probably heard a lot about President Donald Trumps many executive orders. But as an international relations scholar who has studied U.S. foreign policy decision-making and national security legislation, I recognize that presidents can take several types of executive actions without legislative involvement: executive orders, memoranda and proclamations.

This structure allows the president to direct law enforcement and national security agencies, with little opportunity for congressional oversight.

This seventh national security memorandum from the Trump White House pushes the limits of presidential authority by targeting individuals and groups as potential domestic terrorists based on their beliefs rather than their actions.

The memorandum represents a profound shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy, one that risks undermining foundational American commitments to free speech and association.

Presidential national security powers

Executive memoranda instruct government officials and agencies by delegating tasks and directing agency actions.

They can, for example, order a department to prepare reports, implement new policies, coordinate interagency efforts or review existing programs to align with the administrations priorities.

Unlike executive orders, they are not required to be published. When these memoranda, like NSPM-7, relate to national security and military and foreign policy, they are called national security directives, although the specific name of these directives changes with each administration.

Many of these directives are classified. They may not be declassified, if at all, until years or decades after the end of the administration that issued them.

The stated purpose of NSPM-7 is to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence, focusing mainly on perceived threats from the political left. The memorandum identifies anti-Christian, anti-capitalism or anti-American views as potential indicators that a group or person will commit domestic terrorism.

The memorandum claims that political violence originates with anti-fascist groups that hold the following views: support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.

The strategy laid out in NSPM-7 includes preemptive measures to disrupt groups before they engage in violent political acts. For example, multiagency task forces are empowered to investigate potential federal crimes related to radicalization, as well as the funders of those potential crimes.

Domestic terrorist organizations

The memorandum directs the Department of Justice to focus the resources of the FBIs approximately 200 Joint Terrorism Task Forces on investigating acts of recruiting or radicalizing persons for the purpose of political violence, terrorism, or conspiracy against rights; and the violent deprivation of any citizens rights.

NSPM-7 also allows the attorney general to propose groups for designation as domestic terrorist organizations. That includes groups that engage in the following behaviors: organized doxing campaigns, swatting, rioting, looting, trespass, assault, destruction of property, threats of violence, and civil disorder.

Existing laws allow the secretary of state to designate groups as foreign terrorist organizations that are then subject to financial sanctions.

But these laws do not permit the president to label domestic groups this way.

Defining terrorism

NSPM-7 marks a major conceptual shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy. Its focus on domestic terrorism significantly departs from historical approaches that primarily targeted foreign threats.

Earlier presidential directives largely defined terrorism as a foreign threat to be countered through military power, diplomacy and international cooperation.

Since Ronald Reagans presidency, the U.S. government had treated terrorism as a global menace to democratic institutions, emphasizing protection of citizens and allies abroad. By moving away from a traditional law enforcement framework and recasting terrorism as an act of war, the Reagan administration situated the issue within the broader realm of Cold War geopolitics and military advantage.

In the 1990s, the Clinton administration reframed terrorism as both a foreign policy and domestic security challenge, particularly after high-profile attacks such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Clintons policy highlighted the dangers of transnational networks and the need to defend critical infrastructure.

After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration fused counterterrorism with national defense. The Bush-initiated global war on terrorism expanded the concept of who constituted a threat to include countries that harbored or aided terrorist organizations.

The Obama administration tried to narrow and regulate those powers by embedding counterterrorism within a system of legal rules and procedures. The key question, according to the declassified guidance, was whether the targeted individuals pose a continuing, imminent threat to U.S. persons.

This standard was not focused on ideology but rather on tactical considerations, such as the feasibility of capture and continued threat to U.S. interests.

For example, the lethal drone strike on al-Qaida propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in 2011 was justified on the basis that he was actively involved in plotting attacks and remained unreachable for capture.

During the first Trump presidency, executive orders were used to change counterterrorism policy, most notably through several iterations of a travel ban that attempted to restrict immigration from terror-prone countries such as Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

The Biden administration redirected attention toward preventing catastrophic threats, especially from weapons of mass destruction in the hands of groups or individuals outside of governments, such as terrorist organizations.

First Amendment rights at risk

There is no single official definition of terrorism in U.S. law.

Instead, laws use different definitions based on their purpose, whether criminal law or laws relating to intelligence collection or civil liability.

Definitions in all those areas typically focus on identifying violent or dangerous acts done with the intent to intimidate or coerce civilians or influence government policy.

But more than redefining terrorism, NSPM-7 reorients the machinery of national security toward the policing of belief.

The First Amendment generally prevents the government from punishing people for unpopular opinions. It also protects the ability for people to associate to advance public and private ideas in pursuit of political, economic, religious or cultural goals.

The directives emphasis on ideological orientations  anti-Christianity, anti-capitalism and anti-American views  as indicators of domestic terrorism potentially jeopardizes First Amendment rights.

Thirty-one members of Congress sent a letter to Trump expressing serious concerns about NSPM-7, warning that it poses serious constitutional, statutory and civil liberties risks, especially if used to target political dissent, protest or ideological speech.

As the ACLU warns, any definition of terrorism that includes ideological components risks criminalizing people or groups based on belief rather than based on violence or other criminal conduct.

Congress has declined to create a domestic complement to the foreign terrorist designation in large part because of the potential for impinging on First Amendmentprotected association and speech.

But I fear that chilling speech may be the point.

Silencing dissent

NSPM-7 does not authorize new actions in the legal and institutional framework for counterterrorism. It does not criminalize previously legal conduct.

Rather, it states that the Trump administrations investigative focus will be around the identity and ideology of supposed perpetrators. Prioritizing investigations into this broad swath of ideologies serves to instill fear, silencing anti-fascist and other messages in opposition to the Trump administration.

Law professor Steve Vladeck frames this chill as obeying in advance, in which organizations self-censor rather than risk investigation, prosecution or defending against the domestic terrorist label.



Image by hoegl0 from Pixabay

Although left-wing violence has risen in the past decade, empirical evidence proves that this violence remains at very low absolute levels, well below historical levels of right-wing or jihadist violence.

In fact, most domestic terrorists in the U.S. are politically on the right, and right-wing attacks account for the vast majority of fatalities from domestic terrorism.

Yet NSPM-7 focuses disproportionately on left-wing ideologies. NSPM-7 departs from prior U.S. counterterrorism frameworks by prioritizing the suppression of ideologically motivated dissent, even in the absence of concrete evidence of violent intent.

Melinda Haas, Assistant Professor of International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Berlin's support for Israel during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem on Sunday before talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Merz flew into Israel the day before for his first trip to the country since traditionally solid ties between the two nations were shaken by the Gaza war.

During the visit to Yad Vashem, Merz said "Germany must stand up for the existence and security of Israel," after acknowledging his country's "enduring historical responsibility" for the mass extermination of Jews during the Second World War.

The German leader arrived on Saturday was met at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called Merz "a friend of Israel". He then met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem the same day.

"I consider it a great honour and a truly great distinction to be here and to reaffirm that standing by this country is and will remain the unchanging core principle of the Federal Republic of Germany's policy," Merz said.

Given the legacy of Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews, German leaders have long seen unflinching support for Israel as a bedrock of the country's foreign policy.

- 'No place for antisemitism' -

Merz held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II during a brief stopover there earlier on Saturday. Their discussions focused largely on the peace process in Israel and the Palestinian territories, he told reporters.

Merz called for more humanitarian aid to flow into the Gaza Strip and for Hamas fighters to lay down their weapons, adding that both Jordan and Germany remained committed to a negotiated two-state solution.

"There can be no place for terrorism and antisemitism in this shared future," Merz said.

Jordan's royal palace said in a statement that Abdullah had stressed "the need to commit to implementing all stages of the agreement to end the war and deliver humanitarian aid to all areas of the Strip".

The king also warned of "the danger of continued Israeli escalations in the West Bank", which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Hamas's lead negotiator and its Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said on Saturday that the group was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a future Palestinian government, provided that Israel's occupation had ended.

He also said Hamas would "accept the deployment of UN forces as a separation force" ensuring the ceasefire but rejected the idea of any international force with a mission to disarm the militant group.

- German criticism -

Israeli-German ties were shaken during the Gaza war, with Merz, who took power in May, repeatedly criticising Israel's relentless military campaign, which has killed more than 70,350 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.

The war was sparked by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

In August, he also moved to restrict German sales of weapons for use in Gaza.

Since a fragile US-backed ceasefire and hostage deal brought a halt to full-scale fighting, Germany has lifted those export restrictions.

Despite the ceasefire, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, as well as three Israeli soldiers.

"The actions of the Israeli army in Gaza have posed some dilemmas for us (and) we have responded to them," Merz said on Saturday.

But, he added: "Israel has the right to defend itself."

- Defence deals -

Although Merz's public criticism of Israel was unusual for a German leader, it was measured by international standards.

Nevertheless, German officials have said there are currently no plans to invite Netanyahu to Berlin.

The Israeli leader faces an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza from the International Criminal Court.

Earlier this year however, Merz vowed to invite the Israeli leader and told him he would not be arrested.

Nor have any tensions disrupted key military ties. Germany last week put into operation the first phase of the Israeli-made Arrow missile defence shield.

The $4.5-billion deal was reportedly the largest arms export agreement in Israeli history.

Before leaving Berlin, Merz spoke with Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas.

A spokesman said Merz underscored German support for a two-state solution but urged Abbas to push through "urgently necessary reforms" of the PA in order to play a "constructive role" in the postwar order.

burs-glp/raz/dcp
CARACAS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke by phone on Saturday about global geopolitics and the military deployment in the Caribbean.

During the phone conversation, the Turkish president "expressed deep concern over the threats recently facing Venezuela, particularly the military deployment and various actions intended to disrupt peace and security in the Caribbean," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement.

The two leaders exchanged views on global geopolitics and the latest international developments affecting stability and the future of humanity, said the statement.

Maduro said the maneuvers in the Caribbean constitute an "illegal, disproportionate, unnecessary and even extravagant" act of aggression, adding that Venezuela will continue working for peace.

On bilateral cooperation, Maduro said Venezuela is willing to move forward with Ankara to reach the goal of 3 billion U.S. dollars in trade.

According to the statement, the two sides also agreed on the importance of restoring direct air service between Caracas and Istanbul to facilitate travel for "thousands of tourists and investors."

In late November, Turkish Airlines suspended its operations to Venezuela following a warning issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which urged "extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean.

Maduro also invited Erdogan to visit Venezuela in 2026 for the fifth Joint Cooperation Commission meeting. 
Bangladeshi police began exhuming on Sunday a mass grave believed to contain around 114 unidentified victims of a mass uprising that toppled autocratic former prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year.

The UN-supported effort is being advised by Argentine forensic anthropologist Luis Fondebrider, who has led recovery and identification missions at mass graves worldwide for decades.

The bodies were buried at the Rayerbazar Graveyard in Dhaka by the volunteer group Anjuman Mufidul Islam, which said it handled 80 unclaimed bodies in July and another 34 in August 2024 -- all people reported to have been killed during weeks of deadly protests.

The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as Hasina attempted to cling to power -- deaths that formed part of her conviction last month for crimes against humanity.

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Md Sibgat Ullah said investigators believed the mass grave held roughly 114 bodies, but the exact number would only be known once exhumations were complete.

"We can only confirm once we dig the graves and exhume the bodies," Ullah told reporters.

- 'Searched for him' -

Among those hoping for answers is Mohammed Nabil, who is searching for the remains of his brother Sohel Rana, 28, who vanished in July 2024.

"We searched for him everywhere," Nabil told AFP.

He said his family first suspected Rana's death after seeing a Facebook video, then recognised his clothing -- a blue T-shirt and black trousers -- in a photograph taken by burial volunteers.

Exhumed bodies will be given post-mortem examinations and DNA testing. The process is expected to take several weeks to complete.

"It's been more than a year, so it won't be possible to extract DNA from the soft tissues," senior police officer Abu Taleb told AFP. "Working with bones would be more time-consuming."

Forensic experts from four Dhaka medical colleges are part of the team, with Fondebrider brought in to offer support as part of an agreement with the UN rights body the OHCHR.

"The process is complex and unique," Fondebrider told reporters. "We will guarantee that international standards will be followed."

Fondebrider previously headed the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, founded in 1984 to investigate the tens of thousands who disappeared during Argentina's former military dictatorship.

Authorities say the exhumed bodies will be reburied in accordance with religious rites and their families' wishes.

Hasina, convicted in absentia last month and sentenced to death, remains in self-imposed exile in India.
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Saturday, December 06, 2025 - Tensions within the Homa Bay County Government have escalated as Governor Gladys Wanga and her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, continue to differ publicly on political matters.

The two leaders, elected in 2022 on an ODM ticket, revealed their divisions during the recent Kasipul Constituency byelection.

Governor Wanga backed ODM candidate, Boyd Were, while Magwanga supported independent contender Philip Aroko.

Following ODMs victory, Wanga appeared to take aim at her deputy, warning that those dissatisfied with County leadership should resign.

It will not be business as usual; whoever doesnt feel like working can quit and be replaced, she said.

In response, Magwanga vowed to remain in office, daring his boss to pursue impeachment.

They want to impeach me let them bring it and lets see where it ends, he declared.

He further warned that if such a motion failed in the County Assembly, he would initiate his own against the Governor.

"Should my impeachment fail, I will also initiate mine. She knows me, and I know her," Magwanga warned.

Magwanga accused Wanga of humiliating him and failing to recognize his role, citing the Devolution Conference held in Homa Bay in August where he claimed she acknowledged other leaders, including her husband, but ignored her deputy.

The standoff raises the prospect of another Deputy Governor impeachment in the region.

In 2023, Siaya MCAs impeached Deputy Governor William Oduol, though the Senate later overturned the decision.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, December 06, 2025 - Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has dismissed speculation that she is aligning with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachaguas political camp as the 2027 elections approach.

Addressing supporters on Friday, December 5th, 2025, Waiguru declared, kwa Wamunyoro siendi and urged her followers to remain patient, cautioning against premature political alignments that could weaken their strategic position ahead of the polls.

Waiguru questioned the credibility of Gachaguas movement, arguing that it lacks parliamentary representation and a clear political direction.

Then where are they following Gachagua to take them? she posed, dismissing the camps ambitions as unfounded.

On speculation that Gachagua could mount a presidential bid, Waiguru was categorical, stating that the Constitution bars him from contesting.

She described such talk as baseless and misleading, further casting doubt on his political trajectory.

Her remarks come amid heightened debate over realignments in Mt Kenya, a region long regarded as a decisive bloc in national politics.

Waiguru challenged Gachaguas claim to be the regions kingpin, asserting that former President Uhuru Kenyatta still holds that mantle.

As the Kikuyu community, we do not want to be separated from other communities in Kenya.

Our votes alone are not enough; we are part of 43 communities.

Even when Uhuru became president, it was not only our community that elected him, she said.

Waiguru concluded by urging Mt Kenya residents to remain united as the country heads towards 2027.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, December 6, 2025 - Two months after the shocking murder of a young woman known as Chichi, residents in Nairobis Eastlands area have finally cornered the prime suspect, her husband, who had been on the run since the incident.

Chichi, described by neighbours as youthful, vibrant, and well-loved, was killed in October following a violent domestic dispute inside their home.

According to investigators, the suspect fled immediately after the attack, prompting detectives to launch a manhunt that had grown increasingly desperate as weeks passed by with no trace of him.

Earlier this week, the fugitive unexpectedly resurfaced within the same neighbourhood, where alert locals quickly recognised him.

Enraged by the brutality of Chichis murder and the suspects long disappearance, the residents confronted him and subjected him to a severe beating before calling the authorities.

Police officers arrived at the scene and rescued the suspect from the angry crowd.

He was taken into custody and is currently being processed for interrogation and formal charges relating to the murder.

The late Chichi.





The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, December 06, 2025 - The Kenyan Government has issued an urgent advisory to its citizens living in Tanzania ahead of the countrys Independence Day celebrations on December 9th, 2025.

In a notice dated Friday, December 5th, the Kenya High Commission in Dar es Salaam urged Kenyans to take precautionary measures to safeguard their safety.

The advisory directed citizens to remain indoors in the event of unrest and avoid all nonessential movement.

It further cautioned against attending large gatherings, protests, or approaching security checkpoints, noting that the situation can change rapidly.

The High Commission advised Kenyans to follow official news channels and its social media platforms for verified updates, warning against reliance on unconfirmed reports.

Citizens were also encouraged to establish communication plans with family and friends amid concerns of potential disruptions to internet and mobile services.

Additionally, Kenyans were urged to stock adequate supplies of food, water, medication, and ensure mobile phones remain charged.

For emergencies, the mission provided hotline numbers [+255690283011 / +255690283012] and an email contact (daressalaam@mfa.go.ke).

The advisory also reminded citizens to keep travel and residence documentation up to date in line with Tanzanian regulations.

The notice comes amid reports of planned antigovernment protests in Tanzania to highlight alleged postelection killings in October and November.

Tanzanian authorities have declared the demonstrations unlawful, with Police Spokesperson David Misime warning of consequences for those found instigating chaos, citing failure by organisers to submit the required legal notice.





The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, December 06, 2025 - Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has penned a moving tribute to his adopted son, Gift Osinya, after the young man graduated from Scott Christian University.

In a heartfelt post shared on his official X account on Saturday, December 6th, 2025, Sonko reflected on Gifts extraordinary journey from tragedy to triumph.

Gifts story is etched in Kenyas memory.

In March 2014, he and his baby brother, Satrin, survived a horrific Al-Shabab attack at Joy Church in Likoni, Mombasa.

Their mother, Veronica Atieno, was killed while shielding her son.

The bullet that claimed her life lodged in Satrins head, later removed in a delicate surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital.

In the aftermath, Sonko stepped in, adopting the two boys and giving them a new home.

Recalling those dark days, Sonko praised Gifts resilience.

See God! The God of miracles, the God of second chances. The same God who held Gift and Satrin when darkness tried to swallow them.

Today, Gift graduates from Scott Christian University, a moment only God could write, he wrote.

Sonko described Gift as a lion who stood strong after the tragedy, holding his baby brother and rebuilding their lives from ashes.

He emphasized that the graduation was not just an academic milestone, but a testament to divine grace and perseverance.

To survive that storm and stand here today is nothing short of divine. Gifts journey is living proof that God still performs wonders.

Gift, my son, we are proud. This is just the beginning, Sonko added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
By Xinhua writer Shao Haijun

THE HAGUE, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- China and the Netherlands should deepen collaboration on co-innovation initiatives across key industrial sectors to elevate bilateral economic ties to a new level, said Jochum Haakma, chairman of the Netherlands China Business Council.

In a recent interview with Xinhua during the Amsterdam roadshow of the fourth China International Supply Chain Expo, Haakma stressed that China remains a vital partner for the Netherlands and Europe, not only for its vast market, but also for its rapidly growing strengths in innovation, technology, and industrial upgrading.

"Many European companies, including Dutch firms, are in China not just to sell products, but to co-innovate and become part of a shared global ecosystem," said Haakma, who served as managing director of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency from 2006 to 2007.

"You may see a small startup or scale-up begin in the Netherlands, while large-scale development and rollout most likely takes place in China, because things move faster there," he explained.

According to Haakma, sectors including pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and batteries offer particularly strong prospects for co-innovation between Chinese and Dutch industry players, which are opportunities supported by China's development strategy.

On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian told a briefing that China has long taken science and technology as its primary productive force. "China's innovation is open and open-source, and the country is willing to share indigenous technologies and innovation scenarios with the world," Lin said.

Haakma sees huge potential in China's openness. "With government support and strong engagement from industry, I believe the co-innovation in these sectors can be very successful," he said.

While expressing confidence in future cooperation, Haakma also pointed to challenges, including shifting geopolitics, volatile supply chains, and rising trade tensions. These global uncertainties, he said, make international business more complex, strengthening the case for collaboration.

"The right response to global pressure is not isolation, but innovation, quality, and resilient cooperation," said Haakma, who is also the chairman of the EU-China Business Council in Brussels. "Our economies must remain both competitive and connected. The Netherlands is totally dependent on the rest of the world, so we cannot afford to be inward-looking or protectionist."

Sino-Dutch economic cooperation has expanded rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than 50 years ago. According to China's Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade reached 110 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. The Netherlands is China's second-largest trading partner within the European Union, while China remains the Netherlands' largest trading partner outside the bloc. The Netherlands is also China's largest EU destination for investment and the second-largest source of EU investment.

"The Netherlands and China need each other and are deeply interdependent," Haakma emphasized.

Applauding China's fast and high-quality development over the past two decades, Haakma noted that China has transformed its industrial base from "low-cost mass production into high-end, technologically advanced manufacturing, and has emerged as a global leader in the green economy."

"This offers an important lesson for Europe and for the Netherlands about the value of a clear, long-term vision," he said, adding that Dutch and European businesses alike are seeking exactly that kind of strategic direction.

For Dutch and European businesses, he concluded, innovation-driven cooperation with China is not just desirable, but essential for maintaining a meaningful role in the global economy. 






Saturday, December 6, 2025 - A young Kenyan lady who recently went viral on social media for boldly showcasing her Mubabaz, has resurfaced with yet another attention-grabbing video.

In the new clip, she is seen celebrating her birthday in Bahrain, enjoying a lavish outing in the company of the same man who propelled her to online fame.

The video shows the couple getting mushy as they enjoy an aerial view.

Her post has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some praising her confidence and freedom of choice, while others criticise the trend of young women openly associating with wababaz.

Despite the divided opinions, the lady appears unfazed, continuing to share snippets of her fancy lifestyle.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, December 6, 2025 - Motorists using the Naivasha Road stretch near the Marina roadblock are raising alarm over a series of dangerous night attacks in which thugs are stoning vehicles to force drivers to stop before robbing them.

According to victims, the criminals target vehicles by hurling stones, sometimes large rocks, at windscreens and side windows.

The sudden impact forces some drivers to stop and inspect the damage, creating an opportunity for the attackers to ambush and rob them.

A recent incident was reported at Naivasha Police Station, where distressed passengers aboard a Guardian Angel bus narrated how the bus was stoned at night by unknown assailants lurking in the dark.

On arriving at the station, they found that another F1 Fuso truck had also been attacked in similar fashion, its windscreen shattered.

The growing pattern has sparked concerns among road users, especially long-distance truck drivers and public service operators who frequently use the route during late hours.

The gang takes advantage of the isolated stretch and poor visibility to execute the attacks with minimal risk of being spotted.

Drivers are urged to remain vigilant, avoid stopping immediately after being struck, and report any suspicious activities or fresh incidents to the nearest police station.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Saturday, December 6, 2025 - Raila Odingas nephew, Sankara Odinga, has urged members of the Odinga family to embrace unity, expressing concern that they only come together during funerals.

Speaking during the burial of his late aunt, Beryl Odinga, Sankara said it was unfortunate that family members often reunite only when tragedy strikes.

He emphasized the need for the family to strengthen their bond and create more opportunities to meet outside of burial functions.

We need to remain united as the Odinga family. I have noted that we only meet during burials, he lamented.

Sankara went on to shower praise on his late aunt, describing her as his godmother.

She was always there for me. She was more of a godmother to me, he said.

Watch the video.

We only meet during funerals! Raila's nephew lectures family members over family divisions at Beryl Odinga's burial pic.twitter.com/IF7cXOe4hi  Mutembei TV (@MutembeiTV) December 6, 2025

The Kenyan DAILY POST
A BARRISTER assisted in court proceedings last week when he volunteered to interpret in the Yoruba language for a Kildare resident who was before it on driving offences.

Clearly confused with what was being said to him, the defendant was before the court charged with driving without insurance and without a driving licence on 12 June at Ballydavis, Portlaoise.

Addressing the accused, John Osemuvengie from Moone, Kildare, Judge Susan Fay enquired whether he had legal representation and how he intending to plea to the charges.

The defendant looked on and said he was unable to understand, saying he was from a region in Nigeria.

It was at this stage that barrister David Nugent assisted the court, by conversing with Mr Osemuvengie and found his language to be either Yoruba or Yom.

Its from the Benin region, said Mr Nugent. Theres 164 dialects in that region and I can speak a bit of the language.

Judge Fay asked Mr Nugent if he could assist the defendant in what was going on in the court.

When they returned after a while Mr Nugent said: We had a long conversation.

As the case was about to proceed Judge Fay was informed that the prosecuting Garda, John OKeeffe, was not present in court and that the court presenter Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby had received no paperwork from the garda to present to the court.

Mr Nugent said: With no evidence before the court, I ask that you strike out the case.

Agreeing to Mr Nugents request, Judge Fay struck out the case informing Sgt Kirby, You can come again, and granted free legal aid to Mr Nugents instructing solicitor Barry Fitzgerald.

***Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme***
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LONDON, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Multiple people were reported to be assaulted at a multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 of London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday morning, said the Metropolitan Police.

The police arrested one man after several people were sprayed with what is believed to be "a type of pepper spray" at Heathrow Airport by a group of men before they fled the scene.

The disruption reportedly caused the airport traffic to be blocked and trains to be suspended, and the airport has advised its customers to "allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any queries" on its website.

Armed officers were called to the scene and arrested one man on suspicion of assault. He remains in custody as detectives work to identify and locate additional suspects, said the police.

London Ambulance Service had treated the victims, who were taken to hospital, and police said their injuries are not thought to be life-changing or life-threatening.

Commander Pete Stevens from the Metropolitan Police said early indications suggest the altercation broke out among people who were known to one another, and added that police do not believe the assault is terror-related.

The incident has caused some traffic disruption around Terminal 3, though the terminal remains open. 
Met Eireann has issued several weather warnings for the coming days - impacting every county across Ireland.

The status yellow wind and rain warnings, which were issued this Sunday morning, will take effect on Monday and Tuesday as the weather is set to deteriorate.

The first warning - a status yellow rain warning - will apply to Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and Waterford from 9pm on Monday until 9am on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: 'Amazing!' Late Late Toy Show viewers donate incredible amount of money to Toy Show Appeal

Met Eireann says heavy rain falling on already saturated ground could have a number of impacts including localised flooding, difficult travel conditions. Outdoor events could also be impacted.

The second warning - a wind warning for all of Ireland - will be valid between 3am and 9pm on Tuesday.

Status Yellow Wind Warning issued for Ireland.



Valid: 03:00 until 21:00 Tues 9th Dec



Very strong and gusty southerly winds with gales possible near coasts.



Increased risk in coastal areas due to coincidence with very high spring tides.



https://t.co/4a4lYDETG0 pic.twitter.com/ZLHjS5YL5c  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) December 7, 2025

"Very strong and gusty southerly winds with gales possible near coasts. Increased risk in coastal areas due to coincidence with very high spring tides," it states.Met Eireann says possible impacts include difficult travel conditions, flooding of low-lying coastal areas, wave overtopping, debris and loose objects being displaced. Again, outdoor events could be impacted.

Local authority crews across the country have been placed on standby and the Road Safety Authority is appealing to motorists to exercise caution if driving over the coming days.
The 15th Kilkenny FortGrange Scout Group has held a special open night to recognise youth in the community in Danesfort.

It was part of Oiche na hOige  a national event taking place across the country where youth organisations get to showcase the positive contribution they make to youth work in their area. Most of the organisations, like Scouts, while being youth-led, are supported by adult volunteers, without which groups could not function.

There was also a special presentation to the local Venture group, which is eight 15 to 17 year olds who came second in the Venture Sword competition - the equivalent of an All-Ireland.



The night was an opportunity to let parents and friends get a taste for what the scouting group does, showing off its successes and the power of their youth members. It was also an opportunity to welcome and invest new members into the group with an Investiture Ceremony.

The night was a great opportunity to let people come and see what the Scouts do. Organisers were grateful of the funding from the local KCETB for helping with some of the costs of running the night.

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Kilkenny has a strong scouting tradition, with groups in the city and surrounding areas such as Ballyragget, Kells, Bennettsbridge, Thomastown, Inistioge and of course, Danesfort.

It was established there in 2012 by local parents who were looking to get their kids involved in scouting but there were no places available in groups. The catchment area is Danesfort and Cuffesgrange Primarily, hence the name of the group FortGrange.

The group take part in many different activities, including litter picks, helping out at events, and participating in the St Patricks Day parade. They have had a number of recent successes and recognitions.

They cater for all ages and abilities, from six-to-eight year-old Beavers, to Cubs (from nine to 11), Scouts (12-15), Ventures (15-17) and Rovers from 18-26. The current membership is about 65 youth members and 16 adults.
MOSCOW, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia stands with Venezuela's leadership and calls on the U.S. government to refrain from "sliding" into a full-scale conflict with Caracas, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Sunday.

Moscow views recent developments in Venezuela with deep concern, and tensions remain high and continue to grow. "This is primarily linked to Washington's desire to assert unquestioned dominance in the region, a trademark of the Trump administration," Ryabkov was quoted by TASS news agency as saying.

Ryabkov stressed that Russia maintains strong solidarity with Venezuela, referring to the recently concluded agreement on strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries. "We support Venezuela, just as it supports us ... In this trying time, we stand with Caracas and its leadership shoulder to shoulder," Ryabkov said.

The U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. The Pentagon has carried out at least 22 known strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean since Sept. 2, killing more than 87 people aboard. 
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WASHINGTON/KIEV, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Ukrainian delegations on Saturday concluded three-day talks in Miami, Florida, where the two sides focused on territorial issues and U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, U.S. online media outlet Axios reported.

Sources told Axios that the discussion on territory was "difficult" as Russia continued to demand that Ukraine withdraws from parts of Donbas it currently controls, while the United States was trying to develop new ideas to bridge the gap.

Another major topic was U.S. security guarantees for Kiev, on which the parties made "significant progress" and moved closer to agreement, though further work is needed to ensure both sides interpret the draft framework consistently, according to the report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the Miami talks concluded with a two-hour phone call between himself and U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Peace Steven Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Ukraine's peace negotiators -- Secretary of National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of General Staff Andriy Hnatov -- also joined the conversation.

Zelensky described the call on X as "long and substantive," noting that the sides discussed key points needed to end the bloodshed.

He stressed that Ukraine remains committed to working with the United States "in good faith" to "genuinely achieve peace" and said both sides agreed on next steps and formats for continued talks.

Ukraine's negotiating team is expected to return to Europe on Monday and brief Zelensky in London on the latest U.S. proposals. 
Olivia Kelleher

The HSE is to conduct an independent external review into the case of a couple who terminated their pregnancy in 2019 after they were mistakenly told that their unborn baby had a fatal foetal abnormality.

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster today confirmed that he had recently met with Rebecca Price and Pat Kiely and provided them with a full apology on behalf of the health service following the loss of their baby Christopher in 2019.

In a statement, he said that the Dublin couple had suffered a devastating loss.

While nobody can undo the harm the Kielys have suffered, it is my strong view, and that of the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, whom they have also recently met, that they deserve at least to have this documented and unequivocal apology on behalf of the health service.

I have also updated them of my intention to commence an independent external review of their case to understand fully what happened in relation to the care provided to them and ensure learning across our services.

"I am currently in the process of finalising the details in relation to this review, including identifying an appropriate person to lead it and will ensure they will have the appropriate expertise available to them to undertake this work. I have advised the team at the National Maternity Hospital of this decision and sought their participation.

I recognise that no words or actions can undo the loss suffered by Rebecca and Pat, but I hope the establishment of an independent review will allow us to understand what went wrong in relation to their care and learn from it.

Ms Price and Mr Kiely previously said that they were overjoyed to discover on Christmas Eve 2018 that they were going to become parents. Rebecca, who was then 35 years old, had a completely normal ultrasound scan in February 2019 at the Merrion Fetal Health Clinical.

She was advised a week later that a non-invasive prenatal test, known as a Harmony test, had been positive for Trisomy 18.

Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome, is a rare chromosomal condition which impacts on how long a baby may survive, with most dying before or shortly after birth.

Ms Price went for a second ultrasound scan, which was completely normal. She was then advised by the clinic to undergo Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS).

Her samples were sent to a Glasgow laboratory for testing. She was advised that a rapid result from the testing revealed Trisomy 18 had been detected.

During a consultation on March 11th 2019, the then 35-year-old was wrongly advised by her consultant on matters including the non-viability of her pregnancy and that her baby had a fatal foetal abnormality.

She followed the advice from her consultant Professor Fionnuala McAuliffe to terminate her pregnancy. The termination occurred three days later at the National Maternity Hospital. The results of a full cell culture test subsequently showed that the baby did not have Edwards Syndrome.

In 2021, Ms Price and Mr Kiely called for a public inquiry to be carried out into their case. This followed their settling of a High Court case against the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street, five consultants in the Merrion Fetal Clinic and a laboratory in Glasgow.

After they received a settlement, the couple issued a statement in which they said that nothing will ever take away the interminable sadness and grief they live with every day.
POPE Leo XIV visited the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, Lebanon on 1 December as part of his first apostolic journey abroad. During his visit, he prayed at the tomb, entrusted Lebanon to Saint Charbel's intercession, and presented a votive lamp to honour the saint. He also spoke about Saint Charbel's life of silence, humility, and poverty as a counter-cultural example for modern life. Pope Leo visited the Monastery of Saint Maron and spent time in silent prayer before the tomb and offered a lit lamp as a sign of entrusting Lebanon to the saint.

The Pope spoke about the "radical" qualities of Saint Charbel, noting his silence, humility, and poverty, which he contrasted with modern life. He also delivered a prayer asking for faith, healing, and renewal for the Lebanese people. This visit was a significant spiritual moment for Lebanon and highlights Saint Charbel's veneration by both Christians and Muslims. Saint Charbel, a 19th-century hermit, is known for miraculous healings, and his tomb is a major pilgrimage site.

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf on 8 May 1828, in the remote mountain village of Biqa-Kafra in northern Lebanon, grew up in a humble Maronite Christian family of modest means. He was the fifth and youngest son of Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Chidiac. Orphaned at a young age after losing his father, young Youssef helped tend the family's small herd of cows while developing a deep devotion to prayer and the saints. From childhood, he was drawn to the eremitical life, inspired by two of his maternal uncles who were monks. He often retreated to a nearby grotto with an icon of the Virgin Mary for solitary prayer, revealing an early calling to religious life.

At the age of 23, in 1851, Youssef left his family and village to join the Lebanese Maronite Order. He began his novitiate at the Monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouk, where he took the religious name Charbel (or Sharbel), after a 2nd-century Christian martyr. He professed his solemn vows on 1 November 1853, committing to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Charbel then pursued studies in philosophy and theology at the Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina in Kfifan, under the guidance of professors including the future saint Nimatullah Kassab. On 23 July 1859, at the age of 31, he was ordained a priest in Bkerke, the patriarchal seat of the Maronite Church. He was assigned to the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, where he lived for 16 years (18591875). There, he embraced severe asceticism, working diligently in the fields and vineyards alongside his brother monks, while excelling in obedience, humility, and contemplation. His superiors noted his angelic fidelity to monastic vows, describing him as "inebriated with God" due to his profound union with the divine through the Eucharist and Scripture.

Seeking even greater solitude, Charbel received permission on 15 February 1875, to enter the nearby hermitage of St Maron in Annaya, where he lived as a hermit for the final 23 years of his life. In this isolated cell, his existence revolved around ceaseless prayer, manual labour, and total detachment from the world. He fasted rigorously, slept on a bed of rough stones, and spent hours in adoration before the blessed sacrament.

Despite his reclusive life, Charbel's holiness drew people seeking counsel; he performed healings for physical and spiritual ailments, including casting out demons, though he always attributed miracles to God.

Charbel embodied the Maronite tradition of asceticism rooted in St Maron, a 4th-century mystic who lived exposed to the elements in prayer. His life reflected a mystical relationship with Christ and the Virgin Mary, prioritizing the Eucharist as the centre of his existence. On 16 December 1898, while celebrating the Divine Liturgy at the hermitage altar, Charbel suffered a massive stroke. He endured eight days of excruciating pain in silence and prayer, refusing all comfort, and died on Christmas Eve 1898, at age 70. His final words were reportedly a prayer of surrender to God.

Buried simply near the monastery, extraordinary phenomena soon followed. For 45 days, a brilliant light emanated from his tomb, witnessed by villagers and monks. When exhumed months later, his body was found incorrupt and flexible, exuding a blood-like liquid with a sweet fragrancephenomena that persist today and defy medical explanation. His tomb became a pilgrimage site, with reports of healings from cancer, paralysis, and other afflictions attributed to his intercession.

The cause for Charbel's beatification began in 1925. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on 5 December 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, and canonized as a saint on 9 October 1977the first Maronite saint from Lebanon. His feast day is 9 July (formerly 24 December), and he is invoked as the "Miracle Worker of Lebanon." Devotion to St Charbel transcends faiths, uniting Christians, Muslims, and Druze, with shrines worldwide and monthly prayer gatherings at his hermitage on the 22nd of each month.

St Charbel's legacy endures as a testament to humble surrender, inspiring millions through his three lights from the East: the light of faith, prayer, and miracles. As one biographer noted, though he never ventured far from his mountain home, his influence has spread globally, like the cedars of Lebanon bearing noble fruit. During his first papal visit to the Lebanon, Pope Leo invoked the Lord, to inspire us all, to be bridge builders and agents for peace and reconciliation. As we move closer to Christmas may the Christ-child whose birth we soon celebrate be a source of peace for all humanity across the world.

MIRACULOUS PRAYER TO SAINT CHARBEL:

***

O God infinitely Holy and glorified in Your saints,

who inspired the monk and hermit St Charbel to live and die in a perfect likeness to Jesus,

giving him the strength to detach from the world in order to live fully,

in his hermitage, the monastic virtues of poverty, obedience and chastity,

we beg You to grant us the grace to love You and serve You as he did.

(Mention your petition) Lord Almighty,

who has demonstrated the power of the intercession of St Charbel by many miracles and favours,

grant our volunteers the grace of living a beautiful mission and returning home firm in faith,

filled with fiery charity. We beseech You by his intercession.

O Charbel, Saint of Great Wonders, from whose miraculous body emanates the fragrance of heaven,

come to my assistance and, if it be for the glory of God and the good of my soul,

obtain from God for me the grace of which I am in need (state your intention).

Amen.

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, pray for us!

***
By Bairbre Holmes, PA

Northern Irelands Minister for the Economy has said there needs to be a balance between economic opportunity and upholding our responsibilities and values when it comes to trading with China.

Caoimhe Archibald is embarking on a five-day trip on Monday to build business and economic ties between Northern Ireland and the worlds second-largest economy.

The visit is billed as shining a spotlight on the norths strengths in education, trade, tourism and our screen industries.

I think it's important that we engage, because there is a significant opportunity to grow our exports and to make those connections, and to have that opportunity to go out and do that face-to-face engagement Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald

But with Chinas human rights and environmental records frequently raising serious concerns, there are questions as to whether this is the right market to focus on.

Ms Archibald said she will use the trip to raise issues of concern, something she says she has done on previous visits.

She said despite these concerns there is an economic argument for building further ties with China, adding: I think its important that we engage with China on the same basis that we approach all our international engagement, so advancing our economic interests, but upholding our values and responsibilities as well.

The minister said her team is developing an ethical investment framework based on UN principles which will guide all of our investment and trade relationships and which will undergo a public consultation process.

The trip will include representatives from Invest NI, Tourism Ireland, NI Screen and local universities, and will involve events in Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian and Shanghai.

Ms Archibald said: I think its important that we engage, because there is a significant opportunity to grow our exports and to make those connections, and to have that opportunity to go out and do that face-to-face engagement.

Last year 1.43 million (125 million) worth of goods were exported from Northern Ireland to China, a figure dwarfed by the 1.15 billion (1 billion) worth of imports which came into the region from the country.

I think we do have to be aware also that there is economic opportunity to be garnered, and it is a case of getting the balance right in respect of that Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald

Ms Archibald said some of the areas she is keen to grow to address this imbalance are the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, pointing to professional scientific instruments, chemicals and materials as important products.

But the trip comes amid a row over the fate of a proposed new Chinese embassy in London, which has stalled amid security concerns, renewing the focus on the countrys reach in the UK.

While the Economy Minister said she takes matters of data security very seriously, she returned once again to the theme of balance, saying: I think we do have to be aware also that there is economic opportunity to be garnered, and it is a case of getting the balance right in respect of that.

Other priority sectors for Ms Archibald are tourism and Northern Irelands screen industry, and on the trip she will deliver presentations to members of the Chinese tourism and screen industries.

In particular, she hopes to promote Studio Ulster, the 75,000 square foot facility on the shores of Belfast Lough, which opened during the summer, saying: There are really significant opportunities to develop that and to promote that internationally.

Last year around 186,000 people visited Ireland from Asia and Ms Archibald said she hopes to focus on promoting Irelands landscape and hospitality to draw in more tourists.

She added: I think that we have a really strong offer there, and its about going out and selling that and promoting it.
Ottoline Spearman

A senator is calling for an emergency Defence and National Security Committee meeting, after a number of drones were spotted in the air during the Ukrainian President's arrival in Dublin.

Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell said the committee is not taken seriously, and the incident has caused national embarrassment.

The drones were physically seen by the Irish Navy, as Ireland does not have the proper radar to detect them.

Mr Craughwell said that the lack of investment in defence is making Ireland Europe's weak spot.

Speaking on Newstalk, he said: "We are the open back door of Europe. We talk about the massive increase in defence spending. Our defence spending is 1.49 billion, which is about 0.23 per cent of GDP. Most states in Europe are now spending between 3 and 5 per cent of GDP.

"If we cannot defend our people, if we cannot stand as a proud, independent, sovereign state in Europe, what exactly are we?"

Gardai are investigating the presence of drones over Ireland during Zelenskys visit, where he gave a historic address to a joint sitting of the Oireachtas and met with Government figures and President Catherine Connolly.
Key Points

TSMC's new technology will be critical in sustaining the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout.

The companies TSMC provides chips to project strong growth over the next five years.

10 stocks we like better than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 

Looking at Wall Street analysts' one-year price targets can serve as a source of ideas for investors. While their analysis shouldn't be the end-all for investors, it serves as a great starting point.

One company that looks like it has great potential from the analyst community is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM). They have an average one-year price target on its stock of $342, according to Yahoo! Finance.

That represents around 20% upside from today's levels, which would be an excellent one-year return for TSMC. The long-term market average performance is about 10%, so this would essentially outperform the stock market by double.

This makes it a stock investors should be buying hand over fist entering 2026, but are the analysts right on this one?

Image source: Getty Images.

TSMC is a critical part of the AI buildout

While companies like Advanced Micro Devices or Nvidia may get most of the attention when it comes to providing artificial intelligence (AI) computing units that go into data centers, Taiwan Semiconductor should also be a part of the discourse. It's one of a handful of semiconductor foundries that provide high-tech computing chips necessary for advanced computing units to run, and is the largest by revenue of its peers.

Few companies are as critical in the AI buildout as Taiwan Semiconductor, a company that will thrive as long as there is increased AI spending. With the AI hyperscalers all informing investors that 2026 will be a year of record-breaking capital expenditures after setting a previous record in 2025, this part of the TSMC investing thesis is alive and well.

Another reason why Taiwan Semiconductor has thrived as a foundry is its commitment to continuous innovation. With its new 2-nanometer chip node entering production, it's keeping that commitment.

The 2nm chips offer a massive benefit over previous-generation 3nm chips: When configured to run at the same speed, 2nm chips consume 25% to 30% less power than 3nm chips. That's a big deal for any company involved in AI, as energy availability is starting to become a massive bottleneck. If TSMC can reduce grid demand by 25% to 30%, it will be widely implemented in future AI buildouts.

TSMC is putting up impressive growth figures

While the investment story in TSMC is rock solid, so are its finances. During Q3, TSMC's revenue rose at a 41% pace in U.S. dollars. That showcases massive growth and lets investors know that the AI competition is alive and well. This strength is expected to continue, as demand for AI computing units is slated to rise dramatically over the next few years.
Five families were displaced after five homes caught on fire on the morning of Dec. 6, 2025, in the 500 block of Allen Street in Allentown. Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Five families were displaced Saturday after five homes caught fire in Allentown, according to a news release from a city fire captain.

The three-alarm fire started around 9:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Allen Street, according to Captain Jon Hammel.

The American Red Cross assisted 15 adults and eight children. They stayed in a LANTA bus to keep warm, the release says.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the city fire marshal division.

The streets department assisted fire police with barricades. Workers also brought salt to thaw fast-forming ice around the fire trucks.

The city fire department thanked paramedics, police, neighboring fire departments and community partners for their help.

Five families were displaced after five homes caught on fire on the morning of Dec. 6, 2025, in the 500 block of Allen Street in Allentown. Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor
Cullohill chef Rory O'Connell is back with another two-part TV Christmas special on RTE, and this year his theme is creating edible gifts.

The popular Laois chef travels to London and visits Fortnum and Mason's famous food halls, and the chefs who inspire him

to make delicious gifts to prepare back at his adopted home in Cork.

How to Cook Well at Christmas with Rory O'Connell screens just in time for you to get out and get the ingredients need to make some festive creations.

"Nothing tells someone you care for them quite like an edible gift," says the chef of Ballymaloe fame ahead of the entertaining and popular season specials.

"I love spending Christmas in Ireland, but I also love London which does Christmas so well. Every time I go there, I come back inspired, and who wouldnt be inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi, Max Rocha and Beth OBrien from the Fat Badger?

"Not to mention of course, the fabulous and over-the-top food halls at Fortnum and Mason, established more than 300 years ago, and celebrating Christmas ever since," he says.

Programme one screens on RTE 1 on Sunday, December 21 at 8.30 pm. In this first episod,e Rory visits Fortnum and Mason which is famous for its chocolates, inspiring Rory to make burnt caramel and chocolate truffles. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

He then visits Cafe Cecilia, Dublin chef Max Rocha's restaurant in East London. Max's Guinness bread and smoked mackerel with cucumber pickle prompt Rory to make a pickled cauliflower and red onion.

Finally, Rory goes shopping in one of his favourite London shops - Sally Clarke's Bakery and Delicatessen in Notting Hill Gate. Rory also makes spiced apple chutney and bakes eccles cakes back in east Cork.

Programme two on Monday, December 22 at 8.30pm features a visit to Yotam Ottolenghi, the renowned chef and author, in the original Ottolenghi shop which opened in Notting Hill Gate over 25 years ago. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

Yotam Ottolenghi with Rory in London.

Rory, a brother of Darina Allen, then calls into The Fat Badger on Portobello Road, a restaurant which has received rave reviews, and where the Head Chef is Cork woman Beth O'Brien.

READ ALSO: Celeb chef Kevin Dundon cooks up a Christmas storm in Abbeyleix - PICTURES

Finally, Rory heads back to Fortnum and Mason and its cheese counter, where he gets some more ideas for edible treats.

Inspired by his visits, Rory makes miniature meringue Christmas trees, cranberry sauce and lemon curd, pickled beetroot with Christmas spices, and wholemeal cheese biscuits and labneh cheese.

READ ALSO: Big revamp of Laois pub that inspired world famous Laois chefs

Rory and Darina trace their love of food and cullinary skills to their mother, Elizabeth O'Connell, who ran a restaurant and pub in Cullohill for many years.

How to Cook Well at Christmas is produced and directed by David Hare of InProductionTV and sponsored by Flogas
A security worker at Electric Picnic struck his boss on the head with a chair during the 2025 festival.

Puneeth Bijjaragi (25) Macroom Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, appeared before Portlaoise District Court accused of criminal damage and assault causing harm in Stradbally on September 1, 2025.

Solicitor Philip Meagher said his client was pleading guilty to the offences.

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the man had been working as security in the campsite when he struck his boss on the head with a chair. The chair damaged a campervan nearby, he said.

Sgt Kirby said the injured party suffered a minor laceration but no lasting damage. The estimated damage to the campervan was 20 and the man has no previous convictions, said Sgt Kirby.

Mr Meagher said his client was a third year college student who is studying in Dublin. He explained that the man was taking any work he could get during the summer and he took a job working security at the Electric Picnic.

Mr Meagher said the man found himself working on the outside fringe of the festival and found himself working more or less 20 hours continuously with little food. When the mans boss questioned him about tents having been moved, the man was "agitated, hungry and tired, said Mr Meagher.

He explained of the two men that one is from India and one is from Pakistan and words were exchanged which he wouldnt repeat in court before his client in his tired state reacted poorly and threw a plastic chair at his boss. He said the man didnt follow up the assault.

He is extremely ashamed and worried over what has happened, said Mr Meagher. He said the man had penned a letter outlining his sorrow, regret and shame over the matter.

Mr Meagher said the man is on a student visa and realises it may be jeopardised as a result. He said the man is in receipt of an allowance of just over 200 a week but even so had managed to bring a sum of 1,000 to court. He said this represents a huge sum of money to the man.

He would be more than willing to cooperate and engage with the restorative justice programme, said Mr Meagher.

Judge Susan Fay noted the compensation and his plea and she ordered a probation report, restorative justice and a victim impact statement. She told Mr Meagher to hold onto the 1,000 and adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on May 12.
The HSE Dublin and Midlands has called on all eligible people in Laois and the rest of the catchment region to get vaccinated against flu immediately, saying hospitalisation from flu has doubled in just one week.

In a statment to the Leinster Express / Laois Live the HSE said its data shows that total cases notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) have more than doubled, showing that flu cases are surging within communities.

Dr Tomas Barry is a Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine, HSE Dublin and Midlands.

We are seeing a rapid increase of cases of patients with influenza, including those needing hospitalisation. There has been an earlier start to the influenza season, and we are concerned at the risk this presents to those susceptible to more severe disease.

"These include those over 60 years of age, those with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and people who are immunocompromised. It is imperative that those groups take action now to protect themselves now in order to get the protection they need, he said.

The HSE said the latest HPSC figures, the heightened flu activity is largely attributable to the AH3N2 variant. HPSC modelling projects significant pressures on healthcare services in the coming weeks.

The HSE reports that 418 cases were reported in hospitals the week ending 29 November compared to just 213 the week before.

Dr Barry particularly urged healthcare workers to get vaccinated.

Healthcare workers are among those more likely to get the flu given the environments in which they work. By getting vaccinated, healthcare workers are protecting themselves, and also their families and patients to whom they provide care.

I urge people in these at-risk groups, as well as healthcare workers, to take urgent steps now to protect themselves and others. The flu vaccine takes two weeks to become fully effective. Therefore, the best time to get vaccinated is now, before rates of infection peak over the busy holiday period, he said.

The HSE says free flu vaccines are available now at participating GP clinics and pharmacies. For healthcare workers, free flu vaccines are available in staff vaccination clinics and in the community in GPs and Pharmacies. Additionally, all children aged 2-17 years are recommended to get the free flu vaccine.

The flu vaccine is strongly recommended and free for:

Everyone aged 60 years and older

People with underlying medical conditions

Healthcare workers (including students in healthcare and social care)

All children aged 2-17 years

Pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)

Carers and household contacts of people at higher risk

Residents of nursing homes and other long-stay facilities

People with regular close contact with poultry, waterfowl or pigs

Break the chain of transmission

Eileen Whelan, Regional Director of Nursing and Midwifery, HSE Dublin and Midlands.

People can also play an important part in helping break the chain of transmission and preventing the spread of infection.

READ ALSO: Laois homeless figures surge

They can do so by following respiratory etiquette, such as covering coughs and sneezes, regular hand washing, and by staying at home when unwell. People with symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infection are advised not to visit patients in healthcare settings until symptoms have resolved, she said.

For more information about the flu vaccine, including where to get it, visit www.hse.ie/flu
A Mobile Information Unit from the Marie Keating Foundation will be available at Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station on Thursday, December 11, from 11am to 2pm.

Staffed by a specialist nurse, these mobile information units visit community groups, workplaces, organisations, and public spaces to bring vital cancer information directly into the heart of communities nationwide.

The Marie Keating Foundation aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and recognising the value of early detection in reducing cancer risk through this service.

READ NEXT: Two contests at Leitrim GAA Convention as nominations revealed

The Foundations mission is to make cancer less frightening by enlightening, and their vision is to create a world free from the fear of cancer.

Today, the Marie Keating Foundation is regarded as one of Irelands leading voices for cancer prevention, awareness, and support.

Both men and women are welcome to avail of the fully confidential visit in Carrick-on-Shannon on December 11.

READ NEXT: Leitrim environmental campaigner honoured at Ocean Hero Awards

The Foundation operates three purpose-built mobile information units that travel across Ireland, delivering life-saving messages of prevention and early detection to as many people as possible.
Leitrim farmers are set to begin receiving more than 1.27 million in payments as year three of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) begins to roll out nationwide.

A total of 560 Leitrim farmers will benefit from 1,279,181.94 in funding, with payments expected to arrive in bank accounts in the coming days.

The scheme, now in its third year under Irelands CAP Strategic Plan 20232027, aims to improve genetic merit, herd efficiency and environmental sustainability across the national suckler herd, which are particularly important to the predominantly family-run farms of the West and Northwest.

Across the Northwest, 4.6 million will be distributed to farm families. This includes 1,566,426.40 for 629 farmers in Sligo and 1,758,775.75 for 752 farmers in Donegal. Nationally, 47.06 million is being issued to 14,983 participating suckler farmers.

Minister Marian Harkin welcomed the announcement, describing the payments as a very welcome and timely boost for suckler farmers in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.

SCEP is an essential support for farm families in our region, she said. This investment strengthens local economies, supports rural communities, and underpins the long-term sustainability of the beef sector in the Northwest.
lucasImages / Shutterstock.com

Quick Read

iShares MSCI Austria ETF (EWO) has gained nearly 63% year to date. The S&P 500 rose just 16% over the same period.

Goldman Sachs projects 6.5% annual returns for the S&P 500 over the next decade. Vanguard expects even lower gains between 3% and 5%.

If youre thinking about retiring or know someone who is, there are three quick questions causing many Americans to realize they can retire earlier than expected. take 5 minutes to learn more here

It's never fun for a new investor to hear that prospective returns moving forward are bound to be modest. Whether it's due to extended valuations, higher risks, or something else, that's just not what someone wants to hear as they seek to put new money into the financial markets after what's been a strong multi-year bull run. It hurts to be sidelined after the S&P 500 has risen 50% in two years or 85% in the last five years.

And while a 10% per-year return has pretty much been the expectation, past results, as I'm sure you've heard by now, are no guarantee of what to expect for the next decade. With Goldman Sachs and Vanguard, two respected names in the investment world, both setting a fairly low bar for returns over the next decade, I think investors must consider the scenarios that could play out for the decade ahead.

Goldman Sachs and Vanguard see milder gains on the horizon for the S&P

Of course, it's quite sobering to hear that returns could average 6.5% (what Goldman expects) or even less (Vanguard sees the S&P gaining close to 3-5%) for the next 10 years, especially since the AI revolution holds so much promise for increased productivity and earnings growth potential.

If Vanguard ends up right (I really hope they're not!), perhaps bonds will give equities a good run for their money from here. Either way, that has to be a bit troubling for retirees subscribed to the 4% rule.

With growing doubts about whether the technology can deliver a decent return, perhaps the market's high valuation could be what drags on returns from here. As usual, though, one can increase the risk to increase the potential rewards. But in a market that some would describe as "bubbly" due to frothy valuations in the AI trade, should one actively seek to take on more risk so that their prospective returns are higher? It's hard to say.

Fix #1: Seeking not to overpay for AI and tech exposure

Perhaps the tables turn, and tech, which has been a source of strength, could be what ultimately drags the S&P. The S&P is arguably heavily weighted in tech, with its hefty exposure to the Mag Seven companies. And if we are dealt a bursting of the AI bubble that leaves technology stocks in a wreck, perhaps there will be more opportunity to buy the dip at some point later on.
Key Points

Analysts sea a return to top- and bottom-line growth for Target in 2026.

Keeping its yield high and its Dividend King streak going matter to income investors.

Target's new CEO will need some strong signature moves in his rookie season.

10 stocks we like better than Target 

As a Target (NYSE: TGT) shareholder, I feel like I've been wearing the mass-market retailer's signature bullseye logo in recent years. Target stock has lost a third of its value in 2025, cut nearly in half over the past five years.

The stock's slide isn't a pricing error by a checkout scanner. Target's downticks check out. It's losing market share, wrapping up its third consecutive fiscal year of declining same-store sales. It has fumbled merchandising, politics, and protecting shopper security data.

Things don't have to stay that way in 2026. I'm not still a Target investor because I'm a glutton for "cheap chic" punishment. Let's go over some of the things that will be critical for Target to get right if it wants to bounce back in the coming year.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. It keeps wearing the Dividend King crown

One benefit for patient income investors is that Target has continued to raise its quarterly distributions, even as the stock goes the other way. Target is currently yielding a beefy 5%. It has now boosted its payouts for 55 years, landing it in an elite field of companies known as Dividend Kings for coming through with at least 50 years of dividend hikes.

Given Target's growth challenges and corporate-level layoffs, its reign as a Dividend King isn't a lock. Thankfully, analysts expect the retailer to earn more than enough to cover a dividend boost. Stretching the streak to 56 years this year is important. If the stock heads lower, it means the yield will be much higher than 5% by the end of 2026.

2. The new CEO hits the ground running

Nothing rattles a boardroom more than a downward-sloping stock chart. Target has been a downhill skier over the past few years. Change is coming at the top. Michael Fiddelke will be the chain's new CEO in February.

He's not some savvy outsider. He has been at Target for 22 years, since arriving as a finance intern.

Fiddelke is currently the discount department store's COO. An internal hire for CEO often indicates a company will stay on the same course as before, but that's unlikely to happen here. Target needs to nail a turnaround strategy, and Fiddelke will need to make well-received signature moves out of the gate.

3. Comps turn positive in 2026

Analysts are surprisingly hopeful for the retail stock. They expect a 2% increase in net sales, with a 5% step higher on earnings per share. Wall Street pros have been optimistic before, only to be burned by reality. Target can't fall into that trap again.
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An ELDERLY County Limerick man has been handed a prison sentence after he failed to pay a 125 taxi fare.

John Roche, aged 71, of The Mall, Glin, pleaded guilty to the theft offence when he appeared before Newcastle West District Court.

Garda Inspector Gearoid Thompson told the court that on August 30, 2024, Mr Roche travelled by bus from Dublin to Arthurs Quay in Limerick city.

Having arrived in Limerick, the accused then got a taxi from Arthurs Quay to his home village of Glin.

Upon arrival there, he failed to pay the taxi fare, which, Insp Thompson said, totalled 125.

READ ALSO: Clare man was found 'completely out of his mind' and naked high on magic mushrooms, court hears

Solicitor Michael ODonnell, representing the accused, told the court his client had given the taxi driver his phone as part payment for the fare.

Mr ODonnell highlighted his clients elderly status and his poor health over the past few months.

Mr Roche, he added, has been in custody since October 13, after he was sentenced to four months imprisonment for an unrelated criminal damage offence.

Mr Roche has 65 previous convictions, including 29 for Section 4 theft offences.

Judge Carol Anne Coolican imposed a one month prison sentence - to be served concurrently to the sentence Mr Roche is currently serving.
A highly intoxicated man who crashed into a wall while he was disqualified from driving refused to provide a blood sample to gardai following his arrest, a court has heard.

Luke OBrien, aged 29, of Lisheen Park, Patrickswell pleaded guilty to a number of charges, under the Road Traffic Act, when he appeared before Newcastle West Court.

Garda Inspector Gearoid Thompson told the court that on July 20, 2024, Mr OBrien was involved in a single car collision at Main Street, Pallaskenry.

Emergency services attended the scene of the incident and Mr O'Brien was subsequently brought by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick.

Whilst in the ambulance, gardai attempted but failed to obtain a breath sample from Mr OBrien, who was described as highly intoxicated.

The accused subsequently refused to give a blood sample to a doctor when he arrived at the hospital.

Insp Thompson said that Mr OBrien was not really understanding where he was and that there was some sort of confusion - possibly because of his level of intoxication.

The defendant has a number of previous convictions, including five for driving without insurance, and was disqualified at the time.

READ ALSO: Limerick woman engaged in harassment campaign against garda sergeant following collision

Solicitor Andrew d'Arcy, representing the accused, submitted the State would have had some difficulty" had the matter been contested by his client.

He said there were no witnesses who saw the crash and he described the case as an unusual type of situation that was not a straight forward road traffic matter.

The solicitor told the court that his client had suffered a serious unprovoked assault a number of years ago, which had a profound impact on him.

Mr OBrien, he said, suffered brain damage as a result of the assault and spent some time in hospital.

Mr d'Arcy went on to say that his client had a relatively unblemished character before the assault but his life had taken a bad twist since.

The solicitor said this doesnt excuse his client's bad record in recent years but it might explain it. Mr d'Arcy also told the court that Mr O'Brien is working in regeneration as a labourer whenever he is required.

He said his client is not a man who is sitting idly and that he tries to busy himself whenever he can. Mr d'Arcy asked Judge Carol Ann Coolican not to impose a custodial sentence given those circumstances.

He said that Mr OBrien has an underlying issue with alcohol and accepts that he needs help in dealing with that problem.

He concluded by saying that his client deserves credit in deciding to fall on his sword by pleading guilty.

Having considered the matter and noting the submissions, Judge Coolican adjourned the case until February 19, 2026 to facilitate the preparation of a probation report.
Northern Irelands Minister for the Economy has said there needs to be a balance between economic opportunity and upholding our responsibilities and values when it comes to trading with China.

Caoimhe Archibald is embarking on a five-day trip on Monday to build business and economic ties between Northern Ireland and the worlds second largest economy.

The visit is billed as shining a spotlight on the norths strengths in education, trade, tourism and our screen industries.

But with Chinas human rights and environmental records frequently raising serious concerns, there are questions as to whether this is the right market to focus on.

Ms Archibald said she will use the trip to raise issues of concern, something she says she has done on previous visits.

She said despite these concerns there is an economic argument for building further ties with China, adding: I think its important that we engage with China on the same basis that we approach all our international engagement, so advancing our economic interests, but upholding our values and responsibilities as well.

The minister said her team is developing an ethical investment framework based on UN principles which will guide all of our investment and trade relationships and which will undergo a public consultation process.

The trip will include representatives from Invest NI, Tourism Ireland, NI Screen and local universities, and will involve events in Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian and Shanghai.

Ms Archibald said: I think its important that we engage, because there is a significant opportunity to grow our exports and to make those connections, and to have that opportunity to go out and do that face-to-face engagement.

Last year 125 million worth of goods were exported from Northern Ireland to China, a figure dwarfed by the 1 billion worth of imports which came into the region from the country.

Ms Archibald said some of the areas she is keen to grow to address this imbalance are the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, pointing to professional scientific instruments, chemicals and materials as important products.

But the trip comes amid a row over the fate of a proposed new Chinese embassy in London, which has stalled amid security concerns, renewing the focus on the countrys reach in the UK.

While the Economy Minister said she takes matters of data security very seriously, she returned once again to the theme of balance, saying: I think we do have to be aware also that there is economic opportunity to be garnered, and it is a case of getting the balance right in respect of that.

Other priority sectors for Ms Archibald are tourism and Northern Irelands screen industry, and on the trip she will deliver presentations to members of the Chinese tourism and screen industries.

In particular she hopes to promote Studio Ulster, the 75,000 square foot facility on the shores of Belfast Lough, which opened during the summer, saying: There are really significant opportunities to develop that and to promote that internationally.

Last year around 186,000 people visited Ireland from Asia and Ms Archibald said she hopes to focus on promoting Irelands landscape and hospitality to draw in more tourists.

She added: I think that we have a really strong offer there, and its about going out and selling that and promoting it.
Tilly Norwood, an actress" built with artificial intelligence, comes from humble beginnings, popping into the mind of Eline Van der Velden while the producer was in the restroom at Londons private Groucho Club. By the time Van der Velden got home, her mind was made up:

She was going to make the first AI movie star.

Van der Velden shared her vision with ChatGPT, typing out a short description of her ideal candidate: A stunning female celebrity with global appeal. She has symmetrical facial features, clear radiant skin, and captivating green eyes. Her hair is long."

Out came the first image of Tillycartoonish, with pouffy lips, kiwi-colored eyes and vague ethnicity. ChatGPT, perhaps drawing on data showing that there are far more dark-haired people in the world than blondes, decided to make her a brunette. Van der Velden, who is blonde and blue-eyed, took the note.

Every time she told AI to refine the face, a different one emerged. Tillys new brown eyes were good, but then she had weird buck teeth. In one version, she looked no older than 14. In another, her eyelashes evoked those of a llama. Then her face looked like it had been dipped in melted butter. There were too many Tillys, none of them right. She was either too perfect or too sexy or too plastic or had too many heads (three). Her creator wanted a realistic girl next door, an English rose.

Ive grown up in this world," said Van der Velden, 39, a former actress who spent her early 20s trying to make it in Hollywood. I know what type of girl they would cast."

Over the next six months, Van der Velden toiled with her 15-person team to nail down the look of her leading lady, creating 2,000 iterations of an actress unbound by the limits of physical ability, age or talent. She passed on dud iterations with the ruthless efficiency of a casting director who makes actors cry at auditions. I was really looking for the X factor," she said. When she finally found her Tilly, it hardly mattered that the ingenue showed up with half her forehead missing. This was the magic moment."

When Van der Velden told a Zurich Film Festival panel in September that talent agencies were vying to represent Tilly, the character went viral, and not in the way her creator wouldve hoped. (Tilly was originally introduced in a social media video over the summer.) Hollywood actors, directors and their unions railed against heror it," as some called hersaying the synthetic performer had the potential to ruin the livelihoods of real cast and crew while eroding the art of cinema itself.

Avatar" director James Cameron called the likes of Tilly horrifying." Guillermo del Toro, director of Frankenstein," said hed rather die" than make a movie with AI. Actual human movie star George Clooney predicted a hard road ahead for Tilly types, saying: AI is going to have the same problem that we have in Hollywood, which is, making a star is not so easy."

Actress Emily Blunt took one look at Tilly and blanched. Good Lord," she said, were screwed."

Van der Velden has been taken aback by the severity of the anti-Tilly sentiment in an industry with which shes often felt a kinship. She moved to the United Kingdom at 14, leaving her home on the Dutch island of Curacao with dreams of becoming an actress. The child of a Dutch executive and an artist, she enrolled at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, whose famous alumni include Lily James and Daisy Ridley.

Long drawn to science, she earned her undergraduate and masters degrees in physics at Londons Imperial College. But soon she was back at performing, landing work on Dutch TV. During a trip to Los Angeles, an agent told her she could be the next Blake Lively if she lost 10 pounds and paid more attention to her looks. She responded by creating a buffoonish beauty-queen character for a BBC Three web series, Miss Holland." In a typical scene, Miss Holland, played by Van der Velden with milkmaid braids and hairy armpits, chokes on the aerosol of a spray tan.

After she reaped more than $100,000 from the sale of a small business in which she was a minor shareholder, the producer, then 27, launched a London-based production company that would eventually be called Particle6. She gave herself one year to make it work. Soon she was creating short skits for BBC Three and YouTube, comic gambits like getting bikini-clad sunbathers to put on clothes or standing too close to strangers to see what would happen.

When AI started booming, she was quick to embrace it. She gave her administrative tasks to ChatGPT, which she called her s intern." Last year, Sora, the generative AI tool that turns text into video, opened her eyes to opportunity.

I was blown away by the artistry and the poetry of it all," she said. Noticing a budding cast of AI influencers, she figured AI screen stars were next. Some stylized AI celebrities existed, like the robot personality Lil Miquela, but Van der Velden wanted a commercially available actress who looked like a real person. Shed created characters before. Shed do it again.

Van der Velden says she is not out to replace real actresses. She is after something elsea new visual language of acid-trippy world building and uncanny realism only made possible by AI. She envisions a whole new creative renaissance" for filmmakers and fewer financial barriers to new work. Most big movies today cost more than $100 million to make. Van der Velden thinks one done with AI would cost a fraction of that.

Whether AI will actually cut costs for companies is a hotly debated topic, in part because the technology is so expensive. So far, mainstream Hollywood is open to the use of AI for technical production but not core creative tasks.

Despite the outward tumult over AI, Van der Velden said the reception has been warmer behind closed doors. In recent weeks, she has signed about 60 nondisclosure agreements for hybrid movies (with real actors), full AI films and Tilly-specific projects, most of them in the $10 million to $50 million range. She self-funded the work on Tilly, spending more than $60,000 to launch an offshoot company that would go on to build the character. Van der Velden is a majority shareholder in Particle6, which she says has been profitable for the last decade.

From the start, ChatGPT was full of ideas when asked about Tillys creation: Maintain excellent grooming, nutrition, and fitness," it told Van der Velden. Tilly should look energetic and healthy, it said, without extreme modifications that might alienate parts of the global audience." The AI ordered up classic elegance with a modern twist" and a cosmopolitan charisma" that would allow Tilly to, say, adopt local fashion elements during an Asian press tour." The actress could also make a political statement: ChatGPT noted that her ambiguous ethnicity not only adds to global relatability but also aligns with modern ideals of inclusivity."

As the team worked, Tilly gained freckles and a few extra pounds so she wouldnt look too slight for an action movie. AI always seemed intent on giving her bushy eyebrows and slight bags under her eyes, to the surprise of select audiences at industry events who saw early snippets of Tilly. (People often say, Oh, she looks a bit tired," Van der Velden said.) In one rough video demo, Tilly showed up with a wedding ring on her finger, which men in particular seemed to notice. (She is single.)

To a certain extent, it is random, its luck, and thats why I think you need a lot of good, creative judgment and vision and taste," Van der Velden said.

The staff revised Tilly with image generators, dialing up her resolution, reproducing her face and placing her in varied settings using tools such as Whisk, Topaz, Veo 3, Higgsfield and Seedream.

Building her voice was no less challenging, especially when it came to tone and timbre. In one phase, she spoke with the grace of Peppa Pig, the British animated TV character, which was an obviously unacceptable result.

Tilly officially got her name in March. Van der Velden overruled a suggestion from ChatGPT, which wanted to call her Nova Lux. It also came up with Tilly Warner, which the staff helped workshop to Tilly Norwood. The team searched to make sure multiple Tilly Norwoods werent populating the real world. Shes 24, but she can be aged up or down depending on the role.

The final Tilly emerged in May: messy hair, sheer top, kittenish smile. Keeping Tillys image consistent was challenging, but once the team figured that out they were able to turn her into a talking, moving entity.

Early glimpses of her personality show a sassy British woman who tells her creator to piss off" (Van der Veldens idea) and makes a stab at self awareness in the video out over the summer. Im Tilly Norwood, the worlds first AI actress," she says, or, as some might call me, the end of civilization."

Now, Van der Velden is hoping for a second chance with skeptics as she constructs Tillys personality, behavior and conversational style. (In typical showbiz fashion, Tillys beauty came before her brains.) Next year, she expects Tilly to be able to interact with fans directly.

Now Particle6 is working with lawyers and ethicists to put guardrails around Tilly. They need to know what shell say if someone professes falling in love with her, for example, or if shes presented with an unsafe situation.

Van der Velden is experimenting with tough questions for Tilly and assessing the answers. I want them to be witty, so that when she comes out, her responses will be social-media worthy," she said.

The other day, Van der Velden asked her if she had any words for Cameron, the director who pronounced himself appalled by the idea of AI actors.

Tilly kept it short. Oh, how cute, James," she said, and left it at that.

Write to Ellen Gamerman at ellen.gamerman@wsj.com
NEW DELHI: IndiGo is moving to rapidly rebuild its pilot pool after a shortage that nearly grounded Indias bustling air travel network last week, outlining a plan to add 158 pilots by 10 February and another 742 by December next year. Experts, however, say meeting the target will be challenging, especially as new night-operation limits require airlines to roster more pilots.

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, which runs IndiGo, has detailed its hiring ramp-up in a submission to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), according to a document reviewed by Mint. The airline will hire 300 captains and 600 junior first officers over the next 12 months, the document said.

Also Read | What really went haywire at IndiGo?

Indigo have an under training pool of 250 junior first officers over the next 12 months, IndiGo shall hire/upgrade 300 captains and 600 junior first officers to cater for our medium term requirements," the airline wrote in its submission to DGCA.

For IndiGos Airbus fleet, captain availability in December is 2,357 and first-officer strength is 2,194, the document showed. IndiGo plans to add 25 captains and 35 first officers by the end of December, another 28 captains and 35 first officers in January, and 15 captains and 20 first officers by 10 February. In total, this would add 68 captains and 90 first officers by that date, taking the combined tally to 2,425 captains and 2,284 first officers.

An email has been sent to IndiGo, and Mint will update the story once the airline responds. As per the airlines FY25 annual report, it had 5,456 pilots including first officers and captains.

The 10 February deadline is critical because the aviation regulator has given IndiGo time until then to fully comply with new limits on consecutive night operations. DGCA had proposed two rules for all airlines. The first, which took effect on 1 July and expanded weekly rest to up to 48 hours while prohibiting airlines from substituting various forms of leave with weekly rest, has since been rolled back.

The second rule, effective 1 November, limits pilots to two back-to-back flights between midnight and 6 am. This applies to all airlines except IndiGo, which has been granted additional time. The rule increases crew requirements because each pilot can operate night flights for only two consecutive nights before mandatory rest.

In its submission to DGCA, IndiGo said it would cancel 300-400 flights a day during 5-8 December to reset its schedule and stabilise operations. A revised roster for 10-31 December would follow, the airline said.

Hiring challenges

Even so, analysts noted that scaling up hiring quickly will be difficult. The airline started looking at fresh hirings after an operational meltdown in which it cancelled over 3,600 flights over 35 days starting 1 November.

Elara Securities estimated that IndiGo may need to hire at least 1,000 pilots to comply with FDTL norms by February, based on comparisons of pilot strength and fleet size.

However, meeting this target could be challenging, as poaching talent is difficult due to long notice periods - six months for co-pilots and 12 months for captain," said Gagan Dixit, senior vice president oil & gas and aviation, Elara Securities.

Another aviation expert expressed similar concerns. IndiGo needs to get these people on board by 10 February, and this is not an easy task," said Mark D Martin, chief executive, Martin Consulting, an aviation safety expert.

Immediate availability remains a constraint, with notice periods of at least six months, he noted. Hiring foreign pilots also requires a minimum of three months to meet regulatory clearances, he said.

Structural shortages

As per its last investor presentation, IndiGo has a fleet of 417 aircraft, comprising A320s, ATRs, a Boeing jet on wet lease from Turkish Airlines, and freighters. Nearly 40 A320s remain grounded because of engine issues with supplier Pratt & Whitney. Its effective flying fleet of A320sthe single-aisle narrow-body jetsstands at around 325.

These aircraft are being sweated" at about 14 hours a day, compared to the standard 8.5 hours. That elevates crew requirements: instead of 14 pilot-and-copilot sets, IndiGo needs at least 17 for its utilization levels.

Calculations by Martin Consulting show that with 17 sets and 325 flying A320s, IndiGos crew requirement is 5,525. Its last DGCA submission showed a crew count of 4,551 for December, a shortfall of 974 pilots.

Typically, to run an Airbus 320 (for 8-9 hours of flying) you need seven pilots and seven copilots. Now if the airline is flying more than these 8-9 hours, your pilot requirement will go up," CS Randawa, president, Federation of Indian Pilots, told Mint.

A Mint analysis of the winter schedule and pilot numbers disclosed by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol found IndiGo has 2.5 pilots per departure. That is substantially lower than competitors such as Air India at 5.4, Air India Express at 4.7, and Akasa at 5.4. Competitors also operate different fleet mixesBoeing and Airbus for Air India Group, Boeing-only for Akasawhich shifts crew-set requirements.

Also Read | Pratt & Whitney engines for IndiGo grounded planes by June next year

An IndiGo pilot is flying at least 20% more than the industry average. So even if IndiGo goes on a hiring spree, it wont be easy to get that many pilots on board," said Martin.

A note by InCred Equities said that in FY24, IndiGo pilots flew more aircraft hours (571 per pilot) than Tata (471) or the industry average excluding IndiGo (453), indicating tighter scheduling.

Pilot salaries account for 60% of IndiGos employee costs; a 20% raise could increase total employee costs by 12%, the InCred note said.
The Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery deal came in quicker than expected, but the regulatory part of the agreement may not see such a smooth road, according to a CNBC report.

Netflix on Friday stunned the media when it announced that it had emerged as the winner of a three-way fight to buy Warner Bros Discovery, paying $72 billion for the acquisition of the iconic film studio and its streaming service HBO Max. The combination of the two mammoths in the film and streaming industry is being seen as one of the biggest mergers, bringing together two of the most popular streaming platforms in the business.

As of end-2024, Netflix has reported 300 million global subscribers, while HBO Max had 128 million customers as of September 30.

This deal cements Netflixs position as the premier streaming service for original content, according to a research note from analysts at William Blair.

The sheer size of the Netflix-Warner Bros Discovery deal makes it ripe for scrutiny  from both industry leaders and US lawmakers.

Justice Department to review Netflix-Warner Bros deal? The Department of Justice is expected to review the Netflix-Warner Bros deal, as it has done with other mergers in the past. This would come amid US lawmakers already calling for an antitrust review, and the combination of both could mean that the $72 billion acquisition could take a long time to close.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has already called for an antitrust review.

This deal looks like an anti-monopoly nightmare. A Netflix-Warner Bros. would create one massive media giant with control of close to half of the streaming market  threatening to force Americans into higher subscription prices and fewer choices over what and how they watch, while putting American workers at risk, Warren said in a statement on Friday.

According to the CNBC report, analysts at Deutsche Bank and William Blair were somewhat convinced that the deal will go through.

A merger of Warner Bros. Discovery and any of the three bidders would probably succeed, even if the DOJ were to sue to block a proposed combination, Deutsche Bank analysts said in a note.

However ... we dont know all of the detailed facts that will be collected and analyzed by the DOJ, nor do we know who the judge hearing the case will be, and both of these factors can have an impact on the outcome, they added.

Questions loom for Netflix The argument on whether to greenlight Netflix's proposal to acquire Warner Bros Discovery would hinge on two questions, according to the CNBC report.

The first one is on pricing for consumers, while the second relates to the definition of Netflix's audience.

Netflix has not always been on the top of its game when it comes to pricing, charging significantly more for its streaming services as compared to peers like Disney.

My expectation on the regulatory side is Netflix is going to advocate and argue with their advisors for a very expansive definition of what their market is ... so that would include broadcast, cable, subscription and ad-supported streaming, Jeff Goldstein, a partner and managing director at AlixPartners, was quoted as saying by CNBC.

On the other hand, YouTube has maintained the top spot in terms of viewership. According to Nielsen's October report, YouTube had the largest share of TV usage, while Netflix occupied the sixth spot.
Now, another family-owned local hardware store will soon close its doors forever.

It is a huge issue we are focused on, said Scott Wright, executive director of the Leadership Institute for NRHA. Many of those retailers dont have a succession plan for passing that down to the next generation or someone within the company.

That's going to lead to more stores closing.

"The average independent hardware retail store owner  the neighborhood Joe making your keys or selling you paint  is turning 60 and his children are not rushing to take over the store, the North American Retail Hardware Association told the Las Vegas Review-Journal .

Among independent retailers in Q2 2025, only 38% reported yearoveryear sales increases versus 37% reporting declines, while 25% saw flat sales, indicating a broadly stagnant environment, the same study showed.

According to a 2024/2025 survey of independent homeimprovement retailers, among respondents, 69% operated just one store, 47% were small stores (less than 10,000 sq. ft.), and nearly half were located in rural areas, according to Hardware Retailing .

The percentage of hardware stores that are truly independent (momandpop style) has dropped over the decades, from 47% in 1992 down to 42% by 2018, reported The Handbuilt City .

The number of hardwarestore businesses has had a slight negative growth rate over recent years, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -0.6% between 2020 and 2025, the same IBISWorld report shared.

As of 2025, there are roughly 12,906 businesses classified as hardware stores in the U.S., according to IBISWorld .

Home Depot and Lowe's, to be fair, stock every item named above, but they're impersonal big-box stores, not community retailers where the owners know most customers by sight. That's not a diss on the big chains, just the reality of how the market has changed.

I remember visiting stores like this as a child, where you buy a shovel, a mailbox, or duct tape, but also paper towels, and maybe some barbecue grill supplies. Because these stores were local and locally operated, their owners had the option to stock what was needed.

Before Home Depot and Lowe's took over the market, local hardware stores used to serve as the center of many communities. Yes, they sold hardware and building supplies, but they also acted as a sort of general store.

Story Continues

Hardware stores used to be a significant part of the community.Shutterstock

Tupelo Hardware closing after 100 years

"For nearly 100 years, Tupelo Hardware has been synonymous with the city's downtown area. Its location has been a beacon for residents and tourists alike, its name in all capital letters, painted bright white atop the building at the corner of Main and Front streets," shared the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

That will change on New Year's Eve, December 31, when the store closes its doors forever.

The company shared the news on its Facebook page.

It is with a heavy heart that we would like to announce the closing of our historic, downtown location at 114 W. Main Street. To all our loyal customers and dedicated team members throughout the years, we want to wish you a heartfelt THANK YOU for 100 memorable years in downtown Tupelo," the company shared.

But unlike what has happened with so many family-owned hardware stores, this isn't a sad ending; it's a new beginning.

"Our final day of daily business will be December 31st. Rest assured that this space and its historic place in the downtown community will be preserved and improved. If youve not had the chance to visit our new location on McCullough Boulevard, we invite you to stop by," Tupelo Hardware added.

Closing the historic location was a tough decision, according to George Booth III, the third generation of the family to work at the store.

"If you Google Tupelo, Mississippi, the dot lands on the corner of Front and Main," the younger Booth told Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "This is the center hub of town. And it's difficult to talk about; it's difficult to think about. But unfortunately, we have to close this location. Things have changed. The world changes. And if you're in retail, you have to make changes, and there's no way around that."

Booth's great-grandfather opened Tupelo Hardware in 1926. His father, George Booth II, has been part of the business his entire life but recently had to step away because of health issues. That was the impetus for the difficult decision to close the store, he told the paper.

Tupelo Hardware changes with the times

"The city has an interest in making sure downtown provides opportunities to visitors and its residents, and those opportunities really fall in line with unique retail, hotel, bar, and restaurant," Booth told the Daily Journal.

"For the type of retail we did, and for as many years as we did it, our customer base needs parking for large vehicles and trailers, and that's something we can accommodate on McCullough."

This closure is part of a greater trend of store closures and stores moving away from downtown areas.

From 1995 to 2021, more stores closed every year than opened. The trend became popularized as the retail apocalypse, according to Morgan Stanley.

Related: Home Depot, Lowe's rival NABS files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Some of the change comes from population shifts and more people working from home.

The typical office worker is now spending about $2,000 to $4,600 less per year in city centers, according to research from Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom.

Store closures are increasing, populations are shifting

"U.S. retailers have announced more than 7,100 store closures through the end of November 2024. Thats a 69% jump from the same time last year," GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders shared on his LinkedIn page.

He does not blame the internet or economic conditions for this.

"Its easy to blame the economy for this. And its easy to blame online. And neither of these things should be completely dismissed. However, when you get under the skin of the closures, its obvious that the primary cause is usually the age-old failure to align with demand," he wrote.

Stanford Business School data shows that populations have shifted away from downtown, which forces moves such as the one Tupelo Hardware made.

"Using detailed household microdata from the United States, we show that three-fifths of households that left city centers in big cities moved to the suburbs of the same city. This is likely explained by the rise of hybrid work, in which employees still commute to the office a few days a week. The enduring popularity of hybrid work into 2024 suggests that the Donut Effect will persist while also leaving broader metropolitan areas intact," the Stanford Business School's How Working from Home Reshapes Cities report shows.

Related: 79-year-old appliance, mattress chain shuts down, no bankruptcy

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
UBS may eliminate 10,000 jobs by 2027 as part of its ongoing integration of Credit Suisse, Swiss paper SonntagsBlick reported on Sunday. The report stated that the layoffs will target employees in Switzerland and abroad. Responding to the claims, UBS did not confirm the figure but said that it would keep the number of jobs cuts in Switzerland and globally as low as possible.

A reduction of 10,000 positions would amount to a roughly 9 per cent cut in Swiss bank's workforce, which stood at around 110,000 employees at the end of 2024.

Why is the company cutting jobs? UBS, one of the leading global wealth management firm, has been reducing job roles as a cost-cutting measure following the integration of former rival Credit Suisse, which it bought in 2023.

The role reductions will take place over the course of several years and will be mostly achieved through natural attrition, early retirement, internal mobility and inhousing of external roles, UBS told Blick.

Also Read | HP to slash up to 6,000 jobs by 2028 amid industrywide pivot to AI

Regarding the situation in its home market, the company said that as it previously mentioned, the firm anticipates around 3,000 redundancies in Switzerland as part of the integration process, and these figures remain unchanged.

Repeated job cuts? The newly merged entity employed around 119,100 people in the summer of 2023. However, by the end of September 2025, this figure had fallen to 104,427, indicating a decrease of approximately 15,000 jobs, the paper noted.

Also Read | Amazon slashes nearly 700 jobs in New York alone amid plans of 14,000 job cuts

On average, UBS has been cutting around 1,250 positions each quarter. Over the next four to five quarters, larger waves of job cuts, up to 2,000 in total are expected, depending on how the integration of Credit Suisse moves forward.

UBS-Credit Suisse merger UBS completed its emergency takeover of fallen rival Credit Suisse in 2023, creating a giant Swiss bank with nearly $1.7 trillion in assets in the biggest banking tie-up since the 2008 global financial crisis, CNN reported.
Bengaluru-based Ola Electrics July-September earnings call on 6 November had some surprises for analysts and investors. To begin with, founder, chairman and managing director Bhavish Aggarwal slashed the companys full-year guidance by a third to 3,000-3,200 crore, just three months after saying it would earn 4,200-4,700 crore.

Taken by surprise, analysts were quick to seek an explanation. [You] are Ebitda positive, asguided last time, but it appears to have come at the cost of sacrificing volume. Could you help us understand what gives you comfort that this trade-off is sustainable and strategically sound," asked Arun Kejriwal, founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services.

In a lengthy response, Aggarwal justified the lowered guidance and played up the companys improvement in gross margins and operating costs. In the short term, he indicated that Ola Electric was focusing on getting all its ducks in a row. And over the long term, he insisted, this would help the company dominate the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

Aggarwal also revealed that Ola Electric wanted to focus on a new business segment: battery energy storage systems (BESS). The company expects to generate about 1,000 crore in revenue from the battery energy storage business in financial year 2027. That would be about 22% of its 4,514 crore revenue in fiscal year 2025 (FY25).

Although the battery business guidance appears promising, the road to achieving that is still hazy as there are established players in the segment," an analyst from a global brokerage firm said.

Analyst pessimism is reflected in the stock price, with Ola Electric shares plummeting 24% over the last month against a 3% rise in the Nifty Auto.

In the September quarter, the companys loss narrowed to 418 crore from 495 crore in the year-ago period but revenue crashed 43% to 690 crore. The governments Vahan portal showed that its vehicle registrations had nearly halved during the quarter to 50,372 units, trailing cross-town rival Ather Energy Ltd and legacy companies TVS Motor Co. Ltd and Bajaj Auto Ltd.

Investors are not enthused by the performance. Since listing at 76 per share and soaring to nearly 150, Ola Electrics shares now trade at 35. Meanwhile, Athers shares have surged more than 120% since it listed in May, riding on its steady performance.

The only silver lining for the business came from the fact that the two-wheeler business turned Ebitda margin profitable for the first time. That, too, was aided by the fact that the company did not allocate 106 crore in expenses to either the auto or cell business, putting it under the unallocated expense section instead.

Ebitda is short for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

In response to queries from Mint on the companys dismal outlook, an Ola Electric spokesperson said, FY26 has been a deliberate year of recalibration. We consciously prioritised profitability and sustainable growth over volume-led expansion." That statement echoed the spin Aggarwal offered analysts during the earnings call.

The spokesperson added, This transition phase includes revamping our front-end retail network, strengthening service delivery, and scaling our Gigafactory infrastructure to prepare for the next phase of growth across both auto and energy."

Ola Electrics sales have continued to plunge in the ongoing quarter despite the festive season. It sold just 16,050 and 8,400 units in October and November and was relegated to fifth position in the pecking order.

With the sales slump continuing and revenue slipping, the company has been forced to announce two fundraises this year despite having raised 6,145 crore from its initial public offering (IPO) last year. It has announced a 1,700 crore fundraise through issuance of non-convertible bonds and 1,500 crore through the equity route in the last seven months.

Industry executives and experts believe a path to recovery exists for Aggarwal provided two things work: the ramp-up of advanced scooter products and utilization of the cell gigafactory.

The Gen 3 gambit

Ola Electric journey began in 2017 when the company was founded by Aggarwal propped up by his ride-hailing business, Ola Cabs. Within two years, it became a unicorn after raising $250 million from SoftBank and set out to disrupt the automotive industry.

In 2020, Ola acquired Netherlands based Etergo BV and gained access to e-scooter technology.

The first scooters started selling in December 2021, from its generation-1 platform. This was upgraded to generation 2 in August 2023. The Gen 1 and Gen 2 scooters helped the company quickly achieve leadership with sales surging to 330,000 in FY24 from around 153,000 in the previous financial year.

But owners started reporting serious defects and the company struggled to address their servicing requests. Thousands of complaints surfaced against the Gen 1 and Gen 2 scooters, forcing the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to issue a show cause notice to the company in October 2024. The investigation is still ongoing.

To stem the service issues, the company launched its Gen 3 platform last year and rolled out vehicles based on the platform from this January.

On Gen 3, we actually feel our quality metrics are by far industry leading," Aggarwal said during an earnings call on 29 May.

During the 6 November call, Aggarwal told analysts that Ola Electric had stopped the sale of Gen 2 products to consumers and was solely focusing on Gen 3, with more than 90% of its sales in the second quarter of FY26 coming from the platform.

This solved part of the problem, but Ola Electric still has lakhs of vehicles running on old platforms with consumer experiences clearly weighing down sales of the relatively better Gen 3 model.

The perception about Ola Electric continues to suffer due to persisting product issues. These arise only when the product quality is not up to the mark," said Deepesh Rathore, former head of product strategy at Ola Electric and founder of consultancy firm Insight EV. He opined that the company would not see a revival in volume growth until enough investments had been made to solve niggling issues in its scooters, across generations.

Meanwhile, Ola Electric has already teased the launch of its Gen 4 platform, which is expected to arrive in 2026.

Gigafactory edge

In June 2023, Ola began construction of its gigafactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, after it became the first entity to get approval for subsidies under the production-linked incentive cell scheme for 20GWh capacity.

When the company went public in 2024, it specifically allocated 1,227 crore out of the total fundraise for the purpose of increasing the capacity of its gigafactory to 6.4 GWh from 5 GWh.

The gigafactory, the first in the country, has started producing cells for Olas electric vehicles, and some believe cells are Aggarwals biggest edge right now.

In October, the company launched Ola Shakti, marking its entry into battery energy storage systems, as it looked to diversify from its auto business.

In October, the company launched Ola Shakti, marking its entry into BESS, as it looked to diversify from its auto business. Ola Shakti will sell home inverters in a bid to tap the vast market currently held by Luminous, Exide, Microtek and Livguard.

Over the coming quarters, our revenue mix will broaden beyond automotive into residential and commercial BESS, creating a more balanced company. But the core focus remains on preparing for the next wave of accelerated EV (electric vehicle) adoption," the Ola spokesperson said.

The company plans to sell lithium-ion cell home inverters priced between 50,000 and 2 lakh. According to its projections, the business will fetch 100 crore in revenue in the January-March quarter when it starts selling the product.

Ola is also guiding for revenue of 1,000 crore from the BESS business in the next financial year, suggesting a big play in the energy sector.

To achieve this feat, the company will have to sell around 80,000 units if the average price is taken at 1.25 lakh per unit. But the company is confident, noting that demand is huge.

Indias grid-scale BESS market has grown rapidlyfrom ~33 GWh of tendered capacity in CY24 to estimated 51 GWh in CY25, driven by SECI and state DISCOMs (distribution companies). All current deployments rely on imported Chinese systems," Ola Electric said in its shareholder letter on 6 November.

...the market it addresses is the current inverter market, which is largely lead acid or even the diesel generator used in homes, used in SMEs or small commercial establishments," Aggarwal said during the 6 November earnings call.

View Full Image A file photo of Bhavish Aggarwal, Ola Electrics founder, chairman and managing director. (Reuters)

Amidst all this, Ola Electric has been sending confusing signals. On 14 July, the company said it would not be expanding the capacity of its cell plant beyond 5 GWh at least till FY29 as it believed the capacity would be enough to meet demand for its EV scooters. But on the 6 November call, it said the 20 GWh capacity would be ready by the end of FY27. The sudden change indicates the slump in the auto business may have forced it to rethink its plans.

Experts suggest that for any company looking to have a play in the battery sector, it is crucial to have a diversified business to hit profitability.

According to Harshvardhan Sharma, group head at Nomura Research Institute, the inflection point for cell businesses to reach profitability is around 4 GWh. Beyond 4 GWh, incremental capacity drives marginal cost reductions of 8-10% per GWh as scale efficiencies in procurement, process automation, and energy utilization kick in," Sharma said, suggesting that the company needs to look beyond the EV sector.

Players that approach this as a broader energy systems business, rather than a pure EV supply chain play, will achieve more stable Ebitda profiles," he added.

Problems aplenty

Another big worry for Aggarwal is Ola Electrics debt overhang. The company has debt obligations coming up in the next few years. It has to pay a total of 2,114 crore in debt and interest obligations until 2029-30, according to its disclosures.

Aggarwals problems are compounded by the fact that other Ola group entities face similar pressures, with Ola Consumer being the most notable one.

The pressure on the ride-hailing business is being seen in its workforce count, which more than halved to 376 by August from 886 in April 2024, according to the Employees Provident Fund Organisation database.

Compounding matters, credit rating agency Moodys downgraded Ola Consumer parents ANI Technologies credit rating citing its weak operational performance. The downgrade to Caa1 and negative outlook reflects the ongoing weakness in Olas operating performance that is eroding liquidity and raising the risk of a covenant breach in the coming months," Sweta Patodia, assistant vice president and analyst at Moodys Ratings, said in a 7 November note.

The downgrade to Caa1 and negative outlook reflects the ongoing weakness in Olas operating performance... () Sweta Patodia, Moody's

The only silver lining for the business came from the fact that the two-wheeler business turned Ebitda margin profitable for the first time. That, too, was aided by the fact that the company did not allocate 106 crore in expenses to either the auto or cell business, putting it under the unallocated expense section instead.

Aggarwal has been pledging his own shares in Ola Electric to raise money for the privately held venture, with 10% of his 30% holding in Ola Electric now pledged with lenders.

According to Insight EVs Rathore, what Ola Electric needs most is professional management as the promoter of the company has to focus on multiple businesses. This would help them address the challenges in a more focused manner."

While the Ola spokesperson did not address questions on whether its business segments currently need a professional setup, they said that the companys strategy would soon start showing results. Ola Electric is strongly positioned for the next cycle of industry growth thanks to its diversified growth engines in the automotive and energy sectors, the spokesperson emphasized.

What Ola Electric needs most is professional management as the promoter of the company has to focus on multiple businesses.

Our vertical integration strategy is now scaling at pace. Indias first giga-scale cell plant is operational with 2.5 GWh capacity, moving to 5.9 GWh by March 2026," the spokesperson said. Vehicles powered by Olas 4680 Bharat cells are already on the road, and the entire automotive portfolio will transition to these cells over the next three to four quarters."

The spin aside, it remains to be seen if Aggarwal can arrest the current decline and script a turnaround. Those who invested in Ola Electrics IPO will expect nothing less.
Qatar Airways CEO: State-owned Qatar Airways on Sunday said it has named Hamad al-Khater as the group's chief executive officer (CEO).

According to a press release on Sunday, Khater's appointment as Qatar Airways group CEO will be effective from December 7.

Hamad al-Khater will replace Badr Mohammed Al-Meer as the CEO, who had served in the role since October 2023. He had replaced Akbar Al Baker, one of the airline industry's most outspoken leaders, who retired after almost three decades of running the airline.

Qatar Airways Group today announced the appointment of Mr. Hamad Ali AlKhater as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective Sunday, 7 December 2025. Mr. AlKhater succeeds Engr. Badr Mohammed AlMeer, the airline said in a press release.

In his new role, Khater will be responsible for responsible for ensuring the safety and reliability of airport operations, while leading its strategic direction, operational excellence, infrastructure expansion, and the continuous enhancement of passenger experience.

Qatar Airways Group Board of Directors Chairman Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi welcomed his appointment.

As we welcome Mr. Hamad Ali Al-Khater, we look forward to building on the strong foundations and expansive global network of Qatar Airways, anchored by our exceptional team in Qatar and around the world. With this leadership transition, Qatar Airways Group reaffirms its commitment to delivering world-class experiences, reliability, and innovation to travelers around the globe, he said.

Who is Hamad al-Khater? Hamad al-Khater served as the chief operating officer at Hamad International Airport during his most recent stint.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he also acted as the vice president of business development at the airport.

Before his tenure at Hamad International Airport, Khater held senior roles across QatarEnergy, driving business development, deal execution, and leading large-scale strategic and operational initiatives.

He spent over eight years at QatarEnergy and had stints at other oil and gas firms.

Hamad al-Khater started his career as an LNG market analyst at Qatar Petroleum in 2009, and then moved on to Shell as a commercial advisor in 2011. After a brief stint at the company, he rejoined Qatar Petroleum as a senior LNG market analyst, following which he moved on to RasGas in 2013.

Khater has served as a board member in several companies, including QatarEnergy Trading, QAFCO (Qatar Fertiliser Company), Al Koot Insurance & Reinsurance Company, and Nebras Power QSC.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reportedly issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers on Saturday amid mass IndiGo flight cancellations.

The DGCA reportedly held the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days, pointing to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management," news agency ANI reported.

As per the notice, Elbers must respond within 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against the carrier; failure to reply will allow the DGCA to decide the matter ex parte.

"You are hereby directed to show cause within 24 hours of receipt of this notice as to why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated against you under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for the above-mentioned violations," the notice read.

Who is Pieter Elbers? Pieter Elbers is a Dutch airline executive who has been the CEO of IndiGo since 2022. According to his profile on IndiGo's official website, he has over 30 years of industry experience.

The IndiGo crisis brought the spotlight on Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers, who issued apologies over the flight cancellation controversy.

Pieter Elbers's career: Pieters foundation and experience were formed in his impressive 30-year career at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Prior to joining IndiGo, Pieter was the President and Chief Executive Officer of KLM for eight years.

He started his career at KLM in 1992 as a Manager Aircraft loading. During his tenure at KLM, he held various key executive positions in The Netherlands, Japan, Greece, and Italy.

In 2011, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and to President and CEO in 2014. During this time, he was also an executive of the AIR FRANCE-KLM Group.

Pieter also serves on the IATA Board of Governors and has been elected as the Chair since June 2024.

Pieter Elbers' education: Pieter earned a bachelors degree in Logistics Management and a masters degree in Business Economics.

He also completed various executive programs at IMD, Lausanne and Columbia University, New York.

IndiGo chaos Hundreds and thousands of IndiGo flights were cancelled a d delayed in the past few days.

The DGCA stated that the "primary cause" of the disruptions was IndiGo's failure to make "adequate arrangements" to meet the revised staffing, duty-time and rostering requirements under the newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) scheme.

The DGCA observed that the breakdown in services reflects "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management", amounting to prima facie non-compliance with the provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937 (Rule 42A) and relevant Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on duty periods, flight time limitations and prescribed rest periods for crew.

The regulator also pointed out failures in passenger care, noting that the airline did not provide the mandated information or facilities to affected travellers following cancellations, delays and denied boarding, violating CAR provisions regarding passenger rights.

Since last week, the civil aviation industry in India has been hit by massive disruptions, with cancellations, severe delays, and the rescheduling of many flights by IndiGo, primarily due to a sudden shortage of pilots and crew following the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms issued by the DGCA last year.

This has led to thousands of passengers facing significant inconvenience, long queues, and inadequate facilities, with some stranded at the airport for hours. Passengers have also urged the airline to provide timely updates and support to minimise inconvenience.

According to airport data accessed on Saturday, several major hubs reported significant cancellations by IndiGo.

Hyderabad Airport recorded 69 planned cancellations, including 26 arrivals and 43 departures. At Delhi Airport, operated by GMR, 86 IndiGo flights were cancelled for the day, comprising 37 departures and 49 arrivals. Ahmedabad Airport also reported disruptions, with 35 departures and 24 arrivals listed under planned cancellations.

At Kolkata Airport, 73 arrivals and 102 departures were scheduled for the day, of which 21 arrivals and 20 departures were cancelled.

IndiGo issues apology IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers posted a video clip on social media, extending his apologies for the massive disruptions.

Regrettably, earlier measures of the last few days have proven not to be enough. So we decided today for a reboot of all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest number of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting tomorrow onwards, Elbers said.

"With these actions, we expect tomorrow to have cancellations below 1,000. The support of DGCA, in providing specific FDTL implementation relief, is of great help," he added.

Meanwhile, IndiGo issued an apology on Sunday following the disruption, noting that the carrier had "operated little above 700 flights yesterday connecting 113 destinations".

In a statement issued on X, IndiGo noted that the carrier is currently "on our way to operate over 1500 flights by end of day. With regards to destinations, over 95% of network connectivity has already been re-established, as we are able to operate to 135 out of the existing 138 destinations in operation."

"While we understand that we have a long way to go, we are committed to build back the trust of our customers. We would like to thank all our partners and government agencies for their constant support and guidance. Most of all we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our customers and staff for their patience and cooperation through these tough times. We apologise once again," it added.
After calling for the abolition of the European Union (EU) over a $140 million fine on X, billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday asserted that his social media platform had become the leading source of news in EU countries.

On Sunday, Musk initially tweeted, "X is seeing record-breaking downloads in many countries in Europe," before going on a tirade against the bloc, which was also criticised by officials of the Donald Trump administration following the announcement of the penalty.

"The European Union is not DEMOcracy  rule of the people  but rather BUREAUcracy  rule of the unelected bureaucrat! (sic)," the Tesla and SpaceX chief wrote in continuation of his criticism of the EU.

Shortly afterwards, Musk declared that X was "Now number 1 in every EU country!".

The source of Musk's declaration was a post by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, which announced, "BREAKING: X just became the #1 source for news in every single EU country  Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden."

"The same 27 countries trying to regulate, fine, and silence it now rely on it more than any legacy outlet or state media. You cant make this up (sic)," the group added.

Mint could not independently confirm the claim made by the group and re-shared by Musk.

Also Read | Sam Altman has explored deal to build competitor to Elon Musks SpaceX

Why was X slapped with a $140 million fine? The $140 million penalty on X by the EU was for alleged violations of the bloc's strict content and transparency rules, which were enforced in August 2023. The rules essentially regulate what big tech companies can and cannot do when it comes to content moderation and the handling of user data.

Announcing the fine, the EU said that X had been penalised over the "deceptive design" of its blue checkmark, in addition to a lack of transparency in the social media platform's ads repository.

The EU also said that X had failed to fulfil its obligations to provide researchers to the platform's public data, something that is mandated under the Digital Security Act (DSA).

"Moreover, X's processes for researchers' access to public data impose unnecessary barriers, effectively undermining research into several systemic risks in the European Union," the EU said.

EU slammed by Musk, Trump admin Following EU's decision to penalise X, Musk went on the offensive, calling for the bloc's dissolution.

The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people (sic), the billionaire wrote on X, and followed up with several posts on the EU's shortcomings.

Europe is sleep-walking into oblivion, wrote Musk in one post.

He went on to share a post equating the bloc with the Fourth Reich, before continuing his attack.

The tyrannical, unelected bureaucracy oppressing the people of Europe are in the second picture, Musk wrote on Sunday, sharing a post.

Following the imposition of the fine, officials of the Donald Trump administration also sharply criticised the EU, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio labelling the move an attack on US tech companies.

The European Commissions $140 million fine isnt just an attack on X, its an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments, wrote Rubio in a post that was shared by US Vice President J D Vance.
Bigg Boss Season 19: The countdown for the most awaited grand finale of Bigg Boss' latest season has commenced. As Bigg Boss enthusiasts eagerly wait for the final showdown of the reality television, a total of 5 finalists remain out of the 18 housemates. The show kicked off on 24 August with 16 contestants and two wild-card contestants entered the house later.

Bigg Boss Season 19: Top 5 finalists Ashnoor Kaur and Shehbaz Badesha were the latest one to walk out of "Bigg Boss: Iss Baar Chalegi Gharwaloon Ki Sarkar" after eviction from Salman Khan's show. The real face-off is between Tanya Mittal, Gaurav Khanna, Amaal Mallik, Farrhana Bhatt and Pranit More. The 24X7 LIVE channel was closed recently as the contestants are preparing for their finale performances of the 105th episode of Bigg Boss Season 19.

According to Filmibeat, Kartik Aryan and Ananya Pandey will come on the sets of Bigg Boss Season 19: to promote their upcoming movie Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. As per popular Bigg Boss insider account, The Khabri, Karan Kundrra, Sunny Leone and Pawan Singh will mark their appearance on the show as the guest for the highly anticipated grand finale.

Also Read | Will Gaurav Khanna lift Bigg Boss 19 trophy? Earnings of top 5 in 14 weeks

To cheer for their favourite house member, former contestants will attend the finale event, including Abhishek Bajaj, Ashnoor Kaur, Baseer Ali, Nehal Chudasama, Kunicka Sadanand.

Bigg Boss 19 voting deadline Voting lines closed on Sunday morning at 10:00 AM. Although voting lines are now closed, it may reopen at midnight for 5 minutes for the top 2 finalists. The contestant with maximum votes will take home the coveted Bigg Boss 19 trophy.

Also Read | Will Gaurav Khanna lift Bigg Boss 19 trophy? Earnings of top 5 in 14 weeks

Bigg Boss 19 Prize money Now coming to the prize money, in addition to the fame and popularity, the Bigg Boss 19 trophy is set to bring, the winner is expected to take home 50 lakh as the prize money, like the previous seasons. Besides this, it opens doors to a range of opportunities in the film industry, including endorsement deals with brands. Notably, MasterChef winner Gaurav is already the highest paid contestant on the show with respect to his weekly salary.

When and where to stream Bigg Boss 19 on OTT, watch on TV As the top five Bigg Boss 19 finalists engage in intense battle for the winner's title, fans can watch the high-octane drama of the grand finale online on streaming platform JioHotstar from 9:00 pm on Sunday. Those with TV connection can watch on Colors TV channel at 10:30 PM.
Gaurav Khanna has won Bigg Boss 19 Finale. The actor who has been praised for his calm demeanor was also called the a superstar by none other than Salman Khan. Gaurav Khanna was praised after he was criticised by Farhana Bhatt, the runner up of Bigg Boss 19, during one of the Bigg Boss episodes, questioning his popularity.

Speaking about Gaurav Khanna, Salman Khan had even said that his mother, Salma Khan, has watched his shows on TV. While the actor was praised for his popularity, Salman Khan had also once cautioned him for being inactive.

When Salman Khan defended Gaurav Khanna In an earlier episode of the show, Farhana said, Who are you? TV ke superstar? Neither Tanya (Mittal) nor I have ever seen you in any show. She also added that she will never work on television.

During Saturdays Weekend Ka Vaar episode, Salman stepped in to defend Gaurav, saying he has personally watched his shows. Farhana, if you havent watched Gauravs shows, then youre ignorant, hes very popular on television. Ive seen his shows, and even my mother has watched them. In which world do you live? he said. Also Read | Bigg Boss 19 Finale: Early voting trends come true! Gaurav Khanna wins Season 19, takes home 50 lakh prize money

And if he says hes a superstar and you deny it, then let me tell you, he is a superstar. His fans made him one, he has never claimed it himself, Salman added.

Salman Khan also went on to praise Gaurav Khanna for his patience and how gracefully he handled Farhana's comments.

Also Read | Bigg Boss 19: Net worth of all five finalists revealed ahead of finale

For the past 20 years, this man has been working tirelessly every single day, 18 hours a day, and yet he responded to you in a dignified way even though you didnt stop provoking him. He never got personal with you. I swear to God, even if I were in the house, I wouldnt have handled it as gracefully as Gaurav did. I wouldnt have let anyone speak to me like that about my career or family, he said.

Being inactive But Gaurav Khanna has also been called out for being inactive, cautioning him about the tag of "overrated."

Gaurav, aap front foot pe khelne se ghabra rahe hai. Poore hafte karibab 20 minute nazar aaye hai aap. Palak jhapke aap chale gaye. (Gaurav, you appear afraid to play in the front. Last week, you were visible for only 20 minutes. You disappeared in the blink of an eye), Salman told the 'Anupamaa' actor.

He then turned to the other contestants, asking them to weigh in on Gaurav Khannas role in the captaincy task. Mridul Tiwari remarked that Gaurav was only there to clap, while Baseer Ali said he goes to people, says a few things, and then steps back.

"Gaurav, every actor should be scared of this one word...overrated hai yaar," Salman Khan warned.
WILLMAR, Minn.Nearly 30 years ago in this small agricultural town, resident Pablo Obregon did a double take at a group waiting for the bus downtown on the first day of school. They were Somali children.

Where did they come from?" he recalls wondering. Obregon, now Willmars director of community growth, is no longer surprised when he sees large numbers of Somalis.

So many have settled here that a lively stretch downtown is called Little Mogadishu because Somalis run more than a dozen storefront businesses. In winter its not uncommon to see Somalis in traditional dress bundled up in big American-style parkas and stocking caps worn over hijabs. Somalis represent about a quarter of production workers at the Jennie-O turkey plant, the economic engine of this community of nearly 22,000 some 95 miles west of Minneapolis.

But in recent days, downtowns strip of restaurants, groceries and clothing stores has been attracting only a few customers, shopkeepers say. ICE raids are ramping up in Minnesota, and President Trump has lashed out against immigrants from Somalia, calling them garbage" and saying he doesnt want them in the U.S.

They are not willing to go to work and not coming outside a lot because of fear," said Abdiweli Yusuf, a 33-year-old Somali-American, as he swept up the grocery store he owns with family members. He wore a traditional robe-like khamiis under a long wool coat and a pink stocking cap against the below-zero windchill, which he didnt seem to mind. Minnesota is the most welcoming place in America," he said. I have five kids who were born here in Willmar hospitals. This is our forever home."

Many here, and across Minnesota, have been shaken by a sprawling $1 billion fraud scandal that has put the states Somali community in the national spotlight and drawn Trumps ire. Federal prosecutors say dozens of people bilked taxpayers by setting up scam social-services companies. It has hit home here.

A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty in February to fraud that included using the address of a Willmar restaurant to claim that he fed 1.6 million meals to children early in the pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota.

Local leaders say the scandal doesnt reflect the Somali community broadly. I can honestly say I havent encountered any bad Somalis," said Willmar Mayor Doug Reese. I mean, theres probably some, but by and large, theyre good people."

When Reese, a former union official, moved to the area in 1972, the city was made up mostly of descendants of Swedes, Norwegians, Dutch and Germans, he said.

View Full Image Willmar Mayor Doug Reese is supportive of the local Somali community. (Yasmin Yassin for WSJ)

The first big wave of more recent migrants was Hispanic farmworkers.

Rollie Nissen, a 79-year-old former shoe salesman and longtime Republican leader in the area, said he appreciated the inflow of cash from the newcomers. I had no problem with them, because when they got paid they would come to my store and buy cowboy boots," he said.

Nissen did express reservations, however, after the Somalis started to arrive in relatively large numbers.

In 2019, after Trump issued an executive order requiring states and counties to formally consent to continue receiving refugees, Kandiyohi Countywhere Willmar is the county seatwrestled with the decision. Nissen, then chair of the county board, said many people wanted a pause in refugees but were afraid to say so out of fear of being labeled racist. He cited concerns from constituents about overburdened social services in the area, according to local radio coverage of the meeting.

In the end, the county became the first in Minnesota to say they wanted to continue, but only in a 3 to 2 vote. Nissen was one of two no" votes.

Today, Nissen said he has a very good Somali friend and drives Somali children to school in his part-time job as a bus driver. He feels the presidents comments go too far.

Its not just the Somalis who are raiding the bank," he said. Its a broad brush, I dont think he should be painting with a broad brush. We should get rid of the people who are here illegally, not ship everybody back to Somalia or Mexico or Venezuela."

The Somalis arriving in the past few decades have changed the face of downtown, renting apartments and opening businesses in the storefronts. Some display colorful clothing and rugs, and many of the restaurants serve a traditional Somali spiced tea with steamed milk and lots of sugar. They are very entrepreneurial," said Obregon, Willmars community-growth director.

Now Hispanic and Somali children make up the majority of children in the local school.

Vicki Davis, a city council member and parateacher in special education, said her first-grade class of 22 students has only four white children, including one Ukrainian.

Its fun to see them play together," she said. One of the Somali girls hijabs will fall off and all of the girls are like, Oh, my goodness, lets help her. Its just really sweet."

Sending Somalis out of the country would be a blow to Willmars economy, officials said.

Well, first thing I think of is Jennie-O," said Mayor Reese. They arent going to have the workers, right? And I dont know where youd find them."

Somalis are an important part of the plants strong culture, said Hunter Pagel, head of human resources at the plant, which is owned by Hormel Foods. We would struggle if we didnt have the team members working on the floor," he said. Theres only so much you can automate. Theres something about the human touchthey do a better job."

Write to Joe Barrett at Joseph.Barrett@wsj.com
Five miles off Taiwans coast, ZTD-05 amphibious vehicles roll out of ships and zip over the water amid a hail of artillery fire. The Chinese soldiers inside have their orders: Seize the beach, or die trying.

Close by, Chinas airborne troops are taking losses. They arrived before dawn in low-flying Y-20 aircraft to seize Taoyuan Airport. Taiwanese defenders downed several planes. The paratroopers that landed, scattered, are in a race to assault the airfield before Taiwan wrecks it.

This hypothetical battle scenario imagines a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, as militaries, policymakers and wargamers are doing. An amphibious invasion would be one of the toughest military operations to execute. And, an all-out war would be extremely bloody, devastate the global economy and change the course of the 21st century.

Whether Beijing will try to conquer the democratically governed island by force is the biggest geopolitical unknown facing the world. A close second: How the U.S., Taiwans main defense partner, would respond.

The flip side is that Beijing knows these problems better than most. A hot war isnt inevitable, but Chinese leader Xi Jinping has asked his military planners to get ready, driving a rapid peacetime buildup.

Shape of the war How would an invasion unfold? A lot would depend on what Taiwan does to fight back, whether the U.S. intervenes and how well Chinese forces work together across the skies, seas, sand and space.

Chinese doctrine and Western experts point to three broad phases. First, China would hit Taiwan with missile barrages. Second, its ships would cross the Taiwan Strait and amphibious units would attempt to land on one or more beaches. Third, Chinese forces would break out of the landing zone and launch a ground assault for Taipei.

In reality, the war would involve a dizzying array of attacks and counterattacks. China could begin by snapping up Taiwans small outer islands. It could enforce a blockade to squeeze Taipei into submission. It could sever undersea internet cables to plunge the island into digital darkness, or order crippling cyberattacks.

Phase 1: Firepower China would unleash a joint firepower strike, pounding Taiwan with missiles. The goals: to soften Taiwan up by battering its defenses, make it safer for Chinese ships to cross the strait, break Taiwans will to fight, and dissuade a U.S. intervention with a strong show of force.

The campaign would likely involve hundreds of missiles falling on hundreds of targets, from Taiwans air defense systems and air force bases, to ammunition bunkers, command hubs and coastal artillery. The blitz would aim to destroy warplanes on the ground, crater runways and discombobulate the defenders.

How long the bombardment lastsa few days or a few weeksis a crucial decision Chinese warplanners would have to make. Stretching it out could give the U.S. time to act, but failing to eliminate key capabilities could imperil the invasions next steps.

China has undertaken a dramatic buildup of missiles. The Rocket Force, which was elevated to a full military branch a decade ago, has 3,500 missiles across different ranges.

Phase 2: Crossing and landing After the blitz comes the amphibious assault. In this part of the invasion, Chinese ships would be sunk, landing forces could be blown up in the water or cut down on beaches and fighting akin to bloody World War II battles might unfold.

How would it begin? Thousands of Chinese troops and millions of tons of warfighting equipment would move to coastal staging areas in China on trucks, trains and planespotentially tipping off its adversaries.

If theyre going to go bigand theyre either going to go big or theyre not going to goits going to take a lot of preparation, said Dennis Blasko, a former U.S. Army attache in Beijing and Hong Kong.

In the last two years, however, some Peoples Liberation Army watchers have begun to wonder if it could use the cover of military exercises to obscure the warning signs. Since 2022, Chinese drills around Taiwan have grown far more complex and realistic. If that trend intensified year after year, China could pivot to a rapid, high-intensity attack, some experts said.

Picking the right landing spots would be tricky.

If amphibious forces headed to southern Taiwan, they might have an easier fight since Taiwans army is concentrated in the islands north. But after that, they would have to wage a grinding overland campaign to Taipei, river by river, ridgeline by ridgeline, said Mark Cancian, a retired colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps who has run wargames simulating such a scenario.

Defenders could blow up bridges, collapse tunnels and bog down the enemy in cities or mountains.

Approaching Taiwan from the north would put the landing teams closer to Taipei, but they would meet stiff resistance on and beyond the beach from tanks, artillery, mines and more. Taiwan would focus its counterattacks and plant booby traps on the limited pathways out of the beaches.

Since a military restructuring in 2017, China has honed an A-team that would likely act as the spearhead. They are the armys six amphibious combined arms brigades, totaling around 30,000 troops and more than 2,400 vehicles, Blaskos research shows. These forces would cross the strait on ships, launch into the water in speedy armored vehicles, and swim to the target beach in rows.

China has also rapidly built out its marine corps, from two brigades in 2017 to 11 today, that would execute missions in tandem or separately from the army.

The most-debated question: Can Chinese forces and their weapons get across the Taiwan Strait in the numbers they need?

Chinas navy has dozens of amphibious ships, but not hundreds. It hasnt hugely ramped up production of the types of landing vessels that would best serve a Taiwan attack, though it could do so relatively easily in the future, being the worlds top shipbuilder. Instead, it has churned out ever-larger warships better suited to projecting power far from Chinas shores.

These behemoths would nonetheless be pressed into service for a Taiwan fight.

To fill the gap in sealift, Chinas military would lean on a secondary source: civilian ships. Take for instance roll-on roll-off ferries that typically carry passengers, trucks and cargo, but are now built to defense standards and train with the military.

These large ships have modified ramps that can drop down until submerged, allowing armored vehicles to roll out into the water, said Michael Dahm, a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer and senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The stern ramps can withstand heavy waves and weight, he said.

The main challenge would be scaling up for a conflict in which they would need to convoy in close formation under the protection of warships sailing alongside, Dahm said.

Phase 3: Breakout and seize Taipei A successful beach assault offers a foothold. After that, however, waves of soldierspotentially hundreds of thousandsneed to follow to break out of the beach, push deeper and take Taipei. Their equipment, such as heavy battle tanks and truckloads of bullets, fuel and medical supplies, cant swim ashore.

The best way in is a port.

If they take a port its kind of game over, said Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

That is because China could then bring in civilian ferries, deck cargo ships and other commercial vessels. These would be loaded up with warfighters and large volumes of logistics needed for a ground campaign. The vast majority of their sealift is going to be the commercial stuff and its supply is near limitless, said Shugart.

This is Taiwans nightmare. To avoid it, its forces could sabotage its ports to keep them out of Chinese hands or sink ships in the channel to block access.

This year, another capability showed up on the Chinese coast: mobile piers that can be used to unload directly onto a beach or possibly to a damaged port. The setup consists of three barges that line up one behind the other, close to the shore. Each has retractable legs that thrust down into the seabed to hold the ships in position.

Once steadied, long bridges extend out, connecting one barge to the other, and the first barge to the shore, research by Dahm and Shugart shows.

The result is a 2,700-foot causeway where ferries or civilian cargo ships could pull up. Tanks, trucks and tactical vehicles would roll out to the bridge and onto Taiwan, possibly hundreds at a time. These piers would be vulnerable to attack, though, which means they could only be used once a beach was secured.

If China got a large force ashore, it would move on Taipei, waging a 21st-century battle for a megacity.
Bank holidays next week, 8 December to 14 December: There are as many as four bank holidays next week, according to the RBI bank holiday calendar. However, the four bank holidays are only applicable to certain parts of India, because they are decided by the Reserve Bank of India on basis of regional holidays.

Bank holidays in India differ from state to state and are based on national, regional, and religious observances.

Here is the full list of bank holidays between 8 December and 14 December, including SBI Bank holiday, PNB bank holiday, ICICI Bank holiday, HDFC Bank holiday and more.

Bank holiday on 9 December Banks will be closed in Kerala for the general election to Local Government Institutions 2025.

Bank holiday on 12 December Meghalaya will mark the death anniversary of Pa Togan Nengminja Sangma, a freedom fighter from Garo tribe. Therefore, it is a bank holiday in Meghalaya on 12 December.

Bank holiday on Saturday, 13 December There is a bank holiday on Saturday, 13 December across all banks in India. This is because 13 December is the second Saturday, when banks typically remain closed as per RBI norms.

Banks remain open on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of all months.

Are banks closed this weekend? Yes, banks will be closed this weekend on Saturday, 13 December and Sunday, 14 December. On these days, banks across India will remain shut.

In total, these make up for four bank holidays across India.

When are banks typically closed? Banks are typically closed on regional holidays, national holidays and the weekends. While only certain parts of India observe bank holidays during the regional holidays, all banks remain closed during national observances.

Apart from festivals and other observances, bank holidays are granted on the second and fourth Saturdays, and all Sundays of the month.

Also Read | RBI MPC meeting to auto sales: Top 5 triggers for stock market

What services are available on bank holidays? If one needs to withdraw cash or send money on a bank holiday, there is no need to worry. ATM services work 24x7 even during bank holidays, if you need to withdraw cash, get a statement or any other requirement.

To send money on a bank holiday, online banking services like NEFT, IMPS and RTGS are available.

Apart from this, customers can use UPI services on bank holidays to send and receive money as they are functional.

Bank holidays in December There are 14 bank holidays in December in total across various Indian states, according to the RBI bank holiday list. This month, apart from weekends, banks across India will remain closed on 25th December due to the occasion of Christmas.
Gene Simmons has claimed a series of "bad decisions" led to Ace Frehley's death.

Gene Simmons blames 'bad decisions' for Ace Frehley's death

The KISS frontman suggested substance abuse and a reluctance to change his "lifestyle" contributed to his former bandmate's fatal fall down the stairs at his home studio in New Jersey last month at the age of 74.

Gene told the New York Post newspaper: "He refused [advice] from people that cared about him  including yours truly  to try to change his lifestyle. In and out of bad decisions.

"Falling down the stairs  I'm not a doctor  doesnt kill you. There may have been other issues, and it breaks my heart.

"The saddest thing  you reap what you shall sow, unfortunately."

The Morris County Medical Examiner previously confirmed Ace - whose real name was Paul Frehley - died after he suffered blunt trauma injuries to his head due to a fall, but according to reports, a separate toxicology report will be issued at a later date.

Gene found attending Ace's funeral "heartbreaking", and is particularly distraught that he won't be with the rest of the group when they enter the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday (07.12.25).

He said: "It breaks my heart. Peter Criss, our founding drummer, Paul [Stanley] and myself went to the funeral, open casket.

"It was just heartbreaking.

"Saddest of all perhaps is that Ace just couldnt stay alive long enough to sit there proudly at the Kennedy Center and listen to  I cant even tell you whos going to come out  really impressive people, just to say how much KISS meant to them.

"What can you say  sad."

Gene revealed last month there will be a seat left empty in honour of Ace at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony.

Speaking on stage in California, the 76-year-old rocker said: " I wanna take a moment just to tell you that somebody I've known for many decades who started the band with us, a guy named Ace Frehley

"Very sad. Paul and myself and Peter Criss, we went to Ace's funeral. He sadly passed. And the saddest part of all, besides the pain and suffering to his friends, family, his daughter, his wife, his whole family, is that Ace didn't live long enough to be with us on December 7 when the president and everybody's gonna get up there and honour KISS in entering the Kennedy Center Honors.

"And the first person who's gonna walk out there and talk about how KISS changed his life is [country star] Garth Brooks, who's gonna host a little bit. Then he's gonna play Shout It Out Loud and knock it out of the park.

"And in Ace's memory, we're gonna make sure one of the four chairs is empty with Ace's name, because he deserves to be there in spirit, even if he can't be there physically."
A customer awaits his order at a Dairy Queen counter - Opasbbb/Shutterstock

When you hear the name Dairy Queen, you probably picture soft-serve ice cream and maybe some deep-fried snacks. The brand is a giant in the fast food space, with more than 7,700 locations across 20 countries, per the Dairy Queen website. As the company and its sales goals continue growing, you may wonder who actually owns this popular chain? Well, just like another massive company owns Quaker Oats, Dairy Queen's parent company is a firm that has quite a few corporations in its portfolio: Berkshire Hathaway. In turn, Berkshire Hathaway is owned by Warren Buffett, the one financial "celebrity" real experts actually respect and a long-time Dairy Queen fan.

Berkshire Hathaway acquired Dairy Queen back in the late 1990s for a whopping $585 million. The deal was carried out as a stock swap, where Dairy Queen shareholders could either cash out their shares at $27 per share or buy Berkshire Hathaway stock at $26. The announcement of the merger had resulted in an increase in stock prices of both the companies at the time, although the deal eventually pulled Dairy Queen off Wall Street and into Buffett's private war chest.

Apart from Dairy Queen, Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio of companies is full of names from a diverse range of industries, such as insurance, railways, and utilities. Berkshire Hathaway also has equity holdings in some of the biggest names on Wall Street, including Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America.

Read more: Small Bets That Paid Off Big Time

What caused Berkshire Hathaway to acquire Dairy Queen

Warren Buffett leaning back at a press event - Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

In a 1998 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett described exactly why he bought Dairy Queen and another company purchased by Berkshire Hathaway around the same time. He wrote, "They are understandable; possess excellent economics; and are run by outstanding people." Nearly two decades later, this ethic was still largely in play when it came time to hire a new CEO for the ice cream peddler. Dairy Queen's current CEO, Troy Bader, was appointed in 2018. He revealed to Business Insider that, during his interview with Buffett for the position, the investing genius was looking for "passion" and "connection to the business" as essential qualities for leading the already-successful company.

This passion is also apparent from Buffett's own statements about the merger in his letter, where he had jokingly admitted that he had a "modicum in product expertise" for Dairy Queen. Over the years, Dairy Queen has enjoyed the financial stability provided by Berkshire Hathaway. As Bader explained in another Business Insider interview, the chain's been able to zoom out its plans for the future on a longer-term scale, without worrying about meeting the standards other publicly traded companies might. The chain's success is also evident from the $6.4 billion the company generated in sales in 2024  a year where even McDonald's saw a dip in numbers. The following year, one of Dairy Queen's biggest rivals went bankrupt, so things are still looking up for Dairy Queen and its parent company as of late 2025.
NEW DELHI: During Russian president Vladimir Putins recent visit to India, the two countries agreed to deepen civil nuclear cooperation. Russia has already helped India build the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and has now committed to supporting the plants fuel cycle and long-term life-cycle requirements in Tamil Nadu.

Both sides also agreed to resume discussions on identifying a site for jointly developing another nuclear power plant. As India targets 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, the partnership with Russia is expected to play a critical role.

Mint takes a closer look at the prospects for the proposed cooperation and its implications for Indias nuclear ambitions.

Also Read | NTPC in talks with 16 states for land to build nuclear power plants

What have both countries committed to on nuclear power cooperation?

India and Russia have agreed to accelerate technical and commercial talks on pressurized water reactors, research and joint development of nuclear plants, localization and joint manufacturing of nuclear equipment, and fuel assemblies for Russian-designed large-capacity plants, subject to mutually acceptable terms.

A joint statement after the India-Russia Annual Summit on Friday noted the importance of cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy as a significant component of the strategic partnership," especially given Indias plans to expand nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047.

Along with fuel supplies to Kudankulam, the two sides emphasised the need to finalize the second site for a jointly developed nuclear plant. The statement added that India will work toward formal allotment of this site under earlier agreements.

What is the history of IndiaRussia collaboration in the nuclear space?

Russia has long been one of Indias most significant partners in nuclear energy. The partnership began in 1961 with an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation in peaceful atomic energy, followed in 1968 by arrangements for exchanging scientists and experts between Indias Atomic Energy Commission and the State Committee for Atomic Energy of the erstwhile Soviet Union.

In 1976, the countries signed a heavy-water supply agreement for the Rajasthan Atomic Power Stations (RAPS I and II). Russia later supported the development of the Kudankulam plant, widely seen as a milestone in bilateral energy ties.

Also Read | India eyes retired coal plants for nuclear use

The plant uses Russian VVER-1000 reactors supplied by Rosatom. In 1988, India and the Soviet Union signed an agreement to construct two 1,000 MWe VVER reactors at Kudankulam.

What is the current status of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant?

Located in Tamil Nadus Tirunelveli district, Kudankulam is Indias largest nuclear facility, with a planned capacity of 6,000 MW across six VVER-1000 reactors developed with Rosatom and operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. Construction began in 2002, although the early units faced delays due to local protests.

This month, during Putins visit, Rosatoms nuclear fuel division began delivering fuel for Unit 3. Both sides also agreed to broaden cooperation at Kudankulam, including on the fuel cycle and long-term life-cycle support.

Why is nuclear power important for Indias energy transition?

Nuclear power, as a non-fossil source, is expected to supply future baseload electricity currently provided largely by coal. Baseload refers to the minimum continuous power needed by the grid.

With India expected to reduce coal dependence over the coming decades, nuclear is seen as a stable alternative. Since solar and wind remain intermittent, reliable baseload sources are essential for maintaining grid stability.

What is the current status of nuclear power generation in India?

India currently operates 24 reactors with a combined capacity of about 8.78 GW, with another 6.6 GW under construction. The government aims to reach 22 GW by 2032 and 100 GW by 2047.

To attract investment, the government is expected to introduce the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, to amend the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, during the ongoing winter session.

The law currently restricts nuclear plant operations to the central government and its corporations, barring private and state participation. The government is also expected to amend the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which outlines compensation rules for nuclear incidents.
Wakefit is preparing to join the new-age companies tapping public markets with initial share sales. Positioned as Indias largest direct-to-consumer home and furnishing brand by revenue as of FY24, it will open its 1,289 crore initial public offering (IPO) on 8 December.

For investors, the offer is a chance to track Wakefits shift from an online mattress seller to a broader home-solutions business spanning furniture and offline retail.

The issue, priced at 185-195, includes a fresh issue of 377 crore and an offer-for-sale of 912 crore. At the top end, Wakefits implied market capitalization is 6,373 crore, broadly in line with peer Sheela Foam at 6,482 crore. Promoter shareholding will fall to 36.8% from 43%.

Also Read | AMFI stock rejig countdown: IPO stars prepare to topple the titans

Of the net proceeds, the company will use 30.8 crore to set up as many as 117 Company-Owned and Company-Operated (COCO) stores, 161.4 crore for lease and licence-fee payments for existing stores, 15.4 crore for capex, and 108.4 crore for marketing. The utilization mix underscores its focus on expansion and brand strength, an approach that may appeal to investors seeking growth-led deployment.

The key question is how Wakefit looks operationally and financially as it enters the market.

Growing portfolio

Wakefit now offers products across three categories  mattresses, furniture, and furnishing/decor, and is the only D2C home and furnishing company with a presence across all three, each generating over 100 crore in FY24. Revenue grew at a 24.9% CAGR during FY22-24, 2.5x the industry and 1.6x organized peers.

Mattresses remain the core. Wakefit is among the top three organized players by revenue in FY24, and ranks among the leading sellers on Indias two largest horizontal marketplaces. Mattresses made up 61.4% of revenue ( 1,274 crore) in FY25, followed by furniture (27.6%) and furnishings (11%).

Regulatory and other risks

This reliance exposes it to shifting consumer preferences such as interest in eco-friendly materials, while regulatory changes could affect operations. The Furniture (Quality Control) Order taking effect on 13 February 2026 mandates BIS compliance for certain products, and noncompliance could hurt the business.

That said, these risks are industry-wide, but Wakefits brand-heavy model adds another layer. Advertising expenses were 11.8% of revenue in FY23 before easing to 7.8% and 7.6% in the following two years as scale improved.

Still, the company must spend consistently to maintain brand visibility, as even small shifts in perception can weigh on demand.

Also Read | The hidden force behind Meesho? How Valmo is revving up the IPO

Integrated model

Wakefits strength lies in its full-stack, vertically integrated model that spans design, manufacturing, distribution, and customer experience. It sells through its own website and COCO stores, and through e-commerce platforms, quick-commerce channels, and 1,504 multi-brand outlets.

In the channel mix, the contribution of own channels has remained around 57-58%, with the balance from other channels. For Wakefit, store additions play a key role in sustaining revenue growth, as the average order value at COCO stores is 78.8% higher than on its website.

And the company has moved in that direction, with COCO stores rising 5.4x to 125 (Q2 FY26) from 23 in FY23, with 117 new COCO stores planned by FY28, funded by the IPO net proceeds.

Selling through owned stores gives Wakefit greater control over product experience and service, boosting loyalty, repeat purchases, average order values, and conversion rates.

Cross-selling and premiumization

The omnichannel approach and broad portfolio allow Wakefit to cross-sell17.9% of furniture customers in Q2FY26 (17.6% in FY25; 17.8% in FY24) came from other categories. The company plans to expand its furniture business and focus on premium segments like its Plus range to lift customer spending.

It also plans to pilot two large-format COCO jumbo stores in Bengaluru, potentially adding amenities such as restaurants to encourage longer visits.

But costs are rising. COCO store rent accounted for 3.3% of revenue in FY25, and leases often have a 5% annual escalation. Lower throughput, more online competition, consumer shifts toward private labels, and higher discounting and commissions on digital platforms remain pressure points.

Cost pressure

As a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, the company is heavily dependent on third-party logistics service providers and spends around 8% of revenue every year. Thus, an increase in delivery charges could impact the company's margins and profitability. Additionally, raw materials also contribute significantly to its revenue, especially given its vertically integrated operations.

The cost of materials consumed accounted for 58.1% of revenue in FY23, easing to 47% in FY24 and 45.7% in FY25. Although the company sources 73.5% of its raw materials domestically, 26.3% is still imported from the U.S., China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. This number has increased from 22.5% (FY23) and 21.9% in FY24.

Though Wakefit has not faced any import restrictions to date, anti-dumping duties and geopolitical risks persist amid heightened tensions, exposing the fragile supply chain.

People problem

The business is manpower intensive, and a consistent attrition rate of over 40% raises concerns. Attrition stood at 54.4% in FY23, 41.4% in FY24, and 47.3% in FY25. While it eased to 23.9% as of 30 September, the overall levels indicate significantly higher churn.

Rising inventory

Inventory has risen from 22.8% of revenue in FY24 to 34.7% as of 30 September 2025, which could indicate soft demand or a build-up ahead of expansion. Wakefit maintains that higher inventory is necessary to support its widened product range and owned distribution network.

This view is supported by capacity utilization exceeding 75% across most plants. At the same time, it acknowledges the risk of overestimating demand. But given that Wakefit has repeatedly written down inventory over the past three years and again in the first half of FY26, it more likely points to demand running below expectations or gaps in inventory planning.

This pattern suggests that inventory levels have remained structurally elevated, while demand remains weak. As a result, the inventory turnover ratio has weakened to 1.2x in Q2 FY26 from 3.8x in FY24, indicating a slower conversion of inventory into sales. Although Wakefit states that these write-downs didn't have a material impact, the consistency of such write-downs does raise concerns.

At the same time, the working-capital cycle has improved, with net working days falling from 6.7 days in FY24 to one day. However, this improvement has been driven by delayed payments to suppliers, with payables rising from 144 crore in FY24 to 270 crore in Q2FY26. This supports near-term cash flows but masks the underlying issues of rising inventory and slower turnover.

Financial performance

Revenue momentum remains strong, supported by continued store expansion and steady demand across key categories. Revenue from operations grew 56.7%, from 813 crore in FY24 to 1,274 crore in FY25, outpacing Sheela Foam (19.6%). This was driven mainly by offline channels, where revenue jumped 5x to 425 crore from 86 crore in FY23.

The balance came from online channels (own website + marketplace), which grew modestly by 16.7% to 849 crore. Revenue from marketplace (e-commerce and quick commerce), however, has grown faster by 44.4% to 483 crore, accounting for 56.9% of revenue from online channels. Despite the strong topline, Wakefit remains loss-making, with losses doubling to 35 crore in FY25 from 15 crore in FY24.

Operationally, though, the company has turned profitable. Ebitda improved from a loss of 86 crore in FY23 to a profit of 91 crore in FY25. Ebitda margins expanded from negative 10.6% to 7.1% over the same period, trailing Sheela Foam (8%). Leverage remains comfortable with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.5 times and a debt-service coverage ratio of 1.3 times.

Valuation test

At 6,373 crore, Wakefit is seeking a valuation of about 5 times sales, more than double Sheela Foam's (2 times). Wakefit is growing faster with a more diversified revenue base, but Sheela Foam remains the established market leader with stronger profitability.

This makes the premium a tough ask for investors, particularly when Wakefit is still loss-making, operating with lower margins, and carrying more inventory than it ideally should. Its valuation ultimately sits between legacy consumer brands and new-age listings on Dalal Street.

For more such analysis, read Profit Pulse.

The auditor has also pointed out gaps, including the lack of an audit trail in the company's accounting system and discrepancies between the numbers shared with banks and those in its own books. These issues aren't uncommon among new-age companies, but still signal the need for tighter controls as it enters the public market.

Madhvendra has over seven years of experience in equity markets and writes detailed research articles on listed Indian companies, sectoral trends, and macroeconomic developments.

The writer does not hold the stocks discussed in this article.

The purpose of this article is only to share interesting charts, data points, and thought-provoking opinions. It is NOT a recommendation. If you wish to consider an investment, you are strongly advised to consult your advisor. This article is strictly for educational purposes only.
The past week saw significant shifts in the market valuations of Indias top-ranked companies, with five of the ten most valuable firms collectively adding 72,284.74 crore in market capitalisation.

Among these gainers, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys stood out as the strongest performers, registering the most substantial increases in value.

The companies that recorded an uptick in their valuations included Bharti Airtel, TCS, ICICI Bank, Infosys and Bajaj Finance. In contrast, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) witnessed declines in their market worth over the same period.

Top gainers and losers On the broader indices, the BSE Sensex managed to post a very small rise of 5.7 points, showing a largely flat movement. Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty slipped by 16.5 points, reflecting mild weakness across segments of the market.

TCS delivered the most notable gain, adding 35,909.52 crore to its valuation, which climbed to 11,71,862.37 crore. Infosys followed with a sharp increase of 23,404.55 crore, taking its market cap to 6,71,366.53 crore.

Bajaj Finance also registered a meaningful advance of 6,720.28 crore, lifting its valuation to 6,52,396.39 crore. Bharti Airtels market capitalisation grew by 3,791.9 crore to reach 12,01,832.74 crore, while ICICI Bank added 2,458.49 crore, pushing its valuation to 9,95,184.46 crore.

On the losing side, Reliance Industries saw the steepest erosion, shedding 35,116.76 crore and bringing its market cap down to 20,85,218.71 crore. LICs valuation fell by 15,559.49 crore to 5,50,021.80 crore.

Also Read | CPI print to US Fed meet: Top five triggers for Indian stock market this week

State Bank of India also recorded a drop of 7,522.96 crore, reducing its worth to 8,96,662.19 crore. HDFC Banks valuation contracted by 5,724.03 crore to 15,43,019.64 crore, and L&Ts market cap declined by 4,185.39 crore to 5,55,459.56 crore.

Despite the mixed performance across the top companies, Reliance Industries continued to hold its position as Indias most valuable firm. It was followed in the rankings by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, TCS, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, L&T and LIC.
Recently, while working on a coffee story, I couldnt help but feel that Indian speciality coffee is driven by enthusiasts who are curious, invest in equipment, spend on good coffee, and talk about it. It made me wonder what tea needed to inspire that same love. This month, I saw that change is brewing, still nascent, but unmistakable.

Even five years ago, the idea of speciality" tea (styles beyond the staples, like the oolong, white tea, and several kinds of high-grade black and green teas) drew blank stares; mass green tea and blends claiming to boost immunity dominated the shelves. Handmade or hand-rolled teas were a lesser-known secret. Cut to today and much has changed.

In November, I hosted a tea session for Aprisio, a community for midlifers in Bengaluru. Expecting beginners, I picked a wide range of teas. But of the 20 who attended, most were familiar with different styles or were actively pursuing tea as a hobby. Teas like the phoenix dan cong oolong were met with familiarity.
A large vat of indigo forms the (literal) beating heart of Blue Futures: Reimagining Indigo, the exhibition currently underway at Hampi Art Labs in Karnataka. That vat, which we set up in October last year, is the most important aspect of our exhibition," says Meera Curam, director of Hampi Art Labs and curator of the show. Its a living vat with healthy microbesbacteria and fungusworking with a mix of indigo powder, henna leaves, jaggery, limestone and water. We check it every day to see if it needs a little more jaggery, limestone or heat."

As a textile scholar who has worked extensively with indigo, Curam was clear that a functioning vat had to be part of the experience. If you visit an indigo practitioner, youll always find a vat. Some keep it just for display, but others nurture it for yearssometimes as long as two decades. You can tell if a vat is alive simply by its smell and taste. I wanted visitors to encounter that tactile reality."

When she began curating the show, Curam was sure of one more thing: I didnt want to do just a textile exhibition." For most people, indigo is synonymous with cloth dyeing, but she wanted to expand that association and present indigo as a material with wider creative possibilities. In her curatorial note, she writes, This exhibition considers indigo a living archive of gestures, where different traditions and techniques come together in an experiential, sensorial, and tactile confluence. It showcases the evolution of indigo through resist-dyed, painted, and printed textiles from Japan, Africa, and India, alongside experimental indigo works spanning past practices, contemporary art, craft, design, and fashionhighlighting the interconnected stories indigo carries.

Also Read | An exhibition of a breast cloth that tells stories of Tripuras tribal women

A MIXED MEDIA SHOWCASE

As you walk around the exhibition, this expanded story reveals itself. Indigo-dyed textile experiments by multidisciplinary artist Aboubakar Fofana and Shibori tapestries by Japanese studio Slow Fabric sit alongside handwoven garments in natural indigo from Bappaditya Biswas 2024 New Horizons: Weftscapes collection, and Manish Nais 2018 untitled installation of compressed natural indigo on jute cloth and wooda comment on fast fashion and textile waste.

View Full Image Handwoven Jamdani garment in natural indigo, West Bengal from 'New Horizons: Weftscapes' by Bappaditya Biswas (Sangita Jindal Collection)

Curam also commissioned Ajit Kumar Das to create Neel Basanta, a 4848-inch Kalamkari work painted using natural indigo pigments. Other inventive pieces such as ceramic artist Upendra Rams stoneware sculptures, titled Roop Katha, and Vyom Mehtas Attempt 1, made from indigo-anodized aluminium wireswere loaned from the Indigo Art Museum in Ahmedabad.

I chose works that use indigo in never-imagined ways," says Curam, who adds that all it took for her to get most of the artists to participate in the exhibition was reaching out to them on Instagram. You wont believe it, but I contacted Aboubakar, the Japanese studios and even the Indigo Art Museums creative director on Instagram. Everybody responded," she laughs.

For Kavin Mehta, artist and creative director of the Indigo Art Museumfounded in 2019 as an institution dedicated solely to indigocollaborating with Hampi Art Labs felt natural. When they reached out saying that they were doing an exhibition, we were excited because it showed that indigo was taking the stage at a much bigger level," says Mehta who is also showing two sandstone-and-indigo installations. An architect exploring the intersection of art, design and material processes, he has been working with indigo for a decade. Listening to him talk about the natural dye opens ones eyes to the magic of the pigment that used to be referred to as blue gold because of the high value it commanded in ancient times.

View Full Image 'Container', indigo dyed sandstone, by Kavin Mehta (Indigo Art Museum)

Also Read | Sunita Shekhawat turns meenakari jewellery into home decor objects

THE MAGIC OF INDIGO

For Curam, the magic lies in the fact that indigo is the only natural blue, and referencing the vat, the only living colour." She still finds it fascinating that the liquid in the vat appears green and only turns blue when exposed to oxygen. It is an aspect that continues to amaze me to this day," she says.
A devastating fire at Birch By Romeo Lane, a nightclub at Arpora in North Goa, which killed at least 25 people early Sunday brought back horrific memories of the deadly blaze that claimed 62 lives at a nightclub in North Macedonia in March this year.

Heres a look at some other nightclub fires that claimed significant human lives in the past decade:

* October 2015: Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest, Romania, killed 64 people. Pyrotechnics during a performance by the metalcore band Goodbye to Gravity ignited the club's flammable polyurethane acoustic foam. The fire spread rapidly.

* December 2016: Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, California, claimed 36 lives. The deadliest blaze in the history of Oakland was triggered during an electronic music and dance party.

* January 2022: Fire at nightclub in Yaounde, Cameroon, killed 16 people. Blaze occurred due to fireworks lit while champagne was being served in the club.

* January 2022: 19 killed in fire at Sorong nightclub in West Papua province, Indonesia. Club was burned by two groups which clashed inside the building.

* August 2022: 23 charred to death at Mountain B nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand. Possible short circuit or an issue with the electrical system believed to have triggered the blaze.

* October 2023: Fire at nightclub complex in Murcia, Spain, claimed 13 lives. Fire was possibly triggered by an electrical fault.

* April 2024: 29 killed in blaze at Masquerade nightclub, Istanbul. Fire broke out when the venue was closed for renovation work.
Amid the IndiGo flight cancellations fiasco, Delhi airport on Sunday issued an advisory regarding the delays. Despite the recent relaxation of flight duty time limits, major disturbances continued across several Indian airports on Sunday morning, with more than 400 flights cancelled nationwide.

The worst impacts were seen at major metropolitan airports  especially in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Delhi  where most cancellations happened.

Also Read | IndiGo flight news LIVE: Airline cancels 112 flights in Mumbai

In a post on X, Delhi International Airport said, IndiGo flights may still experience delays. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight status with their airline before leaving for the airport to avoid inconvenience. Our teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimize delays and ensure a smooth travel experience. For assistance including medical, please approach the information desk where our on-ground staff is ready to help.

In addition, multiple public transport options to and from the airport, including metro, buses, and cabs, are available for passenger convenience, it added.

The worst hit, Telangana's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, saw 115 flights cancelled today, with 54 arrivals and 61 departures affected. According to a statement from Delhi Airport, at least 59 departures and 50 arrivals, totalling 109 flights, have been cancelled today.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to IndiGos accountable manager.

What did IndiGo say? IndiGo on Sunday said it is on track to stabilise its network by December 10, reporting significant improvements in flight operations following days of large-scale disruptions, which led to flight delays and cancellations, leaving passengers facing significant inconvenience, with some stranded at the airport for hours.

In a statement, the airline spokesperson said that flight cancellations have reduced, on-time performance has risen sharply, and customer support processes are being strengthened to handle pending issues.

The airline also revised its stabilisation outlook, stating that it now has growing confidence that normal operations will be restored by December 10, earlier than the previously communicated timeline of December 10 to December 15.

Also Read | When will IndiGo flight operations stabilise? Airline shares new date

According to the statement, IndiGo has been implementing further significant and sustained improvements across its network since Saturday and confirmed it is operating over 1,650 flights today, up from around 1,500 yesterday.

It further stated that their On-Time Performance (OTP) has also improved to 75 per cent, up from roughly 30 per cent the day before.

Following the recent operational disruptions, IndiGo confirms that we are establishing further significant and sustained improvements across our network. The first step to this was taken yesterday; today next steps have been taken on this with lesser cancellations and a higher On Time Performance, the statement read.
Horrifying details have emerged about the massive fire at Birch By Romeo Lane that killed 25 people at midnight on Sunday in Goa. The blaze erupted on the first floor due to a gas cylinder explosion at the popular nightclub in Arpora, local police said.

The doors of club were congested, and although some people were able to get out, others became trapped once the fire grew stronger, CM Pramod Sawant stated. Many rushed to kitchen below and got trapped there, according to PTI.

Most of the dead were the club's kitchen workers, and included three women, Sawant, who rushed to the site, said. There were three to four tourists among those who lost their lives, he added.

Fire was doused off within half an hour but the club where this happened, some people could rush out of it but some others could not. So, a few people died of suffocation. As per preliminary information, 4 people were tourists and the rest were employees at the club, Sawant told ANI.

Out of 100 people who were on dance floor, some escaped by running downstairs where they got trapped with besides staff, the report noted.

The fire brigades were reportedly unable to reach the club directly due to the narrow lanes, forcing them to park their tankers approximately 400 meters from the location.

Fatima Shaikh, a tourist from Hyderabad informed PTI , There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames.

Goa club fire: There was no construction licence Arpora village panchayat chief Roshan Redkar said there had been complaints about the club, and an inquiry revealed it did not have a construction licence, a report by Hindustan Times noted.

Also Read | 25 dead as massive fire erupts at Goa restaurant, CM Sawant orders inquiry

There were complaints against the club and when we conducted an inquiry, we found that there was no construction licence. We had issued a demolition notice after following due process. However, the demolition notice was stayed upon appeal, Redkar said.

Meanwhile, Sawant said that an arrest warrant had been issued against the club owners, and that managers and other personnel had already been taken into custody. He stated that anyone found guilty would be jailed.

He added that PM Modi had called him that morning to ask for full details of the incident as well as information on the injured, and that he had briefed the PM thoroughly. Sawant also said that the Goa government would take all necessary measures to ensure that such an incident never occurs in the future.
The Udaipur police on Sunday arrested popular filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife from Mumbai in a 30 crore cheating case registered in Rajasthan, an official said, as reported by PTI.

Rajasthan Police will apply for their transit remand in Bandra court on Monday, the Mumbai police official added.

Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and six others are accused of defrauding Udaipur-based Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira Group of Companies, of 30 crore, the official added. Two people have been arrested in the case earlier, he said.

A team of Udaipur Police, which is probing the case, apprehended Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari on Sunday, he said.

"Murdia, owner of Indira IVF Hospital, wanted to make a biopic on his late wife. He has alleged that he was promised earnings of 200 crore. But nothing materialised, after which Murdia approached Bhopalpura police station in Udaipur, where an FIR was registered for cheating and other offences," the official said.

Earlier in November, responding to the allegations, Vikram Bhatt said that the police are being misled.

I came to know today that there has been an FIR. I think it came on a TV channel in Rajasthan that there has been an FIR against me. And then a journalist friend of mine sent me an FIR. So I read the entire FIR. Now, to be honest, I feel that the Rajasthan Police is being misled. As far as my question is concerned, I don't know. I have been told that there is NC first. I have not received anything like that. So first, I thought it would be NC. But now I have come to know that it is an FIR, Bhatt told ANI.

So I have neither a letter, nor a notice, nor anything. And they say that out of greed for 200 crores, I made a scam of 30 crores. If they have told this to the police, then surely they must have some documents, some paperwork. Otherwise, the police don't do such things. So, if that is the case, then it is forged. It cannot be.

Vikram Bhatt entered the film industry as an assistant to director Mukul Anand on the latter's debut film, 'Kanoon Kya Karega'. He was 14 at the time. Bhatt later went on to direct several notable films, including 'Ghulam' starring Aamir Khan, which became a box-office success.

In 2008, Vikram Bhatt returned to the horror genre and went on to deliver successful films like 1920, Shaapit, and Haunted - 3D.
As IndiGo flight disruptions enters its sixth day on Sunday, the domestic carrier issued a statement declaring that was on its way to operate nearly 1,500 flights by 7 December, targeting resumption of normal flight operations. According to the airline, its teams are focused on stabilising the network, systems, and rosters to operate higher number of flights with improved stability.

In a post on X the budget carrier said, Today, we are on our way to operate over 1500 flights by end of day. With regards to destinations, over 95% of network connectivity has already been re-established as we are able to operate to 135 out of the existing 138 destinations in operations.

Also Read | IndiGo lifts months-long hiring freeze to recruit pilots amid mass cancellations

This follows nearly 850 flight cancellations reported on Saturday. On Friday, this figure was the highest and was labelled as the airlines worst-performing day when flight disruptions were over 1,000, HT reported. Following days of chaos and cancellations, IndiGo indicated that around 95% of network connectivity has been re-established and flight connectivity to 135 out of the138 destinations has been restored.

Expressing gratitude to customers, staff, its partners and government agencies, it said, While we understand that we have a long way to go, we are committed to build back the trust of our customers.

DGCA issues show-cause notice to IndiGo Aviation watchdog DGCA issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras on Saturday. It sought a response within 24 hours on the massive flight disruptions as it invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes.

In the wake of IndiGo's operational crisis, confusion and chaos was seen at major airports across India as airfares rose sharply on several routes. Frustrated passengers tried to locate their luggage and waited for updates amid the disruptions in their travel schedules.

The ministry of civil aviation ordered the airline to clear all pending passenger refunds by 8 pm on December 7. It issued a directive instructing IndiGo to ensure that baggage separated from passengers is traced and delivered to their home or chosen address within the next 48 hours.

Also Read | IndiGo flight cancellations leave widow stuck with husbands coffin at airport

According to IndiGo, the operational crisis was caused by a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including the rollout of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
MILAN  Less than a month after BasicNet acquired Woolrich from Luxembourg-based fund L-Gam in a deal that valued the storied outerwear player at 90 million euros, the new owner is facing a dispute with trade unions.

The latter are claiming that the company has decided to shut corporate operations in Bologna and Milan, where Woolrich employs 109 and 30 workers, respectively, leaving them with no other option than accept a relocation to the BasicNet headquarters in Turin to avoid being laid off.

More from WWD

The move would not affect retail employees in those cities, where Woolrich operates two of its 25 flagships in Europe.

BasicNets portfolio of brands also comprises Kappa, Robe di Kappa, K-Way, Superga, Sebago and Briko, in addition to Woolrich and beachwear specialist Sundek. The latters acquisition was revealed Thursday.

On Friday, BasicNet issued a statement clarifying its position, saying that this is not a closure, but rather a strategic move aimed at revitalizing the brand and ensuring job continuity. The decision to move the headquarters and its employees to Turin is designed to strengthen Woolrichs brand value by investing in a central hub that can support future growth and create beneficial synergies.

The company said it is committed to safeguarding jobs and will resort to any available welfare measure to ensure a smooth transition for employees unable to relocate to Turin.

People are the heart of the company, and we are excited to welcome all employees into the big BasicNet family, said Alessandro Boglione, co-chief executive officer of BasicNet, in the statement. We are committed to following all the right procedures, which is why we are working closely with trade unions to provide clear and timely answers to employees who have sought clarity.

We hope to find shared solutions quickly so we can provide certainty and ensure the transition respects everyone involved, added Lorenzo Boglione, co-CEO of the company.

The BasicNet transaction, revealed in November, involved the acquisition through a wholly owned subsidiary of the rights to the Woolrich brand for Europe and 100 percent of Woolrich Europe SpA, the company managing its distribution and retail activities. Its revenues for fiscal year 2025 are expected to be around 90 million euros.

Through the deal L-Gam exited Woolrich seven years after acquiring the brand in 2018 from its former owner, WP Lavori in Corso. Last December L-Gam forged a deal with Chinese apparel group Baoxiniao Holding Co. Ltd., which acquired Woolrichs intellectual property rights for all territories outside Europe.
IndiGo Flights Cancellation Highlights: IndiGo is optimistic to improve services and operated 1,800 flights yesterday after nearly 1,650 flights on the previous day. After seven consecutive days of mammoth cancellations and operational hiccups, IndiGo saw some recovery with the number of cancellations coming down on Monday.

The budget carrier cancelled over 220 flights on Sunday at Mumbai and Delhi airports as per reports. A senior official of the airline said that IndiGo will carry out a "root cause analysis" into the flight disruptions that has happened due to a combination of factors and the focus now is to stabilise operations, which is expected by December 10.

DGCA on Monday said it has received IndiGo's response to the show cause notice issued over the large-scale flight cancellations and will take enforcement action.

It also said that the airline is "profusely apologetic" and deeply regrets the inconvenience and hardship caused to customers following flight cancellations.

Stay tuned to LiveMint for all the LIVE updates on IndiGo Flights cancellation
Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of Birch by Romeo Lane Club in North Goas Arpora, are facing a FIR after 25 people were killed in the tragic inferno, said police officials.

Police registered an FIR against Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane Nightclub, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, PTI quoted a senior police official as saying.

Saurabh Luthra  who also featured on Forbes India, is the Chairman of Romeo Lane, a chain of restaurants spread across Delhi, Goa, Gurgaon, among others  as per his Instagram profile.

Who is Saurabh Luthra? Romeo Lane's website describes its Chairman Saurabh Luthra as a Gold medalist engineer turned into a promising and fastest-growing restaurateur who is said to be known for his work in the Food and Beverages industry.

View full Image Saurabh Luthra

North Goa nightclub inferno As many as 25 people, including tourists and restaurant staff were killed as a massive fire broke out at the club shortly after midnight on Sunday. Police said the fire was reported around 12:04 am on Sunday.

Prime Minister's Office issued a statement announcing an ex-gratia of 2 lakh from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased in the Birch by Romeo Lane fire tragedy. The injured would be given 50,000, PM Modi said.

How did the fire break out? Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the accident site to take a stock of the situation and noted that the restaurant violated fire safety norms. Following a cylinder blast, the nightclub broke into flames in which many died due to suffocation while nearly three individuals were burnt.

As per the Goa CM, most victims were kitchen staff, including 3 women employees of Birch by Romeo Lane club.

Extending condolences, PM Modi said, The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected.

North Goa night club blaze - What we know so far  FIR also registered against the manager of the club and the event organisers.

 Police detained the sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa Panchayat, Roshan Redkar, who had issued a trade license for the premises in 2013.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condoled victims of Goas Birch By Romeo Lane club fire that killed 25 and assured full state support after speaking to CM Pramod Sawant.

The blaze occurred around midnight and first responders rushed to the scene. Those injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment as authorities worked through the night to bring it under control.

He took to X and said, The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected."

He announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the kin of the deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000, he said.

President Droupadi Murmu also expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fire incident.

She said, Deeply pained by the tragic fire incident in North Goa district resulting in the loss of precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Sawant said he informed PM Modi of the current situation on the ground and the state government is providing all support to the affected families during this difficult time.

Goa club fire: State to conduct inquiry Sawant described the tragedy as "unfortunate" and mentioned stringent action would follow.

The incident is very unfortunate for a tourism state like Goa. The people who run such things illegally, and a fire incident occurred...23 people have lost their lives...The government will conduct an inquiry into this incident. The inquiry will examine the exact cause of the fire, and those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law. Sawant stated.

Goa DGP Alok Kumar said the police received the alert shortly after midnight. He mentioned that at 12:04 am the police control room was informed about a fire at a restaurant-cum-club in Arpora.

A massive fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa, resulting in 25 deaths, out of whom 4 confirmed to be tourists, 14 were staff members and identity of 7 is yet to be established. Six persons are injured and their treatment going on. Cause of fire is yet to ascertained. Police and fire department investigation is in progress. Legal action is being taken, ANI quoted Goa Police as saying.

Need to conduct a safety audit Meanwhile, BJP MLA Michael Lobo on Sunday sought a safety audit of all clubs in Goa, as per an ANI report.
At a time when Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy says he does not believe in work-life balance and advocates for 72-hour work week, Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule introduced a private member's Bill in the Lower House on Friday, which seeks to protect employees from after-hours work demands.

Supriya Sule introduced "The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025" which aims to foster a better quality of life and a healthier work-life balance by reducing the burnout caused by today's digital culture.

Also Read | Right to Disconnect Bill introduced in LS: All you need to know

The Bill was first introduced on October 28, 2019.

What is the Right to Disconnect Bill 2025 introduced in Lok Sabha? Mint explains in 10 simple points:

1. The private member bill provides every employee the right to refuse to answer calls and emails outside work hours. "Every employee shall have the right to disconnect out of work hours," it says.

2. As per the Bill, the 'Right to Disconnect' means that while the employer may contact the worker after work hours, the employee is not obliged to reply or shall have the right to refuse to answer such calls

Also Read | Lok Sabha passes Manipur Goods and Services Tax Bill 2025 to replace Ordinance

3. But if the employee chooses to respond, he/she shall be entitled to get overtime pay "in such manner as may be prescribed," the Bill says. It states that every employee working during out-of-work hours, who has mutually agreed to do so, shall be entitled to overtime pay at the normal wage rate.

4. It further provided that if an employee refuses to reply to any call during out-of-work hours, he/she shall not be subject to any disciplinary action by the employer.

5. The Bill, however, provided that an employer may contact any employee either through telecom, videocall, message, email, or other form of communication out-of-work hours, during the time mutually agreed upon by such employee and the employer.

Also Read | Why Congress crumbled in Bihar? Lok Sabha MP Tariq Anwar flags this decision

6. It also proposes that the appropriate government shall provide counseling services to employees to help them maintain work-life balance.

7. The Bill also calls for setting up "digital detox centres" and provide "digital detox counseling services" to citizens for reasonable personal use of digital and communication tools.

8. "The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025" seeks to impose sanctions at a rate of 1 per cent of the total remuneration of its employees on entities (companies or societies) for any non-compliance with the provisions of the Bill.

The debate over work-life balance The Right to Disconnect Bill comes at a time when remote work, digital communications, and on-call culture have become widespread.

In the past few years, the debate over work-life balance has gained prominence, not just on social media and among GenZ, but also among top industry leaders. Here's what they said.

In 2023, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy sparked a massive debate by advocating for 70 hours a week.

A year later, Murthy stood by his statement and told CNBC-TV18 at the Global Leadership Summit in Mumbai, I don't believe in work-life balance...I have not changed my view; I will take this with me to my grave."

Later, Larsen and Toubro's Chairman, SN Subrahmanyan, had said he regrets not making employees work on their Sundays. He supported the 90-hour work week narrative which people should follow to be on top of the world.

I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays, the L&T executive was heard saying in an undated video that emerged on the social media platform Reddit.

Also Read | SIR phase-II: Nationwide protests as work pressure allegedly leads to BLO deaths

What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? questioned Subrahmanyan, and said, Come on, get to the office and start working.

Meanwhile, Adani Group Founder and Chairman Gautam Adani was also seen discussing work-life balance. The billionaire said if someone spends eight hours with the family, biwi bhaag jaayegi (spouse will leave).

He also said that work-life balance is maintained when you do things you like to do, Mint reported earlier.

Your work-life balance should not be imposed on me or vice versa, said Adani, underscoring that focusing on someone else's work-life balance strategy might not be advisable.

Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal also supported the working long hours narrative and said that the concept of having Saturday and Sunday a holiday is a Western import, which has gained traction due to the industrial revolution.

In India, we never had Saturdays and Sundays; we had the lunar calendar, and we had holidays based on that, said Aggarwal. We had one or two days monthly, he said.

Another viral comment on work-life balance came from Shark Tank India Judge and Executive Director - India Business of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Namita Thapar.

Thapar pointed out that salaried employees' performance and work culture could not be compared to that of the founders.
Hours after the police attributed the Goa nightclub fire to a possible cylinder burst, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant shed more details, dismissing the initial suspicions and stating that fireworks were behind the deadly blaze that killed at least 25.

Speaking to the media after a review meeting with high-ranking officials, Sawant said that the preliminary inquiry revealed that "electric firecrackers" had been set off inside the nightclub, which started the blaze.

According to the preliminary inquiry, the fire broke out due to the bursting of some electrical fire crackers inside the club. Some people could come out, but others could not, due to which they lost their lives, the Goa CM was quoted as saying by ANI.

The CM said that four staffers of Birch by Romeo Lane had been already been arrested, adding that the nightclub's owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra would be arrested soon.

A complete inquiry is being done, and a report will be received within a week. Suspensions will be issued to some people today itself... The concerned officers will be punished as well, Sawant added.

The Goa CM's latest update corroborates earlier eyewitness accounts, which attributed fireworks being set off inside the nightclub in North Goa to the deadly blaze where 25, including 14 staffers, suffocated to death.

Also Read | Goa nightclub fire: Video shows tiny glow growing into fiery blaze in seconds

What did eyewitnesses and survivors say? Eyewitnesses who survived the tragedy told news agency PTI earlier on Sunday that a pyro gun fireworks, which were set off as dancers started performing, were behind the deadly blaze.

Speaking to the news agency, Riya, a tourist from Delhi, said, Dancers were performing when fireworks were set off. This might have caused the blaze. There was complete chaos and a stampede-like situation. We left our phones and shoes inside as we scrambled to get out of the premises.

The dancer was entertaining everyone and songs were being played. In between, a pyro gun was shot, and I believe because of it, there was a spark on their wooden roof. People thought it would be taken care of, but within two minutes, the fire spread and people could not come out. They have their kitchen in the basement, and there is no scope of exit..., another eyewitness told news agency ANI.

Yet another witness, Fatima Shaikh from Hyderabad, described the chaotic scenes inside the nightclub when the fire broke out, telling PTI that nearly 100 people were on the dance floor when the blaze erupted.

There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames, she was quoted as saying by the news agency.

There was a temporary construction made up of palm leaves which easily caught fire, Shaikh added.

Survivors of the tragedy also vented their frustrations at the nightclub being allowed to run without proper safety clearances.

Many died of suffocation. It is a complete lack of management. There were no safety licences. I wonder how the club was allowed to function. It is irresponsible on the part of the authorities, Amin Manocha, a friend of one of the survivors who lost three family members, told news agency PTI.

What are authorities doing? Goa CM Pramod Sawant has ordered a magisterial probe into the safety lapses that led to the fire, and authorities are attempting to arrest the club's owners Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, meanwhile, has announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased, while CM Sawant's office has announced ex-gratia of 5 lakh to the family members of those who died.

The government shall provide complete assistance for the transportation of the deceased to their homes. A dedicated team comprising the SDM, Police and Health Authorities have been constituted for the same, Sawant further announced on Sunday.

The Goa CM also announced on Sunday that standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been framed for establishments to ensure that such tragedies don't recur.
A college student from Florida who reportedly said he likes to shoot as a hobby grabbed attention after he ordered 1,500 rounds of ammunition to his dorm room, where cops later found a semi-automatic rifle stashed under his bed, according to police and reports.

According to a report by New York Post, Constantine Demetriades  21-years-old  was busted Wednesday after security at Rollins College in Winter Park flagged his massive online ammo order, according to charging documents obtained by WKMG.

Winter Park authorities said that police also found an AR-15 and six magazines  one loaded and five empty  along with a tactical vest, multiple knives, a black security vest, ear protection, and a pistols storage case from the student's dorm room.

Why the huge ammunition order? The Florida college student told authorities that he likes to shoot as a hobby, and mentioned that he had no ill intentions. Stating that he usually keeps the firearm at a friends home off campus  he also claimed he didnt know his New Jersey concealed carry permit wasnt valid in Florida, police said, as per WKMG.

Florida permits open carry, but the liberal arts college  where Demetriades is a senior  prohibits all weapons on campus, according to its website.

Despite acknowledging that he was aware of the policy, the 21-year-old told investigators he still brought the rifle to campus after purchasing and registering it in New Jersey over Thanksgiving break, the court documents state.

What are the charges against the student? Constantine Demetriades was charged with possession of a weapon on school property.

On Wednesday, the College received a report indicating a violation of our weapons policy. After receiving this information, we immediately initiated an investigation, the college said in its statement, as per WKMG.
Ukraine is reeling from a corruption scandal amid ongoing US-led talks with Russia regarding a ceasefire, and things could get worse for Kyiv with Donald Trump's eldest son suggesting on Sunday that the US President could walk out of the deal.

While Donald Trump Jr. has not played any public, prominent role in Russia-Ukraine talks mediated by the US, his latest comments are likely to come as alarming for the Volodymyr Zelenskyy-led administration, especially in wake of the recent scandal that saw Andriy Yermak resign.

Also Read | Hegseth downplays concerns about US' strikes on alleged cartel boats

What did Donald Trump Jr. say? Speaking at the Doha Forum, Trump Jr. highlighted Ukraine's dubious track record, saying, "It was a far more corrup country than Russia as delegated by the United States government prior to this war."

"But then because of the war, and because he's one of the great marketers of all time, Zelenskyy became a borderline deity, especially to the Left, where we could do no wrong. He was beyond reproach," Trump Jr. said.

"...Years of corruption, years of graft and theft on a world stage that everyone in this room knew was happening was totally absolved... It's ridiculous," the US President's eldest son went on to say before dropping the bombshell.

Asked whether he had a "hunch" about the US President walking away from ongoing talks because of the corruption scandal, Trump Jr. flatly said, "I think he may."

"What's good about my father, what's unique about my father is you don't know what he's going to do... And so that forces everyone to actually deal in an intellectually honest capacity, which has not happened in far too long," added Trump Jr.

Progress of peace talks Trump Jr.'s unfiltered comments about widespread corruption in Ukraine comes a little over a week after Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's chief of staff and a key figure in the ongoing talks with Russia, resigned over graft allegations following a raid by anti-corruption authorities at his home.

Announcing the resignation, Zelenskyy had said, I am grateful to Andriy for always presenting Ukraine's position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position.

There will be a reset of the President's Office... Andriy Yermak, the head of the President's Office, has submitted his resignation... As for the new head of the (President's) Office, tomorrow I will hold consultations with those who could lead this institution, the Ukrainian President had said at the time. However, as of writing this, no official replacement had been named.

Trump Jr.'s words and hunch about Trump walking out of the ongoing peace talks also come after days of meetings in Miami between representatives from Washington and Kyiv.
Nigerian authorities have secured the release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic school last month, a UN source and local media said Sunday, though the fate of another 165 students and staff thought to remain in captivity remains unclear.

In November, 315 students and staff were kidnapped from St. Mary's co-educational boarding school in north-central Niger state, as the country buckled under a wave of mass abductions reminiscent of the infamous 2014 Boko Haram abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok.

Some 50 escaped shortly afterward, leaving 265 thought to be in captivity.

The 100 children are set to be handed over to local government officials in Niger state on Monday, according to the United Nations source.

Also Read | School kidnappings have become a cruel fact of life in Nigeria

"They are going to be handed over to Niger state government tomorrow," the source told AFP.

Local media also reported that the release of 100 children had been secured, without offering details on whether it was done through negotiation or military force, nor on the fate on the remaining students and staff thought to still be in the kidnappers' hands.

The freeing of the 100 children was confirmed to AFP by presidential spokesman Sunday Dare.

"We have been praying and waiting for their return, if it is true then it is a cheering news," said Daniel Atori, spokesman for Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the Kontagora diocese which runs the school.

"However, we are not officially aware and have not been duly notified by the federal government."

US diplomatic pressure Though kidnappings for ransom are common in the country as a way for criminals and armed groups to make quick cash, a spate of mass abductions in November saw hundreds taken and put an uncomfortable spotlight on Nigeria's already grim security situation.

The country faces a long-running jihadist insurgency in the northeast, while armed "bandit" gangs conduct kidnappings and loot villages in the northwest, and farmers and herders clash in the country's centre over dwindling land and resources.

On a smaller scale, armed groups linked to separatist movements also haunt the country's restive southeast.

The wave of kidnappings came as Nigeria faced a diplomatic offensive from the United States, where President Donald Trump has alleged that mass killings of Christians have amounted to a "genocide" and threatened to intervene militarily.

The Nigerian government and independent analysts have rejected that framing, which has long been used by the Christian right in the United States and Europe.

One of the first mass kidnappings that drew international attention was in 2014, when nearly 300 girls were snatched from their boarding school in the northeastern town of Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists.
A group of soldiers appeared on Benin's state TV on Sunday, announcing the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup. Soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri took over the national television station and declared that President Patrice Talon has been removed from office.

Hours later, Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced in a video shared online that the coup was foiled. The soldiers in question "launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions," Seidou said, adding that the military remained "committed to the republic."

President Talon has been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.

The coup attempt  latest in a string of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa  allegedly began in the early hours of Sunday, sources said, with an attack on President Patrice Talons residence in the capital Porto-Novo, mentioned a report by FRANCE 24.

Which group announced the dissolution? According to a report by AP, the group  which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation  on Sunday announced the removal of President Talon and all state institutions.

The video of the soldiers announcing the removal of President Talon was widely circulated on social media

The coup began with an attack on President Patrice Talons residence in the capital Porto-Novo, after which they took over the state TV and announced the dissolution of the government.

Where is Benin located? Benin is a West African country located along the southern coast of the continent, bordering the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated between Togo to the west and Nigeria to the east, while Burkina Faso and Niger lie to its north.

Its official capital is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou, located on the coast, serves as the economic hub, largest city, and de facto seat of government.

Benin was formerly known as Dahomey during French colonial rule and gained independence in 1960, adopting the name Republic of Benin in 1975.
The protective shield built around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site in Ukraine can no longer do its job, reports claimed on Sunday.

The UN nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was quoted by ANI as saying that the main barrier constructed to contain radioactive material at the Chernobyl nuclear accident site can no longer fully perform its task after a drone strike earlier this year.

The agency noted that the New Safe Confinement (NSC) was "severely damaged" during a February attack and has "lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability."

Russian drone strike responsible? Ukraine alleged that Russian forces were responsible for the February 14 incident, while the Kremlin rejected the charge.

The strike triggered a blaze and damaged exterior panels of the structure, originally installed to stabilise conditions at the site decades after the world's worst nuclear power plant disaster.

No permanent damage According to Reuters, the International Atomic Energy Agency said an inspection last week of the steel confinement structure completed in 2019 found that the drone impact in February had degraded the structure.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the inspection mission confirmed that the (protective structure) had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems.

The IAEA has called for extensive repairs to the steel enclosure, which was built to support clean-up operations and maintain safety almost 40 years after the 1986 reactor explosion.

"Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

Grossi stated there had been no lasting impact on support elements or monitoring equipment at the facility.

The IAEA, which has personnel based at Chernobyl, will "continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security," he added.

Chernobyl, a flashpoint amid Russia-Ukraine war Chernobyl has remained a flashpoint during Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The 1986 Chernobyl explosion had sent radiation across Europe and prompted Soviet authorities to mobilise vast numbers of men and equipment to deal with the accident. The plant's last working reactor was closed in 2000.

Russia occupied the plant and the surrounding area for more than a month in the first weeks of its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as its forces initially tried to advance on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

The NSC is a large arch-shaped installation covering the damaged No. 4 reactor to contain hazardous material. Work commenced in 2010 and concluded in 2019.

Designed to remain functional for a century, the structure is considered the world's biggest movable land-based construction and has been vital to securing the site.

The project cost about 2.1 billion in European currency and was funded by more than 45 international donors through the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, which development banks described as one of the most significant joint nuclear safety initiatives ever undertaken.

The April 26, 1986 explosion in the No. 4 reactor, then part of the Soviet Union, sent radioactive material across large areas of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and beyond.
Key Points

Annaly Capital is a real estate investment trust with a huge 12% yield.

Realty Income is also a REIT, but its yield is just 5.6%.

The more significant difference between Annaly and Realty Income becomes apparent in the reliability of their dividends.

10 stocks we like better than Annaly Capital Management 

It's easy for a dividend investor to get so enamored of a huge dividend yield that they overlook other, equally important, investment factors. Real estate investment trust (REIT) Annaly Capital's (NYSE: NLY) huge 12%+ dividend yield is one that could easily distract you. Note that the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has a tiny little 1.2% yield, and the average REIT yield is around 3.9%.

Here's why you might be better off in the middle with Realty Income (NYSE: O) and its roughly 5.6% yield.

Not all REITs are the same

There are two broad types when it comes to real estate investment trusts. The first type, property-owning REITs, is fairly easy to understand. These companies do what you would do if you owned a rental property, just on a much larger scale. Buying properties and leasing them out to tenants, which is what Realty Income does, provides a broad perspective, of course, since there are a variety of different property sectors in which REITs can invest.

Image source: Getty Images.

However, the property-owning model is drastically different from mortgage REITs, the other broad type of REIT you can invest in. Annaly is an mREIT. These companies focus on owning, managing, and/or making loans secured by physical properties. In Annaly's case, the company buys mortgages that have been pooled into bond-like securities.

There's nothing inherently wrong with mortgage REITs, per se, but they are simply not the same kind of dividend stock as a traditional property-owning REIT. The lofty yields on offer from mREITs are just one aspect of that. The more important factor is the reliability of the dividend over time.

Annaly is kind of like a mutual fund

Realty Income is an operating business. It grows by acquiring new properties and effectively managing its existing ones. Realty Income is the largest net lease REIT, which simply means that its tenants are responsible for most property-level costs. One drawback with Realty Income is that its vast size, with a portfolio of more than 15,000 properties, limits its growth potential. It requires huge amounts of investment to move the needle on the top and bottom lines.

That said, Annaly's business is somewhat similar to a mutual fund that owns mortgage securities. The company even reports a figure called tangible net book value, which essentially represents the value of the company's investment portfolio. That's roughly similar to the net asset value figure reported by mutual funds.
Amid questions loom over the longevity of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, Israel on Sunday signalled that it would not back down beyond the Yellow Line, calling it the "new border".

The statement came from the Israeli military, with army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir making the announcement.

"We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defence lines. The Yellow Line is a new border line -- serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity," Zamir said, as per news agency AFP.

Also Read | At least 4 countries pull out of 2026 Eurovision contest as Israels participation sows discord

What is the Yellow Line? Under the Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) were required to withdraw to positions behind the Yellow Line.

The area east of the Yellow Line, controlled by Israel, accounts for 53-58% of the area of the Gaza Strip.

It should be noted that the status of the Yellow Line is officially temporary, serving as a de facto military border inside Gaza. Later phases of the peace plan envision further Israeli withdrawals and the eventual deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF).

By the second withdrawal (and the deployment of the ISF), Israel's share of territory in Gaza is expected to be reduced to 40%, before a further reduction to 15% by the third withdrawal.

Also Read | Prominent anti-Hamas militia leader killed in Gaza

What comes next? Zamir's statement on Sunday comes shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled a move towards the second phase of the ceasefire.

During a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv and Hamas were "very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire", adding that such a move would only take place after the Palestinian militant group returned the remains of the last Israeli hostage.

Hamas has yet to handover the remains of 24-year-old Ran Gvili, a police officer who was killed during the 7 October attack of 2023.

The return of Gvili's remains to Tel Aviv and Israel's return of 15 bodies of Palestinians in exchangewould mark the completion of the first phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

Hamas has to be dismantled With Israel and Hamas seemingly set to progress to the second part of the peace plan, Netanyahu highlighted difficulties with the third phase.

As I mentioned to the [German] chancellor, theres a third phase, and that is to deradicalize Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible," the Israeli PM said during a press conference with Merz.
Benin's Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, stated in a press release on Sunday that the country's armed forces had thwarted an attempted coup. In the early morning of Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions, Alassane Seidou said.

Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic, Seidou said as reported by AP.

Earlier, residents in Cotonou, the economic capital, reported hearing gunfire after a group of soldiers declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon from power. However, according to the president's entourage, he remained unharmed.

Where is Benin? Benin is a West African country located along the southern coast of the continent, bordering the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated between Togo to the west and Nigeria to the east, while Burkina Faso and Niger lie to its north.

Its official capital is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou, located on the coast, serves as the economic hub, largest city, and de facto seat of government.

Also Read | Sudan military coup draws thousands to the streets in protest

Benin was formerly known as Dahomey during French colonial rule and gained independence in 1960, adopting the name Republic of Benin in 1975.

Following its independence from France in 1960, the West African nation witnessed multiple coups, especially in the decades following its independence. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kerekou.

Why did Benin suddenly become talk of the town? Benin faced the danger of a military coup after a group of soldiers claimed that they had removed the President Patrice Talon-led government, and the dissolution of the government following the swift takeover of power.

However, Wilfried Houngbedji, the spokesperson for the Benin Government, told the Associated Press that everything is fine. Talon had been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.

View full Image The coup attempt in Benin has reportedly been thwarted. (Photo: X)

Talons party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, was the favourite to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.

Also Read | An archaeologist is racing to preserve Sudans heritage as war threatens to erase its cultural past

View full Image TOPSHOT - A woman crosses a street as motorists engage a crossroad in Cotonou following rumors of a possible coup in the country on December 7, 2025. Benin's President Patrice Talon is safe and the army is regaining control, after a group of soldiers said they had ousted him from power, the presidency told AFP on Sunday. (Photo by AFP) ( AFP )

View full Image Motorbike taxis carrying passengers stops at a crossroad in Cotonou following rumors of a possible coup in the country on December 7, 2025. Benin's President Patrice Talon is safe and the army is regaining control, after a group of soldiers said they had ousted him from power, the presidency told AFP on Sunday. (Photo by AFP) ( AFP )

In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.

Last month, the countrys legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.

The coup is the latest in a string of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo after a contested election in which both he and the opposition candidate declared themselves winners.

How is Talon leading Benin amid failed military coup attempts? Called the King of Cotton for his vast fortune amassed in the cotton trade, logistics, and aviation sectors, Talon returned from self-imposed exile in 2015 to fund opposition against then-President Boni Yayi, whom he accused of corruption.

He narrowly won the 2016 election with 65% of the vote amid allegations of fraud, then secured a second term in 2021 with 86% after electoral reforms that effectively barred major opponents by requiring candidates to secure endorsements from 10% of deputies and mayors.

Also Read | Latin American, African nations next in line to Internationalise Indian rupee

According to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fiscal discipline has reduced debt vulnerability, with IMF support enabling poverty reduction from 40% to 36% of the population, though inequality persists in the north, where jihadist threats from Sahel neighbours like Burkina Faso and Niger have intensified since 2019.

Talon has positioned Benin as a stable ECOWAS anchor, mediating Niger's 2023 coup and advocating for regional integration, while diversifying ties with the US, EU, and China for aid and trade.
BENGALURU: As automation seeps further into workflows across industries, Indias largest IT services companies are feeling the pressure, not just on revenue, but also in their standing among the countrys corporate elite.

Simply put, four of Indias largest IT services firmsTata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd, HCL Technologies Ltd, and Tech Mahindra Ltdonce held a villa" in the BSE Sensex. But as automation tools ate into their domain, they have been forced into smaller accommodations.

A Mint analysis shows that four of the countrys five largest IT services companies, which once made up 19% of the benchmark index, now account for just over 11%, the lowest in 18 years. My colleague Dipali Banka and I bring you the details here.

Incidentally, IT stocks share in the BSE Sensex has been declining since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.

Worlds largest phone makers push back against alleged government snooping

Less than a week after the Ministry of Communications mandated that companies pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app, global phone giants Apple, Samsung, and Google pushed back.

While fierce competitors in Indias $50 billion smartphone market, the three stood united. Shouvik Das reported that all three were considering filing representations to the government, calling the directive to pre-install a government app a firstand odd"incident.

The issue arose after experts raised concerns about surveillance and privacy, as the app includes cybersecurity and privacy features. The government, however, said the apps aim was to blacklist smartphones involved in mobile-related frauds. Following the pushback, the ministry rolled back the pre-installation mandate.

Behind the juicy IIT job offers

The high placement packages at Indias premier tech institutes, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), often raise eyebrows. But these lucrative paycheques come with plenty of packaging, report Pratishtha Bagai and Devina Sengupta.

Salary packages worth crores of rupees come with lakhs of rupees worth of equity, bonuses, and clawback provisions to prevent the IIT students from jumping ship. While joining bonuses are nothing new, startups and AI firms have started wooing IIT graduates with stock options to compete with established companies.

Though base salaries start at 23 lakh, unchanged from previous years, many companies now lure students with promises of company shares if they serve a fixed tenure.

Microsoft plans more India data centres

Microsofts $3 billion data centre investment in Hyderabad is not the only investment the company is looking at. Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft India and South-Asia, in a conversation with Shouvik Das, said the companys investments were not episodicthey are structural."

Coming days ahead of CEO Satya Nadellas visit to the country during 10-12 December, Chandok added that Microsoft, which has data centres in Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai, would continue to invest more, and well dive deeper into these investments next week."

Microsoft is among the many global giants pouring money into data centres. On 14 October, Google, in partnership with conglomerate Adani Group and telecom major Airtel, announced a $15 billion investment to build a 1 gigawatt (GW) AI data centre in Visakhapatnam.

On the other hand, the countrys largest IT services firm, TCS, has partnered with TPG to set-up a $1 billion data centre, which Mint has learnt will come up in Navi Mumbai.

VCs tap PhD scholars, founders with deep domain expertise

Indias startup ecosystem is witnessing venture capitalists increasingly backing founders with PhDs and deep domain knowledge, reported Mansi Verma.

If you are a professor who wants to turn a lab project into a profitable venture, this might keep you hooked, because certain VC firms like Artha and Fundamentum increasingly are. Space tech startup Agnikul is a prime example where the founders expertise in propulsion technology resulted in a fund raise that now values the company at about $500 million.

The article not just highlighted a new trend, but also a shift where VC firms were shifting their focus on startups where founders mainly focussed on distributions and business execution. Prime examples include Zomato, Ola, Flipkart, and Swiggy.

In other news, Lata Jha reported that music labels such as Saregama and Times Music are turning to automation tools to embellish old songs. Dont be surprised if you see new age video clips accompanying old classics on YouTube.

Meanwhile, if you were among the first users of Meesho and faced late deliveries, things might have changed. Sowmya Ramasubramanian reported that the entry of Valmo, Meeshos in-house logistics layer, cut costs and made deliveries more trackable, and helped in expanding the companys presence in rural areas.

Transformer by Mint is a weekly newsletter that brings Indias most important and interesting technology updates under one umbrella. As the world transforms with every day of innovation, Transformer will keep a tab on the impact that technologies will make in each of our lives. Published every week, the newsletter brings some of Indias tech landscapes most insightful coverages until date.
Picture this: According to industry estimates, the size of the Indian advertising industry is around 1.55 trillion, including the direct spends of unorganized sector and small and medium enterprises on search engines and social platforms. In 2024, digital media cornered more than half of this, while the rest was distributed among TV, print, outdoors, radio and other sundry platforms. To be precise, ad spends on digital platforms stood at 75,000-85,000 crore, while television accounted for 36,000-40,000 crore and print got 16,000-20,000 crore. Digitals share in this pie is expected to have grown even bigger this year, while the rest are likely to have shrunk further.
All of this has faded into the background amid a tech-hype cycle that even former safety advocates have jumped on. Sunak, for one, has taken advisory roles at AI companies Anthropic and Microsoft, and while he has pledged his salary to charity, those relationships will be valuable should he leave politics. Musk, who fretted about AIs existential risks, has gone quiet on the subject since founding xAI, the firm behind chatbot Grok. But throwing caution aside in a chase for uncertain economic benefits may come back to haunt governments.
The US and Europewhich view Putins special military operations in Ukraine as aggression and a blatant violation of sovereigntyhave so far been unable to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite Trumps repeated claims that he could resolve the conflict in one day or within a week of taking office, the war continues, now threatening to enter its fifth year, even as he completes his first year in the White House.
Capacity building is vital for people to appreciate the use of ADR as a swifter way forward. Technology can also be transformative. Online dispute resolution (ODR) platforms can offer fast, low-cost redressal for small-value and cross-border cases, provided they protect due process, confidentiality and enforcement. ODR must integrate offline support centres in rural and underserved areas, so that digital justice does not become another form of exclusion (Niti Aayogs ODR Policy Plan, 2023).
South Bombay does have poor areas. But its shanties are vanishing. The lower middle class still lives in chawls, though many of them have been redeveloped. Also, many people in South Bombay are only notionally rich; apart from their tiny flats, they have little income. You find strugglers even on Peddar Road, which has very expensive residential real estate. Once, when I was looking for a home on this street, the woman who showed me her flat told me at the end of the tour that she was happy to rent the flat to me, but would live in the balcony.
Apple and Google have delivered a new round of threat notifications to users worldwide earlier this week, warning that state-linked hackers may be attempting to compromise their devices. The alerts mark the latest effort by major tech companies to counter the growing market of commercial spyware and government-backed surveillance campaigns.

Fresh warnings sent across multiple countries Apple confirmed that it issued its latest batch of alerts on 2 December, although the company declined to specify how many users were affected or which groups were believed to be behind the activity. Apple said only that it has now sent notifications to users in more than 150 countries since it began the programme.

The company typically sends these warnings when it finds evidence suggesting a user has been singled out in sophisticated hacking attempts believed to be linked to state agencies or government contractors.

Google flags Intellexa Spyware activity Google announced on 3 December that it had notified all users it knows were targeted via Intellexa spyware tools. The effort, according to the company, involved several hundred accounts across a broad set of regions, including Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Angola, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan.

View full Image AI-generated graphic ( Gemini )

Intellexa, a surveillance-technology vendor sanctioned by the United States, was accused by Google of continuing to operate and adapt despite restrictions. Executives connected to the organisation did not respond to requests for comment.

Also Read | Google warns hackers breached Oracle apps to steal data, extort firms

Growing scrutiny of commercial spyware Warnings from Apple, Google, and other technology companies have previously led to political inquiries and regulatory scrutiny. The European Union has launched investigations in the past after senior officials were found to have been targeted with similar tools.

Experts say these alerts disrupt surveillance campaigns by informing intended victims. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, noted that notifications often set off a chain of probes that can expose misuse of spyware. He said they are frequently the first step towards meaningful accountability for abuses.

Also Read | From Tiimo to Cyberpunk 2077: Apple reveals the best App Store picks of 2025

Pressure mounts on global spyware industry The latest alerts underscore the persistence of the commercial spyware trade and the challenges governments and technology platforms face in containing its spread. As state-sponsored hacking tools evolve and proliferate, companies continue to signal that notification systems remain one of the few effective defences for those caught in the crosshairs of digital espionage.

(With inputs from Reuters)
Meta is delaying the launch of its new mixed reality glasses, which were slated to release in the first half of 2026, according to a report by Business Insider. Reportedly, the glasses, code-named Phoenix, are being pushed back to the first half of 2027, and the change was confirmed in a memo to employees by Maher Saba, VP of Reality Labs Foundation at Meta.

In another memo viewed by the publication, metaverse leaders Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns said the company is moving the release date back to give us a lot more breathing room to get the details right.

Theres a lot coming in hot with tight bring-up schedules and big changes to our core UX, and we wont compromise on landing a fully polished and reliable experience, they added.

Saba reportedly said in the memo that after a recent meeting with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Reality Labs received feedback on its plans for 2026. He said the feedback focused on making the business sustainable and taking extra time to deliver our experiences with higher quality.

Based on that, many teams in Reality Labs will need to adjust their plans and timelines. Extending timelines is not an opportunity for us to add more features or take on additional work, he added.

Meanwhile, the company reportedly plans to release a new limited edition wearable device in 2026, code-named Malibu 2.

Meta is also said to be working on a next generation Quest device that will focus on immersive gaming and represent a large upgrade in terms of capabilities compared to existing devices, while also aiming to significantly improve unit economics.

The tech giant announced the acquisition of AI wearable startup Limitless earlier this week. The company produces a pendant capable of recording, transcribing and summarising real world conversations to act as a personal memory augmentation system.

Meta is also expected to face competition in this space from OpenAI, which is said to be working on its own AI hardware that could launch around 2027.

What do we know about Metas mixed reality glasses? Meta has not publicly shared any details about the Phoenix mixed reality glasses, but a report by The Information revealed that the device could have a goggle-like form factor and may need to remain connected to an external power source to stay on.
Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Trump mulls scrapping USMCA as industry groups push for renewal; DP World opens Queretaro warehouse to support Mexicos nearshoring boom; and East Coast Warehouse & Distribution launches first Texas operation.

Trump mulls scrapping USMCA as industry groups push for renewal

While major industry groups are urging federal authorities to extend the U.S.MexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA) for another full 16-year term, the Trump administration said it is considering scrapping the trade pact and negotiating a new one.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Politico the presidents view is he only wants deals that are a good deal. The reason why we built a review period into USMCA was in case we needed to revise it, review it or exit it.

Greer, who discussed the USMCA with Politicos White House bureau chief Dasha Burns in a podcast episode that aired Friday, said Trump has also raised the idea of negotiating separately with Canada and Mexico and dividing the agreement into two parts.

The U.S., Mexico and Canada are preparing for the first six-year joint review of the USMCA in 2026. The USMCA was negotiated during Trumps first term as president and replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020.

Despite the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from the trade pact, several trade and business organizations said USMCA has become a cornerstone of North American economic integration.

At a series of public hearings at a USMCA panel in Congress, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) voiced strong support for maintaining USMCAs duty-free market access and existing rules of origin.

AAFA said the agreement has become a vital foundation for the textile, apparel and footwear supply chain linking all three countries.

From cotton to consumer there is a tightly woven supply chain that binds together a network of workers, farmers, and employers throughout Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, AAFA Vice President Beth Hughes said in a news release. The USMCA enables this supply chain, setting clear and predictable ground rules and articulating a long-term incentive structure that powers jobs, investments, and regional trade.

NGFA also pressed for a full renewal without altering the agreements core terms, citing the essential role Mexico and Canada play as U.S. export markets for corn, soybeans and wheat.
With the rise of artificial intelligence, there has been a growing belief in the tech industry that coding will soon become redundant, given that new AI models are getting better not just at writing code but also at implementing it. However, Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as one of the godfathers of AI, says it might not be the right time to give up on computer science degrees just yet.

Many people think a CS degree is just programming or something, Hinton told Business Insider. Obviously, just being a competent mid level programmer is not going to be a career for much longer, because AI can do that.

Hinton predicted that a CS degree is valuable for more than just coding, and believes that a CS degree will be valuable for quite a long time.

The Nobel Prize and Turing Award winner drew a parallel between learning coding and how humanities students learn Latin. He said, I think its very useful to learn to code, and even if they end up not having AI do all the coding for them.

I think learning to code is maybe a bit like learning Latin if youre in the humanities or something. Youre never going to speak Latin, but its still useful learning Latin, Hinton added.

Some skills that are always going to be valuable, like knowing some maths, statistics and probability theory, and things like linear algebra, will always be valuable, he further noted.

What do other AI leaders think about a computer science degree? OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor also shared a similar view about computer science degrees in an episode of Lennys podcast earlier this year.

Taylor said, I still think studying computer science is a different answer than learning to code, but I also think its extremely valuable to study computer science. Thats because computer science is more than coding.

Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has also spoken about the importance of understanding the fundamentals of software building, even though AI is expected to do much of the work in the future.

He said, Just getting the real fundamentals of software still matters a lot to me if youre a software engineer.

Having the ability to think computationally is important, Nadella added.

On the other end of the spectrum is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who famously said early last year that students should not learn to code and should instead focus on areas like biology, education, manufacturing or farming.
The amalgamation of St Mel's College and Mean Scoil Mhuire in Longford town took a giant leap forward on Friday as the Department of Education confirmed to local Oireachtas members that the Government would be supporting the development of a major school capital project under the Large Scale Capital Programme.



The announcement marks a significant milestone in the amalgamation journey of the schools, with plans for a new 1,200-pupil post-primary school, six Special Education Needs (SEN) classrooms, a major new extension on the St Mels College site and refurbishment and reconfiguration of existing buildings.

Read more: 'Vital support' as nine Longford groups awarded CLAR funding of 455,897



Longford Fine Gael TD Micheal Carrigy, who said it will be delivered through the Major Devolved programme, stated, "This is one of the most important education investments ever announced for Longford.



"The project will provide state-of-the-art facilities for current and future generations of students, supporting academic, social, and SEN needs in a modern, future-proofed school environment.



"I will continue working closely with the Department of Education to ensure progress as quickly as possible."



Local Fianna Fail Senator Joe Flaherty described the approval of the large scale capital project as a significant announcement .

"This significantly advances the planned merger of two of the towns secondary schools  St Mels College & Mean Scoil Mhuire.



"The Dept of Education has approved the development of a 1,200 pupil school and additional SEN classrooms. The brief for the project includes the construction of a large extension at St Mels College and the refurbishment and reconfiguration of some existing school accommodation.



"The project approval is to be welcomed and is timely as the two schools works towards a phased amalgamation from September 2027."



The board of management of St Mel's College sought planning permission in early-October to conserve and upgrade the 160 year old school building, its chapel, and its 110 year old study hall - all protected structures - as plans are set in motion to accommodate the 2027 amalgamation of St Mel's with Mean Scoil Mhuire.

Read more: 'Major regeneration': Longford public invited to discover exciting vision for Connolly Barracks



St Mel's, which currently has 603 pupils, will see its student population increase to approximately 1,200 once the amalgamation is complete and it becomes known as Colaiste Mel agus Mhuire.



Given the increase in numbers, a variety of improvements to the historic building are vital.



In addition to the proposed conservation and upgrade of the building, the planning application also outlines plans to demolish a number of extensions built in the 1930s and 1960s, namely the single-storey, two-storey and four-storey rear extensions.
Ballymahon's Maura Higgins has revealed the routine behind her incredible abs, which made headlines of their own this week after she stepped out at the British Fashion Council Awards in a haute couture statement two-piece by Robert Wun.

After posting a Q&A prompt to her Instagram page last night, the Longford star was inundated with questions about the routine responsible for her impressively defined core.

When asked how she achieve her abs, Maura replied, "no secret, just balance and consistency. I eat clean most of the time but I never restrict myself from the foods I love i.e. pasta/pizza! Lots of Pilates and yoga have made a huge difference to my body. I've finally found what works best for me. It's taken a lot of hard work but it's all about finding what feels good for your body."

In response to another follower who wrote, "drop the core routine - I'm begging you!" Maura said, "My Q&A is mostly this question! As I've said, Pilates, yoga, and if I'm totally honest, me trying not to fall over during class. Hard work, yes ... restriction, absolutely not!!"

View this post on Instagram A post shared by MAURA HIGGINS (@maurahiggins)




We came across a bullish thesis on Boston Scientific Corporation on Value investing subreddit by Infinite_Spinach8839. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on BSX. Boston Scientific Corporation's share was trading at $99.02 as of December 2nd. BSXs trailing and forward P/E were 54.02 and 29.15 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

Copyright: nimon / 123RF Stock Photo

Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. BSX is positioned for sustained 8-10% annual revenue growth, 100-150 bps of margin expansion, and double-digit EPS CAGR, driven by structural growth across electrophysiology, structural heart, and minimally invasive technologies. The cardiology segment, which represents roughly 60% of total revenue, benefits from a global electrophysiology market growing at ~15% CAGR and an expected doubling of atrial fibrillation procedures by 2030.

Key growth drivers include the pulsed-field ablation platform, Farapulse, which is achieving 50% YoY growth and targeting a 2030% share of the global PFA market, and the Watchman LAA closure device, with ~25% YoY revenue growth, a total addressable market expanding at 15%+ CAGR, and penetration still below 10% of eligible patients, signaling a long runway.

Boston Scientifics innovation engine is fueled by 910% of revenue allocated to R&D, with new products contributing more than 30% of incremental sales. The companys pipeline spans cardiology, electrophysiology, neuromodulation, structural heart, urology, and oncology, with near-term launches including Farapulse global rollout, Watchman FLX Pro, and new neuromodulation platforms.

BSX operates with a ~70% gross margin and targets 2830% operating margins over the coming years, supported by approximately $2.53 billion in annual free cash flow, translating to ~80% conversion of net income. This strong cash generation is expected to fund tuck-in M&A ($200M$2B historically), debt reduction, and selective buybacks. The balance sheet remains healthy with net debt/EBITDA around 2.0x and trending lower, providing ample capacity for strategic acquisitions, making BSX an attractive growth and cash flow story with multiple levers for shareholder value creation.

Previously we covered a bullish thesis on Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) by Magnus Ofstad in April 2025, which highlighted innovation in minimally invasive devices, disciplined acquisitions, strong margins, and global expansion. The stock has appreciated 5.03% since our coverage, reflecting execution. The thesis still stands as BSX continues growth in cardiology and electrophysiology. Infinite_Spinach8839 shares a similar view but emphasizes revenue growth, margin expansion, and cash flow deployment.
As immigrants arrived at Faneuil Hall in Boston for their naturalization ceremony on Thursday, some were told by federal authorities that they could not proceed due to their countries of origin, a development first reported by GBH.

The naturalization ceremony, which is the final step in obtaining U.S. citizenship, requires approved applicants to take the Oath of Allegiance and receive their Certificate of Naturalization, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

However, some approved individuals were stopped by USCIS officials upon arrival at Faneuil Hall, according to GBH.

One of our clients said that she had gone to her oath ceremony because she hadnt received the cancellation notice in time, Gail Breslow, executive director of Project Citizenship told GBH. She showed up as scheduled, and when she arrived, officers were asking everyone what country they were from, and if they said a certain country, they were told to step out of line and that their oath ceremonies were canceled.

The client is a Haitian woman in her 50s who had a green card since the early 2000s and began working with Project Citizenship in January, the media outlet reported.

The abrupt halt is a direct result of a new order from the Trump administration that mandates an immediate pause on all immigration applications filed by people from 19 countries that they consider high risk for national security.

People are devastated and theyre frightened, Breslow told GBH News. People were plucked out of line. They didnt cancel the whole ceremony.

At least 45 people the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) has been supporting for months were affected by the changes, according to MIRA Executive Director Elizabeth Sweet.

Five of those individuals found out last week that, after extensive vetting, interviews and tests, their oath of citizenship at historic Faneuil Hall had been canceled while at least 40 who had begun the process now face further uncertainty and delay, Sweet wrote Monday. This decision and the process is as crass as it is cruel and arbitrary. People are disheartened, devastated and rightly outraged.

To whom does the immigration pause apply?

The freeze applies to a broad range of benefits, including applications for green cards and naturalization, for nationals of the following countries:

Afghanistan

Myanmar (Burma)

Chad

Republic of the Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Haiti

Iran

Libya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

Burundi

Cuba

Laos

Sierra Leone

Togo

Turkmenistan

Venezuela

The new policy will allow the USCIS to reexamine green-card holders who are already residing in the U.S. as it reviews cases that were done under the Biden administration and indefinitely pauses asylum decisions.

Were going back on all of these folks that have applied for asylum, people that would be traveling to this country, and looking at more information, what ... social media platforms they may have visited, the communications that they have, biometric information and data that we can collect from them, but also from their government, too, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CNNs Kaitlan Collins on Monday.

USCIS cited the shooting of two National Guard troops by a suspect who is an Afghan national as a reason for the new policy.

One National Guard member, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries, while another, Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured but is slowly healing, and is expected to be in acute care for the next two to three weeks, the BBC reported.

In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 is necessary, a statement shared on Dec. 2 reads. Lastly, USCIS may, when appropriate, extend this review and re-interview process to aliens who entered the United States outside of this timeframe.

The hold will remain in place until USCIS Director Joseph Edlow decides to lift it, the memo states. The agency has given itself 90 days to create a prioritized list of cases for review and potential referral to immigration enforcement or other law enforcement agencies.
By Josh Funk and Rio Yamat, Associated Press Transportation and Airlines writers

The government picked a company with little experience working with the Federal Aviation Administration called Peraton to oversee the roughly $31.5 billion overhaul of the outdated air traffic control system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday evening that Peraton was chosen in the hope that its innovative approach will make it possible to complete the upgrades within the next three years before the end of President Donald Trumps term in office ends. Peraton was chosen over Parsons Corp., which does have extensive experience with FAA contracts.

Working together, we are going to build on the incredible progress weve already made and deliver a state-of-the-art air traffic control system that the American traveling public  and our hard-working air traffic controllers  deserve, Duffy said in the announcement.

Heres what to know about the modernization project and the company hired to oversee it:

A $12.5 billion down payment on the project

Earlier this year, Congress approved $12.5 billion as a down payment on the project after technical problems twice knocked out the radar for air traffic controllers managing planes around Newark Liberty International Airport. This year began with the worst American aviation disaster in years when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington D.C., killing 67 people.

Duffy has said hell need roughly $20 billion more to complete the upgrade.

This effort to upgrade the technology controllers use is on a much more aggressive timeline than the previous NextGen effort that began shortly after the turn of the century and failed to deliver all the benefits it promised even after an investment of $36 billion. The Biden administration had estimated that upgrading the system might take more than a decade.

The FAA hasnt yet released the details of how much Peraton will be paid for this contract, but the agency said it includes incentives to reward good performance and penalties for shortcomings.

Upgrades needed to avoid delays and prepare for drones and flying taxis

The technical problems that disrupted flights at the Newark airport in the spring demonstrated just how fragile the nations aging air traffic control system is. And Duffy has said those kind of technical failures in a system that too often still relies on copper wires and floppy discs could happen anywhere unless the system is upgraded.

Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed in Newark. After the radar outages, the facility in Philadelphia that controls the flights in and out of Newark had a half dozen controllers go on leave, which forced the reductions in flights.

The number of flights across the country each day that the FAA has to safely manage is expected to continue growing in the years ahead. And drones will continue to proliferate across the country as flying taxis start to take to the air.

Everyone agrees that the air traffic control system must be modernized to be able to handle those future demands.

Ambitious timeline for the upgrades

John Rose, chief risk adviser for global travel management company ALTOUR, said the three-year timeline is extremely aggressive but partially realistic. He said its plausible for the FAA to build the foundation for a modern air traffic control network in its tight timeline, with more advanced capabilities layered on later.

You need to build the base before you can have all the bells and whistles, he said. If the project gets to the core structure in three years, I think weve accomplished the mission.

He likened it to an iPhone where once you have a robust base system you can upgrade the software like when the phone gets an iOS update. If they build the infrastructure, then as things change from a technology capability, its almost like a plug and play, he said.

Air Traffic Control Association President and CEO Stephen Creamer represents the companies that make the gear that Peraton and the FAA will use to complete the upgrades. He said it helps that the new system wont have to be built from scratch.

The technology thats needed in the system is not cutting edge technology. Its been tested and trialed all over the world in various places. We know what the capabilities of it are. We know what the risks of those installations are in a way that we wouldnt know if we were trying to do it and be the first one out of the gate, Creamer said.

Why is this contract needed?

Duffy said that putting a private company in charge should help this project get done more quickly, and Peratons expertise with complex technical systems and artificial intelligence will help.

Peraton has said the fact that it doesnt have a history of work at the FAA might actually help because it wont be biased to working with the same companies that have failed in the past.

And after all the cuts to the federal workforce Trump made this year and the early retirements. Creamer said that FAA needs the help to complete this project because it no longer has the staff to do it.

The expectation is that Peraton will be able to award contracts to other companies more quickly than FAA would be able to because it wont be limited by the same process. That does introduce the possibility that mistakes could be made, but Creamer said I think theres plenty of checks and balances in the administrative system to ensure that theres not gonna be substantial waste or fraud or abuse.

Peraton has worked on other government tech upgrades

Peraton has worked on multibillion-dollar technology contracts for the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Special Operations Command and the National Park Service along with the military and other agencies.

The company is owned by Veritas Capital private equity firm, so it doesnt have shareholders. Its board of advisers is full of an assortment of former military and intelligence officials. A Peraton spokesman said the company was too busy getting started on the contract to do any interviews Friday, but its CEO Steve Schorer promised in a statement that his team is committed to completing this project.

Our highly-skilled, dedicated, and talented team of engineers, technologists, and mission experts stands ready to hit the ground running to deliver a system Americans can count on  one that is more secure, more reliable, and a model for the world to follow, Schorer said.

The companys political action committee donated a quarter-million dollars to politicians last year with a little over half of that going to Republicans, according to www.opensecrets.org.

Improvements already underway

Duffy said that the FAA has already been working on making improvements and more than one-third of the old copper wires that air traffic controllers were relying on have been replaced with fiber optic lines or other modern connections.

But some of the advancements like installing new systems to help controllers keep track of planes on the ground at 44 airports began during the last administration.

And significant work remains ahead to install more than 27,600 new radios and 612 new radar systems. The old connections still need to upgraded at thousands of additional facilities, and six new air traffic control centers are scheduled to be built.
Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe transfers the colors and flag (guidon) of Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield to incoming commander Col. Michael "Shot" Glass as outgoing commander Col. David "Moon" Halasi-Kun looks on. (Staasi Heropoulos / Special to The Republican) Staasi Heropoulos / Special to The Republican

WESTFIELD  During a change-of-command ceremony steeped in military tradition Saturday afternoon, the flag and colors of Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield were transferred to Col. Michael Shot Glass from the bases outgoing 104th Fighter Wing Commander, Col. David Moon Halasi-Kun.

More than 1,000 personnel watched the colonel relinquish his command, standing at attention and saluting Halasi-Kun for a final time and Glass for their first. There were another hundred people at the event, including military and government officials along with family and friends of the colonels.

After leading the 104th Fighter Wing since 2022, the 50-year-old commander is leaving full-time military service. Im handing over the wing. Ive really enjoyed the job and Im a little bittersweet, he told The Republican.

Halasi-Kun graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1998 and has since accumulated more than 3,000 hours flying the F-15, which had been stationed at the base until last October.

Col. David "Shot" Glass delivers his first salute as base commander. (Staasi Heropoulos / Special to The Republican) Staasi Heropoulos / Special to The Republican

In his years at Barnes, he has been tasked with keeping the base combat ready  prepared to carry out its mission of defending New York and New England with superior airpower.

About 40 million people and a third of the nations GDP (Gross Domestic Product) sits underneath our coverage. If anything were to cross the Arctic Circle or come across the Atlantic and pose a threat to the United States, the first thing they would meet in terms of air power would be the 104th Fighter Wing Barnstormer, he said.

As if to foreshadow the bases next generation of air weapons, an F-35 Lightning II loomed large, an ominous backdrop for the ceremony in hanger 15.

The advanced fighter jet is replacing the F-15s, which had been stationed in Westfield beginning in 2007. Glass, 44, is now in charge of transitioning Barnes to house the fighter jets.

Incoming commander Col. Michael "Shot" Glass (left) appears with outgoing commander Col. David "Moon" Halasi-Kun near an F35. Staasi Heropoulos / Special to The Republican Staasi Heropoulos / Special to The Republican

Im extremely excited and honored to be chosen to follow in Moons shoes. Ive been working hard to make myself competitive for the position, he told The Republican.

I have been lucky to be on the leading edge of learning how to fly that airplane. Its a cool challenge to bring in a new airplane and be the wing commander as we set up an entirely new enterprise, he added.

The fighter wings alert mission will pause while it is equipped to house the F-35s. Pilots will be trained to fly, and mechanics will learn now to service them. Others will also become familiar with their support roles.

During this phase-in period, other bases will provide air support.

The alert coverage for the United States is maintained despite our conversion and the mission of protecting the northeast and New York is ongoing, said Glass.

Converting from one airplane to another is something the Air Force has done for many years. They understand the process of doing so takes time and then at a certain point, I will say to my leadership, the 104th Fighter Wing is available for any and all taskings, he added.

Halasi-Kun said the time is right for his departure as Barnes transitions away from the F-15s. He would not speculate on what his legacy will be  he is leaving others to define it. But he said his greatest accomplishment is grooming new leadership to succeed him.

Our job is to forge leaders, he said. Weve done an excellent job of empowering our lower commanders. Rather than giving direct orders, my focus has been on giving people broad guidance of a desired result. Making them feel like theyre part of the team and not just someone to order around.

Major General Gary W. Keefe, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, presided over the ceremony.

The commander sets the tone, and Col. Halasi-Kun set it at the highest level, he said

His effectiveness, dedication, and drive have strengthened the 104th and prepared it for the future. As Col.l Glass steps into command, I am confident he will not only maintain that momentum but elevate it, continued the Major General.

Halasi-Kun officially becomes a military retiree in March but has agreed to return part-time as the Air Component commander and eventually brigadier general out of the Joint Force headquarters in Boston.

While there is a lot on his radar, he said there is no rest for the weary.

There is no vacation time, because since I will be serving part-time, I need a full-time job, so Ive (joined) American Airlines and I report on Dec. 14 to begin training to fly a 737 passenger jet, he said.

Glass is familiar with leadership positions at Barnes, having served as the Wings Operations Group commander from June 2023 to September 2025 before become deputy wing commander.

He now heads air protection of a major segment of Americas population and economy, but the gravity of this responsibility does not intimidate him.

It doesnt fall solely on my shoulders. Weve empowered people to be professionals, he said. Obviously the buck stops with me, but I have full faith and confidence the people here are well trained to go into combat.

Around 1,000 military personnel are stationed at Barnes, along with 100 civilians who work there. While the bases alert mission will be on hold, its medical group, civil engineers, logisticians, police and firefighters can be deployed at any time, said Halasi-Kun.

Even though the wing is in conversion, he said, if the governor or president calls, the other 500 personnel on this base not actively involved in the transition to the new aircraft can be called upon to serve at moments notice.
The nativity scene at St. Susanna's Parish in Dedham, Mass., replaces the Holy Family with anti-ICE signs protesting U.S. immigration policies. The small sign says the "Holy Family is safe in the sanctuary of our church." (Courtesy of Jack Harrington)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons is calling for the removal of a nativity scene at a Catholic church in Dedham that protests U.S. immigration policies.

The sign reads, ICE was here, and is in the spot where Jesus, Mary and Joseph usually are in the middle of the manger scene, implying the family was taken by immigration agents, according to WBUR. Below the message is a smaller sign that reads The Holy Family is safe in our Church ... If you see ICE please call LUCE at 617-370-5023.

The Rev. Stephen Josoma, St. Susannas Parishs pastor, told WBUR the displays purpose was to focus the Christmas story on the plight of immigrants. It comes after he recently spoke with refugee families with which the church has worked.

These are folks who carry a lot of scars with them. Some of them are physical scars, but most are emotional, he told the outlet. Theyve seen their folks killed in front of them.

Lyons told Fox News Digital in a statement: The actions of the activist reverend, Stephen Josoma, are absolutely abhorrent and add to a dangerous narrative responsible for a more than 1,150% increase in assaults on ICE officers.

The Archdiocese of Boston also pushed back against the display. Terry Donilon, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese, said in a statement to MassLive Saturday that the display should be removed, calling it divisive political messaging.

The Archdiocese also noted that St. Susanna neither requested nor received permission for the display.

The churchs norms prohibit the use of sacred objects for any purpose other than the devotion of Gods people, Donilon told MassLive. This includes images of the Christ Child in the manger, which are to be used solely to foster faith and devotion.

The Archdiocese spokesperson also noted that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has long-standing statements on immigration calling for the humane treatment of migrants, especially those in detention.

We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nations immigration laws and procedures, the USCCB said. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict.

Josoma did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday from MassLive.

Lyons told Fox News that Josoma has become infamous for using his pulpit to advance his activist agenda and has now caught the attention of the Archdiocese of Boston, which has publicly condemned his most recent political stunt. On behalf of ICE and our many law enforcement professionals in Massachusetts  many of whom are practicing Catholics and first-generation Americans  I applaud the Catholic Church and the Archdiocese for taking a stand against such a dangerous and extremist narrative.

The nativity scene also drew sharp attention from the Department of Homeland Security.

Not only is this nativity scene offensive to Christians, but it is also depicting something that  despite what Rev. Josoma says  NEVER happens. ICE does not separate families, Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday to MassLive. Get a grip and seek help.

According to a Nov. 24 ProPublica report, some 600 immigrant children have been placed in government shelters since the beginning of the year, the highest number since such placements were first tracked a decade ago.

This includes a 13-year-old Everett boy, a Brazilian immigrant, who was taken into ICE custody and sent to a facility in Virginia, because the agency said he had a knife and a gun at school.

During an October press conference after the boy was sent to Virginia, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria confirmed the boy had a knife but said he did not have a gun.

Everett Police were going to release the boy to his mother, who had arrived at the station. However, ICE, tipped off by the fingerprint database, took the boy into custody and whisked him off to the ICE facility in Burlington.

The boy will return to Brazil with an aunt and uncle while his parents continue pursuing asylum in the United States, attorney Andrew Lattarulo told MassLive on Oct. 30.
The National Park Service has made several changes to its free admission day calendar for next year, including dropping Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth and adding President Donald Trumps birthday as a day only Americans can get into national parks for free.

Admission fees historically have been waived for several days throughout the year for anyone visiting one of the 63 national parks in the United States.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been a free day for years, including throughout Trumps first administration, CNN reported. Last year, Juneteenth was added to the free entrance list. The day commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved Americans in 1865.

Other days that were free in 2025 were: the first day of National Park Week in April, a day in August that celebrated the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, National Public Lands Day in September and Veterans Day in November.

According to the National Park Services website, the new calendar of free entrance days in 2026 reflects patriotic and presidential holidays, adding Trumps birthday to the list. His birthday, June 14, coincides with Flag Day.

The full list is:

That means starting Jan. 1, 2026, standard entrance fees will apply to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.

Civil rights leaders have voiced opposition to the removal of two of the nations most prominent civil rights holidays.

The raw & rank racism here stinks to high heaven, Harvard Kennedy School professor Cornell William Brooks, a former president of the NAACP, said on social media, according to the Associated Press.

Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conversation Association, told the Associated Press that while presidential administrations have tweaked free days in the past, the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. is particularly concerning.

Not only does it recognize an American hero, its also a day when people go into parks to clean them up, Brengel said. Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition  For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldnt be."

Trump signed an executive order in July directing parks to charge foreign tourists more to visit the national parks to help cover infrastructure improvement costs.

Therefore, another big change next year is only U.S. citizens and residents can take advantage of the free days. Everyone else has to pay the regular price of admission, according to the services website.

Also, nonresidents who are at least 16 years old will be required to pay a $100 nonresident fee, in addition to the standard entrance pass, at the following 11 parks:

Acadia National Park (this is the closest national park to Massachusetts, and is about 300 miles away in Bar Harbor, Maine)

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Everglades National Park, Florida

Glacier National Park, Montana

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, California

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yosemite National Parks, California

Zion National Parks, Utah

The cost for an annual pass will increase from $80 to $250 at the beginning of 2026, the service states.

American residents are also granted preferential treatment for recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules.

The Department of Interior said in its 2026 fiscal year budget proposal released in May, that such a surcharge on foreign visitors would generate more than $90 million annually.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Nov. 25 via X that these changes ensure that U.S. taxpayers will continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!

Brian Yablonski  with the Property and Environment Research Center, a free market research group based in Bozeman, Montana  told SFGATE that charging foreigners could generate more than $1 billion from an estimated 14 million international visitors annually.

Americans are already paying more than international visitors because they are paying taxes, Yablonski said. For international visitors, this is kind of a no-brainer, common-sense approach.
A person was killed in a fire at a condo building in Middleborough on Sunday, according to a statement from Middleborough Fire Chief Owen Thompson. Three people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized with injuries.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 172 Ashley Lane at around 9:51 a.m. for reports of a structure fire. They found smoke and flames coming from the first and second floors of the building at both the front and rear of the structure, the statement reads.

Boston 25 News posted aerial footage video on Facebook from the fire scene Sunday afternoon, showing firefighters battling flames and smoke billowing from a roof.

The fire also spread to adjacent buildings, which includes four units, and caused significant damages.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene, Thompson reported. Two other residents were driven by Emergency Medical Services from Carver to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The statement adds that a firefighter was driven by Coastal Ambulance to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Residents who lived in these buildings are being assisted by the American Red Cross.

Crews are remaining on scene Sunday afternoon to monitor hot spots.

The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation by the Middleborough Fire Department, Middleborough Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit attached to the State Fire Marshals Office and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office.
Google searches for affordability surged over the past month, reaching their highest level since the Great Recession in 2009, according to CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten.

There could be dire consequences for politicians who ignore this, he said.

This is no con job; the American people are going online and searching for affordability, he said in a video posted on the social platform X on Thursday. Its the American people going to the ballot box voting for affordability. [President] Donald Trump might want to make the argument its a con job, but the American people dont think so."

Cost of Living at 36%, followed by the economy at 20% and Health care/Medicare/Social Security combined at 17%, are the top three issues among Americans, according to a recent Marquette University Law School poll.

What do these all have in common? Its all about the economy, spending, entitlements, all about being able to afford things, Enten said.

Democrats clocked significant victories in last months elections with affordability as their centerpiece issue.

Its the American people the Democrats are following, Enten said, and if [President] Donald Trump and the Republicans dont follow the American people, well, you get the results like you did last month in Virginia and New Jersey.

Republicans lost races they thought would be considerably closer by double digits, especially in those two states.

Another key economic indicator, Enten said, is access to affordable housing.

The percentage of people satisfied with access to affordable housing dropped by 33 percentage points over 10 years, according to a Gallup survey. In 2014, 69% of people polled were satisfied with access to affordable housing; that dropped to 59% in 2019 and 36% in 2024.

Donald Trump won on affordability, even if he didnt use that word. He won on the cost of living in 2024, and he has completely lost the plot, Enten said. Its not just about groceries; its also about people putting roofs over their heads.

That is going to be a big issue in 2026, he continued, pointing to the GOPs narrow victory Tuesday in a Tennessee congressional special election. Republican Matt Van Epps won by 9 points in a district Trump took by a 22-point margin in 2024.

When a party outperformed in special elections since 2005, five out of five times, they went on to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Enten said in a segment aired on CNN on Dec.2.
Mix of sun and clouds are predicted for Sunday along with cold high temperatures and light winds. (Courtesy of the National Weather Service) National Weather Service

Massachusetts residents can expect a cold but dry Sunday before a significant arctic front moves through overnight, signaling the start of a frigid week.

Sunday is expected to deliver a mix of sun and clouds throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service. Light northwest winds will blow for much of the day, keeping conditions chilly as high temperatures settle in the mid-30s for most areas.

The Cape and Islands will see a slightly warmer relief, with highs reaching the low 40s. A brief period of clearing is expected during the mid-morning hours before clouds increase again in the afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front.

The city of Boston will experience more clouds throughout the day after a cooler start. Residents can anticipate a high temperature of 37 degrees before conditions turn sharply colder Sunday night, with the low dropping to 21 degrees as arctic air begins to settle.

Pittsfield will be the coldest region on Sunday, with mostly cloudy skies and a high only reaching 33 degrees. The night will be the coldest yet, as temperatures plummet to a frigid low of 12 degrees under the influence of the arctic front.

People in Springfield can expect partly sunny skies Sunday, pushing the high temperature to 37 degrees. As the arctic air sweeps in, the night will be significantly colder, with the low dropping to 18 degrees.

Central Massachusetts will see increasing clouds through Sunday, with the high temperature matching other interior locations at 37 degrees. The overnight low is forecast to drop sharply to 18 degrees, providing an early taste of the prolonged arctic chill.

As night calls, the true arctic blast begins its approach. This cold front is forecast to move through overnight into Monday morning, bringing a slight chance of scattered snow showers, primarily affecting northern Massachusetts. However, most areas will see little to no accumulation, forecasters said.

Temperatures are expected to plummet dramatically overnight on Sunday into the mid to upper teens for most locations. Even the slightly warmer coastal areas of the Cape and Islands will see lows only in the lower 20s.

Monday is projected to usher in the full impact of the arctic air mass, with high temperatures struggling to rise above the 20s and low 30s, even under sunny skies.

Northwest winds on Monday will pick up considerably behind the front, with gusts between 20 and 30 mph throughout the day. These gusty winds will create noticeably colder wind chills, making it feel truly frigid.

Small craft advisories have been issued starting at 1 a.m. on Monday, warning boaters of gusty northwest winds and building seas, which could reach 5 to 7 feet in outer waters.

The intense cold is supposed to be short-lived, with a gradual warming trend expected to begin on Tuesday, bringing temperatures back to normal.
HADLEY  While Bethlehem in the Holy Land saw weather in the 70s over the weekend, members of the First Congregational Church in Hadley broke through snow and ice for its reenactment of the birth of Christ.

The church staged its Christmas pageant with actors and live animals on its front steps Sunday, drawing a crowd of some 75 people.

A narrator told the story while a donkey brayed and lambs bleated. A neighbor walking her dog stopped and watched.

Mary was great with child at the time, according to the biblical account, and with no room at the inn, she gave birth to Jesus in a manger.

Children from the congregation played all the roles, including Mary and Joseph, who traveled to Bethlehem so they could be counted for the census ordered by Roman emperor Caesar Augustus.

The pageant replaced the churchs morning service, moving outdoors to proclaim the faith to everyone who walked and drove through the intersection of Massachusetts Route 9 and Middle Street.

Olivia Dattillo, left, Ella Glover, right and Corrine Charlebois walk in a procession during the First Congregational Church of Hadley's annual outdoor Christmas pageant featuring live animals on Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Dave Roback photo) Dave Roback

I think its important for us to share and be on the front steps of the church, said Diana West, chairperson of the churchs Board of Christian Education.

Its a very popular intersection. Even if youre not stopping, youre seeing that its happening, and you know we are here doing Sunday morning services and sharing the word of God and the very important story of the birth of Jesus, she said.

The tradition of the live nativity dates back more than five decades, according to church leaders. It was always inside until the pandemic forced everyone to the front steps where it has stayed since.

No one was complaining about sitting in cold steel chairs, the breeze or bone chilling temperature.

It brings the church together, young and old, said Lila West, the pageants writer and director. At first, I wasnt sure if folks would be up for sitting outside, and every year people show up. That tells me its important to continue this tradition.

There are chances and risks the come with a live performance. Organizers remember the time baby Jesus screamed through the entire 30-minute production. There once was a donkey that wouldnt budge and a cow that insisted on walking in circles.

Participants walk to the front of the First Congregational Church of Hadley during the annual outdoor Christmas pageant featuring live animals on Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Dave Roback photo) Dave Roback

They were taking no chance with the baby this year, said Sarah Stone, 16, who played Mary.

My nephew is baby Jesus, so I get to hold him and thats more secure for him because he cries a lot, she said.

All of the animals come from local farms. Caitlin Willard handled the miniature donkey and horse.

I make sure everybody behaves and things go smoothly, she said. It can be challenging with live animals, especially on main roads if they get spooked.

Part of the allure is the imperfection children and live animals bring to the performance, said West, the director. It is mostly flawless, but animals are the biggest wild card.

Its a nice chance to come together and celebrate the imperfection of life. I used to think I needed the whole pageant to be just so. Ive realized its a lot more realistic and fun when it just happens, West said.

Their pageant is never rehearsed. Each year, actors simply show up, organizers assign roles, and the production goes on. Cast members dont even have to be members of the church. People could find themselves walking by one minute and then quickly onstage playing one of the three wise men, or another role.

Jeremy Thayer, front along with Mara Breen, left and Rochelle Bouthet perform during the First Congregational Church of Hadley's annual outdoor Christmas pageant featuring live animals on Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Dave Roback photo) Dave Roback

The pageant is as much about community as it is a spiritual event.

Ruth Mackenzie and her husband recently moved to Hadley from Boston. They are not members of the church, but Ruth came anyway because she saw a small sign advertising the performance.

I enjoy coming to something that is a community event, she said. Its nice to get to know the community in different ways.

Diana West and her sister Lila West are lifelong members of the First Congregational Church. In fact, they say their ancestors help found it in 1659. Today, they are working from a script handed down from their mother. It has been revised to include more singing, less acting and a narrator.

There is not much else that can be done to tweak a story that comes from the Bible, other than to honor its rich tradition.

The thing for me about church is the heritage I have with it and the overall church family, feeling that connection to my ancestors, to my family and to my personal history, said Diana West. Growing up in the church was an absolutely wonderful experience.
While Keurig has faced an enormous backlash over the waste produced by its K-Cups, and Starbucks, McDonald's, and many other chains have faced criticism over plastic straws, Coca-Cola has largely gotten a pass on its wasteful packaging.

That's not to say that nobody has criticized the beverage giant.

Greenpeace Africa Project Lead Hellen Kahaso Dena cast doubt on the sincerity of the company's sustainability efforts.

If Coca-Cola is really serious about solving the plastic and climate crisis, it needs to stop its greenwashing, cap its plastic production, and invest in refill and reuse. Ending Coca-Colas addiction to single-use plastic is an important step in moving away from fossil fuels, protecting communities in Africa, and combating the climate crisis, she shared on the Greenpeace website.

Oceana, a prominent ocean conservation group, has similar issues with Coca-Cola.

Coca-Colas decision to double down on single-use plastic  by killing its goals to reduce virgin plastic and to increase reusable packaging  is short-sighted, irresponsible, and worthy of widespread condemnation by its customers, its employees, its investors, and governments worried about the impact of plastics on our oceans and health," said Oceana Oceana Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Matt Littlejohn in a press release.

Coca-Cola makes a major change

Coca-Cola has quietly introduced a major change to its packaging, although it has not yet reached the United States.

"The packaging, developed by Coca-Cola HBC Austria, DS Smith, and Krones, features a recyclable, corrugated paper-and-cardboard handle designed to hold six-packs of 1.5-liter bottles. As Packaging Europe reported, the packaging also features a paper wrap around the bottles and a soft grip on the handle to help consumers carry them," The Cool Down reported.

By changing its plastic wrapping and handles to paper and cardboard alternatives, Coca-Cola HBC expects to save about 220 tons of plastic each year.

We are proud to partner on this innovative packaging solution, driving out unnecessary waste and single-use plastic. The DS Smith Lift Up concept was designed using DS Smiths Circular Design Metrics approach, so it uses the least amount of material possible, reduces impact on the environment, and looks fantastic in stores and supermarkets," DS Smith President Stefano Rossi shared in a press release.

Neither DS Smith nor Coca-Cola has shared plans to bring the new packaging to the United States.

Coca-Cola takes a lot of criticism for its packaging over environmental issues.Shutterstock

Coca-Cola has faced plastic criticism

"Coca-Cola has been named the worst plastic polluter in the world for six consecutive years. The company sells more than 100 billion single-use plastic bottles annually, with many ending up in landfills and oceans," The Cool Down reported.
Elisa Olivo stands outside of West Springfield Town Hall on Thursday. Nov. 20, 2025. A Puerto Rican, Olivo ran unsuccessfully for an at-large council seat. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook

CHICOPEE  Of the 24 seats on Chicopees City Council and School Committee, one is held by a person of color. In West Springfield, all elected officials are white.

Thats a stark contrast to what Springfield and Holyoke saw in the last municipal election. The majority of elected officials are either Black, Latino or both.

While those two Hampden County cities are showing the political might of traditionally underrepresented groups, what is holding back similar gains in the regions other communities?

Women determined to embolden people of color and bring their voices to public decision-making say representation is important.

I really think we need diversity in the council, because what Im seeing here, everything is for the same people, said Elisa Olivo, a Puerto Rican woman who ran for but didnt win an at-large council seat in West Springfield this year.

Across the river, Tracye Whitfield, a Black at-large councilor in Springfield, said being on the council helps bring different perspectives to the table.

It feels great to represent the community, and also for the community to see someone that looks like them in these roles make decisions on their behalf, she said.

Seen in recent elections

A racial and ethnic disparity was evident in some of last months local municipal elections. It stems from a variety of factors, political experts say.

Historic electoral barriers  many of which have been overcome through lawsuits  made it challenging for Black and Latino candidates to gain a platform, and enabling voters to believe they have a voice.

Some people active in their communities find ways to serve without running for office. And of course the picture of diversity in elected office is affected by differences in racial and ethnic populations.

In Chicopee, the lack of diversity in office contrasts with the fact that Hispanic or Latino students make up almost half of the public school population.

A lack of racial diversity in municipal office is sometimes simply a missed opportunity, says Matt Szafranski, editor-in-chief of Western Massachusetts Politics and Insight, a political analysis blog. Other times, it stems from the demographic realities of a city or town, he said.

There are proportionately fewer people of color in Chicopee and West Springfield than in Springfield and Holyoke.

A woman writes a message on her phone outside Market Square in Chicopee. In 2023, Chicopee had a population of 55,200 people. Of them, 66% were white, 26% Latino/Hispanic, 4% Black, 2% two or more races and 2% Asian, according to the US Census Bureau. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook

Springfield, a city of 155,929 people, is 46.7% Hispanic/Latino and nearly 21% Black, according to the U.S. Census. In Holyoke, a quarter of the size of Springfield, 51% of the population is is Hispanic/Latino and 4.3% Black.

In 1992, Latino residents in Holyoke mobilized and filed a federal lawsuit against the city alleging that pre-drawn election district lines, the ward system and the lack of Spanish accommodations at the polls made it difficult for Hispanics to win elective office in the city.

Five years later, a white University of Massachusetts Amherst student and former Springfield City Council candidate filed a similar federal lawsuit in that city. Bishop Talbert W. Swan II, president of the Greater Springfield Chapter of the NAACP, later became the lead plaintiff in the case.

Another lawsuit in the early 2000s, filed by Black and Latino leaders in Springfield, alleged the citys district maps at the time hindered fair representation of Black and Latino voters and favored the white bloc of voters.

People of color in the four municipalities can be deeply engaged in their communities and not see a need to run for office, said Anthony L. Cignoli, political consultant.

Brown and Black people participate on citizens councils, (and are) participating in philanthropy and volunteer efforts, said Cignoli, president of Anthony L. Cignoli Associates, Inc. Thats the work thats attractive  not having to deal with politics.

Community activists and business leaders who speak out are examples of that, he said.

U.S. Navy and Air Force Reserve veteran Rafael Ray Nazario, 44, was elected last month to represent Ward 7 on the School Committee in Chicopee. Nazario was the only person of color elected to either the City Council or School Committee. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook

Ray Nazario, a Puerto Rican military veteran from Springfield, is the only elected person of color on the School Committee in Chicopee.

The committee has 12 members  nine ward representatives, one at-large member, the mayor and the superintendent of the school district. Superintendent Marcus Ware, who is Black, was chosen by his peers, not elected by the public.

According to data from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, nearly half of the Chicopee Public Schools population is Hispanic or Latino.

Nazario will represent Ward 7, taking over for incumbent Donald J. Lamothe, who announced in March he would not seek re-election due to a conflict of interest involving his son, a school principal.

Before his run for office, Nazario was the former vice president of the Springfield Hispanic Democratic Political Action Committee, which helped interview and support Hispanic and Latino candidates.

But running in Chicopee this year wasnt about racial equity, he said.

Im here because I want to bring accountability and transparency, he said. If youre going to select someone, be it someone thats going to benefit the community and the city as a whole.

A tale of two campaigns

In Chicopee, women of color have managed to break the political glass ceiling, twice in the last five years.

Delmarina Lopez and Shirley Arriaga were the first women of color to be elected to local and state-level positions.

Lopez was the first person of color to be elected to the City Council in 2021, receiving 96% of the vote that November. She represented Ward 3 for one term. She then ran for mayor in 2023, losing to incumbent and current Mayor John L. Vieau.

As the first person of color, weve only ever had all white men in these seats and a handful of women, Lopez said in 2021. I think were catching up, theres a long way to go.

The council has nine ward representatives and four at-large members.

Lopez and current Ward 9 councilor Mary Beth Pniak-Costello were the first women to sit on the council since 2005.

Delmarina Lopez, a Chicopee city councilor, greets supporters in 2023 during her campaign for mayor. (The Republican / file photo) The Republican

At the time, Lopez questioned why the council didnt reflect the citys demographics. Half of the city is women. Why dont we have half of the council women? There should be diversity in all areas.

The same year Lopez won a ward seat on the council, Arriaga lost her bid for an at-large seat.

Arriaga told The Republican she ran that year because she was unhappy about local leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Arriaga ran successfully for state representative, becoming the first woman and first person of color to represent the city on Beacon Hill.

Arriaga, D-Chicopee, had a dream of being a politician since she was a child. But, she said, Im a big, firm believer in timing.

(COVID-19) highlighted a lot of the barriers that were going on in our community, and I didnt see the leadership and the initiative that I was hopeful for, said Arriaga, U.S. Air Force veteran with a master of law degree.

Shirley Arriaga greets long-time state Rep. Joe Wagner as she arrives at the Frontera Grill in Chicopee to celebrate her victory for his seat in 2022. Wagner did not seek re-election. (The Republican / file photo)

Arriaga, who was in her mid-30s, decided to jump into politics despite having thought she would make a play for office later in her life.

Growing up in Chicopee, she said, people in elected office were older white men. But people convinced her residents were ready for a younger leader  one who brought new perspectives.

It was not only for my child, but for the other children who didnt have those people at home, advocating for them, she said of her campaign.

She said she felt like the underdog  as someone who looked different than the previous people who held office.

A need to build connections

Szafranski, of Western Massachusetts Politics and Insight, said Arriagas campaign was successful in part because she garnered support outside of Chicopee, receiving financial help and building connections that helped drive her success.

Often, people from under-represented groups may not be aware of resources available to them. They may not have been able to develop the ties, like financial support or endorsements, that are needed from outside the community to build a winning campaign, he said.

In Arriagas case, she won the district after longtime state Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, who served for more than three decades, said he would step down.

Her successful bid for the position  against recently elected at-large councilor Joel McAuliffe  surprised her, she said, but it also showed her the community was keen on diversity.

They were ready for that change, and when I knocked on their doors, they were surprisingly very supportive of me, and that fueled my campaign, said Arriaga, who says she visited 21,000 homes.

The city, made up of more than 55,000 people, is predominantly white, according to the 2020 decennial census. But Latinos make up the second largest population in the city, nearly a quarter, at 23.4%.

Thats almost twice as high as the states overall percentage of Latinos, which is 12.6%, according to a 2023 study by the University of Massachusetts Boston Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy.

After white residents, the citys remaining 10% of the population includes Black, Asian and other ethnic groups, the study said.

Today, neither the City Council nor the School Committee is reflective of its racial demographics. But Nazario, the only person of color in elective office in Chicopee, said good government depends on more than color diversity.

My warrior side (says) fight for the people, and I also have my conservative side, where  hard work pays off, right? he said. You can play somebody in for representation, and theyre just not the right person for the job.

Rafael Ray Nazario. There (are) pretty diverse pockets in the city, but when I say diverse, right, Im looking at it from an ethnicity perspective and not necessarily a color perspective, he said.(Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook

Nazario noted that the city sees ethnic diversity on the council through representation from historic French, Portuguese and Polish communities.

There (are) pretty diverse pockets in the city, but when I say diverse, right, Im looking at it from an ethnicity perspective and not necessarily a color perspective, he said.

Cignoli, the political consultant, said he doesnt think its a big concern that minorities in Chicopee and West Springfield dont yet have significant play in local politics.

Those groups know how to access power if they need it, he said.

However, Whitfield, the at-large councilor in Springfield who has a background in finance, said a huge motivator to be elected was the power she gained to make community resources available.

If I dont know about (the resources), and the people that I talked to dont know about them, maybe theres a broader range of individuals that dont know about these resources as well, she said.

There was an overall consensus from her community to mobilize and diversify city politics, she said.

We need(ed) new people, she said.

Breaking through barriers

West Springfield, for the first time, has two women on its City Council at the same time  Jaime Smith and Diana Coyne.

However, all of its councilors are white.

Olivo, the Puerto Rican candidate who moved to Western Massachusetts as a single mother in 2017, attempted to blaze a political trail in West Springfield.

This year was the second time that Olivo ran, unsuccessfully, for an at-large council seat in West Springfield.

Her first year running for office in the West Side was in 2023.

I was completely new in the town. I (didnt) know anybody, but my inspiration is always my son, (who) is autistic, Olivo said.

She wanted to fight for her sons needs.

Elisa Olivo stands outside West Springfield Town Hall. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook

Both times she has run, Olivo managed her own campaign. This year, her campaign earned her 1,117 votes, just about 340 votes shy of winning an at-large seat.

I really think people want a change. But, you know, we have incumbents from 10 years in the positions, she said, and long-term members benefit from name recognition.

She thinks shell try again in 2027 for an at-large seat. If Olivo wins, she will be the first Latina to sit on the council.

In its history, West Springfield has only had one councilor of color  Vernon T. Coleman, an African American who served as an at-large councilor for one term in 2009. Coleman had previously run as the only non-incumbent for School Committee and lost.

Coleman died in 2015 of leukemia.

Olivo said she ran her campaign hoping to implement programs for immigrants to build generational wealth. Thats something she hopes to pursue, despite not being on the council.

The community itself is multicultural, housing Turkish, Ukrainian and other ethnic groups speaking more than 60 languages, said Daniel OBrien, a former police officer who, most recently, was an at-large town councilor.

In the recent election, OBrien made a bid for mayor, but did not win, against incumbent William Reichelt. OBrien had endorsed Olivo.

OBrien is part Irish and part Armenian and Syrian. While race was not a factor in his own campaign, he said his hometown has an air of having to be in with the right crowd.

Theres an element of  you  have to know this group of people and that group of people, and its very exclusionary, he said.

Szafranski notes that West Springfield has more at-large council representation than other local districts  the issue already fought in Springfield and Holyoke. A difference is that Chicopee and West Springfield remain largely white communities, he said.

There hasnt been enough growth in the Black or Latino populations yet to effect electoral change on the scale of Springfield and Holyoke, he said.

Even if they do have some areas that are minority-majority, its not necessarily at that critical mass that can bring a different kind of outcome, Szafranski said.

Diversifying predominantly white spaces

West Springfield in 2021 took a stand against racism. Its council narrowly passed an executive order from the mayor that declared racism an emergency and public health crisis.

Soon after, the community hired Whitfield as its first diversity, equity and inclusion officer to build a program that would encourage conversations about diversity and race.

Whitfield said the position at first energized her. But she found it difficult to work in Town Hall.

It wasnt a really welcoming environment for me when I worked there, she said. In her view, some members of the government were not open to hearing what she had to say.

By that point, Whitfield was already seated as an at-large councilor in Springfield, a post she won in 2018. Her goal on the council has been to ensure her neighbors feel they have a voice in the city  and to do her part to build sustainable economic growth.

Diversity brings those different perspectives, and its easier to break down the socioeconomic barriers that exist, she said.

Springfields City Council recently elected five Black members, four Latino members and four white members. Whitfield will serve another term.

The citys School Committee has six members of color. Its seventh member, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, chairperson of the committee, is the only white person.

There are also several state representatives and senators who are Black or Latino who represent the four Western Massachusetts counties.

Still, advocates say more must be done to awaken awareness about the value of diversity.

Some people in Black and brown communities believe their votes dont matter. There can be a lack of trust in politicians, said Whitfield.

Arriaga, the state representative for Chicopee, said shed love to see more people of color run for office.

I know its scary, but it is needed. We need to take that leap. We need to be in these spaces. We need to have a seat at the table, she said.

This article has been corrected to state that Shirley Arriaga has a master of law degree.
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THERE is no day that Patrick Collins doesn't think about his sister Sandra. He was 13 years young when she disappeared.

I feel sad and helpless. Sandra's out there and I can't go visit her, I'm very heartbroken, Patrick admits, speaking to The Mayo News on the 25th anniversary of Sandra's sudden disappearance.

I'm very upset, that my sister's body is out there. There's nothing I can do. I can't go and visit her. But I'm also filled with hope. Hope that one day soon, hopefully I'll get her back. And I do believe that.

DISAPPEARANCE

Sandra was 28 years old when she was last seen alive in a Killala takeaway. On the evening of December 4, 2000, she ordered dinner which was enough to feed two people and then left the eatery never to be seen by anyone else.

That day in the morning, she had received news from her doctor. She was told that she was pregnant. Afterwards, she spent most of the day around a public phone booth, making and receiving calls.

AFTERMATH

Sandra's brother Patrick remembers the last time he saw her. It was the evening of December 3. She was living with her aunt in Killala at the time.

She went to the town to buy our other sister, Bridie, a birthday card. And she wrote the card in our house and she left it at home for my mum and dad to give to Bridie.

But it was Sandra's birthday coming up as well, on December 14.

So, then, my mum said to her, Sandra, take your birthday cards now, because we've written them as well as Bridie's. We've done them all together. But Sandra said, 'I'll see you next week anyway'. That was the last time they saw Sandra Collins alive.

COURT TRIAL

She was reported missing by her family on the evening of December 5. It was very difficult time for the family, because they had never had any issues or any dealings with the Guards up until this.

It was quite traumatic for young kids to be questioned," Patrick Collins recalls. And then the days just seemed to turn into weeks and the weeks turned into months and the months just turned into years. And now it's decades."

It did come to a trial though. In 2014, a local man was charged with Sandra's murder. Many details surface. This man claimed he had a sexual relationship with her.

He also claimed she demanded IRP1,000 from him just hours before her disappearance.

The jury learned during the trial, that the pink fleece Ms Collins was wearing on the night she disappeared was discovered five days later on Killala pier.

Included in the pocket of the fleece were two pieces of paper, one of which contained the defendant's mobile number. The other contained two telephone numbers of abortion clinics in the UK.

Eventually, the man was acquitted. The judge ruled that there was not sufficient evidence for a jury to find him guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and directed the jury to find him not guilty.

FIGHT FOR PEACE

But for the family it's never been about justice. Every year they renew their appeal for information. They haven't given up on Sandra.

We're doing it because we love Sandra deeply. She was a very kind person. She had a very difficult life but she was such a kind and decent person that the least she deserves is a Christian burial. Nobody should decide for anybody when they're going to die. Nobody should be murdered. To be murdered and to be dumped, left in a bog or God knows where. It's even more insult to injury.

The whole family are stuck in limbo. They cannot even begin the grieving process. Her brother Patrick describes the situation as being a whirlwind, like being in a washing machine.

You spend your whole entire youth being tormented by nightmares of what happened and what could be. I've dreamt of what could have happened.

Every year on the evening of Sandra's disappearance, the family decorate their house with Christmas lights. It all started in 2006.

"My Dad wanted to do something to keep his mind occupied. My mum had just died two years before that. He kind of decorated one little outside bush with one set of lights. And then he said, Oh, that looks really nice. And it just grew.

"Every year on the December 4, he would put them on and he would say: 'Sandra, the house is lit up. Hopefully you can see it from heaven and it'll light your way home.'"

The family raises money for charity every year. This year it's for the Mayo branch of Down Syndrome Ireland and Autism. Nine years ago the dad died as well but the family keeps the tradition alive.



The Christmas lights at the Collins family home

'I STILL FEEL HER HAND'

Sandra loved animals, remembers Patrick. She was a really big fanatic about animals, every animal from from the biggest thing to the smallest thing. She loved the bones of every animal gone. Even spiders, she would say, 'don't kill it, don't kill it. You've got to put it outside'.

Patrick remembers days out in Killala with his 15 year older sister Sandra, and she would get Mr Freezes for him. But one of the most lasting memories Patrick holds dear is when they were walking out onto the road as kids, when they were small kids:

And I can remember, I can still remember holding her hand. I can still remember the feeling of my hand in her hand.

"We're doing it because we love Sandra deeply," says her brother Patrick

Taking a photo after our interview, we are standing on the bridge in Crossmolina. A funeral party passes. The hearse is followed by a dozen cars. Patrick Collins stands still, crosses himself. That's what I want, he says, pointing the finger at the hearse, after it had rolled further down the bridge toward the cemetery.

Patrick is young, still only 38. But for his parents, it'll be too late, they were never able to grieve.

"You never know" he says, regarding the renewed appeal. The only time we can move on is when she's in St Tiernan's cemetery in Crossmolina. And then the lights can mean something different.

An Garda Siochana ask anyone who has some information regarding Sandra Collins' disappearance or whereabouts to contact them. Call Ballina Garda Station: (096) 20560

Next: West Mayo town alight with Christmas cheer as special guest turns on lights
A Mayo production will premiere on RTE television as part of four brand-new Storyland dramas this December.

Showcasing fresh Irish storytelling and emerging talent, collectively, they signal a fantastic time for Irish drama. Reflecting a modern, diverse Ireland, championing new voices both in English and as Gaeilge and strengthening a creative industry that continues to punch far above its weight on the national and international stage.

These new dramas mark the latest chapter in Storylands mission to support and amplify Irelands next generation of writers, directors, producers and actors. Together, the four dramas explore how ordinary lives are upended by pressure, perception and consequence.

Storyland is part of an unprecedented slate of original Irish drama in production in 2025, which will deliver 142 hours of high-quality, homegrown storytelling across screens in Ireland and around the world, firmly placing great local Irish drama on the international stage.

Since its inception in 2009, Storyland has acted as a launch pad for Irish writing, directing, producing and acting talent throughout Ireland to develop and further their careers. This is part of RTEs ongoing strategy to increase its development in drama output, by investing in and supporting the Irish creative industry.

Drama produced and filmed in Mayo to be aired on RTE

The drama Collision will air on Thursday, December 18 on RTE2 and RTE Player. Two schoolmates go on the run after causing a deadly car crash. As justice edges closer, the boys confront their feelings.

The project was filmed on location in Westport. Starring Cuan Hosty Blaney and Cameron Brady, it was written and directed by Michael Carolan and produced by Emer Durcan and cinematographer Brian Durcan for Westport based production company Western Front Studios.

READ NEXT: Behind the scenes: At the set of Mayo based company filming RTE drama
TOP INSIGHT

Over 220,000 new #skincancer cases are expected in 2025. With summer approaching, UV protection is VITAL! High-risk groups include outdoor workers & Black #Brazilians (check palms/soles for acral #melanoma). Early detection and access to treatments like #radiotherapy are essential to save lives. #Brazil #Melanoma #SkinCancerDiagnosis
New research finds that anyone with the heart for iteven atypical candidatescan succeed in the role of Santa.

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Who's Behind the Red Suit? Exploring Role Prototypicality within Calling Enactment among Professional Santas



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TOP INSIGHT Fascinating insight into the #Santa lifestyle! Prototypical Santastypically older, bearded men with the classic round bellyfeel a strong sense of unity with the calling. For them, it's not just a seasonal gig; they live out their Santa identity year-round! #SantaLife #ChristmasSpirit #SeasonalGreetings #Holidays

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Purpose and Joy Matter More Than Santas Traditional Image

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Researchers Identify Three Paths to Becoming Santa

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Atypical Santas Overcome Bias and Barriers to Keep the Magic Alive

Whos Behind the Red Suit? Exploring Role Prototypicality within Calling Enactment among Professional Santas - (https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amj.2023.1161)

A snowy white beard, a rosy round belly and a booming ho-ho-ho may be the classic ingredients for portrayingbut new research suggests these traits arent as essential as we once believed. Instead, what truly matters is a genuine calling to embody the beloved holiday figure ().According to the study,This heartfelt commitment, researchers found, can compensate for missing physical attributes and help performers fully capture the magic and spirit that children expect from the man with the bag of toys.There are pretty strong societal expectations around what Santa looks like, but we found that most anybody can be Santa if their heart desires it, said Oregon State Universitys Borbala Csillag, a co-author of a new study of professional Santas.When we looked at the people behind the suit, we found that the folks playing Santa are really more diverse than would be expected.The findings, based on interviews and surveys of professional Santas in the United States, were recently published in theThe studys lead author is Christina Hymer of the University of Tennessee and Bethany Cockburn of Northern Illinois University is a co-author of the paper.Csillag and her colleagues were brainstorming themes they might research together in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when Hymer, who had been watching a lot of holiday movies while home with her child, suggested there might be something to learn about how Santas narrated their work experiences.After more than 50 interviews with Santas and nearly 850 responses to a Santa survey, the researchers discovered that professional Santas fall into three groups: prototypical Santas, who bear most of the physical and internal attributes one might associate with Santa; semi-prototypical Santas, who bear some but not all of the key attributes; and non-prototypical Santas, who may not bear much resemblance at all to the man in the red suit but have found ways to surmount the odds and become the man anyway.Each group of Santas has shared experience based on how typically they fit the role.Semi-prototypical Santas find ways to resolve the dissonance between their attributes and the Santa role. A skinny Santa, for example, wove an explanation of his lack of belly into his Santa identity, claiming that Santa was getting healthy. A Santa who uses cochlear implants tells children its a microphone to the head elf at the North Pole.The non-prototypical Santas, such as a woman, an Orthodox Jew or a person of color, tend to strongly see themselves as Santaa on a year-round basis, still living out their feelings of being called to the Santa role despite their non-prototypical attributes.Those interviewed told researchers they experienced rejection along their path. An African American Santa was told a store wasnt ready for a Santa of color, but he persisted. A physically disabled Santa reinterpreted characteristics of Santa to address his needs, such as using a motorized scooter to participate in a parade.These atypical Santas are trailblazers, said Csillag, the Stirek assistant professor of management in OSUs College of Business. The expectations for playing the role may seem exclusive, but they are surmountable.Csillag noted that the researchers only interviewed people who had successfully become Santa; there may still be people with the desire to become Santa who have not been able to achieve that goal.The studys findings have broader implications for employers and potential employees as well, Csillag said.For example, people who feel called to a role because of a personal, moral or social significance, such as teaching, nursing or faith-based jobs, may be able to succeed in that role even if they dont meet typical societal requirements, Csillag said.You dont have to possess the must-haves, such as looking a certain way or having a certain trait, to live out your calling, she said. Think about your attributes in a comprehensive way so you can identify the dimensions of the role that are well-fitting. You will likely find attributes that map to that calling, even if they are not obvious at first.Another takeaway from the research is that leaders who govern membership in professional organizations have strong influence on role expectations, Csillag said. Such leaders can help make occupations to which people feel called more welcoming to diverse candidates by relaxing exclusionary expectations that dont ultimately limit success in the role.If we want to be open to a diverse set of people living out their calling, leaders might need to be a bit more flexible about what it means to fulfill the role, she said.Source-Eurekalert
Akshaye Khanna stealing the show in Dhurandhar doesnt even begin to cover it. What he delivers on-screen is a masterclass in swagger, subtlety, and simmering danger, the kind of performance where silence speaks louder than dialogue. He literally ate everyone and left no crumbs! Fresh off portraying the ruthless Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in Chhaava, Khanna shifts gears with astonishing ease to become Rehman Dakait in Aditya Dhars high-octane espionage thriller. As the cold, calculating Pakistani underworld kingpin driven by vengeance and raw ambition, he reinforces one undeniable truth: Akshaye Khanna remains one of Bollywoods most effortlessly magnetic stars.

 Jio Studios The Viral Moment: Akshaye Khannas Dhurandhar Entry BGM The internet has a new obsession, and it comes in the form of the electrifying Bahraini track FA9LA. Ever since Dhurandhar hit theatres, fans havent stopped raving about how this song elevates Akshayes on-screen persona. The credit, of course, goes equally to Akshaye for his hypnotic presence and Aditya Dhar for the sharp, stylish execution. In one standout moment, FA9LA blares through the speakers as Rehman Dakait makes a dramatic entry. Akshaye joins the dance floor with a chilling smirk; an expression loaded with arrogance, danger, and a hint of wicked charm. Its the kind of scene that grips you instantly, making it impossible to look away.

About FA9LA song FA9LA is a high-energy Bahraini track written and performed by Flipperachi and Daffy and composed by Dj Outlaw. The word Fa9la loosely translates to hype, swagger, or a burst of confidence. Its pounding beats and bold lyrics celebrate attitude, dominance, and unshakeable self-assurance.

The moment has drawn comparisons to Animal and its viral Iranian song Jamal Kudu, which propelled Bobby Deols character to iconic status overnight.
After a pause of more than two years, crypto exchange Coinbase has opened its app for registration in India. At the moment, users are able to make crypto-to-crypto trades  but speaking at India Blockchain Week (IBW), Coinbases APAC director John OLoghlen said the company will open up a fiat on-ramp in 2026, allowing users in India to load money and buy crypto.

Coinbase opened up its services in India in 2022, and within days had to shut down support for the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment network. This move came after UPI operator National Payments Corporation (NPCI) refused to acknowledge Coinbases presence in the country. Later in 2023, Coinbase ceased all operations for Indian users and asked them to offload their accounts.

We had millions of customers in India, historically, and we took a very clear stance to off-board those customers entirely from overseas entities, where they were domiciled and regulated. Because we wanted to kind of burn the boats [sic], have a clean slate here. As a commercial business person wanting to make money and active users, thats like the worst thing you can do, and so you know it wasnt without some hesitation, OLoghlen said.

The company started engaging with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), a government agency that oversees transactions and fraud, and eventually registered with them this year. In October, it started to onboard users through early access, and now the app is open to all users.

Many internet companies have set up their base in India hoping to tap into the worlds second-largest online user base. While social platforms and AI companies like OpenAI have found rapid growth in the market, it has been hard for crypto companies to follow the same path because of strict regulations and taxation around cryptocurrencies.

India levies a 30% tax on crypto income without any loss offset and also charges 1% deduction on each transaction, which could discourage users from trading frequently. OLoghlen said that the company hopes that the government will relax the taxation to make it less burdensome for people to hold digital assets.

Despite these challenges, Coinbase seems to be hopeful about India. The companys venture arm pumped more money in local exchange CoinDCX at a $2.45 billion post-money valuation. It also plans to bolster its 500-plus team in the country by hiring for multiple roles focusing on both local and global markets.

I think we want to be known as that trusted exchange, ensure that your funds are safe with us, OLoghlen said. Were not going to get out to the masses if you cant have a really nice UI, a trusted experience that allows you to on board in a matter of minutes in the same way that you do with you know Zepto or Flipkart or any other super app in India.
Bonnie McClure was just a young girl when her uncle, Clifford Keeney, an Army Airman fighting in World War II, was shot down in Germany while on a mission in 1944. Keeney was listed as killed in action, and he was buried in a cemetery by enemy forces in Germany.

Despite the obstacles, McClure vowed, even as a youngster, to one day bring her uncle home. She didnt realize it would take more than eight decades.

Keeneys remains were finally recovered, and the Army veteran was given a proper military funeral in York, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 28. While they painstakingly waited 81 years, the burial brings a measure of closure to Keeneys family.

It kind of hit me hes finally home, McClure told Fox 43 News.

Keeneys B-17 Flying Fortress, a popular aircraft used by the U.S. military in World War II, was hit while flying over Germany, and the airman was killed at the tender age of 26. McClure has thought of her uncle often through the years, wondering what really happened to him. Even after Keeneys remains were identified, and McClure was notified, it all didnt seem real until McClure saw her uncles casket, American flag draped proudly across the top, that it finally hit her  Uncle Clifford was home.

Its very surreal yet to this moment. When I saw the coffin, it kind of hit me a little bit, McClure said.

Army Airman Clifford Keeney's plane was shot down over Germany in 1944. His remains were finally identified in June 2025. (Photo from DPAA)

DNA Solves the Mystery

A breakthrough in Keeneys case came in June when, through state-of-the-art DNA analysis, his remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Realizing that modern scientific methods could help finally solve the mystery of what happened to him, Keeneys family submitted samples 35 years ago in the early days of DNA testing. While the wait was agonizing at times, their prayers were finally answered. His story is complete.

McClure greeted mourners, many of whom never knew Keeney, as they filed into Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery in rural York County. McClure smiled, thinking about how she was able to keep her promise. To her uncle. To her family. And she was still alive to see a day she thought at times might never come.

And I realized hes finally home where he should be, McClure said.

Still Many Left to Find

Keeneys funeral service included a rifle salute, and a folded American flag was presented to his niece. Some relatives attending the service had never met before but came to give one final salute to Airman Keeney, a staff sergeant, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

I got to meet some second and third cousins that I didnt even know existed, McClure said. This has been lovely, and I really appreciate everybody showing up for this.

The ceremony was also bittersweet as McClure thought about her grandmother, Keeneys mother, who went to her grave never knowing what happened to her son.

Its a big relief and a great satisfaction that my grandmom is finally satisfied, McClure said.

Shes happy now, and she knows I followed through all those years.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, more than 72,000 U.S. soldiers from World War II are still unaccounted for. The agency began its work on Jan. 30, 2015, when the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office merged with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command department. In 2024, the agency reported that 172 service members had been identified in that year alone, including 135 World War II soldiers.
Ed Bambas was down on his luck.

Bambas, an 88-year-old Army veteran, had worked hard most of his life, and after becoming financially secure, retired in 1999 after 40 years at General Motors. But when GM went bankrupt in 2009, Bambas decided to take a $300,000 lump sum offer from the auto giant, instead of receiving a pension.

Mr. Bambas personal story is deeply moving, and its wonderful to see the outpouring of support for him. We are grateful for what he has contributed to GM and to our country," GM said in a statement. "While we don't share details about individuals, in 2012 salaried GM retirees who were receiving monthly pension payments were given several options, including continuation of monthly lifetime payments or a lump sum payout, if they preferred. Additionally, starting in 2008, retirees older than 65 receive a $300 monthly lifetime payment for supplemental Medicare coverage."

To add more stress, his wife became ill, medical bills piled up, and the couple had to sell off most of their assets to make ends meet. The family drained any savings it had from the GM retirement payout. After Bambas wife died seven years ago, he eventually went back to work, logging eight-hour shifts, five days a week at a Meijer grocery store in Michigan just to pay the bills.

Bambas plight grabbed the attention of Samuel Weidenhofer, an Australian influencer with a large TikTok following of more than 7.6 million followers. Weidenhofer seeks out folks who are struggling, interviews them, and posts the conversations on social media, hoping theyll get help from the generosity of others.

After Weidenhofer had posted that he was in Detroit and he was looking for someone to help, he received a comment on Facebook about an 88-year-old veteran working 40 hours a week at a grocery store.

Samuel Weidenhofer tries to help people through his TikTok videos. (Photo from Instagram)

I knew nothing about him, Weidenhofer told NBC News.

He found Bambas manning his shift at a store in Brighton. He walked up to the veteran and asked if he could talk about his story.

So, you've been struggling a bit? Weidenhofer asked. Ah, a little bit, Bambas said.

The video of a teary-eyed Bambas went viral. Weidenhofer set up a GoFundMe Campaign asking the public for help. Boy, did it ever. As of Friday afternoon, the fund has generated more than $1.7 million from nearly 62 thousand donors. One donor, Ryan Bartlett, has pledged $10,000.

Michael Bambas, Eds son, told NBC News his dad has no idea how much money has been raised. Weidenhofer was planning to present the money to him on Friday.

My dad has no idea how much is in the fund. He doesnt do the internet or any of that stuff, so he has no idea how much is in there or anything else, Michael Bambas said. He knows theres a GoFundMe page, but thats all he knows.

Financial Struggle

The thing that hurt me the most was when my wife was really sick, and when they took the pension, they also took the health care coverage and all but $10,000 of my life insurance, Bambas explained, through tears. So, I sold my house, sold the property I had, we made it through.

Bambas had to find a way to get back on track after his wife died, so he started working again.

I dont have enough income, he said in the video.

Weidenhofer asked Bambas if he could share his touching story online. Perhaps the kindness of strangers could help him enjoy retirement. The veteran began to cry.

Story Goes Viral

After Weidenhofer posted the story on Monday and set up the GoFundMe campaign, Michael Bambas phone started lighting up. Text messages came flooding in from friends and family who had seen his dads video on social media.

I saw my dad, and he was telling me about some guy that came into the store, started asking him questions, and then they wanted to do this little mini-interview, and the guy gave him a $400 tip, he said. Thats all we kind of knew about it, didnt think much more of it.

Michael Bambas got in touch with Weidenhofer, and the two have discussed how his dad will receive the monetary gift. He said while the past few days have been a whirlwind, hes grateful his fathers story made an impact.

I dont know how to thank everybody for what theyre doing for my dad. Its just amazing, words cant describe, Michael Bambas said.

After his wife died, Bambas found it difficult to function, his son said.

Right after my mom passed away, Id go over to the house, and Id find him basically walking around in circles, not knowing what to do with himself because he took care of my mom for almost 10 years as her primary caretaker, he said. After she passed, he was pretty much lost as far as purpose and all of that.

Ed Bambas, 88, has worked 40 hours a week at Meijer for the past five years. (Submitted photo)

Start Living Again

Bambas has been working at Meijer for the past five years.

I try to help him when and where I can financially, but he accumulated a lot of debt due to medical bills and such, his son said.

Representatives from Meijer said Bambas adds value to the store, bringing joy and warmth to customers. The viral video has also prompted the supermarket chain to step up for Bambas as well.

We are providing Ed with no-cost financial planning assistance for life to help him make the most of these generous contributions and will continue to support him as a valued member of our team, the store said in a statement.

Whether Bambas will keep working at Meijer after he receives the $1.7 million (and growing) is unknown, but his son believes the money will help him start living and doing things for himself.
In a unique partnership between the Intrepid Museum and FARO Technologies, one of America's most historic aircraft carriers has been digitally preserved with millimeter-level precision, creating a 14.7-terabyte archive that captures every corner of the massive warship, including spaces that haven't been accessed in decades.

The groundbreaking project documented the entire 872-foot Essex-class carrier using advanced laser scanning technology, producing more than 1,300 scan clusters containing millions of individual data points. The result is a comprehensive digital twin that preserves not just the ship's physical structure, but the personal artifacts and human stories in its steel corridors.

Chris Malanson, the museum's assistant vice president for exhibitions who led the Intrepid team, and Irene Radcliffe, senior business development manager at FARO who spearheaded the technology company's efforts, spoke with Military.com about the complex undertaking that became FARO's most challenging cultural heritage project to date.

USS Intrepid off Hunter's Point in June 1944, her deck loaded with aircraft to be transported to the Pacific Theater. (Wikimedia Commons)

A Project Born from the Pandemic

"The Intrepid is the same real estate as the Empire State Building turned on its side," Malanson said. "None of us understood the magnitude when we jumped into it."

The collaboration began when museum architects expressed interest in applying 3D scanning technology to a historic site. Initial discussions about documenting the ship's second deck for restoration planning evolved into something far more ambitious when COVID-19 forced the museum to close to visitors.

"Because the ship was closed, we were able to scan the public areas," Malanson explained. "That turned into a happy accident" that allowed unprecedented access to spaces normally filled with tourists.

What started as a training exercise for FARO staff became an exhaustive documentation project that opened compartments sealed for years, revealing maintenance issues, personal artifacts, and the everyday details of life aboard a warship where the average crewmember was just 18 years old.

Plaque on the USS Intrepid honoring the ship as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Technology Behind the Digital Twin

The scanning technology employs lidar-based laser systems mounted on tripods throughout the ship's 13 decks. Each scan captures approximately two million measurement points as the scanner's mirror system spins rapidly on a horizontal plane, bouncing lasers off surfaces to collect precise distance and positional data.

"It's tripod-based," Radcliffe explained. "You put the scanner in a location, it spins around and captures everything it seesthe ceiling, the walls, all of itthen you go to the next room and create an overlap."

The overlapping scans are stitched together to create complete three-dimensional representations of each space. Color imagery adds texture and context to the point clouds, producing photorealistic digital models that preserve every detail down to vintage cartoon characters painted on bulkheads by crewmembers decades ago.

"This was our most complex project," Radcliffe said. "We did quite a lot of scanning projects around the world. This one was unique in its volume and challenging environmentso many tight spaces."

The team navigated narrow passages, steep ladders, and compartments designed for 1940s-era sailors, not modern scanning equipment. "Carrying a tripod and $60,000 scanner up railings that aren't normal stairs, at angles that aren't normalthat was physically challenging," Radcliffe noted.

The USS Intrepid now rests in New York City. The Intrepid Museum preserves the ship and its storied history for visitors. (Wikimedia Commons)

Discovering the Human Side of a War Machine

The project opened spaces that had remained sealed for years, offering glimpses into the lives of thousands of sailors who served aboard Intrepid from her 1943 commissioning through her 1974 decommissioning.

"Each day was a new discovery," Malanson said. "An aircraft carrier is a small city all in of itselfa shoemaker, food service, a barber, laundry, hobby rooms. They're not military 24/7."

The team discovered crew artwork, including cartoon characters from the era painted on bulkheads. "They decorated parts of the ship to humanize this war machine," Malanson said. "Not something to show up in a blueprint or Navy documentyou will only find it when you go into the compartment."

Among the more unusual discoveries were strange chemical reactions where dissimilar metals had been corroding together, creating orange stalactite-like formations growing from aluminum storage racks. "We identified where leaks were coming from, some conditions we didn't know existed, and we remedied them," Malanson explained.

The scanning also revealed forgotten personal itemsold cigarette packages, a can of beansleft behind by long-ago crewmembers. "The artwork is phenomenal," Radcliffe said. "Even the feeling going into the spaces, the hair goes up on the back of your neck. People were here."

Boxing match aboard the USS Intrepid in 1972. (Collection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of James P. Grove)

A Ship with Battle Stars

Commissioned in August 1943 at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, USS Intrepid earned five battle stars during World War II and three more for Vietnam service, becoming known as "The Fighting I" for her prominent combat role.

The carrier survived fierce combat during the Pacific campaign, including a February 1944 torpedo strike that jammed her rudder and forced the crew to rig an improvised sail from canvas and hatch covers to steer back to Pearl Harbor. She endured five separate kamikaze attacks, including a devastating November 1944 attack that saw two Japanese aircraft strike within minutes of each other, killing dozens of sailors in a single battle.

After World War II, Intrepid was modernized with an angled flight deck and enclosed bow, allowing her to operate jet aircraft during the Cold War. The carrier recovered astronauts from Mercury and Gemini space missions in the 1960s, racing other carriers for the honor of retrieving the capsules. During three Vietnam deployments, her aircraft set records for what's believed to be one of the fastest aircraft launching times ever recorded by an American carrier.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise within the Intrepid Museum. The Enterprise is located within a pavilion on the flight deck. (Wikimedia Commons)

Preserving History, Improving Preservation

The digital archive serves multiple practical purposes beyond virtual tours and educational programs. Museum staff used the scans to discover previously unknown structural issues and plan restoration work without disrupting historic spaces.

"We now had all of that information," Malanson said, referring to the accurate digital record that surpassed the ship's original hand-drawn blueprints. The Navy had never properly documented decades of modifications made during the carrier's 31-year service life.

The museum used scan data to plan installation of a new life safety system for the second deck, routing sprinkler systems through the historic spaces with minimal physical impact. "We were able to plan that out on paper before crews and workers came in," Malanson explained. "We didn't disrupt the physical environment that we are restoring."

Beyond high-profile restoration projects, the technology proves invaluable for routine maintenance tasks. While laser scanning's applications in industrial facilities, oil refineries, and commercial buildings might seem mundane compared to preserving historic warships, those everyday uses demonstrate the technology's practical value.

"Even the mundane things are important," Radcliffe said. "The real beauty comes with the mundane." Rather than measuring pipes and equipment with tape measures in cramped spaces, maintenance teams can use laser scans to plan upgrades and repairs from their desks, improving safety and efficiency.

The technology also enabled precise work on delicate artifacts. When a Japanese kamikaze propeller needed to be displayed but was too fragile to touch directly, the team used highly detailed scans to design a custom support structure and climate-controlled enclosure. "We could scan to reverify these dimensions for these objects to display them to the public using this technology," Malanson said.

Crew members clearing away wreckage in the hangar deck after Intrepid was hit by Kamikazes, 25 November 1944. (Wikimedia Commons)

Opening Restricted Spaces to the World

More than half of Intrepid's interior remains closed to visitors for safety and preservation reasons. The scanning project is changing that through virtual reality experiences and interactive displays.

The engine room ranks among the most requested areas. "Not a day goes by without a visitor asking how to get to the engine room, but we can't let them down there," Malanson said. Using scan data, the museum created VR experiences that allow people to explore the three-story-tall compartment with its five-foot-diameter pipes and massive machinery, meet virtual crewmembers, and learn about their jobs.

The museum is developing similar experiences for other restricted areas, including operating rooms, berthing spaces, the post office, barbershop, and torpedo assembly rooms. They're also using scan data to create interactive displays that trace complex systems from the ship's bottom to top, showing how aircraft were launched through animations that follow the process from steam generation in boiler rooms through catapult systems on the flight deck.

"You just can't tell that story in another or better way than you can with this technology," Malanson said.

The museum plans to expand the project to scan and digitally display its entire aircraft collection, allowing people worldwide to rotate, zoom, and examine details of flight helmets and other artifacts that would otherwise remain in storage.

US Navy Sailors at work in the engine room of the USS Intrepid, c. 1967. The engine room is sealed off from visitation due to safety concerns. Though new 3D laser scanning technology allowed for the entire engine room to be scanned and preserved digitally. (Collection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of James Boesch)

Looking to the Future

Both Malanson and Radcliffe emphasize that the project represents just the beginning of what's possible with the technology. The motivation behind the effort extends beyond technical achievementit's about honoring the people who served.

"What makes the Intrepid worth preserving in this cutting-edge way is our crewmembers," Malanson said. "We still have a lot of crewmemberseven 25 years ago, still WWII crewmembers, now it's more Vietnamthey still come to the ship and volunteer, they bring their experiences from life, during and after service."

Those veterans share how their time aboard Intrepid affected the trajectory of their lives, creating connections between past and present that make the museum more than just a collection of artifacts. "They love sharing that with the public," Malanson said. "One of the greatest aspects of the ship."

The museum's mission centers on helping visitors understand the price of freedom, but Malanson noted that what most people experience surprises them. "They think they're just gonna see a big vessel, when they get here, because of those crewmembers, the archives, the oral histories we incorporate into our exhibitions, it helps them understand how this machine functions. It catches them off guard. They walk away surprised."

For Radcliffe, the project offered more than technical challenges. "It was the honor of a lifetime," she said. "I'm very grateful to be part of this project. I met so many of the veterans."

A U.S. Navy VAW-33 Flight Helmet in the Intrepid Museums collections. Physical artifacts like this can now be scanned and presented to audiences through virtual reality, allowing them to view and inspect the entire object without actually touching it. (Collection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of Gerald Feola).

"We just started to scratch the surface of what we can utilize this for," Malanson said. "We are 100 percent committed to exploring this and using this as a powerful tool to better explore and present our history."

The museum continues developing new applications, with plans to create augmented reality experiences where visitors can use tablets to see virtual reconstructions of spacessurgeons operating, sailors sleeping, writing letters, or playing cardsoverlaid on the actual compartments.

The project has also attracted attention from the U.S. Navy. "I had a call with the Navy," Radcliffe said. "They had seen the video, they were excited when they saw that." Navy scanning teams that typically work with drydocks and piers expressed particular interest in the vessel scan methodology and results, seeing potential applications for documenting active fleet units and facilities.

The digital preservation ensures that future generations can explore and study the historic carrier with unprecedented detail, preserving not just steel and machinery but the human stories of the thousands of young Americans who served aboard "The Fighting I" during some of the most consequential years of the 20th century.

A video detailing the collaborative project between FARO and the Intrepid Museum can be viewed on YouTube. The Museum is located at Pier 86 on the West Side of Manhattan, New York City. More information about the project, as well as online and mobile VR experiences, are available on the museum's website.
A number of companies have learned that taking a political stance, or even implying one, can have unintended consequences. President Donald Trump has not hidden the fact that he favors businesses that take actions matching his publicly stated policies.

"Trump clearly thinks he can and should bend American companies to his own will should not be surprising: hes already done it to Carrier Corp. (to some extent) and appears to be trying to do it to Boeing, via Twitter," Vanity Fair's Bess Levin wrote.

That remark was made following Trump's comment that he could easily talk companies into staying in the United States rather than moving overseas.

Hey, Reince, I want to get a list of companies that have announced theyre leaving, he called out (referring to former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus). I can call them myself. Five minutes apiece. They wont be leaving. O.K.?

Doing something because Trump likes it, or disagreeing with the president, has consequences, as does taking any sort of political stance.

"Political stances usually alienate a significant fraction of the companys customers, employees, investors, and other constituents," Utpal Dholakia wrote on the Rice Business School website.

Being political, or even appearing to be, can undermine a company.

"This is because every large company, whether it is Dicks Sporting Goods, United Airlines, or Papa Johns Pizza, is sure to have constituents across the political spectrum. Taking a stance that favors one partisan group upsets and alienates customers, employees, and investors from the other group," he wrote.

That's a risk Costco has been willing to take on multiple occasions.

Costco has been quietly political

While Costco never makes openly political statements, the chain has done things that would put it on Trump's naughty list, so to speak. The president has been vocally against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

As one of his first acts in office during his second term, Trump signed an executive order that ended the use of DEI in the federal government. He framed it as being "the most important federal civil rights measure in decades," according to a White House press release.

"President Donald J. Trump signed an historic Executive Order that protects the civil rights of all Americans and expands individual opportunity by terminating radical DEI preferencing in federal contracting and directing federal agencies to relentlessly combat private sector discrimination. It enforces long-standing federal statutes and faithfully advances the Constitutions promise of colorblind equality before the law," the press release continued.
The Mariners traded catcher Harry Ford to the Nationals earlier today as part of a deal for lefty reliever Jose A. Ferrer. In the wake of that move, the club is open to a reunion with free agent Mitch Garver, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.

Garver, who turns 35 in January, just played out the final season of a two-year, $24MM deal originally signed in December 2023. At the time, the Mariners envisioned him as a primary DH and a backup to Cal Raleigh behind the plate. Garver did not live up to those expectations on offense, however, as he posted an 88 wRC+ in 720 plate appearances across 2024-25. His contract contained a $12MM mutual option for 2026, though the club unsurprisingly declined their end of the option last month, instead paying Garver a $1MM buyout and making him a free agent.

In 2025, Garver batted .209/.297/.343 with an 86 wRC+ in 290 plate appearances across 87 games. He shaved a few points off his strikeout rate, going from 30.9% last year to 27.6% this year, while his walk rate declined slightly from 12.3% to a still-above-average 10.3%. His offensive output was more or less a repeat of 2024, when he posted an 89 wRC+ in 430 plate appearances. That kind of production is not unreasonable for a backup catcher, although its not what the Mariners expected from Garver, who was considered a bat-first player at the time of his signing and was coming off a 2023 season with the Rangers in which he posted a 142 wRC+ with 19 home runs.

Defensively, Garver started 42 games behind the plate this year, covering 376 2/3 innings. While Raleigh was worth 2 Defensive Runs Saved this year and graded out as the third-best pitch framer among qualified catchers, Garver was worth -6 DRS and was considered a below-average framer. He also drew negative marks from Statcast on his blocking and caught stealing rates, while his average pop time was in just the 4th percentile. In truth, Garver has never been a strong defender. He last graded out positively by DRS in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Its unlikely that his defense will improve as he plays into his mid-30s.

At this point, any signing team would have to hope for an offensive rebound. That said, there are some encouraging signs in Garvers offensive profile. He posted a hard-hit rate of 46.9% in 2025, a full six points above the league average of 40.9%. He also brought up his average exit velocity to 91.5 mph after sitting at 89.9 mph in 2024. For Garver, the key will be boosting his performance against four-seam fastballs. He posted a 163 wRC+ against the pitch in 2024 but just a 77 wRC+ against four-seamers this year. Some decline is natural for a player of his age, though its also fair to expect positive regression given his track record.

A reunion with Garver could make sense for the Mariners. With Ford now traded to the Nationals and catching prospects Luke Stevenson and Josh Caron only at Single-A, there is no clear backup to Raleigh on the roster. With the $12MM mutual option having been declined, he could be had for a one-year deal at a much lower salary. RosterResource currently pegs the Mariners for a $151MM payroll in 2026, with about $15MM to go before they match their 2025 spending.

Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images
This MLive file photo from 2021 shows freshly cut Christmas trees loaded in a truck at Wahmoff Farms in Gobles, Michigan. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com) Joel Bissell | MLive.com

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.  Michigans annual $45 million Christmas tree and greenery industry may get a financial boost this year, but not because of rising prices.

Plastic Christmas trees imported from China have grown more expensive because of tariffs, which is expected to spur an uptick in holiday season demand for real trees  a well-known Michigan agricultural commodity. Despite that expectation, experts say prices of Christmas trees grown in Michigan are not predicted to rise this year.

Growers are prepared, supply is strong, and most are holding wholesale prices steady this year, said Marsha Gray, executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Board, an industry agency based in Howell, Michigan.

Related: Root rot threatens Michigans Christmas tree farms, new study to begin

Michigan ranks third in the nation in the number of Christmas trees harvested for the holiday season, annually supplying about 2 million fresh trees to the national market.

The tree board recently conducted its fourth annual survey of wholesale Christmas tree growers and found 84% said they werent raising prices this season. Additionally, about 32% of growers said they are banking on selling more trees than last year.

Bill Lindberg, Christmas tree educator with Michigan State University Extension, said hes hearing encouraging reports from across the states approximately 500 Christmas tree farms.

Related: 68-foot spruce from U.P. town selected to be Michigans Christmas tree

The demand for real trees this year has been strong and steady, Lindberg said. Thats what Ive been hearing. Theyre reporting good sales numbers so far.

Michigan has about 33,000 acres of commercial Christmas tree farms. There are 12 species of Christmas trees that are grown across Michigan, of which nine are sold in wholesale markets.

The Michigan Christmas Tree Association reports that for every tree harvested in the state, tree farmers plant three new tree seedlings for future holiday seasons.
Friends and family gather to honor Rebecca Park and her unborn child with a candlelight vigil on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in Boon, Mich. Chloe Trofatter | MLive.com

WEXFORD COUNTY, MI  When Stephanie Park officially became a foster parent in 2004, it took less than a day for her to get her first placement.

We have three kids that need somebody right now, she remembers the caseworker telling her.

So, that night, Park went to Walmart and got everything that shed need to welcome a 4-year-old, a 1-year-old and a newborn into her home.

Park and her husband, Rod, initially struggled to connect with the kids - Tim, 4, had underdeveloped social skills because of the environment hed grown up in, she said. Rebecca, at a year old, was wearing clothes sized for three to six-month-olds and didnt like to be touched. And newborn Kimmy was malnourished, to a scary extent, Park said.

Once the kids were in the Parks care, they were able to visit their birth mother, then Cortney Fox, but visitation was quickly terminated. And later, so were the birth mothers parental rights, Stephanie Park said.

As their long-term foster parents, Stephanie and Rod Park essentially had the right of first refusal for guardianship of the three siblings. The next steps were a no-brainer.

At that point, they were our kids, Stephanie Park said.

Two years later, she and Rod became the kids legal guardians.

Names were changed, legal documents were updated - every precaution was taken to keep them out of reach of their birth family.

Despite their efforts, that wasnt the last they heard of Fox, now Cortney Bartholomew, 40.

Friends and family gather to honor Rebecca Park and her unborn child with a candlelight vigil on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in Boon, Mich. Chloe Trofatter | MLive.com

Flash forward two decades and Bartholomew and her husband, Bradly Bartholomew, 47, have been charged in last months alleged murder of Rebecca Park, 22, and the death of her unborn child. Authorities have said Rebecca was at least 38 weeks pregnant when she was last seen on Nov. 3.

Her body was found Nov. 25 by volunteers searching the Manistee National Forest in Boon, near the Bartholomews home west of Cadillac. Rebecca Park had been mutilated, her unborn child had been cut from her body, prosecutors allege, and the Bartholomews are now charged with eight criminal counts each and remain behind bars.

Its a horrific crime that not only has this small Northern Michigan community reeling, but has made national headlines in the last month.

And it has left Stephanie Park and her family trying to piece together what happened in the years since they raised Rebecca and her siblings.

Friends and family gather to honor Rebecca Park and her unborn child with a candlelight vigil on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in Boon, Mich. Chloe Trofatter | MLive.com

As Rebecca and Kimberly reached adulthood, they wanted to know their birth mother, Park said.

Kids that are adopted, they want to know if that person out there has changed, she said. They want those people to accept them.

As soon as the girls were out of the home they grew up in, Bartholomew tried to come back into their lives, Stephanie Park said.

I knew it wasnt gonna be a good thing, but I couldnt stop them, she said.

According to Stephanie Park, in the years since, tensions rose between her and Cortney Bartholomew.

A few months ago, she said Cortney was in court trying to gain custody of Kimberlys one-year-old daughter. That child is now in foster care with Stephanie Park, along with Rebeccas two sons, ages 2 and 3.

Bradly Bartholomew, Cortneys husband, has a criminal record dating back to 2000 with convictions ranging from forgery and larceny to criminal sexual conduct.

It was just a matter of time until Cortney attempted something drastic, Stephanie said, alluding to the alleged murder. I just never imagined that it would be this ... gruesome.

27 1 / 27 Northern Michigan community honors Rebecca Park, unborn baby with candlelight vigil

On Saturday, Dec. 6, Stephanie and Kimberly Park, surrounded by friends and family, honored the life of Rebecca and her unborn son.

As the criminal case against the Bartholomews continues through the courts, Stephanie Park asks those following the case to stop public speculation and online rumors, fearing further interference with investigations could prevent the Bartholomews from being tried to the fullest extent of the law, she said.

Friends and family gather to honor Rebecca Parks unborn child with a paper lantern during a candlelight vigil for both of them on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in Boon, Mich. Chloe Trofatter | MLive.com

The Wexford County Sheriffs Office had previously released a statement on Nov. 19, saying the misinformation and vitriol from social media was hampering the investigation.

After Rebecca Parks body was found, her younger sister, Kimberly Park, 21, was arrested on charges of lying to police, tampering with evidence and making a false report of a felony. She initially was held on a high bond. But her bond was lowered and she was allowed to bond out of jail last week after the Bartholomews were arrested. Police have not said if or how Kimberly Parks case is connected to her sisters death.

As for the Bartholomews, a preliminary examination has been set for Tuesday, Dec. 16, where 84th District Court Judge Corey Wiggins will decide if theres enough evidence against the couple to move their cases forward to circuit court for a trial.

A GoFundMe donation account has been set up for Rebecca Parks children.
The Bellflower Italian sandwich at Bellflower in Ypsilanti. Photo by Sam Dodge. Sam Dodge | MLive.com

My belly has a lot of thanking to do.

Since starting Dish of the Week in June 2022, I have visited more than 80 restaurants across Washtenaw County. Ive tried burgers, fries, pizza, Indian lamb, doughnuts, ice cream and tons more the last three years.

If there was a theme for the series in 2025, it was delicious debuts. Three of my five most memorable experiences came at new restaurants.

Here are my personal five favorite Dish of the Week stories from the past year.

The All of the Chicken dish at Echelon Kitchen and Bar, with crispy fried legs, stuffed wings, roasted breast and duck fat confit thighs. Sam Dodge | MLive.com

Echelons debut

From the moment waiter Mike Gomez took my order, I knew I was in good hands at Echelon Kitchen and Bar.

Gomez made great suggestions to ease my wife and I into downtown Ann Arbors fancy yet unpretentious fine dining eatery.

The left side of the menu is salad and appetizers. My wife and I went with the vegetable salad with smoky mushrooms and crunchy, shaved veggies like carrots and onions all atop a horseradish creme fraiche.

The middle portion of the menu features shareable entrees and flatbreads

My favorite was the Nduja Tartine. Its a warm and fluffy sourdough slice smothered in Andouille pork sausage and a creamy and sweet combo of caramelized onions and stracciatella cheese. The best way I can describe it is like a hearty (almost) vegetarian steak.

The largest eating adventure of our night came from the right side of the menu. The All of the Chicken is aptly named, as each poultry appendage is cooked a different way. The legs are Kentucky fried, the thighs are slow roasted in duck fat, the breast is cured and roasted, and the wings resemble a stuffed coconut shrimp without the shellfish.

Ive been back to Echelon a few times since the first visit. I would try sitting at the bar, as its a lively vibe sitting right next to downtown foot traffic.

The La Serre Burger with truffle fries at the new restaurant inside the Vanguard Hotel, 201 Glen Ave. next to the Michigan Medicine campus. Sam Dodge | MLive.com

La Serre Burger

Like a typical American, I love burgers and fries.

That was the case even at La Serre, the citys newest French brasserie-style bistro inside the Vanguard Hotel.

The La Serre Burger comes complete with two beef patties that balance char on the outside and pink juiciness on the inside. Two buttery brioche buns contain earthy mushrooms and the mild salt and nut flavors of gruyere cheese.

As far as restaurant burgers go, it might be my favorite in Ann Arbor. Id have to sit down and compare it to Frita Batidos, Caseys Tavern and Blimpy Burger in real-time.

The shakshuka and mint green tea at Mynt House, 118 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor. Sam Dodge | MLive.com

Mynt House

One of the more unique experiences for me came at Mynt House, Ann Arbors newest Middle Eastern cafe on Main Street.

It was a bit of a throwback for me, since I enjoyed these cafes during my U.S. Navy port visits across the Middle East. I sipped hot yet cooling mint tea while downing a bowl of shakshuka, or eggs, tomatoes, peppers and spices like cumin and harissa.

The food hit the spot. What stands out months later from the visit is the Mynts vibe. It really reminds me of a Dubai bazaar from my military days.

Bellflowers sandwiches

My first Dish of the Week was at Bellflower, where I sampled the cornmeal trout with a glass of white wine. I knew I had to return, because I heard the sandwiches might be the Ypsilanti spots best feature.

I was not disappointed.

Heres what you have in store with each bite of a Bellflower Italian sandwich: two thick cuts of milk bread with Old Bay seasoning; generous portions of capicola, pepperoni and the safe soppressata; slices of creamy provolone and slightly spicy Monterey jack cheeses; tangy Dukes Mayo, vinaigrette and crunchy pickles, onions and lettuce.

In a county with Zingermans and Maize and Blue delis, Bellflower is right there with them in terms of quality. It may edge just in front of them for me...

An Italian Trio slice next to a Chicken Mushroom Pesto slice from New York Pizza Depot in Ann Arbor. Sam Dodge | MLive.com

New York Pizza Depot

I always try to hit one nostalgic spot a year from my college days. NYPD Pizza was one of those staples for me in the early 2010s.

I had two slices on a gorgeous April day: the Italian Trio and the chicken and pesto.

The Italian Trio is a perfect example of the visual meeting the gastronomical. The spicy vodka, mozzarella and the tomato-forward grandma sauces are green, white and red paint strokes.

The chicken pesto, on the other hand, is an herby and earthy morsel.

On my last NYPD visit, I got to enjoy one of the first warm days of the year. I watched students walk back and forth on William Street and thought about how far Ive come since graduation.

When it comes to my belly, I havent come very far. I still love the same stuff my 21-year-old stomach did.

One last thing...

Yesterdays Dish of the Week was the last one in its current biweekly format. The only reason its lasted so long is readers seemed to eat it up (no, the series isnt ending because people hate my puns).

That said, were scaling the series back to only hit areas that people seem really excited about. Echelons debut is a great example.

Moving forward, let me know of new places or attractions worth highlighting. If theres enough interest, Ill be there! Email me at sdodge@mlive.com for suggestions.

In the meantime, thank you for reading for the last three years. My belly thanks you!
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Food assistance programs are being stretched to their limit after suspended benefits created one of the worst situations one county leader said he has ever seen.

Food pantries run by Community Action Network in Washtenaw County have had to double their distribution in recent months as the county recovers from the impact of a federal government shutdown, said Derrick Miller, executive director of the nonprofit.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which help roughly 13% of Michigan households buy food, were temporarily suspended in November during a 43-day shutdown of the federal government. That suspension, along with missed paychecks for federal workers, strained county support systems.

Although benefits have since been reinstated, lingering effects of the shutdown, combined with stretched holiday season budgets, have created a dire situation for local families, Miller said.

Its kind of a perfect storm of a lot of different things going on, creating  frankly  the worst situation Ive ever seen for under-resourced families my entire time doing this work, Miller said.

The nonprofit is seeing both an influx of new clients, as well as clients returning more frequently. CAN has had to tighten its limitations on how frequently someone can visit to ensure food remains available.

That used to not be a problem a year ago, he said.

Bob Weber, who receives benefits, said he has seen a noticeable change in what pantries offered after U.S. Department of Agriculture funding was cut.

Theyre all struggling, he said. Theres just not much anymore that you can get at food pantries.

He had also seen a drop-off in quality of food, he said. Medical issues have prevented him from visiting pantries in recent weeks.

I feel bad for people who have kids, he said. They can barely survive, and what they get to survive on is very poor quality.

Food Gatherers, the only food bank in the county, has also seen rising need, said Eileen Spring, CEO of the nonprofit.

Theres always an uptick in demand (in November and December), and what happened with the government shutdown was that whole uptick really began in mid-October, Spring said. Were really still on that same crest.

Read more: Heres the Trump administrations plan to withhold Michigan, other states money to manage SNAP

The food bank distributed 920,000 pounds of food during November, including 50,000 pounds in just five days, Spring said. Thats something Food Gatherers has never done before.

Distribution is up by 25% compared to October, she said. Intake has also grown, with more than one million pounds of food coming in during November, she said. Nearly 40,000 pounds were from food drives.

This marked the biggest month for food drives ever, she said.

We have definitely seen more interest, and we have more food drives happening now than we normally do at this time of year, Spring said.

Coinciding rising need and the holiday season have also made it difficult to pick apart exactly how numbers  for both giving and receiving  might change, she added.

The pressure on our infrastructure is still very high, Spring said. I would say were still getting a lot of people calling for food assistance.

Miller expressed concern about continuing support. If need continues to stretch support systems to their limit, there may be conversations about reducing operations, he said.

The problems were dealing with arent short-term problems, he said.

Still, he added, state and local communities stepping up have bolstered him.

That gives me some level of optimism, also knowing that we have some really tough decisions to be making if we dont see things change in the near term, he said.

For information on how to donate or find food, visit Food Gatherers website.
Grand Rapids police say a man shot at officers who returned fire and killed him. (MLive File Photo) Rose White | MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Grand Rapids police shot and killed a man who fired at officers Saturday, Dec. 6, on the citys Northwest Side, police said.

No officers were injured.

Deputy Chief Joe Trigg said that three officers fired at the man who shot at police after a high-risk traffic stop.

Police were called earlier in the day to a report of a domestic assault on Strobel near Fourth Street. A woman left the home to make the report. She told police that a gun was involved.

Police went to the house and tried to contact the man but he refused to come to the door, Trigg said.

At that time, the officers hands are pretty much tied. There was nothing else for them to follow up on at that point, Trigg said.

Several hours later, the woman told police that the suspect had sent her text messages stating he had a firearm and was going to kill himself, Trigg said at a press conference.

Around 4:45 p.m., police staged down the street to prepare their response when the suspect got into a vehicle and started to leave. Police quickly conducted a high-risk traffic stop on Tremont Boulevard NW.

The man, armed with a handgun, fired multiple rounds at officers from inside his vehicle, police said.

At that point, our officers returned fire and struck the subject, Trigg said.

The man, 51, was taken to a local hospital where he later died. His name was not released.

Trigg said he was not certain of the relationship between the man and woman.

State police are investigating, which is standard when Grand Rapids police are involved in shootings. The officers are on administrative leave, which is also standard.
One person was shot and taken into custody after an officer involved shooting on Saturday, Dec. 6. Chloe Trofatter | MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- One person is in custody after an police shot a person Saturday, Dec. 6, in Grand Rapids.

Police officers said one person was shot and taken into custody, according to WOOD TV. No officers were injured in the shooting, police said.

The Grand Rapids Police Department was not immediately available for comment.

There is a large police presence in the area of Mt. Mercy Drive and Tremont Boulevard NW, according to WOOD TV. Circumstances surrounding the shooting are unknown.
Hand2Hand, an Ottawa County nonprofit, partners with local churches and schools to distribute supplemental food that bridges the gap of weekend hunger. The nonprofit aims to feed 15,000 students. Danielle James | MLive

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - For Dave Feenstra, a retired principal at Hudsonville Public Schools, the best time of the week is Thursday at 9 a.m., when he hauls bins filled with food - apples, packets of Ramen noodles and jars of peanut butter - through school hallways.

He said joyful calls of hey, teacher man and whats up follow him down the halls as he hands out the food items, which are intended to help students facing food insecurity on the weekends and during holiday breaks.

Theyre so caring, Feenstra said of the students. Their teachers shared with us that one of the boys was so happy to get this bag of food because he said, My dad gets hungry too.

Feenstra, an educator with over 30 years experience, now works as a staff member at Hand2Hand, an Ottawa County nonprofit distributing supplemental food to help feed students on weekends and during holiday breaks.

The nonprofit now feeds around 10,000 West Michigan students from preschool through high school, Feenstra said.

Officials announced this month plans to expand to feed 15,000 children. Hand2Hand works with schools in Ottawa, Kent, Muskegon, Allegan, Barry, Mason, Newaygo and Van Buren counties.

One in seven children in West Michigan are at risk of hunger, according to Hand2Hand.

Officials say students are at the highest risk of hunger when theyre out of school and dont have access to school meals, including during the 68-hour weekend gap and over extended school breaks.

Dave Feenstra, a retired principal at Hudsonville Public Schools, poses for a photo on Wednesday, Dec. 3 in the warehouse of Hand2Hand, a nonprofit that distributes weekend and holiday food deliveries to West Michigan students facing food insecurity. Danielle James | MLive

Feenstra said hunger in students can negatively affect their school performance and impact their physical and mental health, something the nonprofit is hoping to combat.

Food given to students by Hand2Hand includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner items, often sent home with a recipe card included.

A holiday food bag, which will be passed out over the upcoming winter break, includes 14 high protein items, one volunteer shared.

Volunteers at Hand2Hand gather and pack items that will be distributed to students. The Ottawa County nonprofit partners with local churches and schools to distribute supplemental food that bridges the gap of weekend hunger. Danielle James | MLive

With nearly 300 partner schools, Hand2Hand moves a high volume of food.

On Dec. 3, the nonprofit announced a new project to expand its warehouse, once an Aldi located at 306 Chicago Dr. in Jenison.

The project, possible through a partnership with Kent County construction firm First Companies, will improve food distribution efforts and allow Hand2Hand to serve more students and community partners, the nonprofits leaders say.

Jodi Joseph, Hand2Hand executive director, said the idea began as a simple roof over the warehouses overhead door that would allow volunteers to get out of the elements, but quickly expanded to something bigger.

The project will soon allow volunteers and distributors to pull in and out of the warehouse and more easily load and unload food deliveries.

At an expected cost of $84,000, it will make the distribution process both faster and weather-proof, Feenstra said.

We move a lot of product in and out of this building every single day, lots of wonderful donations (have) been coming in, he said.

Construction will begin in the next few weeks, with several concrete support pillars already poured. The project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2026.

Hand2Hand, an Ottawa County nonprofit, partners with local churches and schools to distribute supplemental food that bridges the gap of weekend hunger. The nonprofit aims to feed 15,000 students. Danielle James | MLive

Joseph said the timing is good, as the nonprofit is piloting a program to continue food deliveries into the summer months. It started with 13 schools last year.

Were looking at big plans this summer, she said.

The nonprofit aims to serve up to 15,000 students, she said, along with other community partners that use the facility as a food store.

Cardboard cutouts are placed in the Hand2Hand office at 306 Chicago Dr. in Jenison. The Ottawa County nonprofit partners with local churches and schools to distribute supplemental food that bridges the gap of weekend hunger. Danielle James | MLive

Hand2Hand now works with 146 church partners, Joseph said, along with 280 school partners in West Michigan.

In Kent County, partner school districts include Byron Center, Caledonia, Cedar Springs, Comstock Park, Godfrey Lee, Godwin Heights, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kelloggsville, Kenowa Hills, Kent City, Kentwood, Lowell, Northview, Rockford, Sparta and Wyoming public schools.

Feenstra said when he was principal, he saw the need for food security especially high among homeless student populations.

When we were able to provide food for them through our Hand2Hand pantry, that just took a level of stress off for those kids, he said. They were able to have some security  so they knew they had meals when they were out of their home.

Statewide, the number of homeless students is on the rise, with 35,495 homeless students reported to the state as of the 2023-24 school year, up from 32,762 students reported homeless in 2022-23.

Several West Michigan districts - including Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) and Kentwood Public Schools - also had among the states highest homeless student populations.

Joseph said Hand2Hands latest project shows the care and dedication the nonprofit and its partners have for the community.

Some of them are older volunteers, she said. We care about that, and we care about their safety, and we want to make sure that theres an area where they can pull in and we can load their vehicles, and then they can get out into their communities and deliver the food as part of our mission.
UPDATES: Police release names of 2 killed in Muskegon shooting

Shooting might have been connected to robbery; one person detained

Mom raising money to bury son shot and killed in Muskegon

MUSKEGON, MI  A midday shooting in a quiet Muskegon neighborhood left two people dead and sent three others to the hospital.

Police have not announced any arrests. Investigators do not believe the shooting in the Jackson Hill neighborhood was random.

Officers were dispatched on Saturday, Dec. 6, to a home in the 600 block of Jackson Avenue for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, police found multiple individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.

Few details have been released about the shooting and the circumstances that led to it.

The scene was cleared as of late Sunday morning with police tape lines taken down in the area and forensic glove remnants lying in the snow.

Muskegons mayor asked the community to come together and care for one another.

Police have cleared the scene of a shooting on Jackson Avenue in the Jackson Hill neighborhood of Muskegon. Two people died and three were injured. Police were at the house most of the night. Kayla Tucker

As the investigation continues, here are four things we know so far:

Suspect status unknown

Police have not released any information about the suspect, or suspects, including ages and genders. They have not announced any arrests or answered questions about the status of the shooter or shooters.

Any motive is also not clear.

Police partially identify victims, those injured

A 25-year-old man died at the scene, and a 22-year-old woman was taken to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital and later died there, police said.

Two other men, both 25, were taken to Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital and were in critical condition. Their current conditions are unknown. A 4-year-old child suffered minor injuries and was expected to be released from the hospital.

Police have not released or confirmed any of the victims names.

Residents say its a quiet neighborhood

Those who live in the Jackson Hill neighborhood were shocked by the violence that unfolded. Latrice Williams grew up in the neighborhood and never expected to see this kind of violence.

Its scary, Williams, 26, told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. You wouldnt think this would happen. Its so quiet, nothing usually happens over here.

There were forensic gloves seen in the snow Sunday morning outside the site of a shooting Saturday in Muskegon that left two people dead and injured three. Kayla Tucker

Investigators remained at the scene overnight

The shooting was reported around 3:15 p.m. Saturday and officers were at the scene within minutes. Police remained in the area throughout the day and into the early morning hours Sunday. Michigan State Police assisted in the investigation.

Police were working through the night under bright lights.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Muskegon Police Department at 231-724-6750 or Silent Observer at 231-722-7463.
Family Dollar at 1908 S. Michigan Ave. in Saginaw, scene of a fatal shooting the afternoon of June 28, 2024. Cole Waterman

SAGINAW, MI  Here are a few headlines from Saginaw County last week that attracted reader interest.

Man gets life in prison for calculating, ruthless murder inside Family Dollar

A Saginaw man professed his innocence on being sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the brazen execution of a man inside a local dollar store. Its a fate the presiding judge said was more than justified for the calculating and ruthless murderer.

A shackled Ronald L. Kinchen Jr., 39, stood before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson for sentencing on Thursday, Dec. 4. A jury in October convicted Kinchen of first-degree murder and eight firearm-related charges in connection with the June 2024 killing of 44-year-old Omar R. Morrow.

Read more here.

Whats that? New indoor skate park opening soon in Fashion Square Mall

Saginaw-area skateboarders will soon have a space to hone their skills, even during the cold, snowy days of winter.

Major Skate, an indoor skate park and skate shop, is gearing up for the Friday, Dec. 5, grand opening of the brands second location, situated inside Fashion Square Mall, 4787 Fashion Square Blvd., in Saginaw Township.

Read more here.

Saginaw school board welcomes back former member to fill seat vacated by death of Mattie Thompson

A former Saginaw School Board member is returning to fill a vacant seat after being selected from a lineup of three candidates interviewed for the spot during a Wednesday, Dec. 3, meeting of the board.

Vera Harrison, who served as secretary before losing a re-election bid last year, will serve in the seat that was left open after the recent death of longtime board member Mattie Thompson. The appointment will last until next year, when the current term is set to expire.

Read more here.

Saginaw man carried from court after murder conviction receives life sentence

When Cetrice L. Bowens learned a jury convicted him of the premeditated murder of a convenience store clerk, he froze and refused to leave a courtroom. Sheriffs deputies were required to hoist and carry Bowens dead-weighted form from the courtroom.

In the months since, Bowens has suffered a mental health crisis, necessitating a deputy to wheel him back into the courtroom to receive his mandatory sentence to die in prison.

Read more here.

McDonald Rivet endorses Greene for Michigans 35th District Senate seat

U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet has endorsed Chedrick Greene for her former seat in Michigans 35th Senate district special election.

Raised in Saginaw, Greene is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, a 31-year union member and fire captain with the City of Saginaw Fire Department, on which he has served for 27 years.

Read more here.

Saginaw County school district launches new strategic planning project

Hemlock Public School District officials plan to launch a new strategic planning initiative that could shape the districts future.

The initiative will outline clear priorities for teaching and learning, student wellness and support, facilities, technology, fiscal responsibility, and community partnerships, district officials announced in a statement.

Read more here.

Bridgeport mother gets prison for toddlers 2021 death despite boyfriends acquittal

A Bridgeport Township mother is heading to prison for her toddler sons death in 2021, even though the man prosecutors alleged inflicted the fatal injuries was acquitted of wrongdoing.

Nia J. Kindred, 38, on Wednesday, Dec. 3, appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello for sentencing. Kindred in October pleaded no contest to involuntarily manslaughter, a 15-year felony. In exchange, the prosecution dismissed charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse.

Read more here.

Michigan substitute teacher pleads to killing woman in 2024 super-drunk crash

A Millington woman sobbed as she entered a Saginaw County courtroom to accept responsibility for killing a woman in an inebriated crash a little more than a year ago.

A shackled and jumpsuit-clad Katelyn R. Wiggins, 32, on the morning of Monday, Dec. 1, appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello to plead no contest to all three charges against her: operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death with a prior conviction, operating a motor vehicle with a high blood-alcohol level causing serious bodily injury, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.

Read more here.

Federal grants award $2M to Saginaw homeless youth organization

Officials with a shelter provider for Saginaw County homeless and runaway youth this week learned the organization will receive more than $2 million in federal grants over the next three years.

Organizers with the Saginaw-based Youth Protection Council said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-provided grants will allow the group to offer more housing, improve case management services, increase efforts to prevent homelessness before it happens, and launch a new outreach program for at-risk youth.

Read more here.

Man pleads to shooting at Saginaw bar employee in dispute over 50 cents

Near closing time in September, a disagreement over 50 cents at an Old Town Saginaw bar culminated in gunfire. Now, the man accused of firing the shots has accepted a plea deal, one that carries far less time than the possible life sentence he was initially facing.

Anthony E. Williams, 24, on Nov. 20 appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III and pleaded guilty to felonious assault, a four-year felony. Prosecutors added the charge while at the same time agreeing to dismiss charges of assault with intent to murder and felony firearm. Assault with intent to murder is punishable by up to life imprisonment, while a felony firearm conviction mandates a two-year prison sentence consecutive with any related stint.

Read more here.

Hemlock-area man arrested after armed standoff with police

A Hemlock-area man is in jail following an armed standoff with police.

About 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, a Richland Township police officer responded to a residence in the 4200 block of North Fordney Road for a reported domestic assault in progress. A Thomas Township police officer also responded to assist.

Read more here.
Another week, another crypto Asia roundup. In this weeks update, we will focus on key developments in the crypto Asia landscape, with a keen emphasis on India, Japan, and South Korea.

These four markets never seem to sleep and always have something going on. Here are the biggest headlines from this past week.

Crypto Asia Win: Bitget To Expand Investment Platform In India Post 2026 FIU Approval

Bitget is all in on India and, as such, wants to expand beyond being just an exchange platform to offer wider investment options in the future. According to a local publication, the exchange is currently registering with the Indian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

According to Bitgets Chief Marketing Officer Ignacio Aguirre Franco, all formalities should be completed in 2026.

We are a global exchange, but India is obviously an important market for us. We are working with FIU here, hoping to get the license by 2026. The country is very tech savvy, making it perfect for crypto adoption, he said during the India Blockchain Week, earlier this week.

Per Franko, the huge amount of remittances received by India makes it a perfect fit for cross-border crypto use cases and even crypto debit cards. Further, he pointed out that blockchain is slowly replacing legacy financial systems globally and that it wants to be ready for the future.

We are looking to provide a financial gateway to the people. We dont want them to be looking at us as a place they go and buy Bitcoin. When you mix CeFi, DeFi, and TradFi, you create this platform for them. When people look to do an investment, we want to be the first platform to come to their mind. People should not look at us as separate exchange but as an investment platform, he said.

In the meantime, Franco said, India needs to move faster on regulations and awareness.

EXPLORE: Top 20 Crypto to Buy in 2025

BoJ Hits At Rate Hike: Sends Crypto Tumbling

Earlier this week, the crypto market tumbled with Bitcoin (BTC) sliding from $92,000 to $85,000 within a few hours, and the trigger came straight out of Asia (Tokyo).

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) hinted at a possible rate hike in December, sending panicked shivers through the global markets, pushing investors out of riskier assets such as crypto. It began with the BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda floating the idea of a 0.25% rate hike.

The markets immediately priced it in, strengthening the Yen and spiking Japans 10-year bond yield to 1.84%, which is the highest it has been since 2008, rattling investors banking on cheap Japanese funds.

The bigger worry here is that Japan is the largest foreign holder of US Treasuries (about $1.1 trillion). If Japanese institutions start pulling back money, it will end up putting a lot of stress on the US debt market as well.
Temple Village of India: Where shoes are banned and temples outnumber houses

Saurav Pandey is the Deputy Manager of Content at Moneycontrol, specialising in content strategy, execution and performance analysis. He integrates advanced SEO techniques to deliver high-impact, data-driven content formats. His expertise spans various beats, including education, career, science and others, where he adopts a technical approach to optimise visibility, improve search rankings, and drive organic traffic growth. He can be reached out at Saurav.Pandey@nw18.com.

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Aryan Khan middle-finger row: Zaid Khan DEFENDS Shah Rukh Khans son; says gesture was for his manager, not the crowd

Ragini Jaiswal

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Filmmaker Anil Sharma opens up about his last meeting with late actor Dharmendra, recalls him telling, "Camera meri mehbooba hai"

M Snehanjali is a Sub Editor and journalist with over two years of experience covering general news and entertainment in digital newsroom.

He noted that this turned out to be their last meeting, and he reflected on the extraordinary passion Dharmendra still carried within him, even at nearly 90.

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Kapil Sharma and Neetu Kapoor starrer Dadi Ki Shaadi set for Mothers Day 2026 release; marks the debut of Riddhima Kapoor Sahni

Ragini Jaiswal Entertainment journalist and content writer with 3+ years of experience covering Bollywood, lifestyle trends, and celebrity stories across leading digital platforms.

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A recent episode of The Ramsey Show featured back-to-back discussions about car debt, prompting personal finance expert Dave Ramsey and co-host Jade Warshaw to double down on their anti-loan message. One caller, Jay from Portland, Oregon, set the tone with a dilemma involving a dream job, a 70-mile commute, and no current vehicle.

Buy A Beater, Not Go Backwards

Jay, a staff sergeant exiting the Army, explained that his job was far from where he'd live for the first year because of a child custody agreement. He had $7,000 in savings, $3,000 left in divorce debt, and wanted to finance a $23,000 Toyota Corolla.

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You can't solve a problem while simultaneously creating it, Warshaw said. Buy a $4,000 car, Ramsey told him frankly.

Jay insisted he wouldnt go back into debt, but Ramsey pushed harder: Youre going to go buy it, though. I kind of think we cant talk you out of it in 30 seconds. But no, theres no chance. Ill ride a bicycle before I get a freaking car payment again. Warshaw finished the call by advising him to take the bus instead.

Fear And Finances

Minutes later, Warshaw read a letter from Jesse in Texas, who makes $100,000 a year, has $18,000 in student loans, and $25,000 in savings. Jesse was afraid of draining his savings to buy a car in cash, citing his parents financial struggles.

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Ramsey and Warshaw broke it down: the fear was emotional, not mathematical. If you paid cash for a car, it did not cause them to struggle for decades, Ramsey said. Going into the car payment that caused them to struggle.

Warshaw added, This is just fear operating unchecked in the background. And you dont even know what its based off of.

They encouraged Jesse to buy a reliable $6,000 car and get rid of his student loans. Ramsey offered a blunt pep talk: Dude, youre 27. You make $100,000 a year. Heres an idea. Stop being broke. Get off your butt and fix this.

The pair emphasized that financial transformation takes more than just math. Theres an emotional side to personal finance, Ramsey said. You want to change your money, you have to consider three parts: the numbers, your behavior, and your emotions, Warshaw said.

Read Next:
Ragini Jaiswal Entertainment journalist and content writer with 3+ years of experience covering Bollywood, lifestyle trends, and celebrity stories across leading digital platforms.

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Hugh Grant says he may be half Indian: 'My father was born in India'

Grant, who was in conversation with actor Rahul Khanna, was quizzed about his knowledge of Indian cinema.

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Kumkum Bhagya, actress Sriti Jha sparks fresh dating rumours with Arijit Taneja after her breakup with Kunal Kapoor

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The carrier added that it had cancelled around 650 flights on December 7, and would be operating 1,650 of its total 2,300 daily flights that day.

Deblina Halder

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The airline told DGCA it will add 158 pilots by 10 February and another 742 next year, but analysts warn notice periods and training bottlenecks make the goal tough.

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IndiGo, which dominates Indian skies with over 60 percent share of air passengers, failed to implement and plan adequately for the new Flight Duty Times Limitations norms, causing massive delays and cancellations

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Arindam Roy

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NDRF team from Ranchi is measuring carbon monoxide levels in Dhanbads coal belt after two deaths and multiple hospitalisations, even as residents protest and allege a forced eviction push.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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Evil eye will get befitting reply: Navy chief hints Operation Sindoor could resume if India is attacked

Tripathi warned that if anyone tries to attack the country, the Indian military will retaliate strongly, as seen during Operation Sindoor.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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Ian Ziering's daughters have never seen Beverly Hills, 90210.

Ian Ziering's daughters are yet to watch Beverly Hills, 90210

The 61-year-old actor played the role of Steve Sanders in the teen drama's entire 10-season run from 1990 to 2000 but has "zero cool points" with his children Mia Loren, 14, and Penna Mae, 12, - whom he has with his ex-wife Erin Ludwig - as they are a bit "too young" to watch the series at the moment.

Ian told People: "I get no cool points. Zero. It's almost sometimes a little embarrassing, but at the end of the day, they're very proud of me and I'm blessed with two beautiful, healthy girls that are my why for everything."

The Biker Mice from Mars star explained that he does intend to sit and watch Beverly Hills, 90210 with his daughters at some point in the future.

Ziering said: "I have it on a hard drive, the original series, so one day we'll sit and we'll watch. It's 396 episodes. It's going to take a while, at any event."

Ian explained how he is determined to set a good "example" to his children that will enable them to make good decisions as they grow up.

He said: "I wish they came with an instruction manual, but they didn't. So I'm doing the best I can.

"There's going to be a point in their life where they're on their own and hopefully I will have taught them enough to make good decisions and make decisions that they'll be proud of themselves for making."

Ziering spent Thanksgiving alongside his daughters and his girlfriend Caila Dean as they gave out food to homeless people in Los Angeles.

He explained: "Homelessness here in Los Angeles is one of the biggest problems in the country. It's an honour to be here today to help others that are in need.

"I feel very fortunate in my life, and I think it's important not just for me, but to show my children who are here also, that it's important to volunteer, to help others that are less fortunate to instill in them a sense of appreciation, a sense of compassion for others, a sense of community."
Dave Ramsey told a 45-year-old Chicago woman with four university degrees, a $115,000 salary and $628,000 debt that she fell for a lie.

Sandra, a single mom, called into The Ramsey Show for guidance on how to tackle her debt, including a $335,000 mortgage, $33,000 credit-card debt and $260,000 in student loans.

Sounds like you fell for the lie that if I get education, people will hand me money, and theyre not, he said, noting her salary is not a lot to show for her schooling (1).

Must Read

What Sandra does have to show for her student debt is two undergrad degrees (biological science and English) and two masters degrees in library science and intellectual property law, respectively.

And a career in legal research. Up until six months ago, Sandra had a side hustle as a library consultant that earned her $25,000 a year  but Ken Coleman said public libraries were a dead-end career anyway.

Ramsey was surprised she wasnt a lawyer, given she has a degree in intellectual property law.

Cant you sit for the bar? he asked.

Sandra responded she wasnt sure, shed have to research it.

You got a degree in research, co-host Ken Coleman quipped. You should probably look into that.

Heres what Ramsey and Coleman agreed she needs to do.

More money, not more degrees

Ramsey and Coleman said Sandra needs to earn serious money if she wants any chance of digging out from the hole shes in.

You have a lot of education and a lot of upside potential therefore on your income if we can figure out a way to apply that education in a way that makes you more money, Ramsey said. Thats what you need. More money, not more degrees. You collected more degrees than a thermometer.

Read More: Here are the 5 market moves you can't ignore heading into 2026  and what savvy investors are doing now to prepare

Ramsey warned that a degree means nothing if the skills you learned arent needed in the job market.

The knowledge you get while youre getting the degree  now that knowledge is great power, assuming it is knowledge that the marketplace wants.

Ramsey and Coelman suggested Sandra aim for passing the bar exam and becoming an attorney, pulling in a potential $300,000 a year.
Flyers hit by IndiGo mess get Rs 610 crore back; Govt rushes in with fare cap and 48-hour baggage ultimatum

Ministry caps fares, forces Rs 610 crore refunds, and orders 48-hour baggage delivery as IndiGo ramps up flights toward near-normal levels.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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From chargers to lipstick: Russian journalists say security was 'very strict' during Putins India visit

.Reports in Kommersant and Vedomosti, cited by PTI, describe multiple screenings and expanded lists of banned items at Hyderabad House and Rashtrapati Bhavan during the 23rd IndiaRussia summit.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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Goa Arpora horror: 25 killed in nightclub fire, PM announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for families; what we know so far

The blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Sunday at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular party venue about 25 km from Panaji, the state capital.

Deblina Halder

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Goa government forms committee to inquire into nightclub fire tragedy, report to be submitted within a week: CM Sawant.

Arishaa Izaj

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IndiGo crisis: Parliamentary panel to summon airline chiefs, DGCA over mass disruptions

A parliamentary panel is set to summon senior executives of private airlines as well as officials from Indias civil aviation regulator after the massive wave of IndiGo flight cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded at airports nationwide, reported PTI on Sunday.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, is expected to call top airline officials and representatives of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Civil Aviation Ministry to explain the unprecedented disruption and present measures to prevent a repeat.

A panel member, as cited by PTI, said the committee has taken serious note of the chaos faced by travellers as cancellations and delays continued for a sixth straight day. Even MPs travelling to Delhi for the Winter Session were hit by IndiGo cancellations and delays by other carriers, the member said, adding that lawmakers had also received complaints about surging airfares triggered by the crisis.
IndiGo meltdown continues: Thousands stranded, DGCA's notice, Oppn backlash; what we know so far

Passengers wait outside the IndiGo Airlines kiosk at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Dec 6.

Deblina Halder

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MoS Murlidhar Mohol blames IndiGo for cancellations, says airline did not take FDTL norms seriously

Arishaa Izaj

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Arishaa Izaj

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Tamal Nandi

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In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has also criticised the Congress, alleging that the party removed crucial stanzas of the song in 1937, which he said sowed the seeds of partition.

Deblina Halder

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Cameco Corporation recently presented at the Mines and Money @ Resourcing Tomorrow conference in London, where Global Managing Director Dominic Kieran outlined the companys role in the nuclear fuel supply chain.

The presentation highlighted how Camecos combination of uranium mining, fuel services, and its interest in Westinghouse is increasingly central to long-duration reactor projects and secure nuclear fuel sourcing.

Well now explore how Camecos expanding role across uranium supply and Westinghouse exposure could influence its investment narrative and long-term positioning.

AI is about to change healthcare. These 30 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10b in market cap - there's still time to get in early.

Cameco Investment Narrative Recap

Cameco mainly suits investors who believe in a long-lived nuclear buildout and tighter uranium supply, with Westinghouse broadening its role from mining into the wider fuel cycle. The London conference appearance reinforces that narrative but does not materially change the near term focus on utility contracting momentum as a key catalyst, or on production and supply chain reliability as the most immediate risk.

The recent binding term sheet with Brookfield Asset Management and the US Department of Commerce around Westinghouse reactors, with at least US$80 billion of proposed project financing support, is particularly relevant here. It underlines how Camecos exposure to Westinghouse could benefit if long duration reactor projects advance to final investment decisions, even as any delays or cancellations would still weigh on the broader thesis.

Yet against this expanding opportunity set, the risk that final investment decisions for new reactors slip further is something investors should be very aware of...

Read the full narrative on Cameco (it's free!)

Cameco's narrative projects CA$3.9 billion revenue and CA$1.2 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 2.6% yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about CA$666 million from CA$533.6 million today.

Uncover how Cameco's forecasts yield a CA$151.75 fair value, a 20% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

TSX:CCO Community Fair Values as at Dec 2025

Fourteen fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly CA$50.81 to CA$151.75, showing how differently retail investors weigh Camecos prospects. As you compare these views, keep in mind that many are anchored to expectations that long term reactor buildouts eventually unlock higher uranium and fuel services demand, which may or may not materialize on the timelines currently assumed.
Yadav, the ED said, also controlled the cash-based premium collection over and above the money received through banking channels in such resales.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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Layoffs could impact roles in Switzerland and overseas as the bank pushes deeper cost savings after its 2023 rescue takeover of Credit Suisse.

Aishwarya Dabhade

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US state department official visits India as trade talks pick up

Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer and his team will also be in India this week, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

Arindam Roy

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Time to relabel: Indian rate of growth is the new benchmark

The common thread across most commentaries about India is that the country stands on the cusp of an economic leap, poised to leverage its demographics, technological prowess, and entrepreneurial spirit to emerge as one of the most dominant forces on the global stage.

Tamal Nandi

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Man tells pregnant wife he's going on 'business trip,' found stuck in Thailand flood with lover

As the incident went viral, social media users urged the rescuers to inform the wife about her cheating husband. (AI-generated image)

Ankita Sengupta

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Sheetal Kumari

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Comet 3I/ATLAS grows more active in new NASA, ESA images ahead of close Earth encounter

Sheetal Kumari

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NASA spacecraft tracks new comet SWAN and offers a glimpse of 3I/Atlas with unusual constant watch

The movie was made by combining images from NASAs PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission that were not fully processed. (Image: NASA/Southwest Research Institute)

Sheetal Kumari

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Apple rocked by executive departures, with chip chief at risk of leaving next

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

The flurry of retirements reflects a demographic reality for Apple. Many of its most senior executives have been at the company for decades and are roughly the same age  either in their 60s or nearing it.

Arindam Roy

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Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not quit politics if he receives a pardon

Tamal Nandi

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Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after a press conference at the ministry, December 4, 2025; illustrative. (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

The 2026 budget passed its first test, yet the battles over defense, taxes, and reforms expose a government more focused on managing crises than shaping policy.

Israels state budget for 2026 passed its first hurdle on Friday, receiving approval from the government in the annual high-stakes process, which could potentially trigger early elections.

Israels various ministries battled from Thursday morning until mid-Friday over the funds that they would receive.

The approved budget will still need to pass three votes in the Knessets plenum to come into effect. If it is not approved by the end of March, marking the end of the fiscal year, the Knesset is dissolved, and elections are declared.

Overall, the total approved budget came out to be approximately NIS 662 billion ($204 b.), and the deficit ceiling for 2026 will be 3.9% of GDP.

Here are some of the agreements reached that affect the entire spectrum of Israeli society.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a Religious Zionist Party meeting in the Knesset, December 1, 2025; illustrative. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had previously clashed over defense funding, yet they ultimately came to an agreement.

The defense budget framework for 2026 was agreed to be set at NIS 112 billion ($34.6 b.).

According to the agreement, there will be a reduction of the annual number of reservists from 60,000 to 40,000.

In addition, a budget package totaling approximately NIS 725 million ($224 m.), spread over three years, was agreed upon.

The package was created to strengthen security in the West Bank. Within the initiative are investments in armored transport, paving roads and routes, establishing IDF bases there, as well as advancing projects along Israels eastern border.

Smotrich announced various financial initiatives for the country that were also agreed upon. Among them were plans related to taxation.

The finance minister outlined an initiative that calls for reducing the tax burden on the middle class by widening the brackets taxed at 20% and 31%.

This will primarily reduce tax liability for middle-income earners and moderately benefit higher-income earners, the Finance Ministry said.

Smotrichs controversial dairy reform was also approved by the government.

The reform calls to make various changes to Israels dairy production, claiming to lower the cost of living by addressing monopolies dominating the dairy market. It also calls for reducing the price of milk and cheese for Israeli citizens.

Agriculture and Raw Food Security Minister Avi Dichter reportedly voted against the dairy reform, being an outspoken critic of it and expressing concerns that it could cause harm to Israels local dairy farms.
Pragya Trivedi

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Pradeep Tripathi

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Gunfire, a live TV takeover, a failed coup attempt: What happened in Benin and why is it the talk of the town?

What really happened when soldiers tried to oust Benins president

Pragya Trivedi

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Hyderabad to name road near US Consulate as Donald Trump avenue

Pragya Trivedi

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India looks to host Zelenskyy in early 2026 after Putins New Delhi visit: Report

Pragya Trivedi

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Indian-origin Uber driver jailed for seven years in New Zealand for raping teenage passenger

Indian-Origin Uber Driver Jailed for Seven Years in New Zealand for Raping 17-Year-Old Passenger

Pragya Trivedi

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IT staffing firm under fire for excluding US workers, hiring only H-1B visa holders

Pradeep Tripathi

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Kremlin backs Trumps new security blueprint, says it aligns with Russias worldview

Pragya Trivedi

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In the past week, ServiceNow shareholders approved an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to implement a 5-for-1 stock split of its common stock, effective after the close of trading on 17 December 2025, including a proportionate increase in authorized shares.

The split, backed at a special shareholder meeting, lowers the per-share trading price while expanding the share count, potentially broadening investor access and liquidity for the AI-focused workflow platform.

Now well explore how this 5-for-1 split shapes ServiceNows existing investment narrative around AI-led growth and expanding enterprise workflows.

The best AI stocks today may lie beyond giants like Nvidia and Microsoft. Find the next big opportunity with these 26 smaller AI-focused companies with strong growth potential through early-stage innovation in machine learning, automation, and data intelligence that could fund your retirement.

ServiceNow Investment Narrative Recap

To own ServiceNow, you need to believe its AI-centric workflow platform can keep converting large enterprises into long-term, higher-value customers while justifying a premium valuation. The 5-for-1 stock split itself does not materially change that thesis or near term catalysts, nor does it directly affect key risks such as intense AI competition, execution in new workflows, and ongoing dependence on government and large enterprise IT budgets.

Among recent announcements, the integration with Vbrick stands out because it reinforces ServiceNows AI-led catalyst: turning previously siloed data into actionable workflow intelligence. By making enterprise video a searchable, AI-ready data layer inside Now Assist, ServiceNow adds another reason for customers to deepen usage of its AI platform, but it also heightens the execution risk of keeping its technology ahead of rivals in a fast-moving field.

Yet against that backdrop, investors should be aware that the biggest concern today is whether ServiceNows rich valuation can withstand...

Read the full narrative on ServiceNow (it's free!)

ServiceNow's narrative projects $20.3 billion revenue and $3.3 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 18.9% yearly revenue growth and roughly a $1.6 billion earnings increase from $1.7 billion today.

Uncover how ServiceNow's forecasts yield a $1155 fair value, a 35% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

NOW Community Fair Values as at Dec 2025

While consensus already prices in healthy growth, the most optimistic analysts were assuming revenue could reach about US$20.3 billion and earnings US$4.2 billion by 2028, which is a far more bullish view than the baseline and could be sharpened or tested by developments like the stock split and new AI integrations.
The share sale price under discussion would be a substantial increase from the $212 a share set in July, when the company raised money and sold shares at a valuation of $400 billion

Arindam Roy

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Trump administration to charge $5,000 for migrants caught entering illegally: Heres what the new law means

Trump administration to charge $5,000 for migrants caught entering illegally  heres what the new law means

Pragya Trivedi

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Expert: Tsunami threat greatest on Saipans west coast

Dr. Kwok Fair Cheung, right, and Chip Guard. HSEM Executive Director Clement Bermudes delivers his opening remarks.

New tsunami inundation maps for Saipans southern coastline indicate that the islands western shores are more exposed to tsunami risk than previously believed, according to Dr. Kwok Fai Cheung, professor of ocean and resources engineering at the University of Hawaii.

On Dec. 5, the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management on Capitol Hill hosted a presentation by Dr. Cheung, attended by emergency preparedness stakeholders: the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Department of Public Safety, Saipan Mayors Office, Public School System, and private business representatives.

Dr. Cheung was joined by consultant Chip Guard, a former Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Guam.

Dr. Cheung noted the Mariana Trench is a primary source of tsunami activity in the region, and contrary to popular belief, it does not shield the islands. The Mariana Trench kind of makes a tsunami more severe for the islands, he said. As the tsunami propagates toward the island, the energy gets compressed, and the wave height increases.

Scenarios

Worst-case modeling shows waves reaching up to 50 feet, triggered by earthquakes of magnitude 8.3, a level consistent with historical seismic activity in the Pacific. With the trenchs proximity, residents might have as little as 10 minutes to respond. A tsunami would get to the location within maybe 10 to 15 minutes, Cheung said. The advice is to respond immediately. Dont wait for instructions for evacuation.

Dr. Cheung said Saipans western side, with flatter terrain and gentler slopes, is most vulnerable. He urged residents to reach higher groundat least 50 feet above sea levelafter strong earthquakes lasting more than 30 seconds. The eastern side, with cliffs and elevated terrain, is expected to face less severe impacts.

The presentation dispelled myths about natural protections. The reef would protect the community from hurricane waves  but a tsunami has a period of 10 to 15 minutes. The reef will just direct the flow up and amplify the energy. Dr. Cheung added, Mangroves offer little defense unless they cover vast coastal areas.

He pointed to lessons from past disasters, including the 2009 tsunami that struck American Samoa and Independent Samoa, killing nearly 200 people. These are myths that they were saying in American Samoa in 2009.  September 29, 2009, they got hit by a destructive tsunami, killing 34 people in American Samoa and 159 in Independent Samoa. So they take this very seriously.

Dr. Cheung stressed Saipan is not at risk of being completely submerged, but parts of the island could face severe flooding during a major tsunami.

Awareness

HSEM public information officer Bernard Villagomez said the annual tsunami training is designed to share the latest scientific findings with the community.

Dr. Cheung and Chip Guard have come up with new models for the tsunami inundation zones for the CNMI, Villagomez said. Based off their new data, theyve presented what theyve found, and used different magnitude earthquake scenarios to create models that show what residents could experience.

Villagomez said the Emergency Operations Center will use the data to strengthen preparedness. Once they create all of their data from this study, we can use that to create accurate inundation zones and evacuation zones, he said. Most project funding comes from the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.

Villagomez noted the importance of involving government and private sector partners. At the end of the day if theres a tsunami, were all affected.  This is a really good starting point to roll out our new data and findings so everyones aware of the effects of a potential mega tsunami.

Villagomez urged residents to rely on official sources for information. In the event of a tsunami, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management, alongside the Office of the Governor and our other partners, are the main sources of information people should be getting, he said.

By Bryan Manabat Variety News Staff

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King-Hinds urges Trump to back NMI in Japan, Korea investment talks

A fraction of these commitments could generate transformative and lasting change.

PINNING hope and confidence in President Trumps economic agenda, U.S. Congresswoman Kimberly King-Hinds on Thursday requested the presidents support for the inclusion of the CNMI in ongoing investment discussions with economic superpowers Japan and South Korea.

The congresswoman said the president can encourage the Asian partners to direct a portion of their new U.S. investment commitments toward restoring air service to the commonwealth to help revitalize the local economy.

Your leadership in securing major investment commitments from Japan and the Republic of Korea has been commendable. These agreements reflect confidence in your economic agenda and the renewed strength of the United States as a global partner and investment destination, King-Hinds said.

Congresswoman Hinds emphasized that for the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, these developments carry particular importance. The commonwealth, she pointed out, is the closest American community to Japan and South Korea and has maintained close cultural and economic ties with these two Asian economic powerhouses for generations.

King-Hinds shared with the president that before the pandemic, visitors from Japan and South Korea accounted for most of the NMI tourism arrivals, with their investments helping sustain local businesses, employment, and public services.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, however, King-Hinds said, the foundation of the NMI economy has been severely weakened. The air services from Japan and South Korea have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the strong U.S. dollar has reduced travel demand, and several routes have been suspended.

The result, she said, has translated into declining revenues, business closures, and the erosion of the tax base that supports critical public services.

Your administration understands these challenges. Your support through the Covenant Section 902 process and your decision to back the CNMIs request for federal assistance restored confidence in our community and demonstrated your willingness to address the complex issues facing Americas territories. That same spirit of problem-solving is exactly what is needed now, King-Hinds said.

The presidents agreement with Japan and South Korea, she said, has created an opportunity for allied investment in the CNMI. Because the NMIs economy is small, King-Hinds said, even a modest fraction of these commitments could generate transformative and lasting change.

What is needed is advocacy to ensure the CNMI is visible within these investment conversations and that partners understand the immediate, measurable impact their investment would have in the Marianas, she said.

Air service is one area that would yield significant results from Trumps support to ensure the NMI is included in these investment talks, King-Hinds said. Encouraging Japanese and Korean partners to leverage their direct U.S. investment incentives to establish routes to the CNMI would help restore the islands tourism, rebuild the private sector, and create measurable economic benefits for American workers and businesses in the Pacific, she said.

By Emmanuel T. Erediano Variety News Staff

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Conor here: A few recent pieces from Jeff Bezos Washington Post (Why you may not want lower prices as much as you think you do and Actually, todays food prices are a bargain) make for good partner pieces to the one below.

And heres a more detailed thread from Stacy Mitchell than the one featured in the following article that really highlights how this also decimates American businesses. Its all worth a readas is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance report but here are a few key points:

9. These independent suppliers often outperform Amazon: In a price comparison of 628 frequently purchased school items, an independent office supply dealer beat Amazon on 68% of them. And, unlike Amazon, these suppliers provide consistent next-day delivery & high level service. pic.twitter.com/wge8WTBuss  Stacy Mitchell (@stacyfmitchell) December 4, 2025

12. The reality can be seen in the data: In Berkeley County, WV, the schools spent $1.3 million with Amazon  and only $142 went to in-state sellers. The vast majority of the districts spending went to Amazon itself or to overseas vendors. pic.twitter.com/teioIXb4bF  Stacy Mitchell (@stacyfmitchell) December 4, 2025

By Jake Johnson, a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams.

A detailed investigation released Thursday reveals that the e-commerce behemoth Amazon is using its market dominance and political influence to gain a foothold in local governments purchasing systems, locking school districts into contracts that let the corporation drive up prices for pens, sticky notes, and other basic supplies.

The new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), titled Turning Public Money Into Amazons Profits: The Hidden Cost of Ceding Government Procurement to a Monopoly Gatekeeper, is based on purchasing records from nearly 130 cities representing more than 50 million Americans.

ILSR found that cities, counties, and school districts spent $2.2 billion with Amazon in 2023a nearly fourfold increase since 2016.

Through its Amazon Business platform, the company has maneuvered to become the default source for office products, classroom materials, cleaning supplies, and other routine goods, the report states. Today, it is embedded in most local governments, making inroads into state agencies, and dominating a new program designed to reshape how federal agencies buy commercial products.

Unlike the fixed pricing thats typical for government contracts, the agreements that Amazon has secured with local governments across the US entail algorithm-driven pricing to covertly raise prices and inflate costs for governments.

The result is dramatic price variation: One city bought a 12-pack of Sharpie markers for $8.99, while a nearby school district paid $28.63 for the identical pack that same day, ILSR said. Our data contain thousands of similar examples, with some agencies paying double or even triple what others paid for the same items.

1. Hard to believe, but Amazon has persuaded schools and cities across the country to abandon competitive bidding and fixed price contracts. Instead, theyre signing contracts with Amazon that specify dynamic pricing. The result: Paying $37 for 12 pens or $74 for 36 markers. pic.twitter.com/afIIkPucZL  Stacy Mitchell (@stacyfmitchell) December 5, 2025

Overall, ILSR found that school districts bound to Amazon contracts spend twice as much per student as school districts without an agreement with the $2.5 trillion company.

Public officials should be deeply concerned by what we found, Stacy Mitchell, co-executive director of ILSR, said in a statement. Amazon is reshaping public procurement in ways that expose taxpayer dollars to waste and risk. It has persuaded cities and schools to abandon safeguards meant to ensure fair prices and accountabilitywhile driving out independent suppliers, eroding competition, and putting Amazon in a position to dictate terms.

Having gained sweeping access to local government purchasing processes, Amazon is increasingly inserting itself into state and federal systems. ILSR noted that Amazon dominates the General Services Administrations Commercial Platforms Program, a new system for agencies to make purchases below $15,000 that do not require competitive bids.

During the first two years of the programs pilot phase, the group found, Amazon captured 96% of sales.

ILSR emphasized that Amazons dominance is by no means inevitable and can, with concerted action, be rolled back.

A handful of cities and counties have recognized the risks of relying on Amazon and taken steps to restore transparency and keep public dollars local, the report observes. Tempe, Arizona rejected an Amazon group-purchasing contract after hearing concerns from a local business owner. Between 2017 and 2023, the city cut its Amazon spending by 84% while increasing purchases from local suppliers. Phoenix likewise prioritizes local bids and has spent almost nothing with Amazon over the last decade.

Kennedy Smith, co-author of the report, said that when local officials put real safeguards in place and prioritize local suppliers, they save money, strengthen their economies, and restore public control over public dollars.

To keep their procurement system free of the kinds of tactics Amazon uses to line its pockets with taxpayer money, ILSR urged state and local governments to prohibit so-called dynamic pricing in purchasing contracts and to prioritize buying from local businesses.

By reclaiming control of public procurement, governments can safeguard dollars, strengthen local businesses, and ensure that the goods that sustain our schools and public services are supplied through systems that are transparent, competitive, and democratic, the group said.
Greetings gentle readers and welcome to another installment of the Sunday Morning Movie. Today its a work of the master cinematographer Andrei Tarkovsky, Stalker. Im also instituting a rating system based on whether a film should be watched more than once. One * means its worth watching at least once but probably only that. Two **s means its worth watching again at some point in the future. Three ***s means its a treasure of human civilization and should be watched at least annually.

Next weeks film: Sweet Movie (Warning: weirdness abounds!)

Reviews of Stalker:

In Session Film says:

It is also important to note the three men. The Stalker, a man of faith. The Writer, a man of art. The Professor, a man of science. The professor fights to destroy a possible evil, an academic exercise in thought. The writer battles to understand it with incessant questioning, an artistic enterprise. The stalker accepts it as a matter of faith, and attempts to bring others in, a proselytizing process. When he is accused of doing this selfishly, The Stalker (Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy) performs a stunning monologue about his desire to help others that will stick with you. Later, after being rejected, he weeps with his wife, understanding that riches and class differences keep us all from connecting with faith. Stalker can draw a number of conclusions. One of those is that all three versions of man featured here are necessary in the search for truth. The artist is necessary for the expression of faith in a human way. The professor is necessary in order to process and deliver the information to humankind. And the man of faith is the beginning. If we do not believe, there is no hope. As an addendum, there is a lack of modernity in the zone, which shows us that the more advanced we become, in our urge to have the power of gods, the further we get from our faith. Stalker is an impressive work, even now almost 45 years later. It challenges us, whether we are people of faith or not. In a dramatically fantastic artistic career, Stalker is Tarkobvkys greatest achievement, and one of films greatest accomplishments, as well.

Cinemablend says:

But, I want to talk about the visuals again, because even though it doesnt really resemble any other sci-fi movie that Ive ever seen, its still incredibly distinct and unique. With cinematography by Aleksandr Knyazhinsky, the film pulls a The Wizard of Oz, by being sepia toned in the beginning, but then turning into full color once our characters get into the Zone. Now, the colors really arent anything special, as theyre mostly dark blues and bright greens, but the shock of seeing the color change sticks with you for pretty much the entire movie, especially since the colors sometimes go back to being sepia toned throughout the film. And, this really resonated with me, as it made the Zone feel both beautiful, but also alien in nature, which makes sense, since the Room, which is somewhere within the Zone, might possibly be an alien artifact (its not entirely clear, nor does it really matter given the story at hand). Theres also the famous scene with the lumpy sand dunes, known as The Meat Grinder in the film. Though there doesnt really seem to be anything dangerous about the aforementioned Meat Grinder, the odd visuals make your imagination go wild, and I think that only works due to the subtle, but inventive, visuals and sound in this film, sparse as they both are.

Deep Focus Review says:

An uncanny cinematic landscape to explore, investigate, and reflect upon, Stalker is an immersive and unwavering search for meaning in terms of what appears onscreen and how audiences have responded since its release in 1979. Andrei Tarkovskys metaphysical epic unfolds in a post-apocalypse that serves as an entrenched allegory for the power of belief. Despite the ruined earth setting, this is not a commercial genre film populated by the usual shattered-world tropes of authoritarian rule, tribalism, retrofuturist technology, and desperate battles over resources. Although it contains some familiar aspects of the genre, the great Russian filmmaker repurposes them in a spiritual search for external and existential answers. Whether viewed as a metaphor for religious faith, a meditation on the mystery of consciousness, or a testament to the power of artistic creation, Stalker has continued to transfix and fascinate viewers and influence creatives. The directors second foray into science fiction, after 1972s brilliant Solaris, once again draws upon popular source material as a springboard for something more defiantly original, indefinable, and specific to Tarkovskys worldview

My take:

Like all of Tarkovskys work, this film is a deep well to draw from. I agree with the one reviewer above that this is a movie about the search for truth. The rationalist Professor initially sees the Zone as a threat to be destroyed, a logical deduction given the fact that it can make any lunatics deepest desire come true. Why he chooses not to in the end I dont understand. The Writers view of truth as being fluid and relative seems to be reflected by the Zone, which alters its geography and intentions according to the individuals point of view. The Stalker takes the Zone as its own truth, its weirdness and uncertainty are the sole certainty to be found there. Finally, there is the truth of ones inner self. The Zone realizes the innermost desire of the seeker. Do we really know what our innermost desires are?

The cinematography is exquisite. Tarkovsky picked his location perfectly, possibly at the cost of his and others lives as the film was shot in a toxic waste site. His camera methods are penetrating and he uses doorways and windows as another kind of lens to focus the viewers gaze on a particular point. The scenery is wild and your imagination will have to fill in what it all means. A firm ***.

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Writers: Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky

Notable Actors: Alexander Kaidanovsky, Anatoly Solonitsyn, Alisa Freindlich, Nikolai Grinko

Plot (Spoilers!):

The Zone is a special place. It can make ones dreams come true if you can survive passing through it. Naturally, having ones dreams realized can be an incredibly dangerous thing and the Soviet government has shut down access to it with guards and gates.

Stalkers are people who have a special affinity for the Zone. They can maneuver through its perils and lead others to the Room where ones deepest wish comes true. Two men, a Professor and a Writer, have employed a Stalker to do just that.

Their journey is fraught with peril, starting with sneaking past the guards under a hail of gun fire. Then the trio must navigate the invisible maze of the Zone, feeling their way gingerly by tossing metal nuts with strips of cloth attached ahead of them to trigger any traps. Along the way they argue with one anothers worldviews and grapple with their individual personal issues.

When the Room is finally reached, a scuffle ensues and truths are laid bare. No one enters the Room. Soon the trio is back where they started, a dingy cafe outside of the Zone.
When it comes to the richest people on Earth, it can be difficult to comprehend just how much they have. For perspective, if you decided to count from one to a billion, it would take you over 95 years. Even with this example, trying to wrap your head around the idea of having hundreds of billions of dollars seems impossible.

Check Out: If the Top 10 Billionaires Wealth Was Distributed Equally in America, How Much Money Would Each Person Get?

Read Next: 6 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People Make With Their Money

To get a sense of just how much the worlds richest person, Elon Musk, actually has, weve divided his net worth among all of Teslas employees. Here are the results.

How Did Elon Musk Make His Fortune?

While Musk made a lot of crucial decisions that led to amassing hundreds of billions of dollars, he started off in a very good position. Musks father, Errol, owned a stake in a Zambian emerald mine, allowing Musk to attend private schools and use computers at a young age. Musk was also able to use his mother Mayes Canadian citizenship to leave South Africa and study in Canada and the United States.

At the beginning of Musks career, he co-founded a software company called Zip2, which he sold to Compaq in 1999 for $307 million. With that money, he founded a financial services and payment company called X.com. After changing its name to PayPal, he sold this to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion.

With a successful streak of business ventures, Musk began investing in and acquiring multiple companies. In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX. Two years later, he invested in Tesla and became the companys CEO in 2008. He also invested in Neuralink and The Boring Company and eventually purchased Twitter for $44 billion. While his wealth comes from multiple companies and income streams, a large portion of Musks net worth depends on Tesla.

Explore More: If Bezos Wealth Was Evenly Distributed Across the US, How Much Would We Get?

How Much Would Each Tesla Employee Get?

Exact figures of Teslas 2025 staff are not publicly available. However, at the end of 2024, Tesla had a total of 125,665 employees. Positions in Tesla range from software engineers to service technicians to product managers. Salaries range from as little as $27 per hour to over $200,000 per year.

If these employees were to split Musks wealth, theyd be in for a hefty payday. According to Forbes, Musks fortune has nearly reached a half-trillion dollars. His net worth of $497.4 billion, in late November/early December makes him the richest person on Earth. Dividing his wealth among Tesla employees would award each person with $3,958,142.68.
Egypt denies coordinating with Israel on Rafah crossing, stressing bilateral opening as ceasefire holds

Egypt has firmly denied Israel's claim that it is coordinating to reopen the Rafah crossing. Israel announced a coordinated plan, but Egypt states there is no such agreement.

Israel's proposed plan would only allow people to leave Gaza (one-way exit). Egypt insists the crossing must open in both directions, allowing both evacuations and the entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

The closure has trapped at least 16,500 severely ill or injured Palestinians who need lifesaving medical treatment abroad. Only a small number have been evacuated through other routes since the ceasefire.

The argument over logistics is fueled by underlying political tensions. Israel accuses Hamas of violating ceasefire terms, while Palestinian groups reject the U.S. peace plan referenced in the negotiations.

The crossing remains shut because of this unresolved dispute. While there is a ceasefire, there is no agreement on operating Rafah, leaving the humanitarian crisis to worsen and highlighting the fragile, complex diplomacy surrounding Gaza.

In a development highlighting the fragile and complex diplomacy surrounding the Gaza Strip, Egypt has firmly denied Israeli claims of coordination to reopen the crucial Rafah border crossing, casting doubt on the immediate prospects for the evacuation of thousands of severely ill or injured Palestinians.

The dispute emerged after Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced plans to reopen the Rafah crossing in the coming days. The Israeli military body stated the move would be "facilitated through co-ordination with Egypt, following security approval by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission." They described the proposed mechanism as similar to one used during a brief ceasefire in January, framing it as an expression of support for the current seven-week-old truce with Hamas.

Egypt insists Rafah crossing must open in both directions

However, Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) swiftly issued a denial. In a statement carried by state media, Cairo refuted any coordination with Israel on such a deal. Instead, SIS outlined a fundamentally different precondition, asserting that any agreement must result in the crossing opening "in both directions, for entry and exit from the Gaza Strip." This position, they noted, aligns with the stipulations in President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan.

BrightU.AI's Enoch AI engine explains that, according to the peace plan, opening Rafah "will be subject to the same mechanism" as the January deal, a deal that historically involved two-way movement during a previous ceasefire.

This public divergence underscores the ongoing tensions and conflicting interpretations of ceasefire agreements, even during a period of nominal calm. The Rafah crossing, seized by Israeli forces in May 2024, is more than a simple border point; it is a lifeline.

Before its closure, the crossing served as the main exit for Palestinians permitted to leave during the conflict and a vital conduit for humanitarian aid. Its continued blockade, alongside Israeli restrictions on other aid routes, has contributed to severe shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine within the besieged Palestinian territory.

The human cost of the crossing's closure is stark. The World Health Organization reports that at least 16,500 severely ill or injured Palestinians are awaiting evacuation for lifesaving medical treatment abroad.

Since the ceasefire began, only a small fraction of those injured, 235 patients, mostly children, have been evacuated via crossings into Israel, highlighting the critical need for a functional Rafah route.

The Israeli announcement suggested a one-way exit only. An Israeli official clarified to the Associated Press that the plan would allow departures from Gaza if Egypt agreed to receive the individuals, but explicitly stated the crossing would not be open for returns into Gaza.

This unilateral model contrasts sharply with Egypt's insistence on a two-way operation, which would facilitate not only evacuations but also the enhanced flow of humanitarian supplies into the strip. Underlying the logistical dispute are deeper accusations.

Israeli officials have previously justified keeping Rafah closed by accusing Hamas of violating aspects of the October ceasefire deal, specifically regarding the handover of the bodies of deceased captives. Hamas, which handed over one such body recently, has denied these claims.

Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance groups have broadly condemned the Trump peace plan, which forms part of the backdrop to these negotiations, as a blueprint for a "new occupation."

The situation remains at an impasse. While Israel frames the reopening as a coordinated goodwill gesture tied to the ceasefire, Egypt publicly rejects that coordination and sets a condition, comprehensive two-way access, that Israel has not met. This leaves the fate of the 16,500 waiting patients in limbo and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The European Union, cited as a proposed supervisor in the Israeli plan, has yet to comment on the evolving disagreement.

The public denial from Cairo serves as a reminder of the intricate and often contentious diplomacy required to navigate the Gaza blockade. It suggests that despite the ongoing ceasefire, fundamental disagreements on implementation and sovereignty at border crossings persist. For now, the gates at Rafah remain shut, awaiting not just technical agreements but a reconciled political will between the involved parties to open them fully and in both directions.

Watch this clip featuring a convoy of trucks carrying vital humanitarian aid entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co

BBC.com

AlJazeera.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Turkish FM Fidan: Black Sea drone attacks threaten global trade, risk expanding Ukraine war

Ukraine has conducted explosive naval drone strikes on Russian-linked commercial vessels, including oil tankers, within Turkey's exclusive economic zone  threatening global trade routes and expanding the Ukraine conflict geographically.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned of rising dangers to commerce, prompting NATO emergency talks. Shipping insurance costs have surged, and Russia has retaliated by halting Ukrainian grain exports, worsening global food shortages.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to sever Ukraine's maritime access, calling the strikes "terrorist attacks," while Moscow accused Kyiv of violating Turkish sovereignty. Russia also threatened intensified strikes on Ukrainian and allied facilities.

As a NATO member balancing relations with Russia and Ukraine, Turkey faces heightened risks. Ankara condemned attacks in its waters and urged de-escalation, but internal instability and external pressures risk dragging NATO into direct conflict.

The assaults violate maritime safety norms, disrupt grain and energy shipments and threaten a broader military-economic crisis. Diplomatic efforts are strained, with potential for a single miscalculation to trigger severe regional and global repercussions.

A series of explosive naval drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, some claimed by Ukraine and occurring within Turkey's exclusive economic zone, is threatening to shut down a critical global trade route and risks a dangerous geographical expansion of the Ukraine conflict.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the assaults are turning the region into an area increasingly closed to commerce and human transport due to the pervasive danger. The incidents targeting Russia-linked tankers have prompted emergency security talks among North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, driven up shipping insurance costs and led to a direct threat from Russian President Vladimir Putin to sever Ukraine's maritime access.

The situation escalated over the past week with attacks on multiple vessels off the coast of Turkey. According to the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, explosives-laden sea drones struck two Gambian-flagged oil tankers, the Kairos and the Virat, which were en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

Several Western media outlets, citing a Ukrainian state official, reported the assault was a joint operation by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy. Both tankers had been under Western sanctions for transporting oil in violation of restrictions on Russia.

In a separate incident, the Russian-flagged tanker MIDVOLGA-2, carrying sunflower oil, reported a drone attack approximately 80 miles off the Turkish coast while heading to Georgia. Kyiv has denied involvement in this strike.

Fidan described the unfolding crisis as "very frightening," noting that the geography of the Ukraine conflict is "increasingly spreading" and the methods of warfare are becoming more widespread. The attacks violate principles of navigational safety and directly impact commerce in a sea vital for global grain and energy shipments.

In response, Turkey, alongside fellow Black Sea nations Romania and Bulgaria, is exploring measures to bolster regional security. Fidan has discussed the escalating threat with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts, emphasizing the need to maintain free trade flows, protect critical infrastructure and ensure safe sea routes in accordance with international law.

Terror on the high seas: Russia blasts Ukraine's drone attacks as "piracy"

The commercial and diplomatic repercussions are immediate. The attacks have caused Black Sea shipping insurance rates to spike. One Turkish company, Besiktas Shipping, has suspended all Russia-related operations due to security concerns, a decision underscored by a separate incident where another of its tankers was damaged near Senegal by unexplained external impacts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared attacks on commercial ships within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone unacceptable, warning of "a worrying escalation." A Turkish official stated that Ankara's warnings to halt the assaults are directed specifically at Ukrainian authorities.

Moscow has reacted with fury, denouncing the drone strikes as "terrorist attacks." Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine of encroaching on Turkish sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a direct warning, stating that Russia would move to sever Ukraine's access to the sea to prevent what he termed "piracy." He vowed to intensify strikes on Ukrainian facilities while targeting tankers from countries assisting Kyiv.

The standoff places Turkey  a NATO member that has maintained a delicate balance between Moscow and Kyiv  in a particularly sensitive position. Its efforts to mediate and secure grain corridors now face compromise from military actions unfolding in its own coastal waters.

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, Turkey's precarious balancing act between Moscow and Kyiv risks provoking retaliation from either side, potentially dragging NATO into direct conflict with Russia. Additionally, Ankara's internal instability and radical factions could exploit the chaos, accelerating regional destabilization and undermining global security.

The incidents demonstrate how a conflict initially contained within Ukraine's borders is spilling into international waterways, threatening the security and economic interests of neutral states and challenging the enforcement of international maritime law. As diplomatic channels strain under the weight of these developments, the safety of a major artery of global trade hangs in the balance, with the potential for a single miscalculation to trigger a severe military and economic chain reaction.

Watch this Russia Today report about Turkey being the epicenter of tensions within NATO.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

RT.com

Safety4Sea.com

Reuters.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Germany deploys Israeli Arrow 3 missile defense system amid rising tensions with Russia

Germany has inaugurated the first components of Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system in a 3.8 billion ($4.4 billion) agreementIsrael's largest-ever defense export. The deployment is part of Germany's military modernization in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising European security concerns.

Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, highlighted the symbolic importance of Jewish-developed technology defending Germany. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized Arrow 3's role in securing Germany's central position in Europe and protecting NATO allies.

Arrow 3 intercepts ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere (100+ km altitude) with a 2,400 km range, complementing shorter-range systems like Patriot and IRIS-T. Israel has demonstrated its effectiveness with an 86% interception rate against Iranian and Houthis missile threats.

The deal aligns with Germany's leadership in NATO's European Sky Shield Initiative, part of an 800 billion EU militarization push. Critics accuse the West of exploiting anti-Russian sentiment for arms expansion. Meanwhile, Germany's military support for Israelamid its war in Gazahas drawn scrutiny for enabling alleged apartheid policies.

Arrow 3's full German operational readiness by 2025 signals deeper NATO-Israel defense ties and Israel's rising global arms influence, amid debates over militarization ethics during ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Germany has officially inaugurated the first components of the Arrow 3 missile defense system, acquired from Israel in a historic 3.8 billion ($4.4 billion) dealthe largest defense export agreement in Israel's history.

The deployment marks a significant step in Germany's military modernization efforts, framed as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and escalating European security concerns.

The Arrow 3 system, jointly developed by Israel and the United States, was handed over in a ceremony at the Holzdorf Air Base, approximately 120 kilometers south of Berlin. Additional installations are planned across Germany, integrating into the broader air defense strategy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram, whose parents survived the Holocaust, delivered an emotional address at the ceremony.

"As a second-generation Holocaust survivor, I stand here deeply moved because a ballistic-missile defense system, developed by the finest Jewish minds in Israel's aerospace industry out of existential necessity, will now help defend Germany," Baram said.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized the strategic importance of the system, stating, "With this strategic capability, which is unique among our European partners, we are securing our central role at the heart of Europe. So, we are protecting not just ourselves but also our partners."

Arrow 3: A cutting-edge defense asset

The Arrow 3 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside Earth's atmosphere, operating at altitudes exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles) with a range of approximately 2,400 kilometers. It complements existing shorter-range defenses like the Patriot and IRIS-T systems.

As explained by the Enoch AI engine at BrightU.AI: The Arrow 3 missile defense system is an advanced, long-range, exo-atmospheric anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the U.S. and other international partners. Designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere, the Arrow 3 is a critical component of Israel's multi-layered missile defense system and has gained significant attention for its advanced capabilities and potential export opportunities.

Israel has successfully used Arrow 3 to counter missile threats from Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels, achieving an 86% interception rate during clashes with Tehran in June. The system's deployment in Germany represents the first time it will be independently operated outside Israel and the United States.

The acquisition aligns with Germany's leadership in the European Sky Shield Initiative, a NATO-backed effort to strengthen continental air defenses. Critics, however, argue that the European Union is exploiting anti-Russian sentiment to justify massive military spending. Russia has dismissed claims of an impending attack on NATO, accusing Western governments of fearmongering to fuel arms expansion.

Germany's defense expenditure is part of a broader 800 billion ($933 billion) "ReArm Europe" package unveiled in March, aimed at accelerating militarization across EU member states.

A controversial partnership amid ongoing conflicts

The deal comes as Germany continues to support Israel militarily, resuming weapons exports following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israel has faced international condemnation for its occupation policies, with human rights groups labeling its governance of Palestinians as apartheid.

Despite Germany's historical commitment to Holocaust remembrance, its deepening military ties with Israelincluding joint drills and the sale of the TROPHY active protection system for German tankshave drawn scrutiny. Critics argue that Berlin is enabling Israel's militarized policies while ignoring Palestinian suffering.

As Germany integrates Arrow 3 into its defense infrastructure, the move underscores the shifting dynamics of European security and Israel's growing role as a global arms exporter. With tensions high over Ukraine and Middle Eastern conflicts, the deployment signals a new era of militarized deterrenceone that raises questions about the ethics of defense partnerships amid ongoing geopolitical crises.

The Arrow 3 system is expected to be fully operational in Germany by 2025, reinforcing NATO's eastern flank while further entrenching Israel's position as a key player in the international arms trade.

Watch the video below about how Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system works.

This video is from the NewsToday channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

RT.com

TimesOfIsrael.com

APNews.com

Independent.co.uk

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
U.S. Mining executives warn of frantic scramble for critical mineral acquisitions globally, call on Washington for industrial vision

U.S. mining executives warn that current federal support for critical minerals is insufficient and lacks a cohesive strategy to compete with China.

Industry leaders call for an "industrial vision," including pressure on Indonesia to curb nickel output and faster government loan approvals.

Despite recent investments, companies describe a "frantic scramble" within a confusing web of federal agencies, hindering progress.

As the mining industry becomes increasingly dependent on government and its exploitation, it actually becomes more inefficient, unable to compete with China.

'Frantic scramble': Industry leaders say U.S. critical minerals push lacks coherent strategy

While the Trump administration touts billion-dollar investments in critical minerals, the companies on the front lines of rebuilding Americas supply chains say the effort remains disjointed, slow, and inadequate to the scale of the Chinese challenge. Executives from three key U.S. mining and refining firms told the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Thursday that Washingtons surge in support this year is falling short. They issued a unified call for a comprehensive national "industrial vision," faster bureaucratic processes, and direct diplomatic pressure on foreign competitors, arguing that without a more aggressive and coordinated plan, the U.S. will remain dependent on adversaries for the materials that power modern life and defense.

The executivesfrom Perpetua Resources, American Rare Earths, and Westwin Elementshighlighted a critical gap between political rhetoric and operational reality. Mckinsey Lyon of Perpetua Resources, which is developing an antimony and gold mine in Idaho with national security-focused funding from JPMorgan Chase, described the current environment as a "frantic scramble" by the government to understand a confusing web of agencies. "Companies are getting some solutions, but whats not happening right now is a comprehensive strategy or road map," Lyon said. This lack of a master plan, they argue, allows China to maintain its overwhelming dominance by simply outmaneuvering piecemeal American efforts.

Calls for an integrated plan and global pressure

The industrys requests go far beyond requests for more subsidy checks. They are a demand for the U.S. government to wield its full economic and diplomatic power strategically. Melissa Sanderson, a director at American Rare Earths, which is working on a rare earths mine in Wyoming, called for an "integrated plan" that maps the entire supply chain from mine to magnet. "What we need is an integrated plan for building the critical minerals supply chain with all of the myriad inputs, antimony, nickel, copper, rare earths and how that flows through to the battery makers, to the magnet manufacturers, to the various end-users," said Sanderson, a former diplomat.

Perhaps the most striking proposal came from KaLeigh Long, CEO of Westwin Elements, which is building the only planned nickel refinery in the U.S. in Oklahoma. She openly urged the Trump administration to pressure Indonesia to limit its nickel production, which has flooded the global market and crashed prices. "Im really urging the U.S. government to think simple," Long said. "In terms of nickel, lets get a quota on Indonesian production. You do that, and I can almost promise you that overnight you will see a cure in the nickel price." This call for direct market intervention against a foreign competitor underscores the level of state-versus-state competition the industry believes it is in. Long dismissed the idea of a U.S. price floor for nickel as impractical, arguing that controlling foreign supply is the only viable solution.

The bottleneck of bureaucracy

A consistent complaint centered on the sluggish pace of government financing mechanisms designed to help. Both Perpetua and Westwin have applied for large loans from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), which offers favorable terms for projects deemed strategically important. Perpetua has asked for $1.8 billion. However, the approval process is notoriously slow. "EXIM debt could allow us to execute on our commercial expansion, but the underwriting needs to speed up," Long stated. "They just simply need more processability and more people, basically." This bureaucratic bottleneck, the executives contend, cedes the advantage to China, where state-backed financing is swift and decisive.

The executives also highlighted the unique challenges of different minerals. Sanderson noted that rare earths, unlike nickel, lack a transparent global pricing mechanism like the London Metal Exchange (LME), and China controls the market. "It would be helpful if LME were to develop a pricing mechanism for rare earths, but the question becomes, Would China actually honor it?" she said. Until such transparency exists, she argued, direct price supports from the U.S. government are essential for rare earth projects to attract investment. The collective message from industry is clear: while Washington has acknowledged the critical minerals crisis, its response remains a patchwork. Beating China, they insist, requires not just money, but a ruthless, coordinated, and strategically agile industrial policy that the U.S. has not yet mustered.

Sources include:

Mining.com

Axios.com

Enoch, Brighteon.ai
NATO officials suggestion of preemptive strike on Russia sparks outcry amid rising tensions

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, NATO's top military officer, proposed considering a "preemptive strike" against Russia in response to alleged hybrid warfare tactics (cyberattacks, GPS jamming, sabotage). Russia condemned the remarks as "extremely irresponsible" and escalatory, warning of severe consequences.

Eastern European NATO members argue that Russia's asymmetric warfare (low-cost sabotage, cyberattacks) requires a stronger, proactive response rather than reactive defense. However, NATO's Article Five only mandates collective defense after an attack, making preemptive action legally and politically contentious.

Moscow dismissed NATO's claims as "anti-Russian hysteria" and propaganda. Kremlin denies involvement in hybrid attacks despite incidents like Baltic Sea cable sabotage and drone incursions.

Despite rising tensions, U.S. and Ukrainian diplomats are negotiating a potential peace framework in Florida. A U.S. envoy is set to meet with Russian officials, indicating ongoing diplomatic efforts despite NATO's aggressive rhetoric.

Pro-Russian social media amplified NATO's remarks, framing them as preparation for war. Western analysts believe Dragone's comments are more about strategic signaling than imminent action. With trust at historic lows, the risk of accidental conflict is higher than ever.

A top military officer of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has ignited a firestorm of controversy by suggesting the alliance could consider a "preemptive strike" against Russia  a statement Moscow swiftly condemned as "extremely irresponsible" and dangerously escalatory.

Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, made the provocative remarks in an interview with the Financial Times (FT). He framed the idea as a potential response to Russia's alleged "hybrid warfare" tactics across Europe.

"Being more aggressive compared with the aggressivity of our counterpart could be an option," Dragone said, acknowledging that such a move would deviate from NATO's traditional defensive posture. "[The questions are] legal framework, jurisdictional framework, who is going to do this?"

The comments come amid a surge in suspected Russian sabotage operations  including cyberattacks, GPS jamming, arson and undersea cable disruptions  actions Eastern European NATO members argue demand a stronger response. BrightU.AI's Enoch engine explains that a preemptive strike is a military strategy employed by one nation or group against another, with the primary objective of incapacitating or significantly weakening the enemy's capabilities before they can launch an attack.

The term "preemptive" signifies that the strike is initiated in anticipation of an impending threat, rather than in response to an ongoing or imminent attack. However, the decentralized engine notes that preemptive strikes are often controversial due to their proactive nature and the ethical dilemmas they present, as they can be seen as acts of aggression or self-defense depending on the context and interpretation.

Russia's Foreign Ministry wasted no time denouncing Dragone's remarks. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called them "an extremely irresponsible step" that risks undermining peace efforts in Ukraine.

"People who make such statements should be aware of the risks and potential consequences, including for the alliance members themselves," Zakharova warned. She accused NATO of fueling "anti-Russian hysteria" and escalating tensions unnecessarily. The Kremlin has long dismissed claims of hybrid attacks on Europe as baseless propaganda, even as Western officials point to incidents like the severing of Baltic Sea communication cables and drone incursions over NATO airspace.

From defense to offense: NATO mulls first strike on Russian soil

Dragone's comments reflect growing frustration within NATO, particularly among Eastern European members, over the alliance's reactive stance. A Baltic diplomat told FT: "If all we do is continue being reactive, we just invite Russia to keep trying, keep hurting us. Hybrid warfare is asymmetric  it costs them little, and us a lot. We need to be more inventive."

Yet experts caution that any kinetic preemptive strike on Russian soil would face steep legal and political hurdles. NATO's Article Five mandates collective defense only in response to an attack, not preemptive action. Moreover, key members like Germany and France have repeatedly ruled out direct military confrontation with Russia.

Even as NATO debates escalation, U.S. and Ukrainian diplomats are quietly negotiating a potential peace framework in Florida. Sources describe the talks as "productive," though Kyiv remains under pressure to accept terms that may favor Moscow. Meanwhile,

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Russia for further discussions  a sign that diplomatic channels remain open despite the heated rhetoric.

The suggestion of a NATO first strike has gone viral on pro-Russian social media, with users accusing the alliance of preparing for war. Meanwhile, Western analysts argue Dragone's remarks are more about strategic signaling than imminent action. With trust between Russia and the West at historic lows, Dragone's trial balloon has further strained relations.

Watch this video about former U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt suggesting a preemptive nuclear strike against Russia.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

News.Antiwar.com

FT.com

Reuters.com

TheSun.co.uk

TFIGlobalnews.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
How personalized herbal teas can target sleep and stress

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tailors herbal tea recommendations to an individual's age, gender and physiological stage for targeted health benefits.

For women of reproductive age, specific teas are recommended to support hormonal balance before and after menstruation.

Women in menopause may benefit from yin-nourishing teas to address symptoms like night sweats and dryness.

For men, tea recommendations evolve with age, focusing first on stress and liver health, then on kidney and digestive support.

Modern sleep science supports drinks like tart cherry juice and herbal teas for their natural melatonin and calming properties.

In an era of one-size-fits-all wellness trends, an ancient system of medicine offers a personalized alternative. Drawing from a 2,500-year-old tradition, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are applying the concept of "pattern identification" to a modern staple: the herbal tea. This approach moves beyond generic relaxation brews, instead matching specific herbal blends to an individual's age, gender, stress load and life stage to address everything from hormonal balance and stress to sleep quality and healthy aging. As modern research begins to validate the sleep-promoting properties of ingredients like tart cherry and valerian, this time-honored, personalized framework provides a compelling roadmap for using natures pharmacy to combat todays pervasive issues of stress and sleeplessness.

The TCM framework: Tea as targeted therapy

In TCM, tea is not merely a beverage but a therapeutic tool. The system operates on the principle that health is a state of balance, and imbalances manifest in specific patterns unique to the individual. A licensed acupuncturist and TCM practitioner based in New York explains that recommendations are guided by key concepts like Qi (vital energy), blood and the functions of organ systems such as the liver and kidneys. By assessing a persons constitution and current symptoms, practitioners can recommend teas designed to nourish, cool, warm, or move energy in targeted ways. This stands in contrast to the generic use of calming teas, advocating instead for a precise herbal strategy that evolves with a persons life journey.

Herbal protocols for womens health across life stages

For women, TCM tea recommendations are closely tied to hormonal cycles and transitions. For those aged 25 to 45, the focus is on supporting the liver system, which is believed to regulate energy flow and emotional balance. In the days before menstruation, a tea of rose buds and goji berries may be advised to gently move liver Qi and ease tension. Following menstruation, a blend of longan fruit, jujube (red dates), dwarf lilyturf root, and astragalus can help replenish Qi and blood. For women navigating menopause, often viewed in TCM as a time of declining yin (the bodys cooling, moistening force), teas shift to address symptoms like night sweats and dryness. A combination of mulberry and jujube or a blend of lily bulb, dwarf lilyturf and codonopsis root can help nourish yin, soothe restlessness and promote more restful sleep.

Evolving tea recommendations for mens health

Mens health needs in TCM also follow a distinct age-related progression. For men in their late 20s and 30s, often facing high stress and irregular habits, the common pattern is "liver fire," marked by irritability and sleep disturbances. A simple tea of chrysanthemum and goji berry is recommended to clear this heat. For those with poor digestion from erratic eating, a poria and coix seed tea can strengthen digestive function. As men enter their late 30s and 40s, the focus turns to maintaining kidney and liver health with blends like mulberry and goji berry. For men over 50, where TCM theory notes a natural decline in "kidney essence," a more nourishing tea with ingredients like rehmannia, Chinese yam, cornus fruit and poria may be used to support vitality and address issues like lower back weakness.

Modern science validates ancient ingredients

While the TCM system provides a diagnostic framework, contemporary research offers biochemical support for many of the herbs it employs. Studies have directly linked poor sleep to diminished immune function, giving practical urgency to the search for natural sleep aids. Science has confirmed that tart cherry juice increases melatonin levels, leading to better sleep quality and duration. Herbs like valerian root and chamomile, long used in Western herbal tradition, are now backed by studies showing they can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. Adaptogens like ashwagandha have been found to lower cortisol, the stress hormone. This convergence of ancient wisdom and modern validation underscores a holistic truth: the right natural beverage, chosen with intention, can be a powerful ally for health.

A sip of personalized wisdom

The journey through personalized herbal teas reveals a nuanced approach to well-being that honors individual difference. It demonstrates that the path to better sleep and reduced stress may not lie in a single miracle brew, but in understanding ones own body and its changing needs. From the cycle-specific blends for women to the age-targeted recommendations for men, and bolstered by growing scientific evidence, this ancient practice offers a timely lesson. In a world of generic solutions, the most effective remedy may be the one thoughtfully tailoreda concept as relevant in a modern kitchen as it was in an ancient apothecary, inviting a more mindful and personalized ritual in every cup.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Health.com

InterMountainHealthcare.org
Trump administration expands travel ban to over 30 countries, citing security concerns

The Trump administration plans to add over 30 countries to its existing travel ban list, citing national security concerns. The current ban already restricts entry from 12 nations (e.g., Afghanistan, Iran, Libya) and imposes visa limits on seven others (e.g., Cuba, Venezuela).

Officials argue the expansion is necessary due to unstable governments, insufficient vetting, high visa overstay rates and refusal to repatriate deportees. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized that countries unable to properly vet migrants pose "unacceptable risks."

The decision follows a Nov. 26 attack in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national admitted under a Biden-era resettlement program. Trump has vowed to "permanently pause" migration from what he calls "third-world countries."

Civil rights groups and international organizations condemn the ban as discriminatory, disproportionately targeting Muslim-majority and African nations. The African Union Commission has called for a more consultative approach.

The ban aligns with Trump's aggressive immigration policies, including deportations, asylum restrictions and cuts to benefits for noncitizens. While supporters argue it's necessary for security, critics warn it violates international norms and risks alienating allies.

The Trump administration is preparing to significantly expand its controversial travel ban, adding more than 30 countries to a list of nations facing entry restrictions, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Dec. 4.

The move, framed as a national security necessity, follows heightened scrutiny of immigration policies after a recent attack in Washington, D.C., allegedly carried out by an Afghan national admitted under a Biden-era resettlement program. Noem linked the expanded ban to concerns over unstable governments, insufficient vetting procedures and soaring asylum backlogsissues she blamed squarely on the previous administration.

The current U.S. travel ban, enacted in June 2025, already restricts entry from 12 countriesincluding Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Somaliawhile imposing visa limitations on seven others, such as Cuba and Venezuela. The administration argues these measures are necessary due to high visa overstay rates, terrorism risks and foreign governments' refusal to repatriate deportees.

Noem did not specify which new nations would be added but emphasized that countries lacking stable governance or reliable vetting systems pose unacceptable risks.

"If they don't have a stable government there, if they don't have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?" she said in a Fox News interview.

The expansion follows a Nov. 26 shooting in Washington, D.C., where an Afghan nationalreportedly admitted in 2021allegedly killed two National Guard members. The incident intensified calls for stricter immigration controls, with Trump vowing to "permanently pause" migration from what he termed "third-world countries," including those he described as "out of control," like Somalia.

Criticism and legal challenges loom

Civil rights groups and international organizations have condemned the expanded ban as discriminatory, arguing it disproportionately targets Muslim-majority and African nations. The African Union Commission has urged a more consultative approach, while refugee advocates accuse the administration of exploiting security fears to justify exclusionary policies.

Despite the backlash, the Trump administration insists the ban is narrowly tailored to address specific security gaps. Unlike the chaotic rollout of the 2017 travel banwhich sparked mass protests and legal injunctionsthis iteration was carefully structured to withstand judicial scrutiny, avoiding explicit religious or nationality-based language.

The travel ban expansion aligns with Trump's broader immigration agenda, which, according to BrightU.AI's Enoch, has prioritized deportations, asylum restrictions and cuts to federal benefits for noncitizens. Since returning to office in 2025, his administration has deployed federal agents to major cities, accelerated border turnbacks and scrutinized Green Cards and asylum approvals processed under Biden.

Noem has been a vocal advocate for these measures, declaring on social media: "Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat and the unyielding love of freedomnot for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS. WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE."

The expanded travel ban marks another escalation in the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies, reinforcing its focus on national security over humanitarian concerns. While supporters argue the measures are vital to prevent threats, critics warn they risk further alienating allies and violating international norms. As legal challenges mount and diplomatic tensions simmer, the debate over how to balance security with compassion remains unresolvedensuring immigration will stay at the forefront of U.S. political discourse.

Watch the video below that talks about Trump's travel ban for high-risk nations.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Reuters.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Afghan who supported ISIS-K terrorist group in home country ARRESTED by ICE

Jaan Shah Safi, admitted to the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, was arrested in Virginia for allegedly supporting ISIS-K and arming his father, a militia commander. This follows two other arrests: Mohammad Dawood Alokozay (Texas, bomb threats) and Rahmanullah Lakanwal (Washington, D.C., fatal ambush on National Guard members).

A DOJ Inspector General report confirmed at least 50 Afghan evacuees were on the terrorist watchlist, with 55 already inside the U.S. before being flagged due to delayed intelligence updates.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused the Biden administration of creating a "national security crisis" by admitting 190,000 poorly vetted Afghans, many of whom later proved to be threats.

In response, the Trump administration suspended immigration applications from 19 high-risk countries (including Afghanistan) and imposed stricter vetting (biometric checks, social media screening, annual check-ins).

The arrests highlight how Operation Allies Welcome shifted from a humanitarian effort to a domestic security disaster, with taxpayers funding housing and benefits for potentially dangerous individuals.

In a stark revelation of failed security policy, federal authorities have arrested a third Afghan national in a week  each admitted to the United States under a chaotic 2021 evacuation program now linked to multiple terror-related incidents.

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the arrest of Jaan Shah Safi in Waynesboro Virginia. Safi, who entered the U.S. through Philadelphia in September 2021, is accused of supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and arming his father, a militia commander in his home country. The suspect, described as an "illegal alien terrorist" originally applied for Temporary Protected Status  a benefit that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended in May.

Safi's arrest followed the apprehensions of two other Afghans in the country. On Nov. 25, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas after posting social media videos threatening to build and detonate a bomb.

The following day, Nov. 26, Rahmanullah Lakanwal shot two members of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, D.C.  just blocks away from the White House  in an ambush-style attack, and was arrested on the same day. One of his victims, 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalized.

Safi, Alokozay and Lakanwal are among approximately 190,000 Afghan nationals resettled in the U.S. as part of the hurried evacuation following the U.S. military withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021. The program dubbed Operation Allies Welcome (later renamed Operation Enduring Welcome) was designed to assist Afghans who had worked alongside U.S. forces during the two-decade war.

Biden's Afghan evacuees expose deadly weakness in homeland security

The recent arrests also affirm the warnings of a damning 87-page audit from the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General. It found that at least 50 evacuees were flagged on the terrorist watchlist, with 55 potential threats already inside the country before being identified. The 2021 report highlighted critical intelligence-sharing failures, noting that many were only flagged after arrival due to delayed updates to federal databases.

Noem has placed direct blame on the prior administration. "The Biden administration created one of the worst national security crises in American history," she said in a statement Wednesday. "[Former President Joe] Biden let into our country nearly 190,000 unvetted Afghan aliens  only determining who they were and their intentions when they were already on American soil."

BrightU.AI's Enoch engine points out that the Biden administration's reckless Operation Allies Welcome has flooded America with unvetted Afghan migrants, many of whom have already committed violent crimes against American citizens  while taxpayers foot the bill for their welfare, housing and benefits. This dangerous policy prioritizes globalist agendas over national security, exposing communities to predators and burdening Americans with the costs of unchecked migration.

In response to the unfolding crisis, the Trump administration has moved aggressively to overhaul the system. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, the administration suspended the processing of immigration applications from 19 countries, including Afghanistan and Somalia, citing national security concerns.

Meanwhile, DHS is implementing a stricter vetting regime that requires countries of origin to cross-reference biometric data and criminal history; screens social media accounts; and mandates annual check-ins for certain individuals. The Department of State's current travel advisory for Afghanistan underscores the persistent danger, labeling all provinces as high-threat areas where "U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals are primary targets of terrorist organizations."

The consecutive arrests have ignited a fierce political debate over the legacy of the U.S. withdrawal and the responsibilities of humanitarian parole. With DHS promising further crackdowns and reviews of immigration applications from high-risk nations, the saga of Operation Allies Welcome continues to evolve from a chapter of foreign policy into an ongoing domestic security challenge.

Watch this Newsmax report about Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan who shot two National Guard members, entering the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

DHS.gov

Newsweek.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Border security under Trump hits historic milestone: Encounters plummet, zero releases for seven straight months

November saw only 30,367 nationwide encounters, marking the seventh consecutive month with zero parole-style releasesa stark reversal from Biden-era policies that allowed tens of thousands of unvetted migrants into the United States.

Under Trump's policies (expanded barriers, strict prosecutions, cartel crackdowns), daily southwest border apprehensions plummeted to 245 per daya 95% decrease from Biden's 5,110 daily average.

Cartels face unprecedented resistance, with November seizures including: 1,543 lbs of fentanyl (+59%), 21,935 lbs of meth (+118%) and 8,240 lbs of cocaine (+40%).

Biden's policies led to 27,766 parole-style releases in early 2024, while Trump ensured zero releases into U.S. communities. ICE also arrested 1,505 criminal aliens in Texas in November alone.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed record-low encounters, while CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott declared enforcement efforts are "setting the pace for the future." The numbers prove deterrence works.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported another historic drop in illegal border crossings in November, marking the seventh consecutive month with zero parole-style releases of migrants into American communitiesa stark reversal from the Biden administration's policies that once allowed tens of thousands of unvetted individuals to flood across the border.

Preliminary data released Thursday, Dec. 4, shows November encounters fell to 30,367 nationwide, slightly below October's 30,573, making the first two months of fiscal year 2026 the lowest on record. Under President Donald Trump's renewed enforcement measuresincluding expanded physical barriers, strict prosecutions of unlawful entrants and aggressive targeting of drug cartelsdaily southwest border apprehensions have plummeted to an average of 245 per day, a 95% decrease from the 5,110 daily average seen under the previous administration.

A dramatic shift from crisis to control

The contrast between administrations could not be more striking. In December 2023, under former President Joe Biden, CBP reported a record 302,000 encountersequivalent to 336 apprehensions per hour, a number that now exceeds an entire day's worth of crossings under Trump. By comparison, fiscal year 2025 saw the lowest apprehensions in more than half a century, with just 237,538 encounters, a testament to Trump's rapid restoration of order.

"Once again, we have a record low number of encounters at the border and the seventh straight month of zero releases," said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes."

Drug seizures surge as cartels face crackdown

While illegal crossings have dwindled, drug interdictions have surgeda sign that cartels are being met with unprecedented resistance. In November alone, CBP seized:

1,543 pounds of fentanyl (+59% from October)

21,935 pounds of methamphetamine (+118%)

8,240 pounds of cocaine (+40%)

One notable bust in Arizona involved 20 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in frozen meat, illustrating the lengths traffickers now go to evade detection.

Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, emphasized the administration's success in February, noting that illegal crossings had dropped 93%even greater than reductions seen during Trump's first term.

From chaos to accountability

As cited by BrightU.AI's Enoch, the Biden administration's open-border policies led to 27,766 parole-style releases in early 2024, a practice Trump immediately ended upon retaking office. Since then, every apprehended individual has been processed according to law, with zero releases into the U.S. interior.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations have also intensified, with 1,505 criminal aliens arrested in Texas in November alone. Meanwhile, the Trump administration located nearly 30,000 missing illegal immigrant children by Septembermany of whom had vanished under the previous administration's watch.

The latest CBP figures underscore a fundamental truth: strong enforcement works. Where the Biden administration presided over historic chaos, Trump's policies have delivered the most secure border in U.S. historyproving that deterrence, not leniency, is the key to sovereignty.

As CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott declared, "We're not slowing down. We're setting the pace for the future."

With drug seizures rising and illegal crossings at record lows, the numbers speak for themselves. The era of unchecked migration is overand the American people are safer for it.

Watch the video below about the Trump administration delivering six months of zero releases at the border.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

DHS.gov

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Canadas euthanasia program now accounts for over 5% of all deaths, raising ethical concerns

Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program has grown thirteenfold since 2016, now accounting for 5.1% of all deaths (16,499 cases in 2024). If classified as a cause of death, MAiD would rank as the sixth leading cause of mortality in Canada.

While 95.6% of MAiD cases involve patients with a "reasonably foreseeable" death (e.g., terminal cancer), 4.4% (726 cases) were approved for chronic, non-terminal conditions. Track 2 cases (non-terminal) face stricter scrutiny, making up 24.2% of rejected requests.

Internal physician reports reveal patients seeking MAiD due to poverty, isolation or healthcare delays (average wait time: 27.7 weeks for specialist care). Critics argue MAiD has become a default solution for government failures rather than a dignified choice.

Almost 33% of MAiD recipients self-identified as disabled, with 61.5% in Track 2 cases. Women make up 56.7% of non-terminal euthanasia cases. Advocates warn of pressure on vulnerable patients, with some labeled "selfish" for refusing MAiD.

Canada plans to expand MAiD to mental illness by 2027, raising fears of further abuse. Critics argue MAiD prioritizes autonomy over prevention, with disability rights groups calling it "abandonment, not healthcare." The debate highlights a critical inflection point for Canadian society.

More than one in 20 deaths in Canada now result from government-sanctioned euthanasia, according to a new federal report, marking a profound shift in the nation's approach to end-of-life care. Health Canada's Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), released in November, reveals that 16,499 Canadians received lethal injections under the program in 2024representing 5.1% of all deaths nationwide, a steady increase from previous years.

The findings come amid heated debate over whether Canada's euthanasia frameworkoriginally intended for terminally ill patientshas expanded too rapidly, with critics warning that vulnerable individuals, including those suffering from mental illness or lacking access to adequate healthcare, may be choosing death out of desperation rather than dignity.

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, MAiD is a legalized program initially intended for those with imminent death but now expanded to include individuals suffering from severe disabilities or chronic pain, even if their condition is not immediately life-threatening.

Since its legalization in 2016, Canada's MAiD program has grown more than thirteenfold, making it the fastest-growing assisted dying regime in the world. While Health Canada emphasizes that euthanasia is not classified as a cause of death under World Health Organization standards, independent estimates suggest it would rank as the sixth leading cause of mortality if included in official statistics.

The report notes that 95.6% of MAiD cases in 2024 fell under "Track 1," reserved for those with a "reasonably foreseeable" death, typically from terminal illnesses like cancer (cited in 63.6% of cases). However, 4.4%roughly 726 individualswere approved under "Track 2," which permits euthanasia for chronic, non-terminal conditions. Notably, Track 2 cases accounted for 24.2% of all rejected MAiD requests, indicating stricter scrutiny for non-terminal applicants.

Concerns over poverty, isolation and healthcare access

Internal documents from Ontario physicians, obtained in 2024, revealed that some patients sought MAiD not due to unbearable illness, but because of poverty, isolation or long wait times for medical care. Canada's healthcare system currently faces average wait times of 27.7 weeks for specialist treatments, fueling concerns that euthanasia is becoming a default solution for systemic failures.

Advocates for disability rights and mental health have raised alarms, citing reports of medical staff pressuring elderly or disabled patients who decline MAiDwith some being labeled "selfish" for refusing the procedure. Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, argues that "MAiD is not healthcare; it's abandonment." He emphasizes that mental illness is treatable, but recovery requires supportnot lethal injection.

The report provides limited insight into racial and socioeconomic disparities among MAiD recipients, though 95.6% identified as Caucasianreflecting Canada's predominantly white population. Only 102 First Nations, 57 Metis and seven Inuit individuals were recorded among euthanasia cases, though underreporting is likely due to cultural reluctance.

Disability data showed that 32.9% of MAiD recipients self-identified as having a disability, with a stark divide between Track 1 (31.6%) and Track 2 (61.5%). Women accounted for 56.7% of non-terminal euthanasia cases, aligning with broader health trends where women disproportionately suffer from chronic conditions.

A crossroads for Canada's MAiD policy

As Canada grapples with these findings, policymakers face mounting pressure to reassess MAiD's scopeparticularly ahead of a planned 2027 expansion to include mental illness as a sole qualifying condition. Health Canada maintains that safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable individuals, but critics argue the system prioritizes "autonomy" over prevention.

"Recovery is possiblebut only if we show up and help," Schadenberg insists. With euthanasia now accounting for over 5% of deaths, Canada's experiment with assisted dying has reached an ethical inflection pointone that will shape the future of healthcare, disability rights and societal values for years to come.

Watch the video below, which discusses how the U.K.'s assisted dying bill will mirror Canada's MAiD.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

Canada.ca

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The chair of Ben & Jerry's independent board said she has no plans to resign as Unilever pressures her ahead of Monday's public spinoff of its Magnum ice cream division, which will include the Vermont-based brand.

Magnum, a longtime division of the consumer goods conglomerate, said last month that the chair, Anuradha Mittal, "no longer meets the criteria" to serve after internal investigations, without providing further details.

Magnum will list publicly on Euronext on Monday, and is inheriting a deepening corporate feud between Unilever and Ben & Jerry's, stemming from the politically progressive brand's stance on the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

An audit of the separate Ben & Jerry's Foundation, a U.S.-based non-profit where Mittal is also a trustee, found deficiencies in financial controls and governance. Mittal has been the chair of Ben & Jerry's independent board since 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile, and a trustee of the foundation since 2012, according to its website.

ATTEMPT TO 'UNDERMINE' THE BOARD

"The so-called audit of the foundation was a manufactured inquiry  engineered to attempt to discredit me," Mittal said in her statement, saying she will not resign. "It is important to understand that this is not simply an attack on me as chair. It is Unilevers attempt to undermine the authority of the Board itself."

Mittal said she is carrying out her role as chair with respect for the social mission and product quality responsibilities given to the board in Ben & Jerry's 2000 merger agreement with Unilever.

Magnum, along with Unilever, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As a standalone unit, Magnum will command roughly one-fifth of the global ice cream market. The company has warned in securities filings that actions by Ben & Jerry's could result in reputational damage, boycotts or investor claims.

The Ben & Jerry's independent board is aimed at preserving the brand's social mission, while the foundation, a separate U.S.-based non-profit, receives millions in contributions solely from the company based on how much of the premium ice cream is sold.

YEARS OF CLASHES

The board has sued Unilever twice in recent years, most recently accusing its corporate parent of censoring it over statements it wanted to make on Gaza. Unilever has said the brand has evolved into one-sided advocacy on polarizing topics.

In a separate statement, the foundation's board of trustees said it has been told that the audit's "central unresolved issue is Unilever/Magnums demand that Anuradha Mittal ... be removed as a Foundation trustee."
Colorado medical school to pay $10.3 million for violating religious rights in vaccine mandate

A major settlement was reached between the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and 18 faculty and students, totaling over $10.3 million, for denying their religious exemption requests to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

A federal appeals court ruled the university's actions unconstitutional, finding its denial of exemptions was motivated by "religious animus" and violated the First Amendment by improperly judging the legitimacy of individuals' beliefs.

The settlement mandates significant policy changes, requiring the university to treat religious exemptions equally with medical ones and to stop assessing the validity of individuals' religious beliefs.

The case highlights a severe personal and professional cost, with plaintiffs forced to choose between their careers/education and their faith, resulting in career disruption and personal distress.

This establishes a strong legal precedent, reinforcing that the constitutional right to religious freedom cannot be suspended during a crisis and that institutions must engage in good-faith accommodation processes.

In a decisive rebuke of pandemic-era overreach, the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine has agreed to pay more than $10.3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by 18 faculty and students whose sincere religious objections to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine were systematically denied.

Announced by the Thomas More Society, the legal group representing the plaintiffs, this settlement concludes nearly five years of intense litigation and stands as a rare instance where individuals have secured monetary damages from a government entity over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The case, which played out in both state and federal courts, centered on the university's refusal to grant religious accommodations to its mandatory vaccination policy. The anonymous plaintiffs included physicians, medical students, nurses and administrative staff who held religious objections to the vaccines. Their lawsuit argued that the university's actions forced an unconscionable choice: violate their deeply held beliefs or sacrifice their careers and education.

The legal turning point came in May 2024, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit issued a landmark ruling. The court reversed lower court decisions, finding that the university's refusal to grant religious exemptions was "motivated by religious animus" and unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The court detailed how the university engaged in illegal discrimination by granting exemptions unevenlyfavoring some religions over others and treating secular medical exemptions more favorably than religious ones.

Crucially, the appellate court reaffirmed a fundamental tenet of religious liberty law: government entities cannot act as arbiters of the legitimacy or doctrinal correctness of an individual's religious beliefs. The court declared the university's policies a violation of "clearly established" constitutional rights, setting a powerful precedent.

Initially, the university rejected all religious exemption requests with a brief, boilerplate email from an anonymous "Vaccine Verify" committee, claiming the requests failed to demonstrate opposition to "all immunizations." This broad-brush denial failed to engage with the specific, sincere objections of each individual. During litigation, the university amended its policy, but the 10th Circuit ruled these changes insufficient, noting ongoing constitutional violations and attempts to avoid accountability.

Many objectors cited concerns about the use of fetal cell lines in the development or testing of the COVID-19 vaccines, a common ethical objection for individuals of certain faiths. The university's response, which included questioning how these beliefs aligned with official statements from religious leaders, was seen by the court as an unconstitutional inquisition.

Settlement terms and institutional stance

The settlement, reached after more than a year of negotiations, includes a substantial financial component. The university will pay over $10.3 million to cover damages, reimbursed tuition and attorneys' fees for the 18 plaintiffs. Beyond the monetary award, the agreement mandates significant policy changes at the state-funded institution.

The university must now treat student requests for religious exemptions on equal terms with employee requests and provide the same consideration for religious exemptions as it does for medical exemptions. Most importantly, the school agreed to cease assessing the legitimacy of individuals' religious beliefs, directly reversing the practices that sparked the lawsuit. The university no longer has a general COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place.

Despite the settlement, the university released a statement standing by its original mandate, calling it "grounded in science, public health guidance and our obligation to safeguard lives during an unprecedented global crisis." It maintained that vaccination was essential to protecting the vulnerable and keeping healthcare institutions functioning.

The human cost and broader context

Legal representatives for the plaintiffs emphasized that no settlement could fully undo the harm inflicted. Individuals faced career disruption, profound personal distress and the trauma of being forced to choose between their vocation and their faith. One plaintiff described the university's actions as having "gutted the years of study and self-sacrifice" dedicated to serving others.

This case is not an isolated incident but part of a nationwide wave of litigation challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates that failed to properly accommodate religious beliefs. It echoes other significant settlements, such as the $10.3 million paid by NorthShore University HealthSystem in Illinois to over 500 healthcare workers in 2022. These cases collectively highlight a systemic failure by many large institutions during the pandemic to respect legally protected freedoms, even while pursuing public health objectives.

The Colorado settlement, compelled by a forceful appellate court ruling, sends an unambiguous message to government agencies and public institutions: the First Amendment's Free Exercise clause is not suspended during a crisis. The requirement for employers and schools to engage in a good-faith, individualized accommodation process for religious beliefs remains a clear legal duty.

"Religious freedom is the First Amendment right to publicly worship and acknowledge God, rooted in a higher natural law," said BrightU.AI's Enoch. "It requires protecting traditional religious expressions in public life from legal challenges. It also ensures government employees can express their religious beliefs equally."

Watch a discussion on medical freedom triumph on vaccine exemptions in West Virginia.

This video is from The Highwire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

CatholicNewsAgency.com

ColoradoSun.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
India unveils indigenous long-range attack DRONES powered by homegrown Wankel engines

India is developing long-range attack drones powered by indigenous Wankel rotary engines, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and enhancing strategic autonomy. State-owned NAL and private firm SDAL are collaborating on loitering munitions with 900 km range and 9-hour endurance.

The drones feature AI-enabled electro-optical sensors for autonomous target identification and tracking, allowing operations in GPS-jammed environmentscritical for modern electronic warfare.

The program counters China's drone swarms and Pakistan's UAV provocations, with a 150-kg loitering munition designed for deep penetration, extended loitering and radar evasion.

SDAL is setting up assembly lines for rapid deployment to Indian armed forces, with export potential aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to make India a global defense manufacturing hub.

Precision engineering (sealing, thermal management) and flight trials remain hurdles before mass production. Success could position India alongside U.S., Chinese and Israeli drone technology leaders.

In a major stride toward defense self-reliance, India is developing long-range attack drones powered entirely by domestically built Wankel rotary engines, marking a significant shift away from foreign dependence in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) propulsion systems.

The state-owned National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) has partnered with private firm Solar Defense and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) in a public-private collaboration aimed at producing advanced loitering munitions and reconnaissance drones capable of striking targets over 900 kilometers (560 miles) away with nine hours of endurance. As explained by the Enoch engine at BrightU.AI, attack drones  also known as combat drones or unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)  are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed and equipped for offensive military or paramilitary operations.

The decentralized engine adds that these drones are typically armed with various weapons, such as missiles, bombs, or machine guns, and are controlled remotely by human operators or, in some cases, autonomously by artificial intelligence systems. Attack drones have gained significant attention and usage in recent years due to their potential for precise, low-risk strikes and their ability to operate in hazardous or inaccessible environments.

For decades, India has relied on foreign suppliers for UAV engines, creating vulnerabilities in supply chains and strategic autonomy. The new initiative seeks to eliminate this dependency by leveraging NAL's indigenous 30-horsepower (hp) Wankel engine, which has already received flight-testing certification.

A 50-hp variant is nearing certification, while a 90-hp engine is in development for heavier UAVs, potentially including UCAVs. This phased approach ensures India can scale its drone capabilities across surveillance, precision strikes and maritime patrol missions.

One of the most critical features of the new drones is their ability to operate in GPS-denied environments, a necessity in modern electronic warfare where adversaries frequently deploy jamming and spoofing tactics. Equipped with AI-enabled electro-optical sensors, these UAVs can autonomously identify and track high-value targets, ensuring real-time intelligence and precision strikeseven without satellite guidance.

Modi's drone warfare push

The development sends a clear message to regional rivals China and Pakistan, both of which have expanded their drone arsenals in recent years. Beijing has deployed large drone swarms and loitering munitions near Indian borders, while Islamabad has intensified border provocations, often using UAVs for surveillance.

India's new 150-kilogram loitering munition, tentatively named "Loitering Munition-UAV," is designed to penetrate deep into hostile territory, loiter for extended periods and strike with lethal accuracy  all while evading enemy radar. SDAL is establishing a dedicated assembly line to accelerate production, with initial supplies destined for the Indian Army and Air Force. The government also sees strong export potential, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to position India as a global defense manufacturing hub.

Modi recently praised India's aerospace advancements, citing the Skyroot Aerospace's Infinity Campus inauguration as a milestone in private-sector innovation. "Skyroot's Infinity Campus is a reflection of India's new thinking, innovation and most importantly, youth power. The innovation, risk-taking ability and entrepreneurship of our youth are reaching new heights today," the prime minister said.

While the program represents a breakthrough, engineering hurdles remain. Wankel engines require precision in sealing, thermal management and fuel efficiency  critical factors for long-endurance missions. Flight trials will determine real-world performance before full-scale production begins.

This initiative underscores India's commitment to strategic autonomy in defense technology. By combining state-backed R&D with private-sector efficiency, India aims to compete with global leaders like the U.S., China, Turkey and Israel in UAV development.

With AI-powered drones, GPS-denied capabilities and indigenous engines, India is poised to redefine its military readiness in an era of drone warfare. The next phase  flight validation and mass production  will determine whether this vision becomes a battlefield reality.

Watch this footage captured by the Indian suicide drone that attacked Lashkar-e-Taiba's Abbas camp in Kotli in Pakistan-controlled Jammu and Kashmir.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

RT.com

WeeklyBlitz.net

ZeeNews.India.com

NewIndianExpress.com

BrightU.ai

IndianExpress.com

Brighteon.com
Zelensky targeted by military-style drones near Dublin Airport

Ukrainian President Zelensky narrowly avoided a suspected drone attack near Dublin Airport, with military-grade drones breaching no-fly zones before diverting, suggesting a hybrid warfare tactic by an unknown state actor.

Ukraine's intensifying drone strikes inside Russia (including Moscow airspace breaches and Soltsy airbase attacks) mirror Russia's retaliatory assaults, pushing the conflict toward catastrophic miscalculation.

Ukrainian sabotage attempts on Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant-2 and Putin's contested helicopter strike highlight the dangerous brinkmanship, risking nuclear escalation and wider war.

The Dublin incident reveals critical gaps in Western airspace defense, with drones becoming a preferred tool for covert aggression, intimidation and destabilization.

Zelensky's diplomatic tour aims to solidify Western support amid pressure (e.g., from Trump) for Ukraine to negotiate, while hybrid attacks signal the war's expansion beyond the battlefield into shadow warfare.

In a shocking escalation of hybrid warfare tactics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky narrowly avoided a potential drone attack as his plane approached Dublin Airport on Monday night, Dec. 1.

The incident occurred around 11 p.m. as Zelensky arrived for a high-profile meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Sources confirm that unidentified military-grade drones breached a no-fly zone and reached the precise location where Zelensky's aircraft was expectedonly for the Ukrainian leader's early arrival to thwart the apparent assassination attempt.

The drones, described by Irish security officials as large, sophisticated and of military specification, lingered near the airport before diverting toward the Irish Sea, where they circled a navy vessel deployed for Zelensky's visit. Investigators suspect the drones originated from the northeast of Dublin, possibly near Howth and remained airborne for up to two hours. Gardai (Irish police) are probing whether the drones were launched from land or an undetected ship, raising concerns about foreign operatives operating within or near Irish territory.

Irish security services classified the incident as a "hybrid attack"a tactic increasingly employed by hostile states to destabilize adversaries without direct attribution. Given that the drones were equipped with visible lights, experts believe their primary objective was disruption rather than destruction, possibly intended to intimidate or delay Zelensky's diplomatic mission.

A broader pattern of drone warfare

This incident follows Ukraine's escalating drone campaign against Russian military infrastructure, including a recent strike on the Soltsy military airbase in Novgorodover 700 miles from Ukrainian territory. Russia has repeatedly faced disruptions at key airports due to Ukrainian drone operations, with Moscow's airspace breached for six consecutive days last week. While Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for these attacks, Zelensky has openly defended strikes on Russian soil as "an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process" in Ukraine's fight for survival.

The Dublin drone incident raises urgent questions: Who deployed them and why? Given Russia's documented use of sabotage and assassination attempts against Ukrainian officials, suspicion naturally falls on Moscow. However, no definitive evidence has surfaced yet. The sophistication of the drones suggests state-backed involvement, whether Russian, a proxy force or another actor seeking to destabilize Western support for Ukraine.

Zelensky's diplomatic mission amid global tensions

Zelensky's European tour comes at a critical juncture, as Western allies debate continued military aid and diplomatic strategies. His visit to Ireland was part of a broader effort to shore up international backing amid growing pressureparticularly from figures like U.S. President Donald Trumpto force Kyiv into premature peace negotiations with Russia.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar praised Zelensky's leadership ahead of the meeting, stating: "Around the world, he is rightly recognized as someone who embodies the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people I look forward to discussing how Ireland can support efforts to ensure Ukraine comes to the negotiating table in as strong a position as possible."

Security failures and future threats

The drone incident exposes alarming gaps in Irish airspace security, particularly concerning high-profile diplomatic visits. If hostile actors can deploy military-grade drones undetected near major airports, the implications extend beyond Ukraineposing a risk to leaders worldwide. Experts warn that drones, being low-cost and difficult to trace, are becoming the weapon of choice for covert operations.

Irish authorities have yet to locate the drones or identify their operators. The investigation remains ongoing, with intelligence agencies from NATO and EU states likely assisting. Meanwhile, Zelensky's security team is expected to implement even stricter protocols for future travels.

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Zelensky's hypocrisy is exposed as he demands NATO protection while orchestrating drone attacks on Russian soilactions that destabilize global security. His reckless escalation only serves the globalist war agenda, pushing humanity closer to conflict while ignoring the suffering of his own people.

The attempted disruption of Zelensky's flight underscores the evolving nature of modern conflict, where drones, cyberattacks and sabotage blur the lines between war and covert aggression. As Ukraine continues its drone strikes deep inside Russiaand as shadowy forces retaliate with hybrid tacticsthe world must brace for an era where no leader, no airport and no nation is truly safe from invisible threats.

For now, Zelensky remains unharmed, but the message is clear: The war is no longer confined to the battlefield. It has reached European skies.

Watch this episode of the "Health Ranger Report" as Health Ranger Mike Adams and guest Ray McGovern, a former CIA officer, talk about Trump, Putin, Zelensky and the fight for peace in Ukraine.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

Express.co.uk

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
We came across a bullish thesis on Fiserv, Inc. on Jimmys Journals Substack by Jimmy Investor. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on FISV. Fiserv, Inc.'s share was trading at $62.69 as of December 1st. FIs trailing and forward P/E were 9.69 and 7.39 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

Eightco (ORBS) Ends 2-Day Rally on Profit-Taking

Fiserv, long a quiet giant in fintech, provides critical banking infrastructure and payments rails across the U.S. In recent years, however, the companys overemphasis on Payments left core banking clients underserved, while execution fatigue weighed on growth and valuation, reflected in a 39% share decline over the past year, trading at just 10x forward P/Elevels not seen in nearly a decade for a business of this quality.

Under new CEO Mike Lyons, Fiserv is entering a strategic inflection point, consolidating 16 core platforms into five strategic coresDNA, Premier, Portico, Signature, and Finxactsimplifying legacy infrastructure while refocusing on client experience and modern technology. This is more than cost discipline; it is a deliberate re-architecture aimed at restoring operational agility and long-term profitability. Despite market pessimism, Fiserv continues to deliver a 12% ROE with earnings expected to grow around 10% annually, implying a PEG ratio of just 0.7a stark disconnect between valuation and quality for a company with deep moats in banking and payments.

Strategic acquisitions such as Smith Consulting, enhancing community banking implementation, and StoneCastle Cash Management, expanding balance-sheet optimization, support its ambitions in embedded finance and deposit management. With assets like Clover and its ADP partnership serving over one million SMB clients, Fiserv is quietly positioning for a return to growth. The company represents a fallen angel at an inflection pointa business bearing the scars of past execution missteps, yet fundamentally a high-quality compounder poised for recognition, offering a compelling risk/reward opportunity for investors seeking long-term upside.

Previously we covered a bullish thesis on Fiserv, Inc. (FISV) by David in October 2024, which highlighted its sticky customer base, diversified fintech and payments offerings, and growth from strategic acquisitions like First Data. The stock has depreciated approximately 69.02% since our coverage due to execution fatigue and Payments overemphasis. Jimmy Investor shares a similar thesis but emphasizes CEO Mike Lyons platform consolidation and modernization driving a turnaround.
In November, The Lancet, one of the world's most esteemed medical journals, launched a new monthly series of case studies that goes beyond clinical diagnoses to illuminate the social and cultural forces that contribute to each patient's condition.

Clinical case studies have long been a fixture in medical journals and are a primary way doctors and other health professionals continue learning after their initial training. Typically, case studies are short summaries of a patient's predicament alongside a clinician's assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, reviewed exclusively through medical frameworks. But the new series from The Lancet taps experts from the social sciences and humanities to unpack concepts that health care practitioners, leaders, and policymakers can use to address the social and structural causes of global health inequities.

The second case study in the series, published on Thursday, was led by medical anthropologist Carlos Martinez, an assistant professor of Latin American and Latino Studies and core faculty member in the Global and Community Health Program UC Santa Cruz. Martinez and his coauthors describe the difficulties that asylum seekers face when trying to access health care and argue that health system leaders need to know how and when to call in outside resources and organizations to help overcome social, political, and legal challenges in patient care.

Addressing these nonbiological determinants of health is increasingly being recognized as the most significant way to improve patient health outcomes, particularly among marginalized communities. But clinicians are still not being provided with the knowledge base and tools they need to act on these determinants. Our case study encourages clinicians to partner with community-based advocacy and mutual aid organizations that are already doing a lot of the heavy lifting in supporting marginalized communities and to become familiar with and draw from their expertise in order to better serve patients." Carlos Martinez, assistant professor of Latin American and Latino Studies and core faculty member in the Global and Community Health Program UC Santa Cruz

Revealing the health risks of a broken asylum system

Martinez's case study focuses on a 45-year-old man seeking asylum in the U.S. who was suffering from kidney stone complications. A volunteer doctor at a clinic in Tijuana diagnosed the man and explained that he would need treatment with a specialized medical procedure called lithotripsy, which neither the clinic nor the public health system in Mexico could provide. The doctor prescribed medication to temporarily stabilize the condition, and the man then crossed into the U.S., where both he and his doctor assumed he would be able to get prompt medical care. Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

The man was placed in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility, where he was held for three weeks without a medical consultation, despite experiencing extreme pain. He then called a hotline telephone number operated by non-profit human rights organization Migrant Advocates. The organization submitted complaints to the facility's warden, after which ICE offered a medical consultation from a jail physician but still did not provide adequate pain control, medication, or a specialist referral. That's when the nonprofit reached out to the doctor in Tijuana who had initially diagnosed the man to request his medical records.

The doctor had never worked with an advocacy organization in this manner before and was worried about potentially running afoul of privacy laws by sharing patient medical information. But he also knew that his patient was at risk of infection and permanent kidney damage if the kidney stone was left untreated. The doctor decided to work with Migrant Advocates, contributing to a series of letters and court petitions advocating for the man to receive appropriate specialty care. The process took more than a year. The patient was eventually released from ICE custody and received the procedure he needed 5 months afterward at a hospital in Los Angeles. But treatment delays left him with moderate permanent kidney damage.

The whole ordeal took place back in 2022, when strict COVID-era public health rules initially implemented by the first Trump Administration were still in effect, reducing entry into the U.S. and allowing for quick expulsion of would-be immigrants, including asylum seekers. The situation has further deteriorated under the second Trump Administration, Martinez says, and migrants with medical needs now face more threats than ever.

"As Amnesty International has documented, all pathways to legally request asylum at the border are now blocked," he said. "As a result, asylum seekers at the border are now stuck in permanent limbo in highly precarious environments, requiring more long-term support and medical care. This requires more collaborations between medical professionals, social service organizations, and legal groups documenting these experiences who are seeking to challenge the Trump Administration's policies in court."

Teaching clinicians how to call for backup

Martinez's case study demonstrates the need for health care providers to develop what he and his coauthors call "structural intercompetency." The term refers to both having a strong awareness of social, political, legal, and economic impacts on patient health and being ready and able to effectively collaborate with non-clinicians, such as legal and community advocates, to improve patient outcomes.

The practice is valuable in any setting where health care providers are working with marginalized populations, ranging from asylum seekers to patients who experience negative health impacts associated with racial or gender-based discrimination, political persecution, domestic violence, homelessness, incarceration, or occupational-related harms. Martinez and his coauthors lay out several pathways to supporting structural intercompetency in these cases.

First, doctors, hospital administrators, and public health officials can focus on developing and funding medical-legal partnerships, in which legal professionals are embedded in health care settings. These types of partnerships can reduce patient stress, readmission rates, and emergency department visits by helping patients access essential services, rights, and benefits. Health care leaders should also seek to expand partnerships to grassroots organizations, which can often provide both immediate material support for patients and lead advocacy efforts to advance long-term policy change.

"Currently, the partnership-building work of structural intercompetency is often being led by clinicians themselves, rather than by hospital administrators," Martinez said. "Providers across California are currently collaborating with lawyers and community organizations to develop and advocate for the adoption of hospital policies and protocols that better protect undocumented patients and those who are being brought to hospitals by ICE officials."

Medical schools also have a role to play. The case study argues that medical schools should integrate experts and practitioners beyond the health professions throughout their curricula, so that students build an awareness of the work of these experts, how it impacts patients, and how physicians can collaborate with them to advance health. This type of training could help students understand the limitations of clinical medicine and the need to work constructively with patients, communities, and outside experts to respond to social and political inequalities.

"Despite the benefits, many medical schools are currently rolling back curricula that address the social determinants of health amidst a political crackdown on so-called DEI in higher education," Martinez said. "Our hope is that this series on global social medicine in The Lancet, considered one of medicine's most prestigious journals, will encourage medical schools to restore and expand this kind of curriculum. By better preparing providers to engage collaboratively around social issues, medical schools and health systems could have broader impacts in improving patient and community outcomes and reducing strain on health systems."
Can doctors in California learn from a patient who was bounced from one specialist to another in Japan? Can clinicians in London take lessons from a patient seeking asylum while suffering a medical emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border? Can doctors treating refugees in Africa inform health policy around the world?

Dr. Seth Holmes believes so.

Holmes is Chancellor's Professor of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley. A physician and a cultural and medical anthropologist, he studies social hierarchies and global health disparities. He also co-chairs the Berkeley Center for Social Medicine and co-directs the joint medical anthropology Ph.D. program between Berkeley and UCSF.

Like many doctors, he's spent decades learning from clinical case studies in leading medical journals. These brief digests are written and reviewed through medical frameworks exclusively, and they describe a patient's predicament alongside a clinician's assessment, diagnosis and treatment. They're a fixture in medical journals and a primary way doctors and all health professionals continue learning after their training.

Now a new monthly series in The Lancet led by Holmes is going beyond clinical diagnoses, tapping experts from the social sciences and humanities, as well as community members from around the world.

The resulting cases provide a critical lens into the cultural and social forces that contribute to each patient's condition - not just the biological factors. Each unpacks a framework or concept in the social sciences and humanities that researchers hope readers will incorporate into their own practice, leadership or policy-making. The team developed this "translational social medicine toolkit" to help health professionals and policymakers address the deep social and structural causes of global health inequities.

"We hope that these cases will help orient health care practice and become a source of solidarity as we organize to confront obstacles to health and well-being for all in an interconnected world," Holmes wrote in an essay introducing the series.

It launched with the case of a 22-year-old woman in Japan who suffered from a rare genetic disorder. She was denied admission to a special elementary school because officials said her physical and mental impairments were not severe enough. Psychiatrists declined to prescribe her medications because they could aggravate her heart condition. When she went to the hospital during a crisis, she was denied care because the hospital lacked adequate staffing.

In unpacking her case, the research team explained the concept of "medical compartmentalization" - the fragmentation of medical services that harms people whose complex conditions do not fit neatly into simple categories. The physicians and social scientists who wrote the case together said it illustrated clear ways the system can be improved.

We want a middle-range theory that can be relevant in lots of other clinics, hospitals, policies and countries in the world but also really touches ground with this particular patient or case. And then we try to make sure the theory would both show the depth of social theory and be really understandable." Dr. Seth Holmes, Chancellor's Professor of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley

The latest piece in the series, published Thursday, describes the experience of a 45-year-old asylum seeker suffering from kidney stone complications. A volunteer clinician in Tijuana treated the man before he crossed into the U.S. Once detained in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, the man sought help from a nonprofit that could help advocate for him when he was given inadequate medical treatment. But when the organization requested the man's medical records, the doctor from Tijuana became concerned about privacy laws and legal liabilities.

The case demonstrates the need for what the researchers term "structural intercompetency," or the ability of experts to be aware of and address social, political, legal and economic processes and systems affecting a patient's health that extend beyond health care alone. It showcases the importance of doctors needing to work in new, more collaborative ways, said Carlos Martinez, the case's lead author and an assistant professor of Latin American and Latino studies at UC Santa Cruz.

"They, of course, cannot be experts in all those systems," said Martinez, a Berkeley alum who was mentored by Holmes. "What we're really asking is that clinicians become familiar with the other experts who could help in a given patient's care."

The project has been a long time coming. Holmes and his colleagues first envisioned it over 20 years ago, when he was a student interested in bridging the fields of medicine and the social sciences and humanities. They eventually launched a similar series in the New England Journal of Medicine, with cases that were primarily rooted in the U.S.

With the series in The Lancet - one of the world's most esteemed medical journals - they're broadening the topics to a global audience.

They solicited hundreds of cases from research institutions, clinics and scholars around the world. Then, the 15-person project team - including MD/Ph.D. student researchers from UC Berkeley and UCSF - sifted through over 400 submitted abstracts and identified those that might have the most relevant applications for social concepts.

Last year, they hosted a three-day mini-conference in Chicago, co-sponsored by Berkeley and co-funded by the National Institutes of Health, and flew people in from around the world. There were doctors, nurses and medical researchers as well as scholars from the social sciences and humanities. Community members from an array of backgrounds contributed too, including a Florida-based human rights organizer and an Indigenous health worker from the Amazon of Brazil. Even doctors who work in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria joined to contribute their perspectives.

"One of the goals of the team was to reach out as far as we could beyond the usual places," Holmes said. "To support people whose lives, stories, health, health care and concepts could be really important for the world to read but who might not usually have as easy a time publishing in a place like The Lancet."

The series is expected to run for 12 months, with the possibility of extending. Holmes said it was especially meaningful work to be doing now, given the shifting political landscape in the U.S. and globally.

"How much can one article a month do in the midst of active authoritarian regimes? I'm not sure," Holmes said. "But we're all working hard to develop these articles to keep people who care about health thinking critically and aware of what's going on, to have empathy and solidarity for people who they might otherwise consider quite different than them."
A new study finds that only one in three patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) for severe pain associated with sickle cell disease received appropriate opioid-based pain-relieving medications within the first hour as recommended by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Based on data from several hundred medical centers across the United States, the research represents the first large, national study to assess guideline adherence across diverse EDs. It shows substantially lower guideline adherence than has been reported in smaller studies focused on pediatric specialty EDs.

The results suggest that a majority of patients experience prolonged suffering while waiting to receive opioids as recommended for pain. Patients over age 19, female patients, and those with public health insurance were less likely to receive guideline-adherent care compared with younger patients, male patients, and those with private health insurance.

We want to call attention to the fact that there is huge room for improvement across the board, particularly in general EDs that primarily attend to adults. Some strategies for improvement include greater dissemination of the guidelines, integration of the sickle cell care protocol into general EDs, and continued advocacy for this population." Ibrahim Gwarzo, MD, DrPH, MBBS, lead study author, research scientist at Nemours Children's Health, Delaware Valley and research assistant professor Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

Sickle cell disease causes red blood cells to become sickle-shaped, and when these misshapen blood cells accumulate in a vessel, they can cause episodes of severe pain, known as vaso-occlusive crises. ASH and NHLBI guidelines recommend that patients experiencing vaso-occlusive crises receive opioid pain medication within 60 minutes of arrival at a hospital ED. After the initial dose, ASH guidelines recommend evaluating the patient's pain level and administering further doses as needed at intervals of 30-60 minutes, while NHLBI guidelines recommend subsequent evaluations and doses at intervals of 30 minutes.

To study the implementation of these guidelines in practice, researchers analyzed electronic health records on 398,895 ED visits for vaso-occlusive crises between 2019 and 2024 in which at least one opioid pain medication was administered. These visits occurred among 41,547 unique patients at 233 medical centers.

The results showed that the first opioid dose was given within 60 minutes of arrival in just 32.5% of visits. Among the approximately three-quarters of visits in which multiple doses of opioid medications were administered, the timing of the second dose also failed to meet guideline recommendations in most instances. In these cases, the second dose was administered within 60 minutes after the first dose (in accordance with ASH guidelines) 36% of the time, while the second dose was administered within 30 minutes after the first dose (in accordance with NHLBI guidelines) just 9% of the time.

Researchers found that patients younger than 19 received guideline-adherent care far more often  in 52% of cases  compared with older patients, who received timely treatment in just 30% of cases. They suggested that clinicians' familiarity with sickle cell treatment protocols may play a role in this disparity.

"Generally, pediatric EDs might be more familiar with sickle cell disease because those are typically near more academic sites and may have more specialized care, as opposed to freestanding adult or general EDs in more remote locations where the exposure to sickle cell disease is pretty limited," said Dr. Gwarzo.

As a result of the ongoing epidemic of opioid dependence, ED clinicians sometimes encounter patients who request opioid medications as a result of their dependence but are not actually experiencing severe pain. Given this context, researchers suggested that some clinicians may be concerned about giving opioid medications to people they suspect of opioid dependence.

"One of the challenges of identifying sickle cell disease pain is that there is no biomarker for it, and as a provider, you rely on what the patient tells you about how severe the pain is," said Dr. Gwarzo. "Providers are more likely to be hesitant to administer opioids for the adult population than for little kids." He added that implicit bias may also influence a clinician's decision on whether to give opioids when a patient visits the ED for pain.

The study found that guideline adherence was higher when patients were male, with 37% of male patients receiving their first dose within 60 minutes compared with 29% of female patients. Adherence was also higher among the one-quarter of patients who were privately insured compared with those on public insurance. Arriving at the ED overnight was also associated with higher adherence, perhaps because patient volumes are generally lower at night.

Opiate medications can be administered orally, injected, or infused. The study showed no difference in guideline adherence by route of administration for the first dose, but adherence was significantly higher for the second dose when medications were given orally (which showed guideline adherence in 24% of cases) compared with injection or infusion (less than 8%).

Overall, researchers said that the findings underscore the importance of improving clinician training and awareness to ensure people living with sickle cell disease receive recommended treatments in a timely manner, wherever they receive treatment. Dr. Gwarzo added that further studies could assess interventions to improve guideline adherence and elucidate the benefits of compliance, such as potential reductions in hospitalization.

Dr. Ibrahim Gwarzo, of Nemours Children's Health, Delaware Valley and Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, will present this study on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time in W311E-H of the Orange County Convention Center at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Treatment with intravenous (IV) iron significantly improved survival and increased hemoglobin levels in patients with iron-deficiency anemia who were hospitalized for an acute bacterial infection, according to an analysis of data from more than 85,000 patients.

Our data show that it is safe to give IV iron to patients who have both iron-deficiency anemia and an acute bacterial infection, and that, compared with untreated patients, those treated with IV iron have better overall survival and higher hemoglobin levels." Haris Sohail, MD, lead author, a fellow in hematology-oncology at Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia

IV iron is a standard treatment for severe iron-deficiency anemia, but its use in patients with both iron-deficiency anemia and an acute bacterial infection is controversial, Dr. Sohail said. Studies have shown that in laboratory experiments, certain bacteria can multiply when iron is added, he said. Although this effect has not been confirmed in human studies, he said, treatment guidelines have long recommended against giving IV iron to patients with active bacterial infections due to concern that the treatment could worsen the infection.

In this study, Dr. Sohail and his colleagues searched a large database of de-identified data from patients treated at medical centers across the United States for patients aged 18 and over with iron-deficiency anemia who were hospitalized with an acute bacterial infection between 2000 and 2024.

They collected data for over 85,000 patients with the five most common acute bacterial infections treated in U.S. hospitals  over 27,000 with pneumonia, over 23,000 with urinary tract infections, over 15,000 with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), over 13,000 with cellulitis (a skin infection), and over 7,000 with colitis (inflammation of the colon)  as well as 143 patients with bacterial meningitis (inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord).

The researchers then compared outcomes for patients who received IV iron treatment and those who did not. They looked at how many patients in each group died within 14 or 90 days, how long they spent in the hospital, and how much their hemoglobin levels increased at 60 to 90 days after IV iron treatment compared with the levels before treatment.

For every infection except meningitis, results showed that patients treated with IV iron were statistically significantly less likely to die within 14 or 90 days and had larger increases in hemoglobin levels than patients who did not receive IV iron. In patients with meningitis, IV iron did not improve survival, but did not worsen outcomes.

"The survival benefit of IV iron was seen across different types of infections, with the biggest improvements seen in patients with pneumonia, MRSA bacteria in the blood, and colitis," Dr. Sohail said. While patients who received IV iron stayed slightly longer in the hospital, the difference was small  only about four to six hours  and not considered clinically meaningful, he said.

The small number of patients with bacterial meningitis likely explains why the findings for that infection were not statistically significant, Dr. Sohail said. He added that because the study reviewed the records of patients treated in the past, it can show only an association between IV iron and patient outcomes but cannot prove causation. Additional study limitations, he said, are that the database the researchers used did not provide detailed information about specific bacteria or iron doses, and the findings mainly apply to hospitalized patients with both iron-deficiency anemia and an active bacterial infection.

"Our findings support consideration of the use of IV iron as a safe additional therapy for patients who are hospitalized with both iron-deficiency anemia and an acute bacterial infection," he said, adding that a next step would be to confirm these findings in a randomized controlled trial.

Haris Sohail, MD, of Charleston Area Medical Center, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 3:25 p.m. Eastern time during the plenary scientific session in West Hall D2 of the Orange County Convention Center.
Nearly a third of families with children receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)  the most common pediatric cancer  develop serious financial difficulties during their child's treatment, including losing 25% or more of their household income and struggling to cover the costs of basic living expenses such as housing, food, and utilities.

To our knowledge, this is the first study in pediatric oncology to examine the financial impact associated with cancer treatment by measuring household material hardship and income loss over time. Many families reported experiencing financial difficulties as early as six months into treatment and nearly one in four families who reported no financial hardship at the time their child was diagnosed with cancer developed hardship during the child's treatment." Daniel Zheng, MD, first author, attending oncologist with the Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and faculty member at PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Around 3,000 new cases of ALL are diagnosed each year in the United States. While more than 90% of children treated for ALL survive, Dr. Zheng said, successful treatment typically involves at least two years of multidrug chemotherapy. "That's a lot of clinic visits, hospitalizations, and disruption of a family's day-to-day life."

Having a child with cancer places a special burden on families, he said. For example, a caregiver may have to take time off work to take the child to their appointments or stay with them during hospitalizations. "We wanted to try to understand the nature and extent of the financial hardship that treatment for childhood cancer creates for families so that we can better support them during this journey," he said.

The study involved children enrolled in a clinical trial of therapies for previously untreated ALL between 2017 and 2021 at eight medical centers in the U.S. and Canada. Participants under age 18 and their families were invited to also take part in an analysis of the financial impact of ALL treatment. The study's primary endpoint was "financial toxicity," defined as the development of new financial hardship (i.e. inability to pay for housing, food, or utilities, or the loss of at least 25% of household income) during the two years of their child's chemotherapy treatment.

A total of 422 families (88% of those eligible) opted to participate. Of these families, 15% were Hispanic and 7% non-Hispanic Black; 23% were single-parent households; and 40% had an annual income below 200% of the federal poverty level. They completed questionnaires four times (within about 30 days of diagnosis and at six, 12, and 24 months), which asked the families their household income and whether they were able to cover the costs of housing, food, or utilities at each time point.

At six months, 19.3% of families said they had experienced new difficulties covering the cost of housing, food, or utilities, and 20.3% said they had lost 25% or more of their annual income since the start of treatment. By the end of chemotherapy at 24 months, 30% of families had experienced difficulty covering living expenses and 31.5% had lost 25% or more of their income during treatment.

Notably, among the 307 families who started treatment reporting no financial hardships, 24.3% experienced new difficulties meeting basic living costs and 27.9% reported losing 25% or more of their income during treatment.

Children identified as Hispanic or non-Hispanic Black, who spoke a language other than English at home, lived in single-parent households, had public insurance (e.g. Medicaid), or lived in households with an income below 200% of the federal poverty line at diagnosis were more likely to develop new financial toxicity during the study period.

"It was striking to us that by 24 months, nearly a third of the families were unable to meet basic living costs at some point during their child's ALL treatment," Dr. Zheng said.

A limitation of the study is that the findings are restricted to patients who were participating in a clinical trial at centers in the northeastern U.S. and Canada, and who were able to successfully complete the surveys at multiple time points. "Our data may underestimate the overall level of financial toxicity experienced by families with children being treated for ALL," Dr. Zheng said.

Research is ongoing to identify interventions to address financial toxicity among families of children receiving cancer treatment, he said. For example, two co-authors on this study (Puja Umaretiya, MD, and Kira Bona, MD, MPH) are leading clinical trials examining whether benefits counseling and cash payments reduce financial hardship among low-income families whose children are receiving cancer treatment.

Daniel Zheng, MD, of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 4:45 p.m. Eastern time in W230 of the Orange County Convention Center.
Air ambulance for Bangladesh's ex-PM Khaleda Zia to land in Dhaka on Tuesday

Last Updated: December 08, 2025, 01:00 IST

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Dhaka, Dec 7 (PTI) An air ambulance arranged to fly Bangladeshs critically ill former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for medical treatment will land in Dhaka on Tuesday, aviation officials said on Sunday.

A senior official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said the aircraft has been allotted an 8 am landing slot on Tuesday, with a departure time of 9 pm the same day, news portal bdnews24.com reported.

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According to tbsnews.net, the Qatar government has arranged the aircraft, renting it from the Germany-based FAI Aviation Group after opting for a replacement air ambulance to conduct the long-range medical evacuation.

FAI Aviation Groups initial application had sought clearance to land on Tuesday and depart for London on Wednesday.

Zia, the 80-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson, has been receiving treatment for multiple ailments at Dhaka-based Evercare Hospital for nearly two weeks.

The three-time prime minister was originally expected to leave early Friday on an air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, but the BNP later said the planes arrival was delayed due to technical issues.

A revised plan for her to depart on Sunday was also postponed as she remains too unwell for long-haul travel.

The medical board treating Zia postponed her planned travel to London for an indefinite period, her personal physician and BNPs policy-making standing committee member Dr AZM Zahid Hossain had told reporters on Saturday.

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The Qatar Embassy in Dhaka said the replacement air ambulance, a Bombardier Challenger (CL-60 series) jet, is fitted with full critical-care equipment, including ventilators, monitors, infusion pumps and oxygen systems, and is staffed by doctors, nurses and paramedics trained in in-flight intensive care.

Khaleda last travelled to London for treatment in January aboard an air ambulance from the Emir of Qatars personal fleet. PTI SCY SCY

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First Published: December 08, 2025, 01:00 IST

News agency-feeds Air ambulance for Bangladesh's ex-PM Khaleda Zia to land in Dhaka on Tuesday

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Russian strikes kill 4 in Ukraine as Kremlin praises new US security strategy

Last Updated: December 08, 2025, 01:45 IST

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Kyiv, Dec 8 (AP) Russia on Sunday welcomed the Trump administrations new national security strategy in comments by the Kremlin spokesman published by Russias Tass news agency.

Dmitry Peskov said the updated strategic document was largely in line with Moscows vision.

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There are statements there against confrontation and in favour of dialogue and building good relations," he said, adding that Russia hopes this would lead to further constructive cooperation with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement".

The document released Friday by the White House said the US wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core US interest to reestablish strategic stability with Russia".

The spokesmans comments came as Russian missile, drone and shelling attacks overnight and Sunday killed at least four people in Ukraine, after US and Ukrainian officials wrapped up a third day of talks aimed at ending the war.

A man was killed in a drone attack on Ukraines northern Chernihiv region Saturday night, local officials said, while a combined missile and drone attack on infrastructure in the central city of Kremenchuk caused power and water outages. Kremenchuk is home to one of Ukraines biggest oil refineries and is an industrial hub.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call weaponising" the cold.

Three people were killed and 10 others wounded Sunday in shelling by Russian troops in Ukraines Kharkiv region, according to the regional prosecutors office.

The latest round of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday he had a substantive phone call" with American officials engaged in talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. He said he had been given an update over the phone by US and Ukrainian officials at the talks.

Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

Speaking on Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum, U.S. President Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said efforts to end the war were in the last 10 metres".

He said a deal depended on the two outstanding issues of terrain, primarily the Donbas", and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia controls most of Donbas, its name for Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk, which, along with two southern regions, it illegally annexed three years ago. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is in an area that has been under Russian control since early in Moscows invasion of Ukraine and is not in service. It needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

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Kellogg, who is due to leave his post in January, was not present at the talks in Florida.

Separately, officials said the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany would participate in a meeting with Zelenskyy in London on Monday. (AP) NSD NSD

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First Published: December 08, 2025, 01:45 IST

News agency-feeds Russian strikes kill 4 in Ukraine as Kremlin praises new US security strategy

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Thane man gets 20-year RI for sexually assaulting minor girl

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 11:15 IST

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Thane, Dec 7 (PTI) A Thane court has sentenced a man to 20 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2021, which led to her pregnancy, observing that the crime was heinous" and must be dealt with stringently.

Additional Sessions Judge-3, DS Deshmukh, in the judgment on Friday, said the act of the 34-year-old accused, who is married and also has a son, has to be viewed seriously and he is not entitled to leniency.

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The court convicted the accused, Sahid Mohammad Ramzan Hasmi, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act section 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.

A copy of the order was received on Sunday.

Special Public Prosecutor Sanjay Londge told the court that the victim had lodged a complaint alleging that in May 2021, the accused, who resided in her neighbourhood in the Kashimira area here, sexually assaulted her after offering to drop her home and later calling her to his house.

The accused also threatened to kill her if she informed anyone about the offence.

The victim suffered severe stomach pain in July 2021, and a subsequent medical examination in August revealed she was pregnant.

She initially informed about the incident to another man. Later, after her mother took her into confidence, she told her about the offence committed by the accused.

After hearing both sides, the judge said the act done by the accused is heinous".

The prosecution has proved that the accused had committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the victim twice, due to which she became pregnant, and also threatened her, the court observed.

The judge rejected the defences claim that the case was false due to a monetary dispute.

In view of the oral evidence of the victim and her mother and also clear documentary evidence- the DNA report  on record, this defence taken by the accused is not acceptable, he said.

It is pertinent to note here that for such a lame reason, nobody can use his minor child to implicate the person in a false case by levelling such type of allegations," the court noted.

Regarding the severity of the crime and sentencing, the judge said, The act of sexual assault on the child is to be viewed seriously and such offences are to be dealt with stringent manner." In this case, the accused, being a married person and having a small son, committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the victim and impregnated her," the court said.

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The act of the accused is heinous. It has to be viewed seriously. Considering the submissions of both sides and the nature of offence, the accused is not entitled for leniency," it said.

The court also directed that the fine amount, if recovered, be given to the victim. The case has been recommended to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) for compensation to the victim. PTI COR GK

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First Published: December 07, 2025, 11:15 IST

News agency-feeds Thane man gets 20-year RI for sexually assaulting minor girl

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US top diplomat to visit Delhi, Bengaluru from Dec 7-11

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 14:15 IST

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Washington DC [US], December 7 (ANI): United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States Allison Hooker will visit New Delhi and Bengaluru from December 7 to 11, a statement by the US Embassy said. Under Secretary Hookers visit will focus on advancing the US-India strategic partnership, deepening economic and commercial ties, including increasing American exports, and fostering collaboration in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and space exploration.While in New Delhi, Under Secretary Hooker will meet with senior Indian officials to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, and shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific, including through the Foreign Office Consultations with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. In Bengaluru, she will visit the Indian Space Research Organisation and meet leaders from Indias dynamic space, energy, and technology sectors to promote innovation in US-India research partnerships and to explore opportunities for expanded cooperation, as per the statement.Under Secretary Hookers visit marks another step forward in advancing US President Donald Trumps priorities for a strong US-India partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific, as per the statement.Meanwhile, on December 6, India and the United States have unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism, including in the UN, Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).The two countries held the 21st Meeting of the India-USA Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) and the 7th Designations Dialogue here on December 3.The two sides called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qaida affiliates, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers, under the UN 1267 sanctions regime, ensuring their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.India and the United States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and the recent heinous terror incident near the Red Fort, New Delhi, on November 10 and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable.The meetings underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, reflecting the spirit and breadth of the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, a Ministry of External Affairs release said. (ANI)

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First Published: December 07, 2025, 14:15 IST

News agency-feeds US top diplomat to visit Delhi, Bengaluru from Dec 7-11

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A Netflix-Warner Bros. merger would risk a monopsony where a single buyer wields enormous control over the marketplace, a former head of Amazon Studios warned.

Roy Price, who is now chief executive of studio International Art Machine, wrote in a New York Times op-ed on Saturday that predictions of doom are nothing new in the film industry, pointing to the advent of TV, home video, streaming, and AI.

But if Netflix acquires Warner Bros., this long-prophesied death may finally arrive, not in the sense that filmmaking will cease but in the sense that Hollywood will become a system that circles a single sun, materially changing its cultural output, he added. All orbitsevery deal, every creative decision, every creative careerwill increasingly revolve around the gravitational mass and imprimatur of one entity.

To be sure, Netflix has said Warner Bros. operations will continue, and the studios films will still be released in theaters. Meanwhile, Warners TV channels will be spun off via a separate company, though HBO will be included in Netflix.

But Price said the danger is not annihilation but centralization, with the combined company accounting for an even bigger slice of overall content spending.

A reduction in bidders also means less content will be produced, while a separate development culture, set of tastes, and risk tolerances will be sidelined, he predicted.

A Netflix merger with Warner Bros. would create a monopsony problem: too few buyers with too much bargaining power, Price explained. Writers, directors, actors, showrunners, puppeteers, visual effects artistsall are suppliers. The fewer buyers competing to hire them, the lower their compensation and the narrower their opportunities.

Such reasoning sank Penguin Random Houses attempt to merge with Simon & Schuster that would have created a book publisher with too much leverage over authors, he pointed out.

Netflix said its acquisition of Warner Bros. will strengthen the industry by allowing the company to expand U.S. production capacity and boost investment in original content, which will create jobs. It added that the deal will open up more opportunities for the creative community to work with highly prized intellectual property and enhance value for talent.

Of course, the remaining players in Hollywood and content creation are giants in their own right as well. A KPMG survey of spending in 2024 put NBCUniversal parent Comcast at the top with $37 billion, followed by Alphabets YouTube ($32 billion), Disney ($28 billion), Amazon ($20 billion), Netflix ($17 billion), and Paramount ($15 billion). Comcast and Paramount also made bids for Warner Bros.
Uttarakhand: Interstate arms trafficker held with 5 guns, 40 cartridges

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:45 IST

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Dehradun, Dec 7 (PTI) A notorious interstate arms smuggler was arrested during a joint operation by Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and the police in Udham Singh Nagar district, and five guns and 40 live cartridges were recovered from his possession, an official said on Sunday.

According to the police, Mohammad Asim (32) was directly involved in the 2016 Nabha Jail breakout in Punjab and served six-and-a-half years in Central Jail Patiala for providing ammunition to the assailants.

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On November 27, 2016, 10-15 armed men, disguised as police officers, stormed the Nabha Jail in Patiala and opened fire at security personnel, facilitating the escape of six notorious criminals.

Asim  resident of Dhansara village in Bajpur, Udham Singh Nagar district  was arrested on Saturday from Rudrapur in the district based on inputs from an informant, and four .32-bore automatic pistols and magazines, and a .12-bore Indian Ordnance double-barrel gun were recovered from his possession, a senior officer said.

Additionally, thirty .12-bore and ten .32-bore cartridges were seized and a motorcycle allegedly used for arms smuggling was impounded, he said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that he ran a firearms store  registered under his brothers name  in Bajpur, police said.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had raided the shop in 2023 for allegedly supplying weapons and ammunition to gangsters, they added.

The accused is currently being interrogated by the STF at Rudrapur police station to uncover interstate links, and trace other members involved in the arms smuggling network, police said. PTI DPT MPL ARB ARB

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First Published: December 07, 2025, 19:45 IST

News agency-feeds Uttarakhand: Interstate arms trafficker held with 5 guns, 40 cartridges

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ICICI Prudential AMC IPO Price Band Announced: Issue To Open This Week, Check Key Dates

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 09:02 IST

ICICI Prudential AMC IPO opens December 12, 2025, with a price band of Rs 2,0612,165. Prudential Corp Holding will reduce its stake to 39 percent.

ICICI Prudential AMC IPO

ICICI Prudential AMC: ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd has announced its price band of Rs 2,0612,165 a share for its initial public offering (IPO). The issue will open for subscription on December 12, 2025, and remain open until December 16, 2025.

At the top end of the band, the company is valued at Rs 1.07 lakh crore.

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The IPO is purely Offer For Sale, in which promoter Prudential Corp Holding is divesting almost 10 per cent of its stakes, which is 4.9 crore shares. Post the IPO, Prudential Corp Holding will shrink to 39 per cent from the current 49 per cent, while ICICI Bank will hold the remaining 51 per cent.

The IPO has 18 lead managers, including Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, BofA, Axis Securities, CLSA, IIFL Capital, Kotak Mahindra Capital, SBI Caps, ICICI Bank, Goldman Sachs, Avendus, BNP Paribas, HDFC Bank, JM Financial, Motilal Oswal, Nuvama and UBS.

ICICI Prudential AMC IPO Key Dates

The allotment of unlisted shares will likely conclude on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and listing will be completed on Friday, December 19, 2025, on BSE and NSE.

Once listed, ICICI Prudential AMC will become the fourth ICICI Group company to trade on the bourses, joining ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and ICICI Lombard General Insurance.

About ICICI Prudential AMC

Incorporated in 1993, ICICI Prudential AMC is an Asset Management Company. The company offers Portfolio Management Services (PMS), Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), and Advisory services to offshore clients. ICICI Prudential AMC has active quarterly average asset under management (QAAUM). As of September 30, 2025, it has an QAAUM of 10,147.6 billion.

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ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co. Ltd.s revenue grew 32% and profit after tax increased 29% from FY24 to FY25. Assets rose from Rs 3,554.09 crore in FY24 to Rs 4,383.68 crore in FY25. Total income for FY25 was Rs 4,979.67 crore, and PAT stood at Rs 2,650.66 crore. EBITDA increased to Rs 3,636.99 crore.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 08:52 IST

News business ipo ICICI Prudential AMC IPO Price Band Announced: Issue To Open This Week, Check Key Dates

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'I Was Robbed': Akshardham Visitor Loses Valuables Worth Rs 1.8 Lakh To Fake Priest

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 23:12 IST

A solo visitor to Akshardham Temple lost Rs 1.8 lakh in valuables to a scam by two men, including a fake priest, and warned others on Reddit about such sophisticated temple scams.

File photo of Akshardham Temple. (Image: https://akshardham.com/)

A man who recently planned a solo trip to the Akshardham Temple in Delhi lost valuables worth Rs 1.8 lakh after falling victim to a scam orchestrated by two men, including a fake priest.

In a post on Reddit, the man alleged that he was duped by a fake priest near the Akshardham Temple, losing belongings worth about Rs 1.8 lakh, including a Samsung S24 Ultra, a smartwatch, cash, and important documents. He shared the incident on Reddit to caution others about increasingly sophisticated scams that often target solo or first-time temple visitors.

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According to his account, the ordeal began on a bus when a middle-aged, soft-spoken man initiated a friendly conversation and offered to guide him around the temple. After reaching the destination, the fraudster claimed he was familiar with the area and warned the victim that the cloakroom was unsafe, saying he had previously lost valuables there.

To build trust, he contacted someone he said he relied on, and soon another man dressed as a pujari arrived. The victim wrote that the pujari reassured him, saying, You dont worry at all, everything is safe here." The older man even handed over his own phone and wallet, which convinced the victim to surrender his phone, wallet, smartwatch, belt, shoes and more before entering for darshan.

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The victim said the temple visit felt genuine, with the uncle" explaining various details. But once they exited, the situation changed. The elderly man offered him a ladoo and asked him to wait while he supposedly went to deposit some money." Moments later, both the uncle" and the fake pujari disappeared. Thats when the victim realised he had been tricked.

His stolen items included Rs 8,000 in cash, multiple bank cards, PAN card, and driving licence. After filing a police complaint, he was told that such organised scams are common near major religious sites. He urged visitors to remain cautious and rely only on official cloakrooms. people think scammers will look suspicious or act shady. But this uncle was very patient, gentle, convincing. Just slowly, and carefully built his trust and manipulated me into believing him. If you ever visit Akshardham or any large temple, please be very careful," he warned.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 23:08 IST

News cities new-delhi-news 'I Was Robbed': Akshardham Visitor Loses Valuables Worth Rs 1.8 Lakh To Fake Priest

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Could Have Done Much More, But Chose Restraint: Rajnath On Op Sindoor At Shyok Tunnel Launch

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 12:49 IST

The inauguration of the Shyok Tunnel marks another step in Indias efforts to fortify infrastructure in high-altitude border zones.

Operation Sindoor Proved Indias Resolve; Connectivity Projects Add Strength, Says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday inaugurated the Shyok Tunnel, a crucial infrastructure project that promises all-weather access along the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi (DSDBO) route in eastern Ladakh. The tunnel is expected to significantly enhance the movement of troops, improve logistics, and strengthen Indias operational readiness in one of the countrys most sensitive border regions.

What the Defence Minister said?

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Rajnath Singh outlined five major advantages that the Shyok Tunnel will bring to Ladakh and the nation. He said the tunnel will significantly boost the mobility of the Armed Forces, ensuring faster and safer movement of troops in a critical border region.

It will also improve logistics access to remote forward posts, allowing essential supplies to reach high-altitude areas throughout the year. Beyond military needs, the Minister said the project will help promote tourism, as better connectivity encourages more visitors to explore Ladakh.

The tunnel is also expected to create new employment opportunities for local residents through increased travel, transport, and related services. Finally, Singh said the completion of such major infrastructure projects will strengthen peoples confidence in development and governance, demonstrating the governments commitment to improving life in difficult and remote regions.

The tunnel will strengthen deployment and enhance operational capabilities during harsh winters. Many of these projects have been completed using indigenous solutions," Singh said. He also paid tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and thanked the people of Ladakh for their continued support to the armed forces.

Singh referred to Operation Sindoor, saying the world witnessed Indias decisive yet restrained response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Connectivity projects such as the Shyok Tunnel, he noted, help empower the armed forces while also benefitting local communities.

The Shyok Tunnel is a 920-metre-long passage built at an altitude of over 12,000 feet. It lies along the 255-km DSDBO road, which connects Leh to Daulat Beg Oldi, one of the worlds highest and most strategically important military outposts, located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

The tunnel runs parallel to the Shyok River, an important tributary of the Indus. By bypassing stretches that are prone to landslides and avalanches near Depsang, Murgo, and the Karakoram Pass, it ensures reliable round-the-year access even during severe winter conditions. This uninterrupted access is vital for troop deployment, supply movement, and emergency response in a region that remains tense due to ongoing border challenges.

Border area infrastructure push

The tunnel is among 125 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) projects worth 4,737 crore that were inaugurated across border states. These projects include roads, bridges, and other critical structures aimed at boosting connectivity in Indias frontier regions.

The DSDBO route holds immense strategic value as it leads to the Daulat Beg Oldi military base, located near key points in the Ladakh-Karakoram region, including areas contested by China and Pakistan. Since India gained control of the Siachen Glacier through Operation Meghdoot in 1984, maintaining strong access routes has remained a priority.

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The inauguration of the Shyok Tunnel marks another step in Indias efforts to fortify infrastructure in high-altitude border zones. With better connectivity, reduced travel risks, and improved logistical support, the tunnel strengthens Indias defence posture and ensures that personnel and supplies can move swiftly when required.

For the people of Ladakh, it also brings the promise of better connectivity, tourism growth, and economic opportunities.

Location : Ladakh, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 12:49 IST

News india Could Have Done Much More, But Chose Restraint: Rajnath On Op Sindoor At Shyok Tunnel Launch

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DGCA Sends Second Show Cause Notice To IndiGo Over Flight Cancellations, Seeks Reply In 24 Hours

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 07:52 IST

DGCA issued a show cause notice to IndiGo Airlines over massive flight disruptions, citing lapses in planning and non-compliance with Aircraft Rules and CAR.

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Stranded passengers search for their luggage near a counter after IndiGo cancelled more than 400 flights, at the Bengaluru Airport. (PTI)

IndiGo Flight Chaos: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday sought an explanation from IndiGo Airlines within 24 hours after issuing a second show cause notice over massive recent flight disruptions that caused severe inconvenience, hardship and distress to passengers.

According to the notice, the primary cause of the disruptions was the non-provisioning of adequate arrangements to meet the revised requirements for smooth implementation of the approved Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) scheme.

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The regulator said the large-scale operational failures indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management, and amount to prima facie non-compliance with Rule 42A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and provisions of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) related to duty period, flight duty period, flight time limitations and prescribed rest periods for flight crew engaged in scheduled air transport operations.

The DGCA further observed that the airline failed to provide requisite information and facilities to passengers as stipulated under CAR provisions on facilities to be provided to passengers in cases of denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays.

Addressing the notice to the Post Holder Accountable Manager, the DGCA said that as the accountable manager, they are responsible for ensuring overall operations in accordance with approved manuals and relevant CAR provisions.

The regulator has directed Indigo to show cause within 24 hours of receipt of the notice as to why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for the stated violations.

Failure to submit your reply within the stipulated period shall result in the matter being decided ex parte. This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority," the notice added.

Earlier, the DGCA issued a first show cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, holding him accountable for the operational meltdown, which led to the cancellation of flights and left thousands of passengers stranded across airports in the country.

In the notice, the aviation regulator said that it had observed massive disruptions" in IndiGos scheduled operations, causing severe inconvenience, hardship and distress" to travellers nationwide.

The DGCA, in its notice, said the primary cause of the crisis was the airlines failure to make adequate arrangements required for the smooth implementation of the newly approved Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.

The regulator said the airlines inability to adjust its rosters and resources in time led to widespread cancellations, delays, crew shortages and cascading disruption across its network.

As the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline," the notice stated, adding, You have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to passengers."

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According to sources, the government is also mulling the removal of IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers over the crisis.

IndiGos operational crisis stretched into a fifth straight day on Saturday as hundreds of domestic flights were cancelled across major airports, marking the most severe phase of the disruption so far. The cancellations are largely attributed to an unanticipated shortage of pilots stemming from planning lapses.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 07:27 IST

News india DGCA Sends Second Show Cause Notice To IndiGo Over Flight Cancellations, Seeks Reply In 24 Hours

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From Vada Pav To Pav Bhaji: Mumbai Munches Its Way To Top 5 Best Food Cities In The World

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 17:10 IST

TasteAtlas also recommends several of the citys traditional restaurants, including Ram Ashraya, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay, Cafe Madras, and more.

Vada pav or wada pao is a vegetarian fast food dish native to the state of Maharashtra. (Image: Shutterstock)

Mumbai has earned a place among the worlds top five best food cities, according to the latest TasteAtlas rankings. The city is the only Indian destination in the global top 10, celebrated for its diverse street-food culture and rich culinary heritage.

From the tangy Bhelpuri and spicy Pav Bhaji to Vada Pav, sweet Modak, and Ragda Pattice, Mumbais street food has long been popular with both locals and tourists.

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Beyond street snacks, TasteAtlas also recommends several of the citys traditional restaurants, including Ram Ashraya, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay, Cafe Madras, Nawab Saheb, and Baba Falooda, which showcase the depth of Mumbais food culture.

Mumbai is not alone in representing India on the global culinary map. Other Indian cities also featured in the TasteAtlas rankings include Amritsar (48th), New Delhi (53rd), Hyderabad (54th), Kolkata (73rd), and Chennai (93rd).

Each city is celebrated for its own distinct culinary identity: Amritsar for hearty Punjabi fare such as Amritsari Kulcha and Sarson ka Saag; Delhi for Dal Makhani and Butter Chicken; Hyderabad for its Biryani and Nizami-era dishes; Kolkata for Rasgulla and Kathi Rolls; and Chennai for Dosa, Idli, and traditional South Indian staples.

Hyderabads Biryani was also recognised separately, ranking in the top 50 best rice dishes worldwide. Meanwhile, Indian cuisine as a whole secured the 13th spot among the worlds 100 best cuisines in the TasteAtlas Awards 2025/26, highlighting the countrys growing global culinary influence.

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TasteAtlas is a global food guide that ranks cities, dishes, and cuisines based on local specialties and traditional recipes, helping travellers and food lovers discover iconic dishes, popular street food, and renowned restaurants around the world

ALSO READ: This States Biryani Ranked In TasteAtlas The Top 10 Best Rice Dishes Of The World

First Published: December 07, 2025, 17:06 IST

News india From Vada Pav To Pav Bhaji: Mumbai Munches Its Way To Top 5 Best Food Cities In The World

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Goa Blaze Tragedy: CM Sawant Says Fire Triggered by Crackers, Orders Audit Of Illegal Clubs

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:49 IST

Pramod Sawant said that four staff members of the nightclub have been arrested, and has ordered action against officials who allowed the club to operate while flouting rules.

Flames and Thick Smoke Engulf Goa Restaurant as Fire Kills 25 in Arpora

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that the fire in the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that claimed at least 25 lives broke out because of its internal fireworks. Preliminary inquiry revealed that electric firecrackers" were set off inside, which started the blaze, he said.

Police had earlier suggested that a cylinder blast caused the blaze, but Sawant said the preliminary inquiry showed the fire was triggered by electrical firecrackers.

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Some people could come out, but others could not, due to which they lost their lives. A complete inquiry is being done, and a report will be received within a week," he said while speaking to reporters.

The Chief Minister further said that four staff members of the nightclub have been arrested, and has ordered action against officials who allowed the club to operate while flouting rules. He also ordered state chief secretary Dr V Candavelou and Director General of Police Alok Kumar to identify and act against the guilty government officials.

DGP Kumar said that an FIR has already been registered against club owners, and further punitive actions have been initiated against those responsible for issuing permissions. The clubs chief general manager Rajiv Modak, general manager Vivek Singh, bar manager Rajiv Singhania and gate manager Riyanshu were arrested earlier today. The police also booked nightclub owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, while Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar has been detained.

Sawant added that suspension orders for several officials will be issued today itself.

Sawant earlier ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, directing officials to investigate the circumstances that allowed the venue to function and to identify any lapses in safety compliance.

Govt Forms High-Level Committee

The state government has also formed a committee of South Goa Collector, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services and Director of Forensic Laboratory to inquire into the incident, the Chief Minister informed.

The committee will submit its report within a week.

The government has worked out measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur again, he said.

An advisory will be issued to all the nightclubs and other establishments in the hospitality sector, asking them to take adequate safety precautions, he added.

Government officials who allowed the club to operate  even though it violated several rules  would be suspended during the day, Sawant said.

Whoever is named in the FIR will be arrested100%. Even if any government officials name comes up, strict action will be taken," Sawant said.

The state authorities will also conduct an audit of clubs that operate without permissions and also the places where there is a possibility of people gathering in large numbers, the chief minister said.

Rs 5 Lakh Ex-Gratia To Kin Of Victims

The Chief Minister announced an ex gratia of 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and 50,000 for the injured, to be disbursed from the SDRF fund.

He said that the government will also facilitate the complete transportation of the deceased to their respective hometowns.

The government shall provide complete assistance for the transportation of the deceased to their homes. A dedicated team comprising the SDM, Police, and Health Authorities has been constituted for the same," he said.

What Happened At The Nightclub?

North Goa saw its worst fire tragedy at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora on Saturday night, which resulted in at least 25 deaths and six injuries. The nightclub was jam-packed as it was the weekend.

As per survivors, in no time, the entire club was engulfed in flames. There was a temporary construction made up of palm leaves which easily caught fire," he said.

The nightclub is situated in the backwaters of the Arpora river and has a narrow entry and exit. There was no access for fire brigade vehicles because of the narrow lanes and their tankers had to be parked about 400 metres away from the spot.

A senior officer from the Fire and Emergency Services told PTI that the narrow access made it difficult to reach the spot, which in turn made controlling the blaze a challenging task.

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He said that the majority of the deaths were caused by suffocation, as the victims remained trapped on the ground floor.

(With inputs from agencies)

Location : Panaji (Panjim, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 19:49 IST

News india Goa Blaze Tragedy: CM Sawant Says Fire Triggered by Crackers, Orders Audit Of Illegal Clubs

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Four Tourists Among 25 Dead In Goa Nightclub Fire After Cylinder Blast

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 08:24 IST

Goa Police said the explosion happened around 1 a.m. near the kitchen area of the nightclub.

Goa Club Fire: 23 Dead, Several Injured After Cylinder Blast in Arpora Nightclub

A major tragedy struck Arpora, North Goa, late Saturday night when a cylinder blast caused a massive fire in a nightclub. The explosion, which happened near the kitchen area around 1 a.m., resulted in the death of at least 25 people, all reported to be staff members of the nightclub.

Seven people got injured, and one of them has suffered burns of over 60%. Of the fatalities, only two died due to burn injuries, while the remaining victims succumbed to smoke inhalation.

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Most of the dead were the clubs kitchen workers, and included three women," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said. There were three to four tourists" among those killed, he added.

The Goa Police said, A massive fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa, resulting in 25 deaths, out of whom four confirmed to be tourists, 14 were staff members and identity of seven is yet to be established. Six persons are injured and their treatment going on. Cause of fire is yet to ascertained. Police and fire department investigation is in progress. Legal action is being taken."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the Arpora nightclub fire, calling it a deeply saddening" tragedy. He said he had spoken to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and assured full support. The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the incident.

What do we know about the incident?

According to Goa Police, the explosion happened around 1 a.m. near the kitchen area of the nightclub. A gas cylinder reportedly burst with great force, causing flames to shoot through the building within seconds. Officers said the intensity of the blast left the staff with very little time to escape.

Fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot, and firefighters worked for nearly two hours to bring the blaze under control. Despite their efforts, many staff members could not be rescued in time, as the fire spread rapidly through the tightly packed interior sections of the club.

Preliminary findings suggest that the blast may have been caused by a gas leak during routine preparation and closing work. Several staff members were believed to be cleaning and organising the kitchen when the incident occurred. Officials say a detailed forensic analysis will determine the exact reason behind the leak and the subsequent explosion.

The Forensic Science Laboratory team has collected samples from the site, and the district administration has launched an inquiry into the chain of events that led to the tragedy.

Nightclub sealed; owners questioned

Authorities have sealed the nightclub as part of the investigation. The owners and managers are being questioned about safety procedures, emergency exits, and whether the club followed required fire and gas safety guidelines.

The Director General of Police (DGP) said that the inquiry will examine all safety measures in place at the establishment, including gas connection installations, fire extinguishing systems, and evacuation plans.

Bodies sent for post-mortem, Injured yet to be identified

The bodies of the victims have been sent for post-mortem examinations. Officials are still assessing the number of injured persons, as detailed information has not yet been made public. Rescue teams are continuing their search through the debris to ensure no one is left trapped inside.

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Fire safety audit

A fire safety audit will be carried out across all clubs in the area following the deadly blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora. Local MLA Michael Lobo said all bodies have been recovered and emphasised that a thorough fire safety review will now be made mandatory. Clubs failing to present valid fire safety permissions will face cancellation of licences.

Location : Goa, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 06:54 IST

News india Four Tourists Among 25 Dead In Goa Nightclub Fire After Cylinder Blast

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Got Lucky As Our Cab Was Late: Survivors Recall Narrow Escape From Deadly Goa Nightclub Fire

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 14:15 IST

Families of the victims gathered at Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim, where several injured people are being treated.

Survivor Shares Chilling Account of Goa Nightclub Blaze

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the devastating nightclub fire in Arpora that left 25 people dead on Sunday. An FIR has been registered against the clubs owner and general manager, both of whom will be arrested, officials confirmed.

Inquiry begins as safety violations suspected

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Speaking to PTI, Chief Minister Sawant said early findings suggest the nightclub had not followed mandatory fire safety rules. He added that strict action would be taken not only against the club management but also against the officials who allowed it to run despite the violations.

This is an unfortunate incident during the peak tourist season," Sawant said. We will conduct a detailed inquiry and stringent action will be taken against the guilty."

The nightclub, located in Arpora village about 25 km from Panaji, had opened only last year and was a popular destination for tourists and locals.

What did the victims family say?

Families of the victims gathered at Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim, where several injured people are being treated. Many expressed shock and grief at the sudden tragedy.

Narayan Mathur, who lost two nephews in the fire, said, Those were my nephews, sons of my elder brother. Both of them died. They worked in the kitchen of the restaurant. A neighbour also died in the fire. All of us belonged to Jharkhand."

Police confirmed that 25 people had lost their lives, including four tourists and 14 staff members. The identities of the remaining seven victims are being verified.

Dr Avanish, a tourist from Delhi, said he survived only because of an unexpected delay. Actually, we got lucky because our cab driver was late, or else we would have been there," he said, recalling the moment he learned about the fire.

Many other visitors and employees were not as fortunate. Several victims were trapped inside as the fire spread rapidly through the structure, investigators said.

#WATCH | Dr Avanish from Delhi, who had planned to visit the ill-fated restaurant where a fire broke out, says, "...Actually, we got lucky because our cab driver was late or else we would be here..." https://t.co/qSth23gSZe pic.twitter.com/fPoSx1Pfcq ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

Legal action

The police and fire department are continuing their probe to determine the exact cause of the blaze. While officials have not yet confirmed the trigger, the initial suspicion is that the nightclub failed to comply with fire safety norms.

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We are investigating and legal action is being taken," an official said.

The state government has assured families that the inquiry will be thorough and that all responsible parties will be held accountable.

Location : Goa, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 14:15 IST

News india Got Lucky As Our Cab Was Late: Survivors Recall Narrow Escape From Deadly Goa Nightclub Fire

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'I Was Just Crying And Shaking': Kazakh Dancer Recounts Narrow Escape From Goa Club Blaze

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:05 IST

A video of her dancing moments before the blaze went viral on social media, showing the sudden shift from celebration to panic.

Kristina was on stage for her second performance at Birch by Romeo Lane when the fire broke out. (Screengrab)

A Kazakh dancer who survived the deadly fire at a nightclub in Goas Arpora has shared her harrowing experience, breaking down as she recounted the moments when flames erupted during her performance.

Kristina, a professional performer, told India Today she is thankful to be alive" after a crew members quick action prevented her from heading straight into danger.

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Kristina was on stage for her second performance at Birch by Romeo Lane when the fire broke out, reportedly due to a short circuit.

The fire started during my performance because of a short circuit. I was shocked. The music suddenly stopped, and I didnt understand what happened. I started looking for the exit," she told the publication. I was just crying, my head was shaking."

A video of her dancing moments before the blaze went viral on social media, showing the sudden shift from celebration to panic.

Goa nightclub fireOwners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra booked, sarpanch Roshan Redkar detained Glaring building violations. The structure was built with flammable palm-leaf material that easily caught fire. Club had only a narrow access route and restricted escape paths https://t.co/1EwwKwfie8 pic.twitter.com/WXn6LNQcNi  Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) December 7, 2025

The dancer said the club staff and management reacted swiftly, guiding guests towards the exits as the fire spread. People started running towards the exit. Hotel staff helped. People helped each other," she recalled.

Kristina credited a crew member with saving her life. She had instinctively tried to rush to the green room to change, but was stopped. My first instinct was to go to my changing room. But my crew member said, Dont go there. The fire was already at that location. That saved my life," she said.

Back home, the reality of the tragedy hit her. When I came home and hugged my daughter, I was thankful to be alive," Kristina added.

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The blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane killed 25 people, including four tourists and 14 staff members, while the identities of seven others remain under investigation. Six people were injured and are receiving treatment. Authorities are still probing how the fire spread so quickly.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the clubs owner and general manager as the state government ordered a detailed inquiry.

Location : Goa, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 19:05 IST

News india 'I Was Just Crying And Shaking': Kazakh Dancer Recounts Narrow Escape From Goa Club Blaze

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Photographer: Caylo Seals/Getty Images

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on deadly US airstrikes against alleged drug-running boats off the Venezuelan coast, saying he would have made the same call as the admiral who ordered survivors to be killed.

The nearly two dozen strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific have come under bipartisan scrutiny, but recent reports that a September strike included a second one to kill two survivors clinging to wreckage at sea have prompted accusations of possible war crimes.

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From what I understood then and what I understand now, I fully support that strike, Hegseth said Saturday. I would have made the same call myself.

His remarks during and after a speech at the Reagan Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California, went a step further than his comments at the White House earlier in the week, when he appeared to lay responsibility on Admiral Frank Bradley, who ordered the second strike on the same boat.

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke at the Reagan National Defense Forum saying President Trump can take decisive military action as he sees fit.Source: Bloomberg

Hegseth praised the policy of sinking boats and killing alleged drug-runners whom the Trump administration considers enemy combatants and not criminals. That policy has led to serious debate in Congress and among legal experts about whether they are legal, and whether the boats are actually headed for the US.

The days in which these narco-terrorists, designated terror organizations, operate freely in our hemisphere are over, Hegseth said. These narco-terrorists are the al-Qaeda of our hemisphere.

Democratic lawmakers who saw video of the attack called it disturbing and demanded the full footage. President Donald Trump has said he would allow the video to be released publicly after it was shown to members of Congress.

On Saturday, Hegseth said the Pentagon is reviewing the video but declined to say whether the Pentagon will release the whole thing.

Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Army combat veteran, noted on CNNs that the video could be released to members of Congress with top secret clearances, like her and other members of the armed services and foreign relations committees.

You had two survivors clinging to half of a boat, and then you went in and you killed them, she said Sunday of Hegseth. Thats a war crime.

Senator John Curtis of Utah, a Republican who leads the Western Hemisphere subcommittee on the Foreign Relations panel, pledged on the same program that there would be hearings about the strikes.
IndiGo CEO's Job On The Line, How India's Foremost Airline Has Lost Trust

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee



Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 08:26 IST

After days of chaos at airports across India, the message from the top is unmistakable: the government wants to fix this mess, once and for all

Passengers line up at an IndiGo Airlines kiosk at the Chennai International Airport on December 5, 2025. (Image: AFP)

After days of chaos at airports across India, the message from the top is unmistakable: the government wants to fix this mess, once and for all.

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Its a crisis that has unfolded in full public view: terminals overflowing with passengers chanting in frustration, flight boards blinking red with endless cancellations, children lying on suitcases, elderly passengers sleeping on the floor, security staff struggling to control swelling crowds, and bags gone missing in the avalanche of disruption.

This is Indias aviation system in 2025  brought to its knees not by bad weather, conflict, or natural disaster but by the failure of a single private airline. IndiGo, the carrier that operates 60 percent of Indias domestic flights, shut down more than 2,000 flights this week.

Airports from Delhi to Chennai, Bengaluru to Srinagar witnessed a level of paralysis unseen in recent aviation history. And today, the question that hangs in the air is simple but brutal: how did Indias biggest airline fail so completely and so publicly? And how did the government, regulator, and airlines leadership allow this crisis to explode in slow motion?

The roots of the meltdown go back to 2024, when the government took the decision to bring Indias flight duty time regulations in line with global safety norms. These revised rules  meant to protect pilots from fatigue  expanded rest periods, restricted night landings, capped consecutive night duties, and extended what counted as night".

The Delhi High Court upheld these norms in April 2025. Implementation was structured in two phases  July 1 and November 1  giving airlines almost two years to prepare.

Every other airline did. Air India prepared. Even Akasa and SpiceJet did. Smaller operators also complied.

But IndiGo  the airline with the most night flights, most red-eye routes, and tightest schedules  did not. And this week, that negligence detonated.

Late on December 5, long after the meltdown had consumed the country, Pieter Elbers finally appeared with an apology. But what he said stunned the aviation community even more: We misjudged crew requirementsthe actions taken in the last few days were futilewe are rebooting all systems."

Those are not the words an airline CEO should ever use. Futile", reboot". At a company that runs 2,300 flights a day, these words sound like the language of failure.

The show-cause notice to IndiGo from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is even more damning. The regulator has accused the airline of ignoring repeated instructions, failing to forecast crew availability, not realigning rosters, delaying training, and displaying major gaps in planning and oversight.

Then came the most controversial moment of the crisis. As airports ran out of space to seat stranded passengers, the government launched a high-level probe.

But within minutes, the DGCA took an extraordinary step: it suspended key fatigue norms  temporarily  and only for IndiGos A320 fleet. Night periods were shortened, night landing limits expanded. Weekly rest for pilots was reinterpreted.

Effectively, the regulator weakened the very safety rules it had spent two years refining, all to give IndiGo breathing room. Pilots bodies reacted with anger, calling it a dangerous precedent and accusing it of compromising safety to rescue a private airline that had failed to plan responsibly.

Sources in the aviation sector said the timing of IndiGos collapse  five weeks after the new norms kicked in  raises a deeply uncomfortable question: was this a genuine operational breakdown, or a pressure tactic? Was a crisis allowed to inflate to force the government to dilute rules that increased cost and demanded more pilots?

With IndiGo down, airfares shot into the stratosphere. A return ticket from Delhi to Mumbai crossed Rs 50,000. Delhi-Bengaluru? Rs 55,000. Delhi-Goa? More than Rs 60,000.

One airline collapses  and the entire country pays. The government acted on Saturday (December 6), capping fares for different distances.

IndiGo has now announced full refunds, hotels for stranded passengers, food, alternate transport, and a complete waiver on cancellation and rescheduling charges. But refunds do not fix ruined holidays, missed weddings, cancelled medical appointments, or business losses that cannot be recovered.

And they certainly do not fix trust. What has finally become public  and what pilots have been warning for months  is that IndiGo simply did not have enough trained crew to run the aggressively expanded network it built.

It was a knife-edge operation: maximum flying hours, maximum utilisation, minimum slack. Any disruption  a bout of sickness, a weather delay, a rule change  could cause the entire system to snap. And that is exactly what happened.

This crisis is not just about IndiGo. It is about what happens when one airline becomes too big to fail. When a regulator bends rules to save a single operator. When safety norms are seen as negotiable. When market concentration becomes a national vulnerability.

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IndiGo says normalcy will return by December 15. But trust will take far longer. And unless the government demands accountability  from the airline, from its leadership, and from the regulator  India risks walking into the next crisis with its eyes wide open.

Because this meltdown is more than an operational failure. It is a warning. A warning that ambition without planning is dangerous. That dominance without responsibility is harmful. And that a countrys aviation system cannot be built on a single pillar, especially one that is now visibly cracking.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 08:25 IST

News india IndiGo CEO's Job On The Line, How India's Foremost Airline Has Lost Trust

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IndiGo Crisis: 87% Passengers Urge Class Action Against Airline Under Consumer Protection Act

Curated By :

News18.com Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee



Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 16:55 IST

Many passengers are facing refund issues despite the airline promising a "full waiver" and automatic 100% refunds during a period of mass cancellations

Massive service disruptions and flight cancellations by IndiGo have plunged major airports across India into chaos over the past week. (Image: AFP/File)

Citing widespread grievances amid a nationwide flight crisis, at least 87 percent airline passengers have urged class-action lawsuit against IndiGo in India.

Many passengers are facing refund issues despite the airline promising a full waiver" and automatic 100 percent refunds during a period of mass cancellations. They have, however, reported significant deductions instead of the full fare.

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According to a survey conducted by LocalCircles, at least 87 percent of the flyers have urged the Consumer Protection Council Authority (CCPA) to take up the matter under the class action provision of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Many of the surveyed passengers cited airlines like Delta and Southwest, which have faced similar class actions over failure to provide cash refunds or sufficient compensation for ancillary losses. Massive service disruptions and flight cancellations by IndiGo have plunged major airports across India into chaos over the past week. The survey received responses from more than 30,000 consumers across 303 districts of India, highlighting the widespread nature of the distress.

The survey explicitly asked fliers: Should the CCPA take up service deficiency of IndiGo under Class Action provision of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019?". Out of 32,547 respondents, a conclusive 87 percent said yes, absolutely", which is a strong response reflecting a deep dissatisfaction with the airline.

Travellers are keen that the Centre should act against the airline such that it, or any other carrier, does not take the Indian consumer for granted going forward. The envisioned class action would consider distressed passengers as a class, taking into account losses incurred on tickets, alternate travel and hotel arrangements, and the mental trauma faced by many. The disruptions had tangible, devastating consequences for flyers, resulting in missed weddings, funerals, and important engagements.

While cancellations and delays are significant concerns, passenger grievances extend far beyond mere scheduling issues. Flyers have raised serious concerns about refund integrity, including deductions and delays, failed promises related to zero-cancellation/insurance", and shifting itineraries without passenger consent.

The call for legal action is centred on the widespread discrepancy between IndiGos public promise and the refunds passengers actually received. After the period of mass cancellations, the airline declared a full waiver" on cancellation and rescheduling fees for travel scheduled between December 5 to 15. It promised automatic refunds back to the original payment mode, raising expectations of a seamless process for disrupted travellers.

Despite this assurance of a 100% refund", many passengers who accepted or made cancellations reported that the amount credited to them was well below the fare paid. Passengers took to social media to protest the perceived violation of the airlines own guarantee.

One widely circulated tweet stated: Total Deductions INR. 8,718 and they call it 100% refund. @IndiGo6E care to explain the deduction?" Another user reported, Tried to cancelscreenshot shows zero cancellation charges, but they charged a whopping INR16,000."

Users also described refund-button malfunctions, extended delays, and the need for repeated follow-ups with customer care. Due to these substantial deductions, delays, and inconsistent application of the waiver, many passengers feel they were misled by IndiGos public announcement of a full waiver" and automatic refunds".

The current scenario in India appears ripe for a class-action suit, especially considering the precedents set by similar legal actions against airlines outside India. In the United States, several major carriers have faced class-action lawsuits over refund, cancellation, and compensation issues.

Following a major IT outage that disrupted thousands of flights last July, Delta Air faced a proposed class-action lawsuit. Passengers claimed Delta refused to issue full refunds, instead offering only credits, and failed to compensate for associated expenses like hotels, meals, and ground transport.

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Similarly, in December 2022, Southwest Airlines faced a class-action lawsuit in the wake of mass cancellations, with flyers alleging the airline violated its contract of carriage and federal regulations by failing to provide prompt refunds or comparable accommodation.

These lawsuits generally argue that airlines violate consumer protection laws or their own contractual terms by offering vouchers instead of cash refunds, failing to compensate for ancillary losses, or misrepresenting their policies. Given the magnitude of the disruption, which many feel was self-created due to IndiGos preparation for new flight duty time limitations (FDTL), the question now remains whether there will be any action.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 16:55 IST

News india IndiGo Crisis: 87% Passengers Urge Class Action Against Airline Under Consumer Protection Act

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IndiGo Disruptions Ease, Over 600 Flights Cancelled As Airline Battles Major Operational Meltdown

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Aanchal Sinha



Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 15:00 IST

While connectivity is gradually being restored, passengers continue to face delays, cancellations, and challenges with baggage handling.

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IndiGo said ealier that 95 per cent of its connectivity was restored.

IndiGos ongoing operational disruptions showed signs of easing on Sunday, although the impact remained significant, with over 600 flights cancelled across its network.

The airline has been struggling with crew shortages and scheduling issues for several days, leading to a cascading effect on domestic operations.

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The turmoil peaked earlier in the week, with more than 1,000 flights cancelled two days ago and over 700 flights affected yesterday.

While connectivity is gradually being restored, passengers continue to face delays, cancellations, and challenges with baggage handling.

Aims To Operate Over 1500 Flights: In a post on social media, IndiGo said it is revamping its network and aims to operate over 1,500 flights on Sunday. The airline added that it has restored more than 95% of its connectivity, with services running to 135 of its 138 destinations.

Sets Up Crisis Management Group: IndiGos parent company, InterGlobe Aviation, has formed a Crisis Management Group to closely monitor the ongoing disruptions. A spokesperson for the airline stated that all efforts are being made to ensure timely refunds for affected passengers.

Show Cause Notice: The aviation regulator DGCA has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras over the extensive flight disruptions, which have continued for six consecutive days.

61 Flights Cancelled In Bengaluru: A total of 61 flights scheduled to depart from Kempegowda International Airport, have been cancelled. According to the airport authorities, 30 flights will take off. Airline staff have sent messages informing passengers about the cancellations, and travellers are advised not to arrive for flights that have been called off.

Passenger Flow Eases: Passenger numbers at the airport have dropped as many were informed in advance about flight cancellations. Precautionary measures and additional staff deployment have eased crowding at IndiGo counters, though delays continue to leave some travellers waiting outside departure areas. Complaints over missing luggage persist, with airport staff scrambling to trace bags.

112 Flights Cancelled In Mumbai: At Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, a total of 112 flights cancelled have been cancelled between midnight and 11 am, according to sources. The cancellations included 56 departing flights and 56 arriving flights during the stated period.

109 Flights Cancelled In Delhi: In Delhi, 59 departing flights and 50 arrivals have been cancelled so far. Passengers have been advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport as delays and cancellations persist.

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DGCA Seeks Explanation Within 24 Hours: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday sought an explanation from IndiGo Airlines within 24 hours after issuing a second show cause notice over massive recent flight disruptions that caused severe inconvenience, hardship and distress to passengers.

IndiGo CEOs Job On The Line: According to sources, the government is also mulling the removal of IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers over the crisis.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 11:06 IST

News india IndiGo Disruptions Ease, Over 600 Flights Cancelled As Airline Battles Major Operational Meltdown

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'We All Saw It Coming': In 'Open Letter', IndiGo Pilots Blame CEO, Top Management For Airline 'Downfall'

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News18.com

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 13:29 IST

An unverified open letter from IndiGo pilots blames CEO Pieter Elbers and top officials for the airline's downfall, citing years of mismanagement and recent chaos at major airports

IndiGo's

An unverified open letter" from IndiGo pilots is doing the rounds on social media, which blames the top management, including the CEO, for the downfall" of Indias foremost airline.

Addressed to fellow citizens" and the management of IndiGo", the letter asks the airline to look within" and names at least eight officials, including CEO Pieter Elbers, for causing the massive operational failure leading to a chaotic situation at major airports across the country over the past week.

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Claiming to be an insider", who chooses to remain anonymous, the letter states that all IndiGo employees saw the crisis coming as it was years in the making" and the airline didnt collapse in a day".

Open Letter to My Fellow Citizens, and to the Management of IndiGo, I am writing this not as a spokesperson, not as someone hiding behind corporate language, but as an IndiGo employee who has lived through every shift, every sleepless night, every humiliation, every squeezed pay cheque, and every impossible roster," states the letter posted on X.

And I am writing this as an Indian, because the state of this airline is no longer just an internal issue-it affects millions of people in this country. I need you to hear this from someone who has been inside long enough to understand how we reached this breaking point. Nothing Happened Overnight  We All Saw It Coming, IndiGo didnt collapse in a day. This downfall was years in the making," the letter states.

The letter is also accompanied by a 12-point thread from the same account on X, elaborating on safety vs profit" about the rollback by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of a new policy of weekly rest for pilots. It claims to give details on why IndiGo is losing its mind trying to kill this rule".

Safety Vs Profits1/12  DGCA dropped a simple, life-saving rule: Flight departs before 0600?  Max 2 sectors only. Because 3 AM wake-ups are still NIGHT for the human body  IndiGo is losing its mind trying to kill this rule. Why?  Buckle up  AWCS (@AeroAwcs) December 6, 2025

The letter highlights how IndiGos current operational failures stem from a systemic erosion of its core values over many years, listing arrogant management, promotion of unqualified executives, and a toxic work culture where employee warnings about safety and fatigue were met with intimidation, as the major reasons. It also alleges severe exploitation and exhaustion faced by the workforce, including ground staff, pilots, and engineers. It adds that workers were critically overworked due to inadequate staffing and the removal of benefits, often without fair compensation.

WHAT DOES THE LETTER SAY?

The letter starts from the beginning of IndiGos journey in 2006 saying a source of genuine pride in the airline shifted as growth turned into greed" and pride turned into arrogance".

It alleged that the constant refrain of we are too big to fail" was the beginning of the real rot" to the moment when titles became more important than talent", leading to incompetent staff members filling top posts like vice president. This new management culture led to the exploitation and humiliation of the workforce, it added.

Pilots raised concerns about fatigue and unsafe duty timings. Instead of being heard, some were called to the head office, intimidated, shouted at, and humiliated. No consequences. No accountability. Just fear. When night duties were doubled, when new rules were implemented, when leaves were taken away-not a single extra rupee was added to compensate for the physical and mental toll," the letter alleged.

The letter further alleged that when employees questioned the untenable conditions, the message was hostile: Youre lucky to have a job," or even worse: Beggars cant be choosers". It said this attitude extended to passengers, whom the airline deliberately stopped calling passengers" and started calling customers", based on the rationale: If you call them passengers, theyll think they own the airline."

The letter also named eight top officials, blaming them for the crisis that culminated in the recent meltdown. The list is headed by CEO Pieter Elbers, who has been criticised for holidaying at his native Netherlands when this wildfire happened". Other officials named and explicitly blamed include Jason Herter, Aditi Kumari, Tapas Dey, Rahul Patil, Isidore Porqueras, Ashim Mitra, and Akshay Mohan.

According to the IndiGo website, Porqueras is the chief operating officer (COO), Mitra is the senior vice-president for flight operations, and Herter is the senior vice-president of the OCC.

The letter ends with a plea to the central government to intervene by setting minimum wages for ground staff, enforcing minimum manpower requirements per aircraft, and revisiting fatigue rules with employee representation.

WHAT IS THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT?

An airline spokesperson on Sunday said IndiGos board of directors has set up a high-level crisis management group (CMG) to deal with the large-scale cancellations and delays that have disrupted flight operations and inconvenienced passengers.

According to the statement, the CMG was formed after an emergency board meeting on the very first day the disruptions emerged. The board received a detailed briefing from the management on the nature and extent of the crisis before holding a closed-door session exclusively for members.

The newly formed CMG includes chairman Vikram Singh Mehta, board directors Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker, and Amitabh Kant, and CEO Pieter Elbers. The statement further read that the group has been meeting regularly to closely monitor the situation and review ongoing efforts to stabilise operations, adding that directors not part of the CMG have also participated in multiple telephonic discussions as part of the crisis-response mechanism.

Earlier, the DGCA formally issued a show-cause notice to Elbers, holding the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days and pointing to significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management". In the notice on Saturday (December 6), it demanded that the CEO provide an explanation for the week-long crisis. It states that Elbers must respond within 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against the carrier, while failure to reply will allow the regulator to decide the matter ex parte.

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Since last week, the civil aviation industry in India has been hit by massive disruptions with cancellations, severe delays, and the rescheduling of many flights by IndiGo, primarily due to a sudden shortage of pilots and crew following the implementation of revised flight duty time limitations (FDTL) norms issued by the DGCA last year.

(With agency inputs)

First Published: December 07, 2025, 12:43 IST

News india 'We All Saw It Coming': In 'Open Letter', IndiGo Pilots Blame CEO, Top Management For Airline 'Downfall'

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No NOC Was Issued: Official Blames Safety Norms Violation For Horrific Goa Nightclub Fire

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 09:43 IST

Describing the incident as very painful day for the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday promised swift action for those found responsible for a fire.

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Goa Fire Accident Live Updates: Victim being rescued. (PTI)

A deadly fire that broke out on Saturday night at a club on Romeo Lane in North Goa occurred at a venue that lacked the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) and violated fire safety norms, Director of Fire & Emergency Services Nitin V. Raiker said on Sunday.

According to Raiker, most of the 25 people who died in the Arpora nightclub fire in North Goa succumbed to suffocation. He stated that the blaze, triggered during a club party with a fire show, spread through the wooden structures of the building, and smoke descended to the basement where many victims were trapped.

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Most people died due to suffocation in the basement and kitchen area. I received information that there was a club party going on, and a fire show was organised in the club. The wooden parts of the club caught fire, and smoke spread throughout the building. The smoke descended to the basement, and many people died due to suffocation. They had not obtained any fire NOC, and no fire protection measures were followed. The department had not granted any fire NOC for running this club," he told CNN New18.

Raiker further said that fire services rushed to the spot immediately after the incident was reported and the blaze was brought under control within half an hour.

The incident happened at 12:30 am. We received the information that there is some fire incident at Romeo Lane. Fire services were rushed towards the spot immediately. In half an hour we extinguished the fire," he said.

According to the Goa Police, the death toll in the Arpora nightclub fire has risen to 25. The victims include four tourists and 14 members of the clubs staff, while the identities of seven others are yet to be established.

#BreakingNews | Goa Police Issues Statement, Death Toll Rises To 25 After Goa Nightclub Cylinder Blast4 Tourist, 14 Club Crew Among Dead, Identity Of 7 Yet To Be Established Vivek Gupta And @mayuganapatye Shares More Details Nitin V. Raiker, Director, Fire & Emergency pic.twitter.com/jMcYTNBBsK  News18 (@CNNnews18) December 7, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the Arpora nightclub fire, calling it a deeply saddening" tragedy. He said he had spoken to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and assured full support.

PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the incident.

Describing the incident as very painful day" for the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday promised swift action for those found responsible for a fire.

The death toll was reported to be 23 at first, and has risen to 25 now.

Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people. I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss," he wrote on X.

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I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident. The inquiry will examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed. Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law- any negligence will be dealt with firmly," CM Sawant added.

In a separate post, the Goa CM said that the PM spoke to him on the phone about the matter. The Honble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi ji, spoke to me regarding the tragic fire incident at Arpora, and I apprised him of the current situation on the ground. The Government of Goa is extending all assistance to the affected families, during this difficult time," he wrote.

Location : Goa, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 08:54 IST

News india No NOC Was Issued: Official Blames Safety Norms Violation For Horrific Goa Nightclub Fire

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Not Political: Aviation Minister Counters Rahul Gandhis Monopoly Charge As IndiGo Chaos Sparks Row

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 13:36 IST

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu dismissed Rahul Gandhis monopoly model accusation, insisting the IndiGo crisis is a public issue, not a political one.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu (PTI photo)

The political debate over the ongoing IndiGo crisis intensified this week, with Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu defending the governments role and rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhis accusation of promoting a monopoly model". The controversy comes at a time when nationwide flight disruptions have left thousands of passengers stranded.

Minister says issue is public, not political

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Responding to Gandhis criticism, the minister said the situation should not be turned into a political fight. He stressed that the government had consistently worked to promote competition in the aviation sector.

Naidu explained that new legislation was introduced to reduce leasing costs, making it easier for airlines to expand their fleets. The government has always tried to bring in more competition. The demand for aviation in the country is rising. This is an opportunity for more players to enter the sector, and the government wants this too," he said.

He added that the Leader of the Opposition should speak with complete information" before criticising the government.

Rahul Gandhi blames government for crisis

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi directly held the government responsible for the chaos caused by IndiGos massive flight cancellations. In a post on X, he said ordinary Indians were paying the price for what he described as the governments monopoly model".

IndiGo fiasco is the cost of this Governments monopoly model India deserves fair competition in every sector, not match-fixing monopolies," Gandhi wrote.

His comments added fuel to the political dispute, even as passengers across the country continued to face delays, cancellations, and long hours at airports.

Crew shortage and safety norms trigger disruptions

The crisis unfolded after IndiGo struggled to implement new flight safety norms aimed at addressing pilot fatigue, a major concern highlighted in global aviation standards. These norms, announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last year, were being introduced in phases across airlines.

However, IndiGo failed to reorganise its crew roster in line with the revised rules. This mismatch triggered a severe crew shortage, eventually leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights daily and a breakdown of the airlines operations.

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Airports across India have since witnessed large crowds of stranded passengers seeking alternate travel options.

To stabilise the situation, the DGCA has temporarily paused the implementation of the new safety norms. This has allowed IndiGo to slowly restore flights, with operations now limping back to normal", according to officials.

Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 13:36 IST

News india Not Political: Aviation Minister Counters Rahul Gandhis Monopoly Charge As IndiGo Chaos Sparks Row

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Odisha College Student Attempts Self-Immolation After Harassment; Fifth Such Case In 6 Months

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News18.com

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 13:23 IST

Police have arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly harassing the college student. They said preliminary investigation indicates the man had been troubling her.

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The ongoing SIR exercise, which began on November 4, is scheduled to continue till December 4. (Representational image)

A woman allegedly attempted self-immolation in Odishas Sundergarh after facing harassment, marking the fifth such incident reported in the state in the last six months.

The woman suffered nearly 90 per cent burn injuries. The incident took place on Friday night in the Lanjiberna area while the victims family members were asleep.

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Police have arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly harassing the college student. Sundergarh Superintendent of Police Amritpal Kaur said preliminary investigation indicates the man had been troubling her.

Family members rushed the second-year student to a nearby hospital after hearing her screams. She was later shifted to Ispat General Hospital (IGH) in Rourkela, where doctors said her condition remains highly critical."

The victims mother said her daughter received a threatening phone call before the incident. All the family members went to sleep on Friday night while she was studying. We woke up after hearing her scream. My daughter had received some threatening call following which she attempted self-immolation," she said.

The incident adds to a disturbing pattern of similar cases reported across Odisha in recent months. On July 14, a college student in Balasore died at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after allegedly attempting self-immolation over sexual harassment by her professor.

Four people, including the professor and the college principal, were later arrested and jailed for abetment.

On July 19, a minor girl from Balanga in Puri district allegedly set herself ablaze and died during treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi on August 2. Police are still investigating the cause.

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In a separate incident, a 20-year-old undergraduate student from Kendrapara district died on August 6 after allegedly being blackmailed by a male friend, who has since been arrested.

On August 11, a 13-year-old schoolgirl died after self-immolating in a field near her maternal uncles house under Phiringmal police station in Bargarh district.

Location : Odisha (Orissa), India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 13:23 IST

News india Odisha College Student Attempts Self-Immolation After Harassment; Fifth Such Case In 6 Months

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Vande Mataram Debate In Parliament Today: PM Modi Participates As Govt Looks To Corner Congress

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News18.com Edited By: Aveek Banerjee



Last Updated: December 08, 2025, 07:28 IST

The government has planned celebrations as India's national song 'Vande Mataram' marks its 150th anniversary. A 10-hour special discussion is listed in the Lok Sabha.

PM Modi is expected to address the parliamentary discussion on 'Vande Mataram'. (PTI/File)

A special discussion on the 150 years of Indias national song Vande Mataram will be held in the Lok Sabha on Monday (December 8), during which several important and lesser-known facts of the historic poem will be revealed.

Composed in Sanskrit by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, renowned as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, during the 1870s, the song became a timeless anthem of courage and unity, inspiring millions during Indias struggle for independence. The Union Cabinet on October 1 announced to celebrate the national songs 150th anniversary across the country.

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As the song marked its 150th anniversary on December 7, a 10-hour special discussion has been listed in the Lok Sabha to mark 150 years of Indias national song. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are expected to speak on the occasion.

PM Modi To Speak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also set to address the House on Vande Mataram. He had earlier accused Congress of dropping key stanzas of the song years before Indias independence. In 1937, crucial verses of Vande Mataram, a part of its soul, were severed. Vande Mataram was broken, torn into pieces," the PM said without naming anyone, while reciting all six stanzas.

Notably, the original poem has six stanzas, out of which only the first two stanzas have been officially adopted as Indias national song, since they are purely devotional and non-denominational parts.

Hitting back, the Congress cited a letter from Rabindranath Tagore to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, where he himself sought the adoption of two stanzas as the national song, and demanded an apology from Modi.

What Is Centres Plan?

The government has pushed a major national debate on Bankim Chandra Chatterjees iconic composition as part of its efforts to use the milestone to deepen youth connection with Vande Mataram.

Prime Minister Modi launched year-long Vande Mataram celebrations on November 7 to mark the milestone. A discussion on Vande Mataram is set to be the centre of political narrative during the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament.

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However, the opposition remains divided on the issue. While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has supported the discussion, the Congress questioned the timing of the debate and accused the government of using it as a distraction from electoral reforms and the SIR issue.

This came after a parliamentary bulletin reiterated rules on maintaining decorum in the House, stating that slogans such as Thanks," Jai Hind," and Vande Mataram" should not be raised during proceedings. The Opposition seized on the mention of Vande Mataram, with TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioning the governments stance and Congress leaders accusing it of hypocrisy.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 17:01 IST

News india Vande Mataram Debate In Parliament Today: PM Modi Participates As Govt Looks To Corner Congress

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Quad Officials Meet Twice In A Week: India, US Host Talks On Counter-Terrorism, Humanitarian Aid

Reported By :

News18.com Edited By: Aveek Banerjee



Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 21:18 IST

India hosted the third Quad Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting in New Delhi on December 4 and 5, while the US hosted the HADR Tabletop Exercise and Strategic Meeting.

Secretary (West) Ambassador Sibi George (Centre) at the 3rd QUAD Counter Terrorism Working Group Meeting, in New Delhi. (MEA)

India and the United States hosted two crucial meetings related to the Quad group  involving the US, India, Japan and Australia  on counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response in a single week.

India hosted the third Quad Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting in New Delhi on December 4 and 5 as part of Indias rotation hosting the next Quad Summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During the meeting, Quad partners unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism.

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Quad member-countries also expressed their condolences for the terror incident on November 10 near Delhis Red Fort and called for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice, while urging cooperation from the United Nations.

Tabletop Exercise On Counter-Terrorism

During the meeting, the Quad member countries exchanged assessments on the terrorism threat landscape, including developments in the Indo-Pacific region. A Tabletop Exercise (TTx) on Counter Terrorism Operations in the Urban Environment" was also conducted, which provided an opportunity for CT experts to share their best practices and identify opportunities for joint operational preparedness to respond to complex terrorist scenarios.

All sides discussed the full spectrum of counterterrorism cooperation and measures that could be used to address challenges and underscored the importance of ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains open and free from the threats of terrorism, as per the MEA statement.

In September 2025, India hosted two Quad CTWG workshops on countering the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for terrorist purposes and on preventing terrorist exploitation of new and emerging technologies for terror financing.

US Hosts Quad Meeting

On December 2 to 5, the US hosted the fourth annual Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Tabletop Exercise and Strategic Meeting in Hawaii to strengthen the blocs disaster response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific, according to a statement by the US State Department.

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As a founding pillar of the Quad partnership, HADR is a cornerstone of the groups efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific. Our coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance in response to the devastating earthquake in Burma in March this year was a testament to the Quads ability to mobilise resources and rapidly deliver life-saving assistance," read the statement.

This came months after Washington hosted the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in Washington, DC on July 1, where they announced a new agenda on maritime security, economic security, critical technology and humanitarian assistance.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 21:18 IST

News india Quad Officials Meet Twice In A Week: India, US Host Talks On Counter-Terrorism, Humanitarian Aid

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Telangana Plans To Rename US Consulate Road In Hyderabad As Donald Trump Avenue

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 20:51 IST

The Telangana government said it has decided to name the road along the US Consulate General as 'Donald Trump Avenue'.

US President Donald Trump. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

In an unusual decision, the Telangana government has decided to name a road in Hyderabad after US President Donald Trump. The high-profile road along the United States Consulate General in Hyderabad will be named Donald Trump Avenue, the government said in a release.

The state government will write to the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the US Embassy to inform them of the plans. Earlier this year, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, while addressing the annual US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) conclave in Delhi, had proposed naming key roads in Hyderabad after leading global corporations.

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The proposal is part of the governments plan to name and rename multiple roads in the state after several famous personalities. The upcoming greenfield radial road at the proposed RRR will also be named in honour of the late industrialist Ratan Tata.

Additionally, a prominent stretch will be named Google Street to recognise the global impact and contribution of Google and Google Maps. The road along Googles upcoming campus, set to be the companys largest outside the US, in Hyderabads Financial District, will receive this recognition.

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Microsoft and Wipro are also expected to receive recognition in the citys topography, with a Wipro Junction and a Microsoft Road, in line with the chief ministers vision, the release added.

The announcements were made on the eve of the Telangana Rising Global Summit, beginning on Monday at the upcoming Bharat Future City near Hyderabad. The two-day event aims to demonstrate vast investment opportunities in Telangana.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 20:45 IST

News india Telangana Plans To Rename US Consulate Road In Hyderabad As Donald Trump Avenue

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Amid an intensifying international focus on stablecoins, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released a 56-page report detailing what it sees as the key risks surrounding their adoption.

The report draws parallels from the claims many other central banks and international financial organizations make regarding the threat stablecoins represent to governmental monetary control, to ultimately argue in favor of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC).

Currency substitution facilitated by stablecoin adoption would impinge on monetary sovereignty, a countrys ability to exercise full control over its own currency and monetary policy, the report released Dec. 5 stated. "Central bank money is the most basic, liquid and resilient form of money, and should continue to play its role."

Gate CBO Kevin Lees view shared a more conciliatory view with CoinDesk: While central banks rightly focus on stability, we believe the narrative of 'substitution risk' misses the bigger picture. Private stablecoins and future CBDCs can co-exist.

In line with recent European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) reports, the IMF stated that under certain circumstances, such as fire sales, central banks could be forced to intervene, threatening financial stability.

In this regard, Erbil Karaman, co-founder of Huma.Finance, whose payment network has processed over $8 billion in stablecoin transactions, told CoinDesk: The benefits of stablecoins far outweigh the concerns. The report fails to acknowledge the majority of people live in highly unstable fiat economies.

Centralized policy making and centralized financial systems have failed these people for decades, which is why they are mass adopting stablecoins and liberating themselves," he added.

The IMF insists the crypto industry lacks controls and regulatory compliance, making it vulnerable to illegal transactions.

Stablecoins could also be exploited for illicit purposes like money laundering and terrorist financing, due to their pseudonymity, low transaction costs, and cross-border ease, the IMF added.

The same case could be made for the U.S. dollar. The Treasury released a report in 2024 saying, the U.S. dollar remains a popular method to transport and launder illicit proceeds both within and outside of the United States.

Influential billionaire founder of Mexican Grupo Salinas, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, said he views all the official anti-crypto campaigns as clear indications of the fear.

"The banks, the establishment, they are scared, because they are going to lose the power and the money that they had for so many centuries. And thats what this whole campaign against crypto and bitcoin is all about," he said in a recent interview with Kitco News.
Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2025: History, Significance, Quotes And How You Can Contribute

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 06:40 IST

Indian Armed Forces Flag Day marks country's gratitude towards our courageous soldiers, who protect the motherland from all kinds of threats and ensure peace within its territory.

Indian Armed Forces Flag Day is observed annually on December 7.

Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2025: Observed annually on December 7, the Indian Armed Forces Flag Day is honours the services and sacrifices of the nations brave Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. The day marks the countrys gratitude towards our courageous soldiers, who protect the motherland from all kinds of threats and ensure peace within its territory.

Flag Day originated on December 7, 1949, when the government of India established it as a day to pay nationwide tribute to the armed forces, raising awareness about their key contribution to a democratic and secular India and creating channels to secure welfare funds for them.

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Indian Armed Forces Flag Day: History And Significance

The 2025 Indian Armed Forces Day will be the 76th anniversary of the occasion. On this day, the government of India and millions of Indians take part in welfare and cultural programs to denote their gratitude and support for the Indian armed forces.

Drawing inspiration from the continuous service and sacrifice of the Army, Navy and Air Force, many individuals pledge to stand with the defence community and contribute in some shape and form towards the protection and development of the country.

The staff from respective forces establishes welfare programs to collect voluntary donations from people for the rehabilitation of war widows, disabled soldiers and ex-servicemen.

Often, these donations are made by the citizens in exchange for the distribution of small flags, with red, deep blue and light blue flags signalling support towards the Army, Navy, and Air Force, respectively.

How You Can Contribute

Indian citizens can contribute to the Indian Armed Forces Flag Day by taking an active part in the flag distribution and donation campaigns across the country. Make your valuable donation towards the welfare of the armed forces and stand behind the war widows, disabled and retired force members.

On this day, many schools and educational institutions organise cultural and patriotic programs. Several rallies, exhibitions and awareness drives are also hosted.

Donations can be made physically at the donation camps organised by the staff members of the armed forces, as well as online via the official Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) portal.

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Indian Armed Forces Flag Day: Quotes

We have nothing to fear because we have Indian armed forces guarding us. Happy Indian Armed Forces Flag Day to all."

We have always been safe when they are around. Thanking our armed forces on Indian Armed Forces Flag Day."

The occasion of Indian Armed Forces Flag Day reminds us all that we must thank the Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives and comforts for us."

They truly put their nation before anything else and thats why they are so loved by all of us. Wishing a very Happy Indian Armed Forces Flag Day."

First Published: December 07, 2025, 06:40 IST

News lifestyle events Indian Armed Forces Flag Day 2025: History, Significance, Quotes And How You Can Contribute
Bollywoods Most Stylish Stars Show How To Wear The Little Black Dress In 2025

Curated By :

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 11:51 IST

From Disha Patani to Jacqueline Fernandez, here are five celebrity-approved LBD looks to elevate your wardrobe this season.

(L-R) Disha Patani in Marianna Senchina, Jacqueline Fernandez in YSL

Few fashion staples have earned the cult status of the Little Black Dress. Decade after decade, the LBD has remained the ultimate style equaliser. It is simple, versatile, and endlessly reinventable. And if Bollywoods most fashionable women have proved anything, its that this timeless piece thrives on personal interpretation. From sculptural couture to barely-there satin slips, each star adds her distinct flair, reminding us that the LBD is less about the dress itself and more about the attitude you pair it with.

Ahead, five standout takes from Disha Patani, Giorgia Andriani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Malaika Arora, and Harnaaz Sandhu that showcase the enduring magic of black-on-black elegance.

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Disha Patanis Playful Sophistication

View this post on Instagram A post shared by disha patani (paatni)  (@dishapatani)

Disha Patani offers a youthful, whimsical spin on the classic silhouette with her strapless velvet mini adorned with vivid red heart motifs. The rich fabric gives the look depth, while the playful embellishments keep it from feeling too serious. By opting for minimal jewellery and a sleek half-up hairdo, she lets the dress do the talking. Her look is the perfect blend of romantic charm and modern glamour.

Giorgia Andrianis Sculptural Drama

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Giorgia Andriani (@giorgia.andriani22)

For those who love bold, architectural fashion, Giorgia Andrianis LBD moment is a masterclass. Her black mini dress features exaggerated ruching, voluminous ruffles, and an asymmetric shape that creates visual movement from every angle. The textured fabric instantly elevates the ensemble, giving it a couture-like appeal. By keeping her accessories clean and understated, Giorgia ensures that the silhouette remains the hero of the look. Its an LBD made for fashion maximalists.

Malaika Aroras Edgy Minimalism

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Malaika Arora (@malaikaaroraofficial)

Malaika Arora redefines laid-back luxury with her slip-style black dress. The satin-like fabric falls seamlessly, creating a silhouette that feels both relaxed and incredibly polished. Styled barefoot and photographed in an effortlessly casual setting, the look challenges the idea that an LBD must always be dressed up." Malaikas interpretation is a reminder that confidence, ease, and clean lines can create some of the most powerful style statements.

Jacqueline Fernandezs Old Hollywood Allure

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jacqueline Fernandez (@jacquelienefernandez)

Channelling vintage glamour, Jacqueline Fernandez opts for an off-shoulder black dress with a deep V neckline and a striking asymmetrical hem. The structured shoulders and curve-contoured bodice give the dress a cinematic feel, while sheer black tights add drama without overwhelming the look. With slicked-back hair and a classic red lip, Jacqueline revives the seductive elegance of Old Hollywood in an LBD moment that feels timeless, refined, and undeniably sultry.

Harnaaz Sandhus Modern Romance

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harnaaz Sandhu (@harnaazsandhu_03)

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Harnaaz Sandhu brings soft glamour to the LBD with a ribbed knit fit-and-flare dress highlighted by a crystal-studded neckline inspired by infinity motifs. The long sleeves and flattering silhouette balance comfort with sophistication, making the look suitable for everything from day events to evening soirees. The jewelled neckline adds just the right amount of sparkle, reinforcing the LBDs ability to effortlessly shift from understated to elevated.

Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 11:51 IST

News lifestyle fashion Bollywoods Most Stylish Stars Show How To Wear The Little Black Dress In 2025
Shloka And Akash Ambani Shine In Coordinated Looks At Swadesh Mumbai Launch

Curated By :

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 09:18 IST

Akash and Shloka Ambani turned heads at the Swadesh Mumbai launch with their coordinated, elegant outfits.

Akash and Shloka Ambani arrive in coordinated, understated glamour at the Swadesh Mumbai launch.

The launch of the Swadesh flagship store in Mumbai on December 5 unfolded as a vibrant tribute to Indias textile legacy. The space resembled a living museum brimming with opulent silks, intricate brocades, weighty artisanal weaves, and feather-light handloom drapes. Guests wandered through the immersive setup, pausing to admire the craftsmanship at every turn. Among the many who attended, Akash Ambani and Shloka Ambani arrived in impeccable style, naturally drawing the spotlight.

Akash and Shloka command attention

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Shloka stepped out in a full-length metallic gold ensemble that shimmered with every movement. The high neckline and sculpted bodice carved out an elongated silhouette, while soft, deliberate gathers down the front lent dimension to the otherwise sleek look. Full sleeves added to the fluid sophistication.

Her beauty choices kept the focus on the outfit, hair pulled back into a long, glossy ponytail and makeup that struck the perfect fresh yet refined" balance: softly defined eyes, subtle contouring, a touch of highlighter, and a muted lip. Diamond earrings offered just the right hint of sparkle without overpowering the ensemble.

Akash complemented her effortlessly in a dark, intricately woven bandhgala featuring a tapestry-like pattern. The fabric caught the light in a subdued, elegant way. With a clean cut and no superfluous accessories, he let the craftsmanship of the garment take centre stage.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood)

Nita Ambani sets the fashion tone

Before the couple made their entrance, Nita Ambani had already defined the sartorial mood for the evening. She chose a peacock-blue Banarasi saree by Manish Malhotra, a piece rich in depth and heritage. Malhotra later revealed that the saree featured Meena work and was crafted using the traditional kadhua technique, details that anchored the look firmly in the artisanal ethos Swadesh champions. Paired with heirloom jewellery, her appearance felt both regal and deeply rooted in Indian textile tradition.

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Bollywoods finest add glamour

The event also drew a host of Bollywood names, Ananya Panday, Karisma Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Genelia Deshmukh, Sonam Kapoor, among others each contributing to the celebratory atmosphere with their standout ethnic ensembles.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 09:18 IST

News lifestyle fashion Shloka And Akash Ambani Shine In Coordinated Looks At Swadesh Mumbai Launch
From Latte Makeup To Skin Streaming, This New Makeup Hack Gives A Sunlit Glow Without Any Filter

Curated By :

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 13:48 IST

Blonzing, the new makeup technique, is taking over the beauty feeds with its sun-kissed glow this season. Heres why it flatters nearly every skin tone.

Blonzing Is The Glow Shortcut Beauty Creators Dont Want You To Know Yet. A Two-in-One Trick Giving Faces That Celebrity-Level Radiance (Image-AI)

By the time a makeup hack becomes a viral must-try, it has usually travelled through countless creators, celebrity GRWMs and backstage artists. What starts as a quiet trick used by professionals quickly turns into a global obsession, shaping the way millions approach their daily routines.

Each trend managed to crack the code for soft radiance and effortless warmth. Yet now, as 2025 comes to an end, one word has suddenly managed to take over GRWMs, tutorials and beauty breakdowns alike. Its the hack everyone swears by, the technique that feels both new and obvious once you see it in action: Blonzing.

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The internets latest obsession may sound like a typo, something accidentally typed between rushed captions and quick edits, but the results are camera-friendly. Blonzing, a clever mix of blush and bronzing, is the art of merging warmth and colour in an effortless sweep.

Online observers first noticed the shift when celebrity makeup artists began quietly sharing their method: mixing warm-toned blush with bronzer to create a sunburnt but sculpted finish. Before long, global celebrities from red-carpet regulars to natural-glam icons appeared with that warm finish across the temples, cheeks, and nose bridge.

The fascination was immediate for every budding and experienced makeup enthusiast; the technique did not rely on sharp contour lines or overly diffused blush. Instead, it created a glow like the kind earned from a weekend by the sea or an impromptu road trip in mellow sunlight.

A Closer Look At The Blonzing Technique

As blonzing combines the words blush and bronzing, the technique merges the depth of the bronzer and the vibrance of the blush to create a dewy finish. Instead of defining and brightening separately, it bridges both steps into one application.

Why does it work?

Blonzing deepens the high points

Adds warmth around the cheekbones and temples

Delivers a subtle flush across the bridge of the nose

Traditional bronzing focuses on sculpting  warming the perimeters of the face. Blush aims to add freshness. When both the products are combined intentionally, the effect takes a different edge; it becomes multi-dimensional, brightening while sculpting, warming while lifting.

The Rise of The Bronzing Technique

A beauty technique always manages to score the goal every few seasons to redefine the way people approach glow. In 2024, the beauty industry was dominated by Skin streaming", which encouraged minimalism. Before that, latte makeup" dominated feeds with its creamy, monochromatic finish. By the end of 2025, however, the tide had shifted toward warmth. That is how Blonzing stepped into the spotlight.

Makeup artists had already been blending bronzers and blushes backstage to customise tones for decades now. But this time, the technique gained a name, and the moment it became a labelled trend, creators and celebrities alike embraced it, turning it into a global aesthetic movement.

Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities like Ananya Panday, Suhana Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber have often been seen facing the camera with this dewy finish on their face.

What truly propelled the trend was its inclusivity. Viewers and makeup observers noticed that the technique worked on a variety of skin tones, and the secret is the balance between undertones. When rose, apricot, or coral hues melt into golden or caramel bronzers, they present a natural flush that sunlight creates on the skin. This not only made the technique accessible but also relatable and instantly shareable.

How To Blonze: Step-By-Step Technique

Choose the right shades The technique depends entirely on undertone synergy.

Fair skin: peach, petal pink blush and honey or light gold bronzer

Medium skin: coral, terracotta blush and caramel or amber bronzer

Deep skin: berry, brick blush and bronze, copper, or deep golden bronzers

Beauty brands have now begun releasing blonzing palettes to eliminate the guesswork, duos or trios designed specifically for blending.

Placement Unlike traditional application, blonzing does not separate blush and bronzer zones. Instead, it sweeps across the face in a soft, sunlit pattern.

The recommended placement mirrors natural sunlight:

High points of cheeks

Across the nose bridge

Lightly onto the temples

A touch on the forehead and chin

Texture Creams and liquids blend seamlessly and are considered great for beginners or dewy-glam lovers. Powders offer control and longevity for oily skin types. The rule is simple: use matching formulas. Cream with cream, powder with powder. Mixing textures may create patchiness.

Less Is Always More Blonzing is not about intensity; it is about believable warmth. A light hand, buffed gradually, is key. The moment the colour becomes too heavy, the effect shifts from sunlit" to overly saturated.

Difference Between Bronzing and Blonzing

While the two words may sound similar, they are completely different.

Bronzing is a technique that adds warmth to the skin, depth, defines and contours and focuses on the structure. Bronzing mimics a tan and sharpens the face. On the other hand, blonzing merges colour and warmth, adds radiance and dimension, creates a dewy look and looks more lived-in and natural.

Bronzing enhances and blonzing blends the products and creating a sun-kissed finish. It blurs the line between structure and freshness.

Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Blonzing

It works across ages and skin types The technique does not rely on heavy contour or sharp lines, making it flattering and easy to use.

Embraces multi-use products The beauty world is slowly and steadily shifting towards hybrid formulas. Blonzing fits with the new shift.

Aligns with minimalist beauty People want routines that simplify and do not complicate. Blonzing removes the need for using multiple layers.

The technique looks photogenic The glow of blonzing resembles the golden-hour lighting, which is delicate and defined.

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A Trend Thats More Than A Trend

Despite its viral status, blonzing is not just a regular trend; it represents a shift in the beauty industry. People are moving from sculpted perfection to radiance. From heavily contoured cheekbones to sun-softened warmth, blonzing is not about following a trend; its about rediscovering glow that feels effortless and authentic.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 13:48 IST

News lifestyle From Latte Makeup To Skin Streaming, This New Makeup Hack Gives A Sunlit Glow Without Any Filter

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Are Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande In A Non-Demi-Curious Semi-Binary Relationship? Heres The Truth

Published By :

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 13:47 IST

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been making headlines for their affectionate bond during Wicked: For Good press conference.

Actor Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande during the promotions of their film Wicked

Hollywood icon Cynthia Erivo and popstar Ariana Grandes close bond has been making headlines since they started working on the Wicked franchise. During a press conference for their latest film, Wicked: For Good, the duo was caught sharing several affectionate moments with one another, prompting speculations surrounding their possible relationship.

As the speculations continued to rise among fans, a viral social media post claimed the two stars are reportedly in a non-demi-curious semi-binary relationship".

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What is a Non-Demi-Curious Semi-Binary Relationship?

The term non-demi-curious semi-binary does not exist in reality. It is not a relationship style that can be found in LGBTQ+ communities. It sounds like someone took real terms like demisexuality, demigender, and non-binary and mixed them together to create a new one.

The word Demi means it does not align with a demigender identity. The identities, including demigirl and demiboy, indicate a partial connection to a specific gender. On the other hand, Curious means being open to exploring something without committing to it, while Semi-Binary pokes fun at discussions about people who identify partly with the gender binary. In short, the phrase is a total satire and does not mean anything.

Are Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in a Non-Demi-Curious Semi-Binary relationship?

The term did not originate from any real interview or credible source. It came from a satirical Facebook page known for making up humorous celebrity quotes. The page posted a fake remark, suggesting Cynthia and Ariana were exploring a relationship. Although it was clearly a spoof, some fans took it seriously and began speculating about their possible relationship.

As per online discussions, the term non-demi-curious semi-binary was created as a joke, suggesting how fans sometimes overanalyse celebrity friendships. Neither Cynthia Erivo nor Ariana Grande has yet addressed the rumour directly.

What is the reason behind their affectionate bond?

Earlier, during an appearance on Amy Poehlers Good Hang podcast, Ariana Grande revealed she often expresses comfort through physical touch. I channel a lot of energy through my hands Im always holding a hand or squeezing something," Ariana stated, explaining her physical closeness with Cynthia is simply part of how she communicates warmth while doing press.

Despite the rumours, both stars have been clear about their respective personal lives. While Ariana is currently dating Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, Cynthia has been dating Lena Waithe since 2024.

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First Published: December 07, 2025, 13:47 IST

News lifestyle relationship Are Cynthia Erivo And Ariana Grande In A Non-Demi-Curious Semi-Binary Relationship? Heres The Truth
How To Protect Your Pets, Ensure They Are Warm This Winter Season

Published By :

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 15:28 IST

Make sure to look after your pet's health during the extreme temperatures and chilly surroundings of the winter season.

When cold hits, ensure your pets have a warm space to relax

As the cold winter approaches its peak in December and January, people double down on their attention to clothing and adopt strategies to stay warm and healthy. But what about your pets at home? Are you planning to travel to snowy areas to enjoy Alpine-like conditions? Either way, it is important for pet parents to embrace measures to keep their fur buddies warm and free from the dangers of extreme temperatures.

The best time to prepare for weather is before you have that weather," said Dr Michael Bailey, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, as quoted by The Hindustan Times. The same thing you would do for children in your house, do for your pet." According to Bailey, pet owners must prepare beforehand to safeguard their pets from risks associated with winter.

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Experts Health Tips To Protect Pets From Winter Threats

If you are living or planning to travel to areas where there is snowfall, experts suggest pet owners recognise the signs of hypothermia and frostbite to avoid their pets coming in contact with antifreeze and de-icing chemicals. It is also advised to take precautionary steps to mitigate the effects of snow, rain, wind and ice.

When you think of dogs, you think, well, they already have a fur coat, so they should be fine in the cold, but that isnt necessarily true," said Amy Hrin, who works with the American Humane Society. The measures to adopt may also vary depending on the breed, size and age of the pet, as well as the prevailing temperatures and how cold the pet may feel.

While parts of India often approach temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius during the peak winters, many cities in the USA hit the freeze and get so cold that smaller and older pets experience multiple health concerns.

Dogs are usually at a heightened risk of frostbite once the temperature falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if the surroundings are damp. It leaves their paws, ears and tails more vulnerable. If the condition persists, it may turn into hypothermia that can be deadly if untreated.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, mild hypothermia can begin when your dogs body temperature drops below 98F. You can gauge the danger signs by noticing if there is a drop in reflexes, increased heart rate or breathing difficulties.

In Cold, Dont Limit The Pet To Indoors

Another major health concern for the pets during winter is associated with de-icing salts and chemicals, which can irritate paw pads, dry them out or worse, burn them. If the animal licks its paws, de-icing salts and chemicals may also cause indigestion and gut problems. The American Humane Society says cleaning paws after walks and applying paw balms can mitigate this risk.

Antifreeze is another winter-related pet risk, which can cause damage to the kidneys and be fatal if not noticed and treated properly. If your pet is exhibiting drooling, vomiting, seizures and lethargy, its a warning sign for you to immediately act.

The ethylene glycol in it is very dangerous. One thing I dont think owners realize is some of those are actually kind of sweet to the taste to dogs. Its almost enticing to eat," said Dr. Paige Andersen, vice president of the American Animal Hospital Association Board of Directors.

Despite all the winter-associated risks, however, limiting the pets movements to indoors is a no-no. There are several breeds of dogs and other pets which love the winter surroundings and enjoy going through their activities in pleasant temperatures. Experts suggest using dog sweaters and shoes before fun and healthy outdoor activities like walking and playing hide and seek with them.

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First Published: December 07, 2025, 15:28 IST

News lifestyle relationship How To Protect Your Pets, Ensure They Are Warm This Winter Season
The Ultimate Year-End Pour: 7 Luxurious Spirits To Toast To 2025 In Style

Curated By :

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 11:29 IST

Discover the finest premium spirits to elevate your winter celebrations.

From rich whiskies to refined tequilas and bourbons, heres our curated selection of premium pours to help you wrap up 2025 in style and welcome the new year on a golden note.

As the year comes to a close and the winter chill sets in, theres no better way to celebrate than with a glass of something exceptional in hand. Whether youre marking milestones, enjoying cozy evenings, or toasting to new beginnings, this is the perfect season to savor spirits that bring warmth and joy to every sip. From rich whiskies to refined tequilas and bourbons, heres our curated selection of premium pours to help you wrap up 2025 in style and welcome the new year on a golden note.

1. PATRON EL ALTO

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An exceptional ultra-premium tequila crafted with passion, PATRON EL ALTO is a symphony of aged complexity and sweet elegance. Made from the highest-quality 100% Blue Weber Agave grown in the elevated regions of Jalisco, Mexico, this tequila blends Extra Anejo, Anejo, and Reposado expressions, each aged to perfection. Rich in character, the spirit reveals soft, sweet notes of cooked agave, apricots, vanilla, and toasted wood, finishing with a whisper of almonds and chocolate. With its smooth, layered finish and radiant golden hue, PATRON EL ALTO is a luxurious pour best savored slowly, whether youre celebrating milestones or creating unforgettable winter moments.

Price: 24,000 (Haryana)

2. LEGACY

A newly launched, made-in-India premium blended whisky proudly crafted by Bacardi, LEGACY is a celebration of homegrown craftsmanship and modern sophistication. Blended with the finest Indian malts, Scottish malts, and Indian grains, this whisky delivers a rich tapestry of fruity notes, subtle peat, and undertones of toasted oak with a gentle whiff of spice. The delicate sweet-vanillic smoky finish makes it an exceptionally versatile choice for any occasion. This festive season, gather your loved ones and raise a toast to gratitude, love, and tradition with the unmistakably Indian taste of LEGACY.

Price: 1,200 approx. (varies by market)

3. DEWARS 12 Year Old

A true symbol of refinement, DEWARS 12 Year Old embodies the art of Double-Aginga technique that lends this whisky its exceptional smoothness and complexity. Aged in first-fill bourbon casks, it delivers rich, fruity notes complemented by a luscious body and delightful hints of honey, citrus, and vanilla. Each sip lingers, inviting indulgence and appreciation. Whether served neat, on the rocks, or as the base of a refined highball, DEWARS 12 Year Old is the perfect companion for Christmas and New Year celebrationsa whisky that turns every moment into a masterpiece.

Price: 2,500

4. WELLER SPECIAL RESERVE BOURBON

Often referred to as the original wheated bourbon," Weller Special Reserve offers an exceptionally smooth and approachable drinking experience. Its rich burnt-orange hue hints at layers of flavor withinhoney, butterscotch, and a gentle touch of oak. Perfect for sipping neat or mixing into winter cocktails like a Paper Plane, this bourbon delivers luxury without complexity, appealing to both connoisseurs and curious newcomers. A timeless pour that pairs beautifully with the warmth of winter evenings.

Price: 2,500 (Haryana)  4,500 (Mumbai)

5. TEELING WHISKEY SMALL BATCH CLASSIC

Rounding off this refined selection is Teeling Whiskey Small Batch Classic, one of Irelands most celebrated exports now making waves in India. Crafted in small batches from hand-selected casks of grain and malt whiskies, and aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, it offers a smooth, balanced experience. Expect creamy vanilla intertwined with spicy fruit notes, making each sip a harmonious dance of flavor. With its distinct character and modern Irish charm, Teeling is poised to be a standout choice for whiskey lovers in 2025, the perfect winter companion for those who appreciate craftsmanship with character.

Price: 4,000 approx.

This winter, elevate your celebrations with these premium spirits that promise to warm your heart, delight your palate, and make every moment unforgettable.

6. ARTHAUS Whisky  Where Art Meets Spirit

Minimalism, geometry, and pure creative form, ARTHAUS brings the Bauhaus aesthetic straight to your bar. While the masterful blend of specially curated Speyside and Highlands single malts makes it a spirit of choice for celebrations, its striking design elevates it into a collectors dream. This New Years, gift a bottle where art meets whisky, and every detailfrom bottle to pour is a toast to craftsmanship and creativity.

7. RANGEELA Contemporary Indian Vodka

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Conceptualized by cultural catalyst Ranveer Singh, who also serves as Co-Founder and Creative Partner at ABD Maestro, RANGEELA embodies a spirit that celebrates Indias vibrant colours and deep emotions. With its smooth, versatile character and distinct personality, RANGEELA is set to redefine how contemporary India experiences vodka. Triple distilled and platinum chill-filtered for exceptional smoothness, RANGEELA represents boldness, expression, and unapologetically filmy masaledaar" energy.

Price: Debuted in Maharashtra at an MRP of 2,400 for 750 ml

First Published: December 07, 2025, 11:29 IST

News lifestyle The Ultimate Year-End Pour: 7 Luxurious Spirits To Toast To 2025 In Style
Planning A Solo Vacation? Shenaz Treasury Breaks Down The Highs And Lows Of Solo Travel

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 09:14 IST

From decision fatigue to meeting new people and living your best life, travel influencer Shenaz Treasury gets candid about her solo travelling journey

Shenaz Treasury speaks about her solo travelling life

Actor and travel influencer Shenaz Treasury shared a few insights into her solo travelling journey. She also spoke about the highs as well as the lows from her years of solo travelling adventures and experiences. Taking to Instagram, Treasury shared a video offering a few lessons for solo travellers and women planning their next perfect getaway and hoping to unwind away from the daily chaos of juggling personal and professional responsibilities.

Everyone must solo travel at least once in their life. Solo travel is a must. Especially before you get married and have a family," wrote the influencer as she broke down her experience of solo travelling into highs and lows.

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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Travel, Romance, Smiles (@shenaztreasury)

Shenaz Treasury Shares Highs Of Solo Travelling

Among the biggest advantages of solo travelling, she says, is the freedom from time constraints and the luxury of waking up whenever you want. It is your trip, your rules," she noted, while highlighting that you have total freedom to do whatever you want."

Along the way, Shenaz Treasury said, solo travelers get to meet strangers and people from diverse backgrounds. She insisted that these great conversations with people from all over the world" make you feel alive. The former actress added that the time away from the daily chaos and noise allows travellers to hear your own thoughts" and gives them the space to take up journaling like a movie star in a cafe."

Shenaz Treasury Shares Lows Of Solo Travelling

Despite highlighting the number of solo travelling perks, Treasury also gave her followers an insight into the lows that they must be mindful of. For Shenaz Treasury, one of the problems with solo travelling is that you are indeed alone and on your own to make ends meet.

Apart from having nobody to wake up with", solo travellers often face decision fatigue" as people confront the question: What do I do today? It is all on you."

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The globetrotter also talked about the sense of envy that kicks in. At a point when others are enjoying the trips with their partners or friends, a solo traveller is left there by yourself eating dinner alone."

Often, such travellers also face a spiral of overthinking about their personal and professional life during a trip they desperately wanted and should be enjoying to the fullest.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 09:14 IST

News lifestyle travel Planning A Solo Vacation? Shenaz Treasury Breaks Down The Highs And Lows Of Solo Travel
'Are You Happy?': Amitabh Bachchan's First Question To Aishwarya Rai After Abhishek Bachchan Proposed

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 10:49 IST

Amitabh Bachchan recalls asking Aishwarya Rai if she was happy the night Abhishek proposed, sharing a rare glimpse into their private family moment.

Amitabh Bachchan recalls asking Aishwarya Rai if she was happy after Abhishek Bachchan's proposal.

Long before the big Bachchan wedding became national obsession, there was a small, emotional moment that defined it all  Amitabh Bachchan asking Aishwarya Rai one heartfelt question the night Abhishek proposed and the gentle way he welcomed her.

Speaking to Midday shortly after their wedding, he recalled exactly how he found out about the proposal and how he welcomed Aishwarya into their home.

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Amitabh Bachchan said the phone call came from New York, right after the premiere of Guru. Abhishek had proposed to Aishwarya and immediately informed his father. Amitabh remembered, Abhishek and Aishwarya are fond of each other. In New York, after the premiere of Guru, Abhishek called me and said that he proposed to her. I said, Come on home. I asked Aishwarya if she was happy. She said yes. I picked them up and took her home. I told her, this is your home. Humko kya lena dena hai aur kuch se? (How does anything else matter?)."

This wasnt the first time that Amitabh Bachchan had stood up for Aishwarya Rai. Back in 2010, a Mumbai tabloid claimed Aishwarya Rai Bachchan couldnt conceive because of stomach tuberculosis. Amitabh Bachchan was upset and wrote on his blog, calling the report false and insensitive. He said it was a hurtful invasion of Aishwaryas privacy, especially since it involved her health.

Amitabh Bachchan had written on his blog, as quoted by PTI and published by Rediff. I am the head of my family. Aishwarya is not my daughter-in-law, she is my daughter, a woman, a lady in my house and home. If anyone will speak derogatorily about her, I shall fight for her till my last breath. If you have something to say to the men in the house, Abhishek or me, I shall bear it. BUT  if you shall make injudicious remarks on the women in my home, I shall not tolerate it !!!."

Aishwarya Rai married Abhishek Bachchan on April 20, 2007, in a grand ceremony, and became the Bachchan Bahu" Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Aishwarya and Abhishek have a daughter named Aaradhya Bachchan.

Abhishek and Aishwaryas journey began years earlier. The two first connected as co-stars on Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (2000) and later Kuch Naa Kaho (2003). Their friendship eventually turned into love while filming Umrao Jaan in 20052006. They tied the knot on 20 April 2007 in a grand but tightly guarded ceremony that drew national attention. Before her marriage, Aishwarya had already been in the spotlight for past relationships with Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi, making the new chapter even more watched. The couple welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, in 2011, becoming one of Bollywoods most beloved families.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 10:45 IST

News movies bollywood 'Are You Happy?': Amitabh Bachchan's First Question To Aishwarya Rai After Abhishek Bachchan Proposed
Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, Wife Arrested In Rs 30 Crore Fraud Case

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 23:24 IST

Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and six others are accused of defrauding Udaipur-based Dr Ajay Murdia of Rs 30 crore.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt. (File)

The Udaipur police on Sunday arrested renowned filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife from Mumbai in a Rs 30 crore cheating case registered in Rajasthan.

The arrest took place during a joint operation by the Rajasthan Police and Mumbai Police at the home of Bhatts sister-in-law in Mumbais Yaari Road area, news agency PTI reported.

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Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and six others are accused of defrauding Udaipur-based Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira Group of Companies, of Rs 30 crore.

According to the FIR filed at Bhupalpura police station in Udaipur, Dr Murdia alleged that the filmmaker and his associates lured him into investing more than Rs 30 crore in four films by promising high returns (up to 200 crore). One of the films was said to be a biography meant to pay tribute to Dr Murdias late wife.

Eight people were named in the FIR, including Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari, his daughter Krishna, a local Udaipur resident Dinesh Kataria, co-producer Mahboob Ansari, and others.

Murdia, owner of Indira IVF Hospital, wanted to make a biopic on his late wife. He has alleged that he was promised earnings of Rs 200 crore. But nothing materialised, after which Murdia approached Bhopalpura police station in Udaipur, where an FIR was registered for cheating and other offences," a police official said as quoted by the news agency.

Rajasthan police will apply for transit remand in Bandra court on Monday.

Earlier, Udaipur Police issued a lookout notice against the film director, his wife, and other accused.

Last month, Bhatt denied of the allegations, saying that the police have been completely misguided.

I think it came on a TV channel in Rajasthan that there has been an FIR against me. And then a journalist friend of mine sent me an FIR. So I read the entire FIR. Now, to be honest, I feel that the Rajasthan Police is being misled," he had said.

Who Is Vikram Bhatt?

Vikram Bhatt entered the film industry as an assistant to director Mukul Anand on the latters debut film, Kanoon Kya Karega. He was 14 at the time. Bhatt later went on to direct several notable films, including Ghulam starring Aamir Khan, which became a box-office success.

In 2008, Vikram Bhatt returned to the horror genre and went on to deliver successful films like 1920, Shaapit, and Haunted  3D.

Location : Udaipur, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 21:15 IST

News movies Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, Wife Arrested In Rs 30 Crore Fraud Case
Jack Osbourne and his wife Aree Gearhart are expecting their second child together.

Jack Osbourne is to become a father again

The 40-year-old star - who was voted off the British TV series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on Friday (05.12.25) - revealed that the pair informed his late father Ozzy Osbourne that he was going to be a grandad again prior to his death aged 76 in July.

Jack - who has daughters Pearl, 13, Andy, 10, and Minnie, seven, with his ex-wife Lisa Stelly as well as Maple, three, with Aree - told The Sun: "It's awesome. It's been partly a healthy distraction, partly healing - probably in that kind of 'full cycle' category, in a weird way.

"It's very much taken energy out of the grieving side of things and parked in a bit more hopefulness."

He continued: "It's been easy for me. It's been a lot harder for my wife! We're super-excited. It was sort of planned, I should say. It was maybe a little earlier than expected."

Jack got emotional discussing Ozzy on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and believed that the Black Sabbath rocker would have been "proud" of his efforts in the Australian jungle.

The Osbournes star said: "He would have been proud. My whole family's proud of how I did. He would've been very supportive about my journey in the jungle.

"He would have been laughing at me at times, absolutely. He would have been like, 'Why are you doing that? Why would you put your head in a basket with snakes? Why put your hand in a hole with a bunch of weird critters?'

"My dad always had a good sense of humour about this stuff and thought it was ridiculous, but in the most loving kind of way."

However, Jack feels that Ozzy - who infamously bit the head off of a live bat at a 1982 concert - would have struggled with the eating trials on the show.

He said: "Dad was a picky eater. So although he may have chosen to eat some strange things in his time, I don't think he would have fared too well with that. I don't know if you've tasted vomit fruit, it's named that for a reason!"
We came across a bullish thesis on ImmunityBio, Inc. on Investment Ideas by Antonios Substack by Antonio Linares. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on IBRX. ImmunityBio, Inc.'s share was trading at $2.30 as of December 1st.

Avidity Biosciences (RNA) Gets 9% Boost from Higher PT, Rating

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ImmunityBio (IBRX) is positioning itself at the forefront of one of the most pressing medical challengeswidespread immune exhaustion and lymphopenia, where reduced lymphocyte counts weaken the bodys defense against infections and tumors. The companys flagship therapy, Anktiva, is an IL-15 agonist that promotes T-cell and NK-cell activation, helping reverse lymphopenia and restore immune function. Clinical trials such as QUILT-3.055 (NSCLC) and QUILT-88 (pancreatic cancer) demonstrated durable lymphopenia reversal and significant survival benefits, with median overall survival often doubling versus historical standards.

Anktivas potential extends beyond oncology, as many chronic diseases, from Lyme and Long COVID to pathogen-driven cancers, are linked to weakened immune systems. ImmunityBios platform uniquely engineers NK cells to produce IL-15 autonomously, creating a self-sustaining immune cascade that enhances therapeutic durability. The company operates extensive GMP manufacturing capacity across the U.S., including facilities in El Centro, Dunkirk, and California, supporting large-scale Anktiva and NK therapy production, while partnerships like the Serum Institute of India ensure robust BCG supply.

Collaborations with MiNK Therapeutics further highlight the platforms adaptability; combining Anktiva with PD-L1 t-haNK cells yielded exceptional outcomes in pancreatic cancer, underscoring Anktivas role as the engine of next-generation immunotherapy. Despite a weak balance sheet and elevated risk, ImmunityBios asymmetric upside is significant given its platform potential, founder Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiongs proven biotech track record, and growing recognition of immune system exhaustion as a global health crisis. The company could be positioned to redefine immunotherapy, offering a scalable, potentially paradigm-shifting solution to immune dysfunction across disease categories.

Previously we covered a bullish thesis on Pfizer Inc. (PFE) by Akim Guerreiro in September 2024, which highlighted the companys strong dividend yield, robust pipeline, and growth potential from the Seagen acquisition. The companys stock price has depreciated approximately by 13.34% since our coverage. This is because the thesis didnt fully play out amid weaker revenues. The thesis still stands in the long term as Pfizer remains positioned for recovery through pipeline strength, while Antonio Linares shares a similar, he emphasizes ImmunityBios innovative biotech approach targeting immune system restoration.
Opinion | Dhurandhar: Hindi Cinemas Coming Of Age

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 16:57 IST

Through Dhurandhar, Hindi cinema breaks out of its secularist defensiveness, thereby presenting the real picture, however dirty, grimy and bloody it might be

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Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh in lead role.

Two recent films have put to rest a question that I often asked myself  why doesnt India tell its stories from its own perspective, its own POV, if you will. The first is a runaway sleeper hit playing on Netflix, Baramulla, and the second is the high-octane, massively mounted spy thriller, Dhurandhar, which you can catch at a cinema near you now. Lets focus on what makes both Baramulla and Dhurandhar path breaking, signalling the coming-of-age of Indian cinema.

Situated in completely distinct genre universes, Baramulla and Dhurandhar converge on one specific point  the narratives foreground forgotten Indians, which in the case of Baramulla are the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley whose stories of genocide, rape, and exile have been buried under layers of apathy, neglect, ignorance, and a deliberate attempt at restricting access to the truth that lay at the heart of what has been termed as the KP exodus". Dhurandhar, on the other hand, unpacks the extent of Indias strategic and intelligence success in the geopolitical context despite being hit by multiple terror attacks from across the border. The narrative underscores the successful infiltration of Pakistans terror infrastructure by Indian intelligence operatives and the monumental risk at which they place their lives so that we might lead peaceful and secure lives. The forgotten Kashmiri Pandits" and the unsung Unknown Gunmen" lead the screenplays in both these cinematic creations.

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World building remains the heart of both landscapes. In Dhurandhar, one witnesses Hindi cinemas finest attempt at world building, recreating Pakistans Karachi across time and space and interspersing it with events that should have changed Pakistans hateful outlook towards India but didnt  the Kandahar highjack (1999), the Parliament attack (2001), and Mumbai 26/11 (2008). India returned dreaded terrorists as ransom for the passengers of IC-814, remained primarily unmoved after the dastardly attack on the Parliament except arresting four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists and sentencing Afzal Guru to death and ordering a force build-up along the border with Pakistan, and launched a largely facile Operation Parakram after 26/11, yet again deploying additional troops across the border and sending out dossiers across the border and to the rest of the world putting out in gory detail the extent of the Pakistani states direct involvement in the wanton killing of numerous Indians and foreigners in Mumbai. Here is where Dhurandhar succeeds.

Where others failed to join the dots, Aditya Dhars magnum opus unravels layer after layer of the pulsating nexus between the Pakistani underworld, terror proxies, the ISI, and the Pakistani state. That the Baloch gangster and politician, Rehman Baloch aka Dakait, supplied the bulk of the arms to the ISI and the Lashkar for 26/11 underscores the pinpointed research and writing that propels this grey, gritty, gory, simmering saga on screen. The film destroys the false distinction between state and non-state actors which the Pakistanis have been throwing around at the world whenever accused of sponsoring terrorism in the region and beyond.

It is also adequately audacious as the filmmakers have chosen to weave a filmic story of good vs. bad around the specific question of Indias national security risking the wrath of the woke gang, liberal academics, and armchair intellectuals oblivious of the netherworld of espionage and what it takes to keep India secure. The film towers head and shoulders above the childlike, superficial, and simplistic spy universes that Hindi cinema has been relying on to push the so-called liberal agenda and through its grimy recreations of the back alleys of Karachis Lyari Town, ties the ostensibly disparate strings of the Pakistani military-state, terror, crime, and Hindu hate together to unleash a potent cocktail of a statement, foregrounding the story of Indias silent assassins, and through them, the tale of Indias strategic dominance and intelligence success.

In times of despair dominated by Doubting Thomases, Dhurandhar dares to tell the story of perhaps Indias greatest national security accomplishment. This is a resurgent India accentuating its own story, exactly what we need in a futuristic, AI-enabled, narrative-centric world. This is Indians telling their story in no uncertain terms. This is a boisterous India, a loud, hyper-masculine, high on testosterone India. And why not? India is rising and it is Indian cinema that will showcase our triumph to the world.

Dhurandhar breaks several moulds, most importantly that of performative, narrative, and intellectual emasculation and thus, might be unpalatable to most woke liberals and anti-national urban Naxals. It is an epic celebration of raw masculinity on screen, where the powerful male characters do not pull any punches, literally and figuratively. Thus, the depiction of violence remains in your face and bloody, yet phenomenological and affective. The epistemology of wokeness is challenged by the films nuanced portrayal of its male protagonists and antagonists  the ruthless Rehman Baloch cries at the death of his elder son, yet remains stone-faced, anger simmering, the frame on the edge. The deadpan Hamza/Jaskirat repels a rape attempt with a tautness of expression that defies the normative ontology of being and becoming.

In being Indias coming-of-age film, Dhurandhar lands a gut punch to what has passed for espionage thrillers, crime thrillers or political thrillers until now. It builds a world encompassing all of the above and delivers an experience comparable to some of the most acclaimed political-espionage thrillers in the world. So the question effectively is, what was stopping Hindi cinema from producing a Dhurandhar? The answer is pretty obvious. Just as the political undercurrents in the film. Here is a Bollywood blockbuster that does pretty much what a Bollywood blockbuster is supposed to do  tell the world the story of Indias diplomatic, military and strategic success.

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If the world thrives on narrative building, so should we. The Chinese have been pretty successful in reorienting world opinion and narrative in its favour through its strategic investments in the field of creative arts. It is time India does the same. And without exception. Through Dhurandhar, Hindi cinema breaks out of its secularist defensiveness, thereby presenting the real picture, however dirty, grimy and bloody it might be.

Dr. Roshni Sengupta is professor of politics and media at IILM University Gurugram. The views expressed in this article are hers and do not reflect those of News18.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 16:57 IST

News opinion Opinion | Dhurandhar: Hindi Cinemas Coming Of Age

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Opinion | Multilingualism As A Key Pillar Of Education

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:16 IST

India, a land of unparalleled linguistic diversity, stands as a testament to the importance of multilingual education

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An ideal school must embrace multilinguality not as a challenge but as a resource. (File)

Education transcends the acquisition of knowledge, becoming a journey that fosters cultural understanding, inclusivity, and personal growth. Multilingual education, with its emphasis on linguistic diversity, exemplifies this ideal.

My perspective on this matter is deeply rooted in my academic and professional experiences, including my time as an intern at the education vertical of NITI Aayog. During my internship, I came across documents that underscored the significance of multilingualism in fostering inclusive and culturally responsive education. It is this profound understanding that informs my vision of an ideal schoola space where multilingual education thrives as the foundation of holistic learning.

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India, a land of unparalleled linguistic diversity, stands as a testament to the importance of multilingual education. The 2011 Census records over 19,000 spoken mother tongues, with 22 officially recognised languages. This richness presents an opportunity to create an inclusive education system that respects and celebrates linguistic diversity. However, the current framework often marginalises minority languages, overshadowing their cultural and intellectual significance.

An ideal school must embrace multilinguality not as a challenge but as a resource. This perspective aligns with Professor R. K. Agnihotris concept of multilinguality," which rejects rigid language boundaries and instead views linguistic abilities as fluid and interconnected. In such a setting, students would naturally switch or mix languages to communicate effectively, fostering cognitive and social growth.

In practice, multilingual education involves teaching in two or more languages across various subjects. For instance, a science class in an ideal school might explain core concepts in the regional language while introducing relevant terminology in English. Similarly, history lessons could include discussions in students mother tongues, allowing them to connect deeply with cultural narratives before transitioning to national or global contexts. This approach goes beyond language instruction, incorporating regional languages into mainstream subjects to reflect the socio-cultural context of learners. Research highlights that children learn best in their mother tongue during their formative years, as it strengthens their foundational cognitive abilities and bridges the gap to learning additional languages.

An ideal school would implement this principle by following the guidelines set forth in policies like the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP advocates teaching in the mother tongue or regional language until at least grade five, fostering a strong linguistic foundation. Moreover, it emphasises flexibility, allowing states and schools to tailor their language offerings to regional and community needs. Such policies ensure that no language is imposed while promoting linguistic and cultural integration.

The success of a multilingual approach heavily depends on classroom dynamics and teacher preparedness. Teachers play a pivotal role in creating an inclusive environment where all languages are valued equally. This necessitates robust training programmes to equip educators with the skills to navigate and utilise multilingual settings effectively.

In an ideal school, teachers would be trained not only in pedagogy but also in cultural competence, enabling them to understand and incorporate the linguistic backgrounds of their students. Activities like group discussions in multiple languages, bilingual storytelling, and collaborative translations could become integral parts of the curriculum. Such practices nurture mutual respect among students while enhancing their metalinguistic awarenessthe ability to reflect on and manipulate language structures.

Implementing multilingual education in India faces several challenges, including resource limitations, insufficient teacher training, and resistance to change. Many schools lack access to quality textbooks and learning materials in regional languages. The situation is further exacerbated by societal biases favouring dominant languages like English and Hindi, often at the expense of marginalised languages.

An ideal school would address these challenges by leveraging technology and community involvement. For instance, digital platforms like e-learning apps can provide multilingual content tailored to regional needs, ensuring accessibility for students in remote areas. Simultaneously, community initiatives such as parent-teacher associations can play a pivotal role in integrating local culture and languages into the curriculum. Additionally, partnerships with local authors and artists can help create culturally relevant teaching materials, fostering a stronger connection between students and their learning environment. Digital tools can bridge resource gaps, providing access to diverse learning materials in multiple languages. Additionally, involving local communities in curriculum development ensures that the educational content reflects the lived experiences of students. For instance, including folk tales and regional literature in textbooks can make learning more relatable and engaging.

Numerous studies underline the cognitive benefits of multilingualism. Children exposed to multiple languages exhibit enhanced problem-solving skills, creativity, and adaptability. These abilities are crucial in todays globalised world, where cross-cultural communication and critical thinking are indispensable.

An ideal school would cultivate these skills by promoting multilingual interactions beyond the classroom. For example, organising multilingual theatre productions could allow students to perform scenes in various languages, fostering both creativity and linguistic dexterity. Similarly, hosting cultural festivals where students present regional songs or folktales in different languages can create a vibrant, inclusive environment that celebrates linguistic diversity. Extracurricular activities like debates, theatre, and cultural festivals in various languages provide students with practical platforms to apply their linguistic abilities. Such initiatives not only reinforce classroom learning but also prepare students for real-world challenges.

The success of multilingual education hinges on supportive policy frameworks. Documents like the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 align with the NEP 2020 in emphasising multilinguality as a cornerstone of education. These frameworks advocate for the use of home languages in early education, alongside the gradual introduction of regional and global languages.

An ideal school would integrate these guidelines seamlessly, creating a flexible yet structured approach to language learning. For example, the curriculum could include a gradual transition from mother-tongue instruction to regional and national languages, ensuring that students retain their linguistic heritage while acquiring new skills.

A Forward-Looking Vision

An ideal school is not just an institution but a microcosm of society, reflecting its linguistic and cultural diversity. By embracing multilinguality, such a school becomes a beacon of inclusivity, equity, and innovation. It recognises that language is not merely a medium of instruction but a powerful tool for cognitive, emotional, and social development.

My own journey as an Education and History student at Delhi University and my experiences with policy and curriculum development have shaped this vision. I believe that multilingual education is not just an academic ideal but a practical necessity in a diverse country like India. By fostering a multilingual environment, schools can create generations of learners who are not only academically competent but also culturally sensitive and globally aware.

In conclusion, multilingual education is the foundation of an ideal schoola space where linguistic diversity is celebrated, inclusivity is prioritised, and every child has the opportunity to thrive. By committing to this vision, educators, policymakers, and communities can collaboratively create an educational paradigm that not only honours linguistic diversity but also equips future generations to contribute meaningfully to a global society. Drawing on the insights from my academic and professional endeavours, I am optimistic about the transformative potential of such an educational paradigm. Let us work towards a future where every school embodies these principles, nurturing individuals who can navigate and enrich our multifaceted world.

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(This article was first published in The Armchair Journal)

Vaishali Sharma is a Masters student in History at the University of Delhi, passionate about inclusive and holistic education. Her research interests include education, public policy, and international relations, with published works on curriculum. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 19:15 IST

News opinion Opinion | Multilingualism As A Key Pillar Of Education

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 13:29 IST

IndiGos operational chaos entered the sixth day today, and the airlines claimed to have restored 95 per cent connectivity. Nonetheless on Sunday morning, more than 100 flights are cancelled in Hyderabad. On Saturday alone, more than 400 flights were cancelled across major airports, with the total number of cancellations crossing 500 throughout the country. Delhi emerged as one of the worst affected cities, recording over 100 cancellations in a single day. Other cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Guwahati also experienced severe congestion as thousands of passengers were left stranded. The cascading delays and operational challenges resulted in frustration and confusion, significantly impacting travel plans during a busy period.

1 / 7 Many commuters reported last minute alerts, poor communication from the airlines and prolonged waiting times at terminals as flight operations remained unstable. Many also took to social media platforms to highlight mounting airfares on key domestic routes and the difficulty of locating check-in baggage amid the disruption. The continuing challenges triggered an urgent intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Heres a detailed breakdown of the key directives by the MoCA. (File Photo) + Follow us On Google

2 / 7 Government Capped Airfares: One of the earliest directives issued by the Ministry focused on averting opportunistic fare hikes by other airlines. While the fares hiked to more than 1 lakh for multiple affected routes, the Ministry invoked regulatory powers to impose fare caps. All the airlines have been ordered to adhere to these caps until flight operation stabilise. The Ministry added that it is closely monitoring fares in real time and warned any violation of the directive will attract immediate corrective action. (File Photo)

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3 / 7 Refund Deadline: The Ministry also instructed that IndiGo should clear all pending passenger refunds that are arising from cancellations and disruptions by 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 7, 2025. The airlines were also instructed not to charge rescheduling fees from the passengers whose travel were impacted. The Ministry had clearly stated that delays or non-compliance in refund processing will result in regulatory consequences for IndiGo. (File Photo)

4 / 7 Dedicated Passenger Support: To improve complaint resolution, IndiGo should set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells. These teams should proactively reach out to all affected travellers, ensuring that refunds are processed automatically. The cells must also help passengers secure alternative travel options where needed. This automatic refund system should remain in place until the airlines operations fully stabilise. (File Photo)

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5 / 7 Mandatory Baggage Return: Amid numerous complaints of misplaced baggagelargely caused by cancelled or diverted flightsthe Ministry has instructed IndiGo to trace all missing luggage and deliver it to passengers homes or preferred addresses within 48 hours. The airline must also maintain transparent communication about delivery timelines and provide compensation wherever applicable under passenger rights guidelines. (File Photo)

6 / 7 Zero-Inconvenience Policy: The Ministry has stated that it is working closely with airlines, airports and operational agencies to safeguard passenger rights throughout the disruption. Special attention is being given to senior citizens, differently-abled travellers, students and medical passengers to ensure their needs are prioritised. Oversight mechanisms have been reinforced as the government continues to monitor recovery efforts and press for a swift return to full operational normalcy. (File Photo)

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 16:30 IST

Chile is often called the Land of Poets, having produced some of the worlds most influential poets, including Nobel Prize winners Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral. With a rich literary tradition, celebrated verses, and a profound cultural bond to poetry, Chile has earned its reputation as a country where poetry is woven into the fabric of daily life.

1 / 8 Chile, often called "The Land of Poets," is internationally celebrated for its rich literary tradition and profound contribution to global literature. The country has produced some of the worlds most iconic poets, including Nobel laureates Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, whose works continue to resonate across generations. With its deep cultural connection to poetry, Chile has become a symbol of artistic expression, where verse permeates everyday life. Over the past century, its poets have shaped the landscape of world literature, earning Chile a prominent place in the history of literary excellence and poetic storytelling. (Image: Instagram) + Follow us On Google

2 / 8 The country earned the title due to its poets profound contributions to world literature, exploring themes of nature, emotions, identity, politics, and human experience. It celebrates poetry through national events, cultural spaces, and a deep appreciation for its legendary writers. Chiles literary tradition continues to inspire, with its poets shaping global discourse and earning widespread admiration for their powerful, evocative works that reflect the nations rich cultural and poetic heritage. (Image: Instagram)

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3 / 8 Pablo Neruda remains one of the most searched, quoted, and revered poets globally. His poetry delves into themes of love, human emotion, nature, and social justice, with a style that resonates across generations. Nerudas profound impact continues to influence readers, writers, and literature students around the world, making his works timeless and universal in their appeal, transcending borders and cultural boundaries. (Image: Instagram)

4 / 8 Poetry is a core element of Chilean identity, evident in museums dedicated to its poets, poetry lines adorning city walls, and annual literary festivals. The nation's deep respect for literature fosters a vibrant cultural atmosphere that continues to inspire young writers. This widespread appreciation for poetry reflects Chiles enduring connection to its literary heritage and the ongoing celebration of its poetic legacy. (Image: Instagram)

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5 / 8 Additionally, Chile is one of the rare country with two Nobel laureates in literature: Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. Their achievements elevated Chile on the global literary map and made its poetry known worldwide, inspiring countless writers. (Image: Instagram)

6 / 8 Nerudas homes in Isla Negra, Santiago, and Valparaiso have been transformed into stunning museums, showcasing his personal belongings, collections, and handwritten manuscripts. These spaces offer visitors an intimate glimpse into the poets creative world and lifestyle, immersing them in the atmosphere that inspired his iconic works. (Image: Instagram)

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7 / 8 Meanwhile, poetry is also a part of Chiles urban culture. Poems are seen on buildings. Public walls, street corners, and libraries across Chile. The poetries are on public display and are accessible to everyone, turning cities into an open-air literature gallery that keep poetic expression alive. (Image: Instagram)
Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 15:30 IST

Female-led crime thrillers have carved a distinct niche in the OTT space, offering gripping narratives, complex characters, and edge-of-the-seat suspense. These stories revolve around women who challenge societal norms, outsmart criminals, or navigate morally grey situations, bringing a fresh perspective to the crime genre. From intense investigative dramas to psychological thrillers, these series and films highlight the resilience, intelligence, and audacity of their female protagonists. Whether its a cat-and-mouse chase, a gripping murder mystery, or a tale of revenge and justice, these shows and films prove that women can not only lead the narrative but also dominate the suspense, intrigue, and action. Heres a list of seven must-watch female-led crime thrillers currently streaming.

1 / 7 Delhi Crime (Netflix): Set against the backdrop of real-life crimes, the series begins in the aftermath of the 2012 Nirbhaya case, following DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah) and her team as they relentlessly pursue the perpetrators of a crime that shook the nation. Season 2 tackles a new investigation inspired by the infamous Kaccha-Baniyan gang, once again showcasing the courage, determination, and empathy of women in law enforcement. Season 3 centers on a chilling human trafficking case inspired by Baby Falak, delving into the complexities of criminal investigations while highlighting the emotional and psychological toll on the officers on the front lines. The series blends gripping storytelling with nuanced character development. (Image: IMDb) + Follow us On Google

2 / 7 Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo (JioHotstar): This daring crime drama turns the typical saas-bahu narrative upside down. On the surface, Rani Ba (Dimple Kapadia) appears to run a small business alongside her daughters-in-law, Bijlee (Isha Talwar) and Kajal (Angira Dhar), and her daughter Shanta (Radhika Madan). But beneath the facade, she secretly commands a powerful drug cartel with ruthless precision. As rival gangs, betrayals, and family conflicts escalate, the women fiercely defend their empire and autonomy. Stylish, intense, and brimming with attitude, the series celebrates formidable female anti-heroes who live by their own rules, blending family drama with high-stakes crime in a uniquely bold narrative. (Image: IMDb)

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3 / 7 Aarya (JioHotstar): When her husband is gunned down for refusing to traffic illegal drugs, Aarya Sareen (Sushmita Sen) is thrust into a dangerous world to protect her family. What starts as a desperate act quickly transforms her into the formidable leader of a powerful drug syndicate. Battling betrayals, rival gangs, and relentless law enforcement, Aarya struggles to safeguard her children while clinging to her moral compass. Inspired by the Dutch series Penoza, the gripping show chronicles a mothers evolution into a feared crime bossa role she never sought but cannot escape. (Image: IMDb)

4 / 7 Dabba Cartel (Netflix): The series follows five womenSheila Jagtap (Shabana Azmi), Raji Jagtap (Shalini Pandey), Mala (Nimisha Sajayan), Varuna Dasgupta (Jyothik), and Shahida (Anjali Anand)living in the suburbs of Thane, who start a simple tiffin delivery service. What begins as an innocent business soon spirals out of control when they are drawn into a high-stakes drug operation, using lunchboxes to smuggle narcotics. As their tiffin-to-drugs venture grows, the women navigate betrayals, rival gangs, and constant law enforcement pressure, turning an ordinary suburban life into a dangerous, adrenaline-fueled battle for survival. (Image: IMDb)

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5 / 7 Mare of Easttown (JioHotstar): Set in a small town in Pennsylvania, the series follows Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet), a detective grappling with personal grief and a fractured family life. When a young woman is found murdered, Mare is thrust into a tense investigation that forces her to face long-buried trauma, fractured relationships, and the towns hidden secrets. As the case unfolds, with suspects emerging from all sides, Mares resilience is tested both as a detective and as a mother. Known for its emotional depth, sharp character development, and Winslet's standout performance, this intense whodunit keeps viewers on edge, unveiling new twists until the final moment. (Image: IMDb)

6 / 7 Griselda (Netflix): Inspired by the life of notorious drug lord Griselda Blanco, this crime drama stars Sofia Vergara as the ambitious and ruthless "Godmother of Cocaine." After escaping an abusive past in Colombia, Griselda moves to Miami with her children, determined to rebuild her life through a dangerous plan. Using a mix of strategy and violence, she quickly ascends in the drug trade, facing off against powerful rivals and law enforcement while striving to protect her family. Stylish, gripping, and full of high-stakes twists, the series explores how one woman carved out a feared criminal empire in a world dominated by men. (Image: IMDb)

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'If BJP, Shiv Sena Don't...': Ramdas Athawale Demands 12-13 Seats In Kalyan-Dombivli Civic Polls

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 23:35 IST

Athawale claimed a dispute between the BJP and Shiv Sena amid a fierce tussle between the two parties in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and other civic bodies.

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Union Minister Ramdas Athawale (PTI photo)

Union Minister and Republican Party chief Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said his party should receive at least 12-13 seats in the upcoming Kalyan-Dombivli municipal elections if irreconcilable differences emerge between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena (Shinde).

His remarks came amid a fierce tussle between the BJP and the Shinde Sena in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and other civic bodies, with reports of poaching and defections intensifying between the two parties.

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Speaking to reporters, Athawale said the Mahayuti alliance would contest the upcoming Mumbai civic polls in Kalyan-Dombivli despite an alleged dispute between the BJP and Shiv Sena. He said it would be good if the Mahayuti parties come together, but if that does not happen, the BJP should give the Republican Party some seats.

The Kalyan-Dombivli elections will be contested through the Mahayuti alliance. However, if a rift develops between the BJP and Shiv Sena, and they dont remain together, the Republican Party should be given a maximum number of seats by the BJP. The BJP has a list of 20 seats, and we should receive 12 or 13 of those seats," he said.

#WATCH | Kalyan, Maharashtra: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale says,  The Kalyan-Dombivli elections will be contested through the Mahyuti alliance. However, if a rift develops between the BJP and Shiv Sena, and they dont remain together, the Republican Party should be given a pic.twitter.com/oGbDz5X9pf ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

Athawale said all four parties of the Mahayuti alliance will come together for the Mumbai civic polls. There is a dispute between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, but the dispute will be resolved. If the dispute persists, we will go with the BJP, and the BJP should assure us of a share in power," he added.

BJP vs Shiv Sena

The KalyanDombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) governs the twin cities of Kalyan and Dombivli in Maharashtras Thane district. Dombivli is the home turf of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan, and he has intensified efforts to install a BJP mayor in the KDMC.

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As part of this, he has facilitated the defection of several former corporators and office-bearers from the Shinde camp into the BJP, which has created discontent in the Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde has hinted at an alliance by saying that the mayor in KDMC would belong to the Mahayuti bloc.

However, the BJP has hinted that it is prepared to contest the election independently. BJP leader Dipesh Mhatre, who earlier moved from the Shinde Sena to the Uddhav camp and then to the BJP, said there was a strong demand from BJP workers and office-bearers that the civic polls be contested independently, although a final decision is yet to be announced.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 23:33 IST

News politics 'If BJP, Shiv Sena Don't...': Ramdas Athawale Demands 12-13 Seats In Kalyan-Dombivli Civic Polls

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Omar Abdullahs Life Support Remark Deepens INDIA Bloc Discord, BJP Takes A Dig

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:16 IST

In a politically significant remark, Abdullah said he believes that the INDIA bloc "pushed Nitish Kumar back into the arms of the NDA".

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah. (File Photo)

A political slugfest broke out after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is on life support" and risks being wheeled into the ICU" due to infighting and failure to match the BJPs relentless election machine.

His comments have raised a political storm as some allies scoffed at his remarks; some agreed, while the BJP chuckled.

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What Omar Abdullah Said?

While speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, the National Conference leaders detailed the organisational and strategic failures" of the opposition bloc, contrasting its approach with the BJPs unparalleled" work ethic.

Talking about the INDIA blocs current health, particularly in the aftermath of the recent Bihar elections, Abdullah said, Were sort of on life support, but every once in a while, somebody brings out his paddles and gives us a bit of a shock, and we get up again. But then, unfortunately, results like Bihar happen, and we slump down again, and then somebody has to wheel us into the ICU."

He also blamed the INDIA bloc for the return of Nitish Kumar to the BJP-led NDA, saying, I believe that we pushed Nitish Kumar back into the arms of the NDA."

He also pointed to the alliances failure to take a cohesive view, citing the decision to consciously exclude the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) from the Bihar seat-sharing arrangement despite the partys presence in the state.

He further compared the INDIA blocs electioneering to that of the BJP, and said the opposition alliance is structurally unable to compete with the ruling partys disciplined approach.

They have an unparalleled election machine," he said, noting that this strength goes beyond mere organisation and funding. They also have an incredible work ethic in terms of how they deal with elections They fight every election as if their lives depend on it. We sometimes fight elections as if we dont care," he said.

Political Storm Over Remarks

The remarks have triggered strong reactions, with some INDIA bloc allies targeted him, while some agreed with his stance.

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha sharply responded to Abdullahs remarks and said that Abdullah himself is responsible if the bloc is in such a state.

People comment hastily in adverse circumstances, but one should avoid doing so. Everything is in the hands of the public. If the alliance is on life support, Omar is also a part of the alliance. What are his attempts to revive it? This is not about one political party; it is the responsibility of all members. Responsibility does not end with taunting," Jha said as quoted by news agency PTI.

VIDEO | On Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullahs INDIA bloc on life support remark, RJD leader Manoj Jha (@manojkjhadu) says, When there are slightly adverse circumstances  for whatever reason  some people rush to make quick comments. One should refrain from that. Everything pic.twitter.com/D8V76RVgpi Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 7, 2025

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) echoed similar sentiments and said that no major meeting of the full alliance has taken place after the Lok Sabha Polls.

Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, Omar Abdullah has always been very straightforward in his politics. He is clear about what he thinks, and he expresses it openly. As for the INDIA alliance, even before the Bihar elections, Uddhav Thackeray had said that a meeting was necessary, but after the Lok Sabha elections, no major meeting of the full alliance has taken place."

Left parties have also admitted that poor coordination remains a serious concern.

BJP Takes A Dig

The BJP, meanwhile, is having a laugh over the lack of cohesion in the opposition bloc. Party leader Pradeep Bhandari said that this is a slap on the leadership of Rahul Gandhi as key figures within the INDIA bloc are increasingly questioning his leadership.

This is a slap on the leadership of Rahul Gandhi within the INDI alliance. Whether it is Omar Abdullah or Hemant Soren, all believe that after Rahul Gandhi has lost 95 elections, Congress has become a parasitic party," he said as quoted by PTI.

VIDEO | Delhi: On Omar Abdullahs INDIA bloc on life support" remark, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari says, This is a slap on the leadership of Rahul Gandhi within the INDI alliance. Whether it is Omar Abdullah or Hemant Soren, all believe that after Rahul Gandhi has lost 95 pic.twitter.com/vAztu5UQpu Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 7, 2025

He further argued that criticism from within the coalition itself reflects growing dissatisfaction with the Congress direction under Gandhi.

This shows that even leaders within the INDI alliance are now speaking against his leadership. It also proves that the reason for their defeat is not EVMs or any other excuse like SIR, but Rahul Gandhis anti-national stance. Be it Hemant Soren or Omar Abdullah, people do not take Rahul Gandhi seriously," he added.

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26 opposition parties formed a coalition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from agencies)

First Published: December 07, 2025, 16:45 IST

News politics Omar Abdullahs Life Support Remark Deepens INDIA Bloc Discord, BJP Takes A Dig

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'We'll Build Ram Mandir: BJP Slams TMC After Babri Masjid Foundation Stone Ceremony

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 06, 2025, 22:08 IST

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar accused Mamata Banerjee of 'appeasement and communal politics' as suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir laid the Babri Masjid foundation in Murshidabad.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar slammed Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government

Suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid structure in Murshidabad, triggering a fresh political row in West Bengal. Just hours after the event, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar hit back, raising the issue of Ram Mandir construction and criticising the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.

BJP Targets Mamata Banerjee Government

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Speaking soon after the ceremony, Majumdar said the incident reflected long-standing issues with the states political approach.

He stated, What we are seeing today is a reflection of Mamata Banerjees appeasement and communal politics over the past 15 years. Mamata Banerjee has full support for this. Even today, Humayun Kabir has stated that we are receiving full cooperation from the police. If Mamata Banerjee truly does not want the Babri Masjid to be built, she should have arrested Humayun Kabir."

He further questioned the police response, saying, We will also construct a Ram Mandir in Mushidabad. Even today, our people organised a Ram Puja there, and in the future a grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple will take place."

#WATCH | Delhi: On the foundation stone of Babri Masjid laid in Beldanga by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar says,  We will also construct a Ram Mandir in Mushidabad. Even today, our people organised a Ram Puja there, and in the future a grand https://t.co/ASxONKy7Dl pic.twitter.com/3aD2XVuMmh ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2025

Governor Calls For Peace, Monitors Law And Order

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose responded later in the day, saying the administration had been instructed to maintain complete peace during the event.

Commenting on the ceremony, he said, I had given strict instructions that law and order must be maintained.

It is the state governments duty to take necessary action. Today, there was a peaceful procession.

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The event was carried out in a very peaceful manner. We are watching that under no circumstances will anybody be allowed to take the law into their hands. What we need is peace in society.

I appreciate and compliment the people of Bengal for taking this event very calmly and peacefully. The High Court has also made it very clear that it is the duty of the state government to maintain the joint order. As governor, I will not allow anyone to encroach on the maintenance of law and order in West Bengal"

Location : West Bengal, India, India

First Published: December 06, 2025, 22:06 IST

News politics 'We'll Build Ram Mandir: BJP Slams TMC After Babri Masjid Foundation Stone Ceremony

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Will Fight TMC & BJP: Humayun Kabir In Talks With Owaisi For Bengal Poll Alliance

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 21:52 IST

Humayun Kabir's remarks came after he laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid-style mosque in Beldanga amid heavy security and political controversy.

Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. (File)

Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir on Sunday said that he is in talks with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi for a potential alliance ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

The Bharatpur (West Bengal) MLA, who stoked a controversy by laying the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on Ayodhyas Babri Masjid in Murshidabads Rejinagar, said the proposed tie-up aims to stop both the BJP and the TMC in West Bengal.

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I spoke to Owaisi last night, and we had a discussion and decided that we will stand by the poor Muslims in this state. The public is saying that Bengal Owaisi is me, and he is Hyderabad Owaisi; both brothers will unite and fight against the TMC and the BJP. I have been invited to Hyderabad and I will go when I get time, he said as quoted by media reports.

Earlier, Kabir had vowed to form a new party, saying that he will field candidates on 135 Assembly seats in the upcoming polls.

I will not resign as MLA because the people of Bharatpur are asking me not to. I will announce a new party on December 22 and will field candidates on 135 Assembly seats (in West Bengal polls). I will fight against both the BJP and them (TMC). They can do whatever they want," he said as quoted by news agency PTI.

Kabir was suspended from the TMC earlier this week over the controversial project. Explaining the rationale behind the move, senior party minister Firhad Hakim said the TMC stands for secular politics and Kabirs move was not in line with the partys position.

On Saturday, the suspended legislator proceeded with the mosque inauguration ceremony amid a swelling crowd and clerics sharing the dais and slogans of Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar", saying the project was not meant to oppose the Ram Mandir and that Muslims had every right to build a mosque in Bengal.

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Over the past year, Kabir has repeatedly criticised the TMC, prompting warnings from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee that such behaviour would not be tolerated. He has clashed with party leaders, including Baharampur MP Yusuf Pathan, and the TMC has issued him multiple show-cause notices.

Kabir was also censured by the party leadership a number of times and even slapped with show-cause notices for making public statements that caused embarrassment to the party.

First Published: December 07, 2025, 21:52 IST

News politics Will Fight TMC & BJP: Humayun Kabir In Talks With Owaisi For Bengal Poll Alliance

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Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model .

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of tinyBuild, Inc. ( LON:TBLD ) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

Story Continues

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.0%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 8.7%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2035  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$3.9m (1 + 3.0%)  (8.7% 3.0%) = US$71m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$71m ( 1 + 8.7%)10= US$31m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$45m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK0.07, the company appears about fair value at a 16% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

AIM:TBLD Discounted Cash Flow December 7th 2025

Important Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at tinyBuild as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.238. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Check out our latest analysis for tinyBuild

SWOT Analysis for tinyBuild

Strength

Currently debt free.

Weakness

No major weaknesses identified for TBLD.

Opportunity

Forecast to reduce losses next year.

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Threat

Has less than 3 years of cash runway based on current free cash flow.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For tinyBuild, we've put together three pertinent factors you should look at:

Risks: For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for tinyBuild (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does TBLD's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the AIM every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
The Gentleman Who Outplayed Everyone: Green Flag Gaurav Khannas Bigg Boss 19 Journey

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:30 IST

From being labelled inactive by Salman Khan to becoming a superstar, Gaurav Khannas journey was full of ups and downs in Bigg Boss 19.

Gaurav Khanna was the first finalist of the house. (Photo Credit: Instagram)

Salman Khan-hosted Bigg Boss 19 finale day is here. The reality, which began on August 24, is set to end on December 7 with the grand finale. Out of the 18 contestants who began the journey over three months back, only five  Gaurav Khanna, Farrhana Bhatt, Tanya Mittal, Pranit More, and Amaal Malik- made it to the final week.

Of the five, Gaurav, a renowned television name, has generated significant buzz throughout the show. With his calm and composed nature, he solidified his place in the finale. Ahead of the finale, lets have a look at the actors journey in the Bigg Boss house.

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Who Is Gaurav Khanna?

Born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Gaurav Khanna began his journey in the industry in the early 2000s. He first appeared on the television show Bhabhi and later gained prominence through his stints in Jeevan Saathi  Humsafar Zindagi Ke, CID, Tere Bin, and Prem Ya Paheli  Chandrakanta. The actor became a household name as Anuj Kapadia from the hit television show Anupamaa. Following his exit from the hit daily soap, he participated in Celebrity MasterChef and lifted the trophy.

Gaurav Khannas Bigg Boss Journey

Initially, Gaurav was labelled inactive" by host Salman Khan, but he improved his game and earned appreciation for his composed demeanour, strategic gameplay, emotional vulnerability, and strong family values, showcased through heartfelt moments with his wife, Akanksha Chamola.

Time and again, the actor garnered attention on the internet for certain moments inside the house. During his premiere performance, the shows host introduced him as green flag ka brand ambassador." While in the house, his retort to Farrhana, where he said, Main TV ka superstar hoon," became one of the highlights. His debate with Amaal over nepotism was also notable.

One of the most endearing moments of his journey was when his wife, Akanksha, entered the house. He broke down upon seeing her and hugged and kissed her in joy. Gaurav also secured a direct finale spot by winning the Ticket to Finale task through focused endurance amid house chaos, and was even called a superstar" by Salman.

Gaurav Khannas Controversies Inside Bigg Boss 19 House

 Gaurav faced backlash for refusing to take on kitchen duties despite winning Celebrity MasterChef India; his team defended it as a learning experience.

 He broke down when the media accused him of using his childfree choice for sympathy, passionately defending Akanksha and affirming his love for kids.

 His Open Mic roast alleging Farhana asked Abhishek Bajaj to be her one-week boyfriend" drew character assassination claims and online fury. Some fans also trolled his wife for a perceived lack of support.

What Are The Winning Chances Of Gaurav Khanna?

 Gaurav leads polls with strong fan backing, topping trends and predictions from Farah Khan, AI models, and outlets like Filmibeat, although Pranit More holds a slight voting edge at 35% vs. Gauravs 27% as of December 6.

 His consistent captaincy, task wins, and mastermind" strategy position him as a top contender for the December 7 finale.

Top Viral Bigg Boss 19 Moments

Gaurav Khannas standout viral clips from Bigg Boss 19 highlight his emotional depth, strategic wins, and bold retorts, amassing millions of views on Instagram, YouTube, and X.

Journey Video Breakdown (December 5, 2025)

Gauravs journey montage was shown in the latest episode of the show. From his gameplay to his fights with fellow contestants, the clip perfectly documented his journey in the show. Salman also called him a superstar" and a green flag" in the video, sparking the #GauravSuperstar trend.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ghantaa (@ghantaa)

Ticket to Finale Win (December 4, 2025)

Enduring tasks amid chaos, Gaurav secured a direct entry to the finale, praised for his mastermind" gameplay.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaurav Khanna (@gauravkhannaofficial)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Telly Reporter (@tellyreporter)

]

Main TV ka Superstar Hoon" Clapback (November-December 2025)

Gauravs fiery response to Farhana Bhatt, who claimed ignorance of his Anupamaa fame, and his debate on nepotism with Amaal Mallik, fueled fan edits.

Akanksha Reunion Hug (November 17, 2025)

An adorable embrace and kiss with his wife, Akanksha, sparked family-planning buzz. One video showed Gaurav patiently waiting for his wife to enter the house.

Open Mic Roast on Farhana (December 3, 2025)

Gaurav alleged that Farhana asked Abhishek Bajaj to be her one-week boyfriend," dividing fans and sparking savage content.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeevika Singh (@sjeevika40)

]

Childfree Sympathy Defence (December 1, 2025)

Gaurav emotionally broke down defending media accusations of exploiting their no-kids choice for votes, passionately standing up for Akanksha. [

View this post on Instagram A post shared by JioHotstar Reality (@jiohotstarreality)

]

Fan Reels Praising Gaurav Khannas Behaviour

Fans are celebrating Gaurav Khannas dignified and loyal demeanour, calm gameplay, and green-flag behaviour in Bigg Boss 19 through viral Instagram reels on his official page and from supporters.

Dignified Performance Amid Drama

Gauravs steady and respectful energy has earned him comments hailing his behaviour as winner material. Watch here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaurav Khanna (@gauravkhannaofficial)

Mentorship and Encouragement

Fans praise his support and encouragement, calling him Bigg Bosss favourite. Check it out:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aparnaa Mishra (@saree_swagg19)

Composure Amid Accusations

Defending his dignified response to accusations, fans highlight pride in his composure compared to rivals flips. View more:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaurav Khanna (@gauravkhannaofficial)

Support from Khanna Ka Khaandaan"

His team and fans thank the 2M-strong Khanna Ka Khaandaan" for their loyal support, urging for a trophy win. See the reel:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaurav Khanna (@gauravkhannaofficial)

Journey of Dignity

Gauravs journey of dignity wins over negativity, as families and the audience recognise his truth. Watch here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaurav Khanna (@gauravkhannaofficial)

Nationwide Support

Fans rally for his superstar status, echoing nationwide support as the peoples champion. Check the reel:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaurav Khanna (@gauravkhannaofficial)

Green Flag Behaviour Promo

Gaurav Khannas Pre-Bigg Boss Controversies

Professional Disagreements

Outside Bigg Boss, Gaurav has largely maintained a controversy-free public image, with minor professional disagreements rather than major scandals. His disputes were more creative than personal conflicts.

Anupamaa On-Set Tiffs with Rupali Ganguly (April 2025)

During his stint on Anupamaa, Gaurav admitted to having creative differences with his co-star, Rupali Ganguly, over interpretations of scenes. Despite differing views, he respected her as the lead. His 2024 exit fueled rumors of a fallout, but Rupali recently endorsed him for Bigg Boss, quashing the speculation.

Celebrity MasterChef Copying Allegations (April 2025)

As the winner of Celebrity MasterChef season 1, Gaurav faced allegations of copying Swiss chef Dives Joshs dessert. He dismissed these claims, stating he put in 110% effort without addressing the specifics of the accusations. Later, chef Vikas Khanna posted a clip on Instagram, lauding the culinary greatness" of Gauravs dessert and commenting, Meringue dripping cones have been around for decades. The overall flavour and presentation amazed us," while challenging trolls to identify the first creator.

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General Career Struggles (Shared on Bigg Boss, Pre-2025)

Gaurav revealed past financial frauds and cheating incidents in Mumbai while building his career. He framed these experiences as resilience-building without naming perpetrators. No legal issues or public backlash emerged from these personal anecdotes.

Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: December 07, 2025, 19:30 IST

News viral The Gentleman Who Outplayed Everyone: Green Flag Gaurav Khannas Bigg Boss 19 Journey

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24-Year-Old Indian Student Sahaja Reddy Udumala Killed In New York House Fire

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 11:33 IST

A 24-year-old woman from Telangana studying in the United States tragically died in a house fire in Albany, New York.

Sahaja Reddy Udumala (Photo: X)

A 24-year-old woman from Telanganas Jangaon district died in a devastating house fire in Albany, New York, on Thursday. The victim, Sahaja Reddy Udumala, had moved to the United States in 2021 to pursue higher studies. She was reportedly asleep when the fire started and was unable to escape.

According to early reports, the fire started in a neighbouring building before spreading quickly to Sahajas residence. Local authorities said the flames intensified rapidly, giving little time for anyone inside to respond. As Sahaja was asleep at the time, she was caught in the fire and could not make it out safely.

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Udumala sustained severe injuries in the house fire, the Indian mission confirmed. She was pursuing her Masters degree in Albany University.

The Consulate General of India in New York confirmed the tragedy and expressed deep sorrow. In a post on X, the mission said it was deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Ms Sahaja Reddy Udumala" and extended condolences to her grieving family. The consulate added that it was in touch with Sahajas relatives and was providing all possible support, including assistance with formalities related to the repatriation of her body.

News of Sahajas death has left her family devastated. She was the elder daughter of Udumula Jayakar Reddy, a TCS employee in Hyderabad, and Gopumaria Shailaja, a government primary school teacher. Family members said they had been eagerly waiting for her return after completing her studies. Now, they are seeking government help to bring her body back to India for final rites.

Residents of her hometown in Jangaon have gathered around the family to offer support as they cope with the unbearable loss.

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To assist the family during this difficult period, Sahajas cousin Rathna Gopu has created a GoFundMe page. The fundraiser states that Sahaja suffered severe burn injuries affecting nearly 90% of her body.

Funds raised will be used for funeral and memorial expenses, repatriation arrangements, and other urgent needs arising from the tragic accident.

Location : New York, United States of America (USA)

First Published: December 07, 2025, 11:33 IST

News world 24-Year-Old Indian Student Sahaja Reddy Udumala Killed In New York House Fire

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Chinese Fighter Jets Aimed Their Radar At Japanese Military Aircraft Twice: Japan

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 17:54 IST

Japan protested after Chinese jets targeted its aircraft near Okinawa. Japanese officials condemned it; China denied wrongdoing, Australia backed Japan.

This is the latest incident amid China and Japan's tensions on Taiwan. Recently, rime Minister Sanae had warned Japan could respond to any Chinese attacks against Taiwan if it also threatened Japan's security.

Japan on Sunday said Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at their military aircraft twice, which were beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft".

These radar illuminations are a dangerous act that went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, adding that Japan has lodged a protest with China over Saturdays extremely regrettable" incident.

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Reuters quoted Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, meeting with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Tokyo, saying Japan would respond resolutely and calmly" to Chinas conduct in order to maintain regional peace and stability.

Meanwhile, Chinese navy spokesperson, Colonel Wang Xuemeng, said Japanese aircraft had repeatedly disrupted the Chinese navy, which was conducting previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the Miyako Strait, Reuters reported.

In a statement, Wang said: We solemnly demand that the Japanese side immediately stop slandering and smearing and strictly restrain front-line actions. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests."

Meanwhile, Australia has also reacted to Chinas latest move on Japanese military aircraft.

Speaking at a press conference with Koizumi, Richard Marles said: We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours. We will continue to work with Japan and stand with Japan in upholding that rules-based order."

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According to Reuters, Japan has said the Chinese J-15 jets involved in the two incidents were launched from Chinas Liaoning aircraft carrier, which was manoeuvring south of the Okinawan islands with three missile destroyers. Tokyo said it scrambled F-15 fighters in response to the actions by the Chinese carrier.

This is the latest incident amid China and Japans tensions on Taiwan. Recently, Takaichi had warned Japan could respond to any Chinese attacks against Taiwan if it also threatened Japans security.

Location : Japan

First Published: December 07, 2025, 17:54 IST

News world Chinese Fighter Jets Aimed Their Radar At Japanese Military Aircraft Twice: Japan

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Coup Attempt In Africa: Soldiers In Benin Announce Takeover On TV, Govt Says Plot 'Foiled'

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 18:22 IST

At least eight soldiers, several wearing helmets, went on state television on Sunday to declare that they had seized power from Benin's President Patrice Talon.

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A group of soldiers gives a statement on Benin's national television, claiming to have seized power. (Reuters)

Another coup attempt took place in Africa as armed military personnel in Benin on Sunday announced that they had ousted President Patrice Talon and claimed on national television to have seized power. Later, the government claimed that the coup attempt was foiled by its armed forces.

At least eight soldiers, several wearing helmets, went on state television on Sunday morning to announce that a military committee led by Colonel Tigri Pascal had taken over and was dissolving national institutions, suspending the constitution and closing air, land and maritime borders. The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail," said a statement read by one of the soldiers.

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The soldiers involved in the coup, calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation" (CMR), justified their power grab by citing the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin coupled with the disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms."

This was the latest threat to democratic rule in the region. The announcement follows two coups in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in as many months. Benin is bordered in the north by Niger and Burkina Faso, which have also seen military takeovers.

Gunfire Heard In Several Neighbourhoods

The French Embassy said on X that gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo" near the presidents official residence in the economic capital. It urged French citizens to remain indoors for security.

Gunfire could be heard earlier on Sunday in several neighbourhoods of Cotonou, the countrys largest city and economic hub, as residents were trying to make their way to church early on Sunday morning, according to Reuters.

The coup attempt came as Benin was preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of incumbent Talon, in power since 2016. Talon had been credited with reviving economic growth, but the country has also seen an increasing number of attacks by Islamist militants that have wreaked havoc in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Government Says Coup Attempt Foiled

Shortly after the military personnel claimed they had ousted Talon from power, a source close lose to Talon told AFP the president was safe and condemned the coup plotters as a small group of people who only control the television".

Soon afterwards, Benins Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said the West African countrys armed forces had thwarted the attempted coup. He described the announcement as a mutiny" aimed at destabilising the country and its institutions".

Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt," he added. Therefore, the government urges the population to go about their business as usual."

Access to several high-profile areas, including the presidency, was blocked in the wake of the attempted coup. However, there was no military presence reported at the airport or the rest of the city.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Benin is a member, called the soldiers actions unconstitutional" and a subversion of the will of the Beninese people".

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Benins political history has been marked by several coups and attempted coups since its independence from France in 1960. The main opposition party has been excluded from the race to succeed him, and instead the ruling party will vie for power against a so-called moderate" opposition.

(with inputs from agencies)

Location : Benin

First Published: December 07, 2025, 18:22 IST

News world Coup Attempt In Africa: Soldiers In Benin Announce Takeover On TV, Govt Says Plot 'Foiled'

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Indian-Origin Uber Driver Satwinder Singh Jailed In New Zealand For Raping Teenager

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 09:30 IST

An Indian-origin Uber driver has been sentenced to jail in New Zealand for raping a teenage passenger in 2023.

Indian-Origin Uber Driver Jailed for Rape in New Zealand

Satwinder Singh, an Indian-origin Uber driver in New Zealand, has received a sentence of seven years and two months in prison for raping a teenage passenger in 2023. The incident occurred during a short late-night ride from Speights Ale House to Hamilton East, as reported by the NZ Herald.

Singh diverted the cab by switching off the GPS, creating the false impression that the trip had ended. When the teenagers dress shifted, he asked if she was wearing underwear and ignored her protests of no, can you not?" and get off me". Cameras captured his vehicle despite the GPS trick, and the victim was later dropped at a friends home in distress.

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Satwinder Singh claimed to police that the encounter was consensual and made derogatory remarks about New Zealand women being forward and promiscuous". His counsel requested a sentence reduction, citing hardships as a Sikh Indian who had lived in New Zealand for only 11 years, arguing prison would be tougher for him than for locals.

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The judge rejected this, noting Singhs extensive public interactions as an Uber driver meant he understood local norms and deserved no special treatment. A plea to suppress his photo, due to a relatives mental health issues, was also denied.

The judge said significant" trauma has been inflicted, leaving the teenager fearful of leaving home and viewing the world as unsafe and threatening". She now grapples with an overwhelming rage inside of her", worsened by the court process.

Location : New Zealand

First Published: December 07, 2025, 09:30 IST

News world Indian-Origin Uber Driver Satwinder Singh Jailed In New Zealand For Raping Teenager

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Netanyahu Confirms Meeting With Trump, Says 2nd Phase Of Gaza Ceasefire Deal Will Begin Soon

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 19:31 IST

In October, a ceasefire and hostage deal was reached under the first phase of US President Donald Trumps plan to end the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (AFP file photo)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he expected the second phase of the US-backed Gaza ceasefire plan will begin very shortly". He also announced a meeting with US President Donald Trump later this month" on the matter.

The Times of Israel quoted Netanyahu saying peace opportunities are at hand" after Israeli military operations battered Irans Axis of Resistance over the past few years in wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and against the Islamic Republic itself.

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Im going to discuss them with President [Donald] Trump when I meet him later on this month," he said, adding that he will discuss how to bring an end to the Hamas rule in Gaza, because thats an essential part of ensuring a different future for Gaza and a different future for us facing Gaza".

We finished the first part, as you know, phase one. Were almost there," he said.

The PM further said after receiving the body of last hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, then we shortly expect to move into the second phase," Netanyahu said while pointing out that the next phase will be more difficult.

He said the third phase will be to deradicalize Gaza" which was done in Germany" following World War II.

I speak to many world leaders, but when I speak to Merz, its an honest and open conversation, even when we have disagreements," he added.

PM Netanyahu also said he would meet US President later on this month" to discuss peace in the Middle East.

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Netanyahu, however, did not say where the meeting would take place but his office said he was invited to the White House after a phone call with Trump on Monday.

In October, a ceasefire and hostage deal was reached under the first phase of US President Donald Trumps plan to end the war.

Location : Israel

First Published: December 07, 2025, 19:31 IST

News world Netanyahu Confirms Meeting With Trump, Says 2nd Phase Of Gaza Ceasefire Deal Will Begin Soon

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Pakistani Woman Appeals For Help To PM Modi, Claims Husband Planning Second Marriage In Delhi

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 10:34 IST

Nikita Nagdev made her plea for justice in a video, alleging that her husband, Vikram Nagdev, is a Pakistani-origin man living in Indore on a long-term visa

In her plea to PM Narendra Modi, the woman claimed that she married her husband on January 26, 2020, in Karachi adhering to Hindu customs. (Image for representation: IMAGEN 4 ENGINE)

A Pakistani woman, identified as Nikita Nagdev, has appealed for help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after her husband allegedly abandoned her shortly after their wedding in 2020, and is now planning a second marriage in Delhi.

Nikita Nagdev made her plea for justice in a video, alleging that her husband, Vikram Nagdev, is a Pakistani-origin man living in Indore on a long-term visa. She alleged that he forcibly sent her back to Karachi and, has since, refused her re-entry.

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Her direct appeal to Modi and her side of the story has sparked widespread outrage. In her video, she also alleged mental and emotional abuse after discovering her husband was having an affair almost immediately after relocating to his family home in India.

Nikita claimed that it was only after she filed complaints, there was any mediation effort through which she found out that Vikram Nagdev was planning a second wedding in Delhi. The Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Counsel Centre has recommended that the man should be deported to Pakistan because the jurisdictional rights belong to that country, a recommendation currently being investigated by local authorities.

WHAT IS THE CASE?

In her desperate plea to Modi, Nikita claimed that she married Vikram on January 26, 2020, in Karachi adhering to Hindu customs.

A month later, on February 26, Vikram brought her to India. But within months, she alleged, her life was tragically altered and, on July 9, 2020, she was forcibly sent back to Pakistan, abandoned at the Attari border on the pretext of a visa technicality".

She alleged that since then, Vikram has never attempted to bring her back despite repeated requests. Her distress began almost immediately after the wedding, she alleged.

The woman alleged that when she returned to her in-laws home, their behaviour completely changed". She claimed that she discovered her husband was having an affair with a relative.

When she raised the issue with her father-in-law, she was allegedly dismissed with the comment: Boys have affairs, nothing can be done". She alleged that during the Covid-19 lockdown, Vikram pressured her to return to Pakistan and, subsequently, refused her re-entry into India.

She learned that Vikram was preparing to marry another woman from Delhi, she alleged. Distressed by the prospect of being replaced while still legally married, she filed a written complaint on January 27, 2025, she added.

If justice is not served today, women will lose faith in justice," she said in her video, as per reports. Every woman deserves justice in India."

The case has been taken up by the Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Counsel Centre, authorised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Notices were issued to Vikram and his alleged fiancee, and a hearing was conducted but mediation failed.

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A report by the legal body said since neither spouse is an Indian citizen, the dispute falls under Pakistans jurisdiction and, consequently, recommended Vikrams deportation to Pakistan. This recommendation was the same at the Indore social panchayat in May, which also recommended his deportation.

Indore Collector Ashish Singh said an inquiry had been ordered and that action would be taken based on the reports findings.

Location : Karachi, Pakistan

First Published: December 07, 2025, 10:34 IST

News world Pakistani Woman Appeals For Help To PM Modi, Claims Husband Planning Second Marriage In Delhi

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Russia Launches Massive Missile And Drone Barrage At Ukraine Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 08:56 IST

Russia launched one of its largest winter assaults on Ukraine, firing missiles and drones at energy sites as peace talks continued abroad.

Ukraine Hit by Overnight Wave of Missiles and Drones; Energy Sites Targeted. (Representative Photo: X/ @alternative_war)

Russia carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight, striking multiple regions even as discussions on ending the war continued abroad. The assault coincided with Ukraines Armed Forces Day and left the country facing fresh damage to key infrastructure.

Ukraines air force reported that Russia launched 51 missiles and 653 drones in one of the biggest attacks in recent months. Air defences intercepted 585 drones and 30 missiles, but 29 locations were hit across the country.

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At least eight people were injured nationwide, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Three of them were in the Kyiv region, where authorities said debris damaged residential areas. Drone activity was also recorded near the western Lviv region, far from the front lines.

Russia targets Ukraines energy grid

Ukraines national energy operator Ukrenergo said the barrage was aimed at power stations and energy infrastructure, marking yet another attempt by Russia to weaken the countrys electricity grid as temperatures continue to fall.

One of the most serious incidents took place at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where all off-site power was temporarily lost after the strikes. Although the reactors are shut down, the plant still requires continuous power to cool stored fuel and avoid a nuclear risk. The facility remains under Russian occupation.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said energy sites appeared to be the main focus of the attack. He added that a drone strike destroyed the train station in Fastiv, near Kyiv, disrupting transport links.

Strikes on Russian facilities

Russia claimed it downed 116 Ukrainian drones overnight. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces targeted the Ryazan Oil Refinery inside Russia. Both Ukrainian officials and Russian regional authorities acknowledged the strike, though Moscow avoided confirming damage to the refinery.

Ukraine has increased long-range drone attacks on Russian energy facilities in recent months in an effort to reduce Moscows oil revenues.

Ongoing Ukraine peace talks

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The escalation came as Ukrainian officials met advisers to US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a possible post-war security framework. Zelenskyy said he had been briefed on the talks and stressed Ukraines desire to genuinely achieve peace."

However, negotiators noted that progress would depend on whether Russia shows a serious commitment to long-term peace." Leaders from the UK, France, and Germany are expected to meet Zelenskyy in London on Monday to continue discussions.

Location : Russia

First Published: December 07, 2025, 08:56 IST

News world Russia Launches Massive Missile And Drone Barrage At Ukraine Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

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US President May Walk Away From Ukraine Peace Process, Says Son Donald Trump Jr

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 23:04 IST

Trump Jr argued that Europe, which is closer to the conflict, needs a stronger plan and should take more responsibility rather than relying on the US.

Donald Trump Jr suggested that his fathers approach to the conflict in Ukraine is unpredictable. (AFP file photo)

US President Donald Trump may walk away from the Ukraine peace process, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr has said. Speaking to journalist Yalda Hakim at a Middle East conference in Qatar on Sunday, Trump Jr suggested that his fathers approach to the conflict in Ukraine is unpredictable.

I think he may," Trump Jr said when asked whether the US President might step back from the peace process. He added that what makes his father unique is that you dont know what hes going to do" and that he does not follow the traditional playbook of long-time bureaucrats.

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I spoke to @DonaldJTrumpJr at the #DohaForum25 who warns his father may walk away from the Ukraine peace process. Don Jr told me America wouldnt abandon Ukraine but the issue isnt a priority for Americans. Pres Trump has led efforts for a ceasefire deal in recent months. pic.twitter.com/2Vo5JK3Suo Yalda Hakim (@SkyYaldaHakim) December 7, 2025

The fact that hes not predictable, hes not following the playbook of every clown whos, again, been a bureaucrat for decades, you dont know," he noted.

Trump Jr also criticised how the conflict in Ukraine has been framed by the US and international media. He claimed that Ukraine had a far more corrupt" system than Russia before the war, based on US government assessments.

He said that, since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been treated almost as a borderline deity," particularly by the political left, despite years of corruption, graft, and theft.

He was beyond reproach. Years of corruption, years of graft and theft, on a world stage that everyone in this room knew was happening, was totally absolved. And its ridiculous. Were not dealing in reality," Trump Jr added.

During the interview, Hakim asked about European concerns that Ukraine might be abandoned by the US. Trump Jr said that while the US does not plan to abandon Ukraine, American public support is limited when it comes to funding the conflict. He noted that many Americans, including Republicans, do not rank Ukraine among their top issues, despite political leaders framing it as a priority.

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I speak to Republicans all over the country every day, probably far more than Mitch has ever spoken to, despite his 379-year career in politics. I did that on a weekly basis, and I surveyed people at every talk I did," he said.

Further adding, It got to the point where it was probably well over 200,000 Americans that I spoke to directly. And Id be in a room like this, and Id ask, is Russia-Ukraine a top-three issue for anyone in the room? Nothing."

Location : Qatar

First Published: December 07, 2025, 23:04 IST

News world US President May Walk Away From Ukraine Peace Process, Says Son Donald Trump Jr

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US Says Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire 'Really Close' As Kremlin Demands Radical Changes To Proposal

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 20:54 IST

Keith Kellogg said a Russia-Ukraine war deal is close, hinging on Donbas and Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Russia demands radical changes as missile and drone attacks hit Ukraine.

US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said efforts to resolve the conflict were in "the last 10 metres" which he said was always the hardest. (Representative Photo: X/ @alternative_war)

US President Donald Trumps Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war was really close" and it only depended on resolving just two major issues. However, Kremlin said radical changes were needed to some of the US proposals.

Reuters quoted Kellogg, who will be stepping down in January, telling the Reagan National Defense Forum that efforts to resolve the conflict were in the last 10 metres" which he said was always the hardest.

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He further said the two key outstanding issues were on territory, particularly about the future of Donbas, and the future of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control.

If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well," he said on Saturday. Were almost there. Were really, really close."

According to Reuters, after President Vladimir Putin held four hours of Kremlin talks last week with Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Putins top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said territorial problems" were discussed. The territory here means the whole of Donbas which Russia claims though Ukraine controls at least 5,000 square km of the area.

The Russian media quoted Ushakov saying on Sunday that the US would have to make serious, I would say, radical changes to their papers" on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight, striking multiple regions.

Ukraines air force reported that Russia launched 51 missiles and 653 drones in one of the biggest attacks in recent months. Air defences intercepted 585 drones and 30 missiles, but 29 locations were hit across the country.

At least eight people were injured nationwide, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Three of them were in the Kyiv region, where authorities said debris damaged residential areas. Drone activity was also recorded near the western Lviv region, far from the front lines.

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Ukraines national energy operator Ukrenergo said the barrage was aimed at power stations and energy infrastructure, marking yet another attempt by Russia to weaken the countrys electricity grid as temperatures continue to fall.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces targeted the Ryazan Oil Refinery inside Russia. Both Ukrainian officials and Russian regional authorities acknowledged the strike, though Moscow avoided confirming damage to the refinery.

Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: December 07, 2025, 20:45 IST

News world US Says Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire 'Really Close' As Kremlin Demands Radical Changes To Proposal

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French President Emmanuel Macron gives a press conference at the European Digital Sovereignty Summit at the Euref Campus. French President Emmanuel Macron is hopeful that China will join his country's efforts to halt Russian attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure as soon as possible, he said during a visit to Beijing on Thursday. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

French President Emmanuel Macron has raised the prospect of countermeasures against China unless it changes its trade policy, in an interview with French business daily Les Echos following a three-day visit to the country.

"I am trying to explain to the Chinese that their trade surplus is not sustainable because they are in the process of killing off their own customers, notably by no longer importing much from us," Macron said.

"I told them that if they do not respond, we Europeans would be forced in the coming months to take strong measures and scale down cooperation, following the example of the United States, for example through tariffs on Chinese products."

China is France's most important trading partner in Asia, yet the French economy runs a clear trade deficit with China, with imports far exceeding exports. In 2024, the deficit totalled more than 46 billion ($53.5 billion).

For the EU as a whole, the trade deficit exceeds 300 billion. Weak Chinese demand is a problem for German, French and other EU companies, while the People's Republic is increasingly selling products into the EU as a consequence of its trade dispute with the US.

China is striking at the heart of Europe's industrial and innovation model, Macron said. US protectionism was exacerbating the situation because Chinese goods flows are being massively diverted to the European market.

He said Europe is caught in the middle, with the very survival of its industry at stake. "We have become the adjustment market and that is the worst-case scenario."

Macron called on China to consume more and open its domestic market. Chinese firms should also come to Europe, as energy group EDF and aircraft manufacturer Airbus had done in reverse 25 years ago, and build sales markets on the continent, he said.

"We recognize that they are very good in certain areas, but we cannot import permanently," the French president said. According to Les Echos, he was referring to the battery sector, electric cars and lithium processing.

"Chinese investments in Europe must not be predatory," he told the newspaper, noting that Beijing must not aim to create dependencies.

At the same time, he said Europe should boost its competitiveness, simplify, invest in innovation and deepen the single market. Macron urged both sides to end aggressive policies such as export restrictions.
Why EU Wants To Scrap 'Veggie Burger', 'Vegan Sausage'? Beatles Star Joins Uproar

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Last Updated: December 07, 2025, 23:07 IST

The European Union is set to vote on a legislation that could prohibit food producers from using designations such as "veggie burger" or "vegan sausage" for plant-based dishes.

The proposed EU ban can prohibit food producers from using designations such as "veggie burger" or "vegan sausage" for plant-based dishes. (AI-Generated Image)

Beatles legend Paul McCartney has joined the uproar of several UK MPs who have urged the European Union to scrap an upcoming legislation that could ban food producers from designations such as veggie burger" or vegan sausage" for plant-based and lab-grown dishes.

The proposed EU ban, if passed into law, would prohibit food producers from using designations such as veggie burger" or vegan sausage" for plant-based and lab-grown dishes. The European Parliament voted in October to ban the use of meaty terms" to describe vegetarian food.

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Why EU Wants To Ban Veggie Burger?

The EU vote, which was passed 355-247, was initiated by Celine Imart, a French member of the European Parliament. A steak, an escalope or a sausage are products from our livestock, not laboratory art nor plant products," Imart told Politico.

Imart, who drafted the amendment to legislation intended to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain, said there was a need for transparency and clarity for the consumer and recognition for the work of farmers. She argued the proposal is in line with EU rules that already ban the use of terms such as milk" and yoghurt" for non-dairy products, according to The Guardian.

However, critics have lambasted the move, saying it would create confusion among consumers. The Green Party in the UK called it a populist move to rename plant-based foods. Veggie burgers, seitan schnitzel and tofu sausage do not confuse consumers, only rightwing politicians," said Thomas Waitz, an Austrian Green MEP

Even Imarts own centre-right European Peoples Party (EPP) is divided on the issue. The EPPs group leader, Manfred Weber, said before the vote that the issue was not a priority for him and that lawmakers had more important things to deal with. Consumers are not stupid when they go to the supermarkets and buy their products," he said.

What Did Paul McCartney Say?

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The 83-year-old former Beatles star, who became a vegetarian in 1975 after the death of his wife in 1998, told The Times of London that calling burgers and sausages plant-based, vegetarian and vegan was enough for sensible people to understand what they are eating. This also encourages attitudes essential to our health and that of the planet," he said.

The McCartney family, which owns a business of vegetarian foods and recipes, also supported a letter to the EU by eight British MPs, which said the proposed EU ban could increase confusion" and undermine economic growth, sustainability goals, and the EUs own simplification agenda".

Location : London, United Kingdom (UK)

First Published: December 07, 2025, 23:07 IST

News world Why EU Wants To Scrap 'Veggie Burger', 'Vegan Sausage'? Beatles Star Joins Uproar

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President Emmerson Mnangagwa is now the only ZANU-PF official authorised to hand over vehicle donations, following a new party directive aimed at curbing internal power contests and the growing influence of wealthy benefactors linked to succession speculation, party insiders have revealed.

The directive  reportedly endorsed during a series of high-level meetings in Harare between Wednesday and Friday last week  is meant to centralise political philanthropy under one authority and stem what senior figures view as factional mobilization disguised as generosity.

The decision follows months of extravagant vehicle donations to ZANU-PF members by powerful business figures and political elites, a trend that had begun to shape internal rivalries, particularly around the race to succeed the 83-year-old Mnangagwa.

Party sources told The Standard that President Mnangagwa instructed that all future vehicle donations to party structures must be processed through his office alone. The move followed a proposal tabled by ZANU-PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri during the politburo meeting.

Muchinguri-Kashiri is said to have expressed concern that some individuals were using resources to buy influence and position themselves for advancement, effectively turning philanthropy into a political bargaining tool.

"The politburo affirmed that there is one centre of power in ZANU-PF and it is President ED Mnangagwa," a senior official said.

"Vehicle and money donations were becoming divisive. From now on, any support must be channelled through the president, who will deploy resources fairly and in line with party needs."

The directive appears to close the door on independent car-donation initiatives, which in recent months have seen businessmen such as Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Wicknell Chivayo hand out vehicles to politburo members, women's league structures and provincial officials.

The clampdown also follows Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's public call last month for the arrest of businessmen accused of donating cars allegedly purchased using state or party funds. Some within ZANU-PF viewed the donations as part of a wider attempt to court loyalties ahead of an anticipated leadership transition.

Sources say Mnangagwa used last week's meetings to reprimand new and ambitious party members whom he accused of disregarding protocol and positioning themselves above party procedures.

A politburo member said Mnangagwa warned against the rise of what he termed nherwamukono  individuals who, once elevated into central structures, behave as power centres in their own right.

"New members must learn decorum and proper conduct," the insider quoted him saying.

"Those joining the central committee should not bring outside agendas."

ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa recently hinted that the president was concerned about shadow-campaigning for leadership positions, in what many interpreted as a veiled message to Tagwirei, who has denied harbouring presidential ambitions.

Mnangagwa is constitutionally expected to leave office in 2028, but senior party members are mulling a two-year extension  a proposal reportedly opposed by factions aligned to Chiwenga.

Tagwirei is viewed by some as a rising power broker within ZANU-PF, and his philanthropy-driven outreach has fed speculation of an alternative succession path. With Mnangagwa now assuming full control of party donations, observers say resource mobilisation may increasingly become a test of loyalty alignment.

During Friday's National Consultative Assembly session, Mnangagwa reportedly surprised delegates by chanting "Pasi neZviganda"  a slogan previously popularised by Chiwenga to denounce individuals accused of accumulating wealth through state contracts.

The remark has already stirred debate over the president's target and intent.

Contacted for comment yesterday, ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa declined to confirm or deny the donation ban, saying he would address the media at a press briefing.

For now, the message from party leadership appears clear: Mnangagwa remains the singular authority over political largesse, and ZANU-PF is moving to rein in parallel power networks as succession undercurrents intensify.

Whether the new rule will restore party cohesion  or simply deepen internal rivalry  remains to be seen as Zimbabwe edges closer to its next leadership transition. Standard
A rising number of women are turning to hair transplants to combat hair loss, but the procedure's effectiveness can be unpredictable, experts say. For some, the distressing effects of hair loss lead to a search for solutions ranging from supplements and shampoos to expensive injections. British bodybuilder Tracy Kiss describes how her once-thick hair thinned dramatically after childbirth, leading her to seek a hair transplant in Turkey. "You feel as a woman, your hair is your crowning glory," Kiss tells CNN . "To take that away, you almost lose your identity."

At least one-third of women see some type of hair loss in their life, with female pattern hair loss affecting around 40% of American women by age 50. The number of women opting for hair transplants rose by more than 16% between 2021 and 2024, per the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. When Kiss first explored the option in 2011, she was told the procedure was only for men. And indeed, in 2022, more than 735,000 guys around the globe underwent the procedure, reports the Guardian.

But after 11 years of research, Kiss spent about $3,400 to finally undergo the procedure in 2022, per CNN. Other women shared similar stories. Ayca Bozok, a 32-year-old from Germany, decided to get a transplant after years of battling thinning hair caused by androgenetic alopecia. She admits her decision was impulsive and that she did little research beforehand, but she's satisfied with her results for now, though she knows they may not be permanent. "People in my comment section have told me that they've lost their transplanted hair after two years, five years, 10 years," she says.

Experts warn not all women are good candidates. Plastic surgeon Dr. Greg Williams says the surgery is often just a temporary fix for women with genetic hair loss, which can get worse over time if not managed. He also warns that some clinics may take advantage of vulnerable patients without properly diagnosing the root cause of their hair loss. Williams calls for better regulation and urges patients to seek a specialist's diagnosis before committing to surgery. Despite mixed results, many women find community and support by sharing their experiences online. "We all connect with each other, we share our stories, we support each other," Evans says. Meanwhile, Business Insider promotes another option for hair loss: an FDA-approved laser treatment.
The US is currently hosting a whole lot more Mexican cartel bosses than it previously didbehind bars, of course. In a lengthy piece for the Wall Street Journal, Steve Fisher and Santiago Perez look at the 2025 effort that saw 55 cartel leaders quietly removed from Mexican prisons and handed over to American authorities. The extraditions took place in two wavesone in February, one in Augustand were covertly coordinated between the two countries. Officials worried that if the kingpins knew what was coming, they'd try to escape, lobby the courts to stop it, or even end up assassinated by their own in order to keep them from informing to US officials in exchange for leniency. A staggering passage from Fisher and Perez on Mexico's effort to keep the plan under wraps:
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Authorities were still searching for the last of three inmates who escaped from a Louisiana jail after removing concrete blocks from a deteriorating wall. "We would prefer that he surrender himself peaceably," said St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz, "but we will not rest until he is captured." Detectives and SWAT officers were following leads Saturday in pursuit of 24-year-old Keith Eli, who remained at large three days after he and two other inmates escaped the parish jail in southwestern Louisiana, said Maj. Mark LeBlanc, a spokesman for the sheriff, per the AP . Eli had been jailed on a charge of second-degree murder.

One of the escapees, 24-year-old Johnathan Jevon Joseph, was captured Friday following a brief chase. LeBlanc said investigators following a tip found Joseph, who was jailed on charges of rape and other crimes, hiding out at a home. Joseph ran to a nearby storage shed, where he surrendered after being cornered, LeBlanc said. The third escapee, 26-year-old Joseph Allen Harrington, killed himself with a hunting rifle Thursday after police found him at a home and used a loudspeaker to urge him to come out, said Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux. Harrington had faced several felony charges, including home invasion.

As sheriff, Guidroz oversees the St. Landry Parish jail in Opelousas, about 130 miles northwest of New Orleans. He has said the inmates escaped after discovering "a degrading part of an upper wall area," and over time managed to remove the mortar holding the wall's concrete blocks together. That enabled them to remove enough blocks to slip through the wall. The inmates then used sheets to scale the jail's outer wall, drop onto a first-floor roof, and lower themselves to the ground.

It wasn't the first bold jail escape in Louisiana this year. In May, 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail after crawling through a hole behind a toilet and leaving a message that read "To Easy LoL." It took five moths before all 10 inmates were recaptured.
A zoo on Java island has released photos of Indonesia's first locally born giant panda cub, saying the male cub was showing signs of being in good health. The mother, 15-year-old Hu Chun, gave birth to Satrio Wiratamanicknamed Rioon Nov. 27 at the zoo's facility in Cisarua, West Java province, the AP reports. The name symbolizes the hope, resilience, and shared commitment of Indonesia and China in protecting endangered species, Taman Safari Indonesia said in a statement Sunday.

"This birth is the result of a long-term international cooperation program that has been ongoing for a decade, since the arrival of giant pandas Hu Chun and Cai Tao to Indonesia in 2017 as part of a 10-year conservation partnership with China," said the statement. Rio is under 24-hour monitoring by zoo's team, showing healthy early signs such as strong vocalization, effective nursing, and steady weight gain. Over the next month or two, he is expected to develop better temperature control, fur growth, open his eyes, and begin early motor movements, the zoo said. "At this early stage, the baby panda is not yet accessible to the public," it said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the baby panda's name Thursday and showed his photo when he met Wang Huning, a top Chinese political adviser and leading ideologist. Cai Tao and Hu Chun, a pair of giant pandas who arrived in Indonesia in 2017, live in a "palace-like" home that was built for them at the Taman Safari zoo, which is about 40 miles from Jakarta. There are fewer than 1,900 giant pandas in their only wild habitats in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu.
In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg recast Facebook as Meta and declared the metaversea digital realm where people would work, socialize, and spend much of their livesthe companys next great frontier. He framed it as the successor to the mobile internet and said Meta would be metaverse-first.



The hype wasnt all him. Grayscale, the investment firm specializing in crypto, called the metaverse a trillion-dollar revenue opportunity. Barbados even opened up an embassy in Decentraland, one of the worlds in the metaverse.

Almost five years later, that bet has become one of the most expensive misadventures in tech. Metas Reality Labs division has racked up more than $70 billion in losses since 2021, according to Bloomberg, burning through cash on blocky virtual environments, glitchy avatars, expensive headsets, and a user base of approximately 38 people as of 2022.

For many people, the problem is that the value proposition is unclear; the metaverse simply doesnt yet deliver a must-have reason to ditch their phone or laptop. Despite years of investment, VR remains burdened by serious structural limitations, and for most users theres simply not enough compelling content beyond niche gaming.

A 30% budget cut

Zuckerberg is now preparing to slash Reality Labs budget by as much as 30%, Bloomberg said. The cutswhich could translate to $4 billion to $6 billion in reduced spendwould hit everything from the Horizon Worlds virtual platform to the Quest hardware unit. Layoffs could come as early as January, though final decisions havent been made, according to Bloomberg.

The move follows a strategy meeting last month at Zuckerbergs Hawaii compound, where he reviewed Metas 2026 budget and asked executives to find 10% cuts across the board, the report said. Reality Labs was told to go deeper. Competition in the broader VR market simply never took off the way Meta expected, one person said. The result: a division long viewed as a money sink is finally being reined in.

Wall Street cheered. Metas stock jumped more than 4% Thursday on the news, adding roughly $69 billion in market value.

Smart move, just late, Craig Huber of Huber Research told Reuters. Investors have been complaining for years that the metaverse effort was an expensive distraction, one that drained resources without producing meaningful revenue.

Metaverse out, AI in

Meta didnt immediately respond to Fortunes request for comment, but it insists it isnt killing the metaverse outright. A spokesperson told the South China Morning Post that the company is shifting some investment from metaverse toward AI glasses and wearables, pointing to momentum behind its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which Zuckerberg says have tripled in sales over the past year.
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TOKYO, Dec 08 (News On Japan) - Japan faces a looming shortfall of nearly 790,000 IT workers by 2030 even as demand for digital operations continues to expand, while an estimated 15 million people nationwide are considered to have difficulty securing stable employment due to mental health conditions that have risen sharply in recent years.

At the center of efforts to bring these so-called dormant workers into the digital workforce is Ono Takaya, CEO of Valt Japan, who is working to connect people with mental or developmental disabilities to jobs at the front lines of Japans IT industry.

Earlier this year, Ono partnered with Mitsubishi Estate to open DIC Marunouchi, a job-training facility designed not for people with physical disabilities but specifically for those with mental illnesses or developmental disorders. By specializing in IT assignments, the center has been able to accept a growing volume of digital work and increase revenue per worker to more than twice that of conventional support models. The initiative aims to balance welfare and business by creating a new framework for employing people with disabilities, a challenge that writer Aiba Hideo explores through a series of interviews.

Aiba notes that people with employment difficulties number roughly 15 million across Japan, with the fastest growth seen among those suffering from mental health conditions such as stress-related disorders. The new project seeks to uncover these hidden workers and develop them into a productive digital workforce, offering opportunities for individuals to take their first steps toward rejoining society.

The goal is to fuse disability employment with IT business, drawing major corporations into a model that addresses the dual pressures of rising digital-sector demand and a deepening shortage of skilled personnel. While some critics question whether companies are exploiting subsidies or using vulnerable workers as a convenient labor source, Ono emphasizes that employment support can become an essential part of Japans labor-market infrastructure and contribute to the creation of a new economic foundation. His ambition is to expand the model nationwide.

The program focuses on two urgent social issues  labor shortages and disability employment  and seeks breakthroughs in both. Aiba meets Ono in central Tokyo, where the rapid growth of office towers mirrors the acceleration of digital transformation. Valt Japan, Ono explains, is determined to cultivate new human resources at a time when companies struggle to secure talent.

At DIC Marunouchi, individuals with employment challenges come to the center and contribute to projects commissioned by private companies, with the aim of combining economic viability and social purpose in a single business model. Although welfare and profit have often been treated as incompatible, Onos approach integrates them.

The facility, located in Tokyos 23 wards, is the first of its kind to specialize in digital skills for younger generations in their twenties and thirties, many of whom are digital natives. Workers here are primarily individuals with mental or developmental disabilities, reflecting a trend that has seen the number of people with mental health disorders more than double over the past 20 years to roughly six million. Their conditions are often invisible to others, contributing to the rise in employment-difficulty cases.

The centers defining feature is the matching of individuals seeking to return to the workforce with the rapidly increasing volume of digital work created by ongoing IT adoption. One trainee in his twenties, who has a developmental disability, was developing an application using AI during the visit. Without formal instruction in programming, he began studying roughly four months earlier by asking AI systems for guidance. His current work involves building simple applications through natural-language prompts, with AI automatically generating and rewriting code in real time.

Even for basic tasks, he explains, users need some foundational knowledge of AI and programming, but he has devised methods that make it easier for others with limited experience to operate the tools. The ability to create functional applications within seconds demonstrates how AI can expand opportunities for workers who previously faced steep barriers to entry.

The project highlights how digital tools can open new pathways to employment for people whose talents have remained untapped. As demand for IT labor intensifies, the initiative offers a potential model for addressing both social and economic challenges by integrating training, corporate work, and support for reintegration into the workforce.

Source: BIZ
As leadership transitions reshape Canada's public sector, CIOs face increasing pressure to sustain IT performance, ensure continuity, and align with new mandates. Info-Tech Research Group's latest blueprint, Navigate IT Priorities Through Leadership Shifts, offers a structured approach to help government technology leaders manage change with clarity and confidence. The research provides practical tools and frameworks to anticipate priorities, strengthen governance, and build organizational resilience during transition.

TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2025 /CNW/ - As public sector organizations across Canada experience increasing leadership transitions and policy shifts, government CIOs are being called upon to adapt IT strategies that align with evolving mandates, fiscal realities, and citizen expectations. To support this transition, Info-Tech Research Group, a global IT research and advisory firm, has published a new blueprint titled Navigate IT Priorities Through Leadership Shifts, offering Canadian government IT leaders a practical roadmap to manage change while maintaining operational stability and strategic focus.

Info-Tech Research Group Outlines Core Priorities CIOs Need During Leadership Change (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

The firm's research insights reveal that leadership transitions, whether triggered by elections, departmental restructuring, or shifts in policy direction, can disrupt IT alignment, introduce security and compliance risks, and delay modernization initiatives. Info-Tech's recent findings emphasize that proactive preparation, strategic foresight, and structured incremental action can enable CIOs to turn these periods of uncertainty into opportunities to strengthen governance, rebuild trust, and realign technology priorities with emerging leadership goals.

"Government IT leaders operate in environments where leadership changes are frequent and politically driven," says Andy Best, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "These changes can also result in major strategic shifts like the recent Canadian move towards strongly emphasizing digital sovereignty, impacting IT strategies across the enterprise. Rather than treating leadership turnover as a disruption, CIOs can use these moments to reaffirm the value of IT as a strategic enabler of public service delivery, resilience, and transparency."

Key Challenges for Government CIOs During Leadership Transitions

Leadership changes can create significant instability across Canadian public sector IT environments. Info-Tech's blueprint highlights several recurring challenges that CIOs must address:

Misaligned priorities as new mandates shift focus away from existing IT strategies and investments.

as new mandates shift focus away from existing IT strategies and investments. Budget and workforce uncertainty complicates long-term planning and undermines service continuity.

uncertainty complicates long-term planning and undermines service continuity. Heightened security and compliance risks as strained resources and outdated controls create vulnerabilities.

These challenges underscore the need for CIOs to anticipate change early, strengthen operational resilience, and maintain clarity of purpose throughout the transition cycle.

Info-Tech Research Group Outlines Core Priorities CIOs Need During Leadership Change

Leadership transitions can serve as a catalyst for strategic renewal when CIOs apply the right capabilities to anticipate change and maintain stability. Info-Tech's newly published blueprint explains that, in addition to following the structured pre-transition, transition, and post-transition phases, government CIOs must draw on the following six essential capabilities to navigate uncertainty, strengthen alignment, and position IT as a trusted partner across the public sector:

Strategic foresight

Identifies trends, weak signals, and shifts in policy, technology, and citizen expectations to strengthen the CIO's ability to anticipate change, reduce surprises, and position IT to lead rather than react. Exponential IT

Defines a forward-looking approach to modernization by moving beyond incremental upgrades to transformative platforms such as cloud infrastructure, automation, and artificial intelligence that accelerate innovation and improve service delivery. CIO Playbook

Serves as the foundational guide for long-term IT leadership, providing structure for portfolio management, governance, innovation scaling, and enterprise-wide alignment with departmental and citizen outcomes. CIO Transition Playbook

Outlines the essential steps for the first 100 days of a new mandate or leadership change, helping CIOs stabilize teams, realign strategic priorities, and deliver early wins that build credibility and momentum under new direction. Logical incrementalism

Supports deliberate, steady progress by balancing risk and pace to maintain progress without overextending teams and by building stakeholder confidence through consistent, measurable execution. Special teams

Delivers high-impact, situational responses through pilot projects, proofs of concept, and early automation or AI initiatives that create quick wins, validate innovation potential, and build resilience during transition.

By applying this strategic approach, Info-Tech advises that Canadian government CIOs can transform leadership transitions into catalysts for alignment, modernization, and accountable public service delivery. The firm emphasizes that clarity of vision, strong governance, and effective cross-departmental collaboration are key to ensuring IT remains resilient and strategically relevant during periods of change.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Andy Best, an expert in the Canadian Public Sector, and access to the complete Navigate IT Priorities Through Leadership Shifts blueprint, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading and fastest-growing research and advisory firms, serving over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing professionals around the globe. As a trusted product and service leader, the company delivers unbiased, highly relevant research and industry-leading advisory support to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to expert guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech's HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm's SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group

Media Contact: Sufyan Al-Hassan, PR Director, Info-Tech Research Group, [email protected] | +1 (888) 670-8889 x2418
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Netflix (NFLX) shares are slipping at the time of writing after the streaming giant agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discoverys (WBD) assets for a whopping $83 billion in cash and stock.

The agreement thats broadly expected to make NFLX the most formidable force in the Hollywood industry values WBDs studios and streaming assets at $27.75 per share.

More News from Barchart

At the time of writing, Netflix stock is down roughly 25% versus its year-to-date high set in late June.

www.barchart.com

Why Is Netflix Stock Trading Down on Friday?

NFLX shares are inching down this morning mostly because of two big reasons.

One  the WBD transaction sure is expensive. As a senior Lightshed Partners expert, Rich Greenfield, put it in a CNBC interview today: This is a huge  number thats just too big.

And two  investors are wondering whether global regulators will agree to this deal given Netflix and HBO are two of the three largest streaming platforms.

Senator Mike Lee, for example, has already voiced concerns that NFLXs takeover of WBD assets will reduce competition, consumer choice, and incentive for innovation.

Should You Buy the Dip in NFLX Shares?

Irrespective of how things unfold on the WBD front, Evercore ISIs head of internet research Mark Mahaney recommends sticking with Netflix shares heading into 2026.

In his research note, he touted the companys competitive positioning, adding that its compelling value proposition and excellent execution track record are hallmarks of exceptional fundamentals for the long term.

Evercore ISI maintains an Outperform rating on Netflix shares with a $138 price target indicating potential upside of about 37% from here.

The investment firm agrees NFLX isnt inexpensive at north of 41x forward earnings, but its sheer scale and dominance in the streaming market does warrant a meaningful premium, it told clients.

Whats the Consensus Rating on Netflix?

Other Wall Street analysts agree with Mahaneys bullish view on Netflix stock as well.

According to Barchart, the consensus rating on NFLX shares currently sits at Strong Buy with price targets going as high as $160, signaling potential for a more-than-55% rally in the coming year.
Netflix stock drops 6% after earnings miss due to Brazilian tax fight Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto

Netflix stock dropped after news of its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.

Wall Street is lukewarm on the prospect, which would represent a big shakeup of the media business.

Warner Bros. Discovery stock rose as much as 4% on the news.

The move: Netflix stock fell on Friday, but pared the deepest losses after being down as much as 4%. The dip extends a string of declines in the last week, though the stock is still up 15% year-to-date.

Why: The decline follows the announcement that Netflix reached a $72 billion deal to acquire part of Warner Bros. Discovery's assets, including streaming, TV, and film studios. Warner Bros. Discovery stock rose as much as 4%, but gave back some of that gain shortly after the opening bell.

The quest to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, one of the oldest names in the media industry, quickly morphed into a bidding war between Netflix, Paramount Skydance, and Comcast. However, Netflix came in above rival bidders, offering almost $28 per share to Warner Bros. shareholders.

A deal between Netflix and the HBO Max parent would give the biggest paid streamer a seemingly insurmountable lead, while closing the viewership gap with YouTube.

However, Netflix investors don't appear to be very excited about the deal, even as it promises to give the media giant an even larger piece of the streaming pie. As rumors of Netflix's interest in Warner Bros Discovery heated up in recent weeks, the stock tumbled.

Wall Street rarely rewards the company doing the acquiring in the immediate aftermath of a big deal like this. However, it also comes at a time when investors are highly sensitive to big spending, with major capex being viewed increasingly with skepticism by Wall Street.

What it means: Netflix plans to spend $72 billion to acquire HBO Max and the Warner studio, which the company could otherwise allocate toward creating original content or enhancing its industry-leading technology.

There's also the prospect of looming regulatory fights, which could become intense as Netflix attempts to demonstrate that the deal preserves competition in the streaming industry. By contrast, some media observers think Paramount Skydance's positive relationship with President Trump would give the company a relatively seamless approval process if it were selected as the winning bid.

Another issue is that Netflix isn't really in the movie theater business, and this deal would likely require them to change their tune, Bloomberg reported last month.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said earlier this year that regularly putting films in theaters is an "outdated" model, even though Netflix has occasionally put hits like "K-pop Demon Hunters" or the "Stranger Things" finale on big screens. Such a pivot may concern investors that the company is getting distracted from its core business of at-home streaming.
Tim Andros, far-left, and his volunteer team has spent nine dives searching for the missing cannon. Tim Andros, provided

At low tide on the Hackensack River last weekend, a team of divers slipped beneath the surface chasing a mystery thats lingered for 45 years.

Bergen County lore says the War of 1812 cannon known as Old Bergen vanished in a drunken stunt and was hurled into the very waters it once defended.

Now on their ninth dive, public safety diver Tim Andros and his six-man crew believe theyre closer than ever to proving the rumor true.

Andros says he and his assistant are closing in on a large metal object buried in mud 20 to 40 feet underwater.

The environment is intense, to say the least, said Andros, owner of Northeast Public Safety Divers.

The cannon belongs to the Bergen County Historical Society, which operates out of the Steuben House, a Revolutionary War-era site once used as Gen. George Washingtons military headquarters.

Reginald McMahon, a local historian, said the cannon was mounted outside a church near the Hackensack Rivers bank during the war.

It changed hands several times, having been owned by a judge at one point, according to research McMahon published in 1992.

Eventually, the Bergen County Historical Society mounted the cannon outside the Steuben House in the 20th century, after fitting it with a decorative plug, McMahon said.

Vandals struck in 1961, toppling the relic, but it was restored to its perch.

Nearly two decades later, the mystery deepened: the cannon vanished altogether, sparking decades of speculation about its fate.

The disappearance was reported to local authorities at the time, confirmed Carol Byrne, records clerk for the River Edge Police Department. However, police reports from that investigation are no longer available, Byrne said.

Deborah Powell, a longtime member and former president of the historical society, joined after the cannon had already disappeared and never saw it in person.

One of her favorite photos shows children gathered around the cannon, smiling for a picture taken shortly before it vanished.

It would be nice to get the cannon back and try to exhibit it, Powell told NJ Advance Media.

Andros learned of the story through social media, he said.

Shortly after, he began recruiting a team to explore life beneath the river, with the first dive in August 2022.

With overcast skies and cold air on Sunday afternoon, the team laid out its gear feet from the river and the Steuben house.

Some team members monitored the operation from beneath blue-roofed tents on land. Nearby, the others, dressed in heavy diving gear, dipped their heads below the grayish water.

In past dives, the team found ruins of man-made structures, evidence of its past life as a shipping channel, Andros said. The deeply dredged channel is filled with dark water, hindering visibility. Churning up mud further reduces visibility.

A diver for Tim Andros' team stands on the bank of the Hackensack River in River Edge, New Jersey, on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, during a search for the missing "Old Bergen" cannon. Deborah Powell, provided

Over about seven hours on Sunday, the divers displaced about 12 feet of concrete buried in the water, Andros said.

Though the team cant yet confirm whether the object is the cannon, the possibility that it could be River Edges long-lost treasure keeps Andros and his crew motivated.

After repeated dives, Andross team has a target area to search, thanks to volunteers who used technology to identify metals dozens of feet underwater.

The equipment highlighted about 20 specific areas of the river. One area, however, has become the divers main focus: it shows a large object about 60 feet from a bridge.

Thats the paycheck for us - the progress and hoping to be able to provide history back to where it belongs, Andros said.

Theres not many people that...are allowed to do this, so we slightly feel privileged that we got considered (to be) the divers to do it, he added. And, on the other side of that point, theres not many people that would go in that environment persistently like this, so were proud of what we do.

Powell said budget constraints likely kept the historical society from mounting a full search for the cannon. Still, several past presidents held out hope for a breakthrough.

Over the years, tipsters have floated theories on social media, often claiming the cannon was tossed into the river.

I think its a very interesting story, Powell said. Its just a shame for somebody to remove it for whatever reason. I look forward to being able to have it back at the site.
Konala offers healthy dining with protein bowls and salads, and other items that are 100% gluten-free. Konala

Konala has finalized a lease for its first New Jersey location, marking the health-focused food chains drive-thru expansion to the East Coast.

Franchisee Anthony Menicola, who signed for the New Jersey territory earlier this year, has secured the site next to Chipotle and Starbucks in a high-traffic corridor of Belleville Township in Essex County, company officials said in a statement.

The location offers visibility and accessibility for the chains fast-casual, health-focused menu.

This rising fast-casual brand offers healthy dining with protein bowls and salads, and other items that are 100% gluten-free.

Menicola, an entrepreneur and fitness center owner, signed an exclusive agreement to develop Konala locations throughout New Jersey.

With his wife, Angie, he plans to open at least 10 locations across the state over the next five years, according to a statement.

Trace Miller, founder of Konala, said the agreement establishes Konala as a national brand with development stretching from Washington to New Jersey.
There were several food, product and car recalls for the week of Dec. 1-7, 2025. Canva

The first week of December has opened with a wave of new recalls across multiple industries, triggering safety warnings for consumers preparing for the holiday season.

From household goods to vehicles and popular food items, regulators are urging the public to stay alert as companies respond to newly identified risks.

Officials say now is the time to pay close attention to recall alerts before festivities begin.

Here are seven of the latest recalls across food, consumer goods and automobiles that made headlines this week  and how to spot these risky items to stay safe.

7 food and product recalls between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7

Item Detail Start Date Week of Dec. 1-7 Whos affected? Drivers of RAM trucks, consumers of shredded cheese, consumers of Ritz crackers, consumers of Pecorino Romano cheese, consumers of a certain brand of milk, users of water balloon pumps from Primark and users of writing tablet toys. Whats changing? See each specific food, car or product recall for more information. What will happen? People will have to stop consuming or using the products, return them to their place of purchase, and/or throw the products out.

This popular cheese was just recalled at a major grocery store

Wegmans is recalling its Pecorino Romano cheese sold in several states due to listeria contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The product in question is Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, sold in a plastic tub.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The cheese was recalled in these nine states:

Connecticut

Delaware

Maryland

Massachusetts

North Carolina

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Virginia

Washington, D.C.

Customers who bought the Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese should throw it out or return it to any Wegmans store for a full refund.

For more information about this recall, you can read our article.

This shredded cheese from Aldi and Walmart could make you sick, FDA warns

The FDA upgraded a recall on shredded cheese sold in 31 states to a Class II recall recently due to the cheese being contaminated with metal fragments.

The shredded cheese products were sold at Aldi, Target, Walmart and other grocery stores in 31 states.

People who bought the shredded cheeses should not consume them.

Instead, they should throw them out or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.

A full list of specific products, packaging sizes, lot codes, UPC numbers, sell-by dates and states sold can be found in our article on the subject.

Santas Christmas cookies could be ruined by this shocking milk recall

Prairie Farms of Dubuque, Iowa, is recalling certain Prairie Farms Gallon Fat Free Milk due to potential contamination with a cleaning agent, according to the FDA.

The milk was distributed in Woodmans stores in Illinois and Wisconsin, and it is unclear if any illnesses were reported through this recall.

About 320 gallons of milk were sold before Prairie Farms discovered the issue, but all remaining products have been removed from the store shelves.

If you have gallons of Prairie Farms Fat Free Milk in your refrigerator, the FDA urges you not to drink it.

Instead, you should throw it out or return it to its place of purchase.

For more information on lot codes, UPC numbers and other product information, you can check out our article.

Ritz recalling peanut butter crackers in 8 states: Are yours affected?

About 70 cases of Ritz peanut butter crackers have been recalled in eight states because they were mislabeled as cheese crackers, causing problems for those with peanut allergies, according to the FDA.

No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported to date.

The Ritz peanut butter crackers subject to recall include all 20-count packs weighing 27.6 ounces.

The Ritz peanut butter crackers were sold in eight states, including the following, according to the FDA:

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Georgia

Arkansas

Missouri

Oklahoma

Alabama

If you have these Ritz crackers, dont eat them especially if you have a peanut allergy.

Instead, throw them out or return them to their place of purchase for a refund.

To find out more about this recall you can read our article on the subject.

More than 10K KTEBO Writing Tablet Toys for children recalled due to death, injury risk from battery ingestion

KTEBO is recalling more than 10,380 writing tablet toys for children due to a hazard with loose screws that can lead to the button cell or coin batteries of the product coming out, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

This can cause a swallowing risk for young children, causing injury or death.

According to the CPSC, the tablet toys were sold in sets of two and came in four color variations (pink/blue, green/yellow, orange/blue, purple/red) and two sizes (8.5 inches and 10 inches) with a matching-colored stylus.

No injuries have been reported to date.

The toys were sold on Amazon from September 2025 through October 2025 ranging in price from $8 to $30.

Consumers should stop using the tablet toys and contact KTEBO for a free replacement set.

To get the replacement set, consumers should write RECALLED on the back of both tablet toys, take a picture of them and submit the pictures to writing-tablet-recall@ktebo.com with Recall Proof and their name in the subject line.

Primark water balloon pumps recalled due to injury hazard

Primark is recalling its water balloon pumps due to an injury hazard stemming from excessive pressure during use, according to the CPSC.

The increased pressure can cause the balloon pumps to rupture, injuring the users of the pumps.

Two reported cases of the pumps rupturing in the U.S. led to cuts on hands and fingers, and nine reported cases of the pumps rupturing internationally also led to cuts on hands and fingers.

The pumps were sold at Primark stores across the northeast and in Maryland, Florida and Illinois. They came in blue and pink varieties, and are shaped like a water bottle with a spray nozzle.

They were sold from March 2023 through July 2023, retailing for $6.

Consumers should stop using the recalled balloon pumps and return them to their local Primark store for a full refund.

Chrysler recalling 72K RAM trucks: If you have one of these vehicles, bring it to your dealer ASAP

Chrysler is recalling more than 72,000 RAM trucks due to an issue with the instrument panel cluster that could increase the risk of an accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall covers select 2025-2026 RAM 1500 Pickup, RAM 2500 Pickup, RAM 3500 Pickup, RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 RAM Cab Chassis and RAM 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles.

The instrument cluster panel can go blank while driving or during start up, and it is caused by a software issue.

These defective instrument panels can fail to show when the vehicle is in gear or has a brake malfunction warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

No injuries have been reported to date.

Owners should bring their vehicles to their local Chrysler dealers, where the instrument panel software will be updated or replaced at no cost.
New renderings highlight what Netflixs mega-studio campus at Fort Monmouth will like. (Courtesy of Netflix) Netflix

Netflix capped a blockbuster day Friday with two major deals, including the purchase of the former Fort Monmouth property where it plans to build a sprawling new mega-studio.

With this acquisition, we are excited to move forward with Netflix Studios Fort Monmoutha state-of-the-art production facility that will bring new jobs and economic opportunities to New Jersey," Anne Kelly, Netflixs Vice President of Studio Management & Services said in a statement.

The announcement came on the same day the streaming giant shared that it purchased Warner Bros., including its film and TV studios, HBO Max and HBO, for $82.7 billion.

Netflixs Fort Monmouth studio has been years in the making, requiring approvals from officials in Oceanport and Eatontown. The 289-acre complex will span both boroughs.

Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico expressed his appreciation to members of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, which is tasked with marketing and selling parcels of the former fort, for their efforts in bringing the deal to fruition.

I am thankful for the tireless efforts of the FMERA staff for all of the work behind the scenes, much of which no one will ever know, to bring this project to this point, Talerico said on his Facebook page.

The final sale price was $55 million, according to a report from the Asbury Park Press, broken down between a $47M purchase price, a $5M utility contribution and a $3M relocation fee.

The studio campus will feature 12 soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet, production and office buildings, a cafeteria, retail shops, trailer parks for crews, a theater, a hotel and visitor attractions.

The first phase of the project was approved last year by Oceanport and will be located on the former forts 29-acre McAfee Zone, which is being transformed into a campus for actors and production crews and includes four soundstages.

The campus main entrance and centerpiece was approved by Eatontown officials in September. It is the largest portion of the project and will feature eight additional soundstages up to 70 feet tall, along with production offices and a public plaza.

Demolition on the first phase of the project began in May, with construction on the final section expected to start in 2026 and wrap up by 2028.

With construction underway, both Oceanport and Eatontown have entered into tax agreements with Netflix, guaranteeing millions in annual revenue through a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes program, known as a PILOT, over the next three decades.

Earlier this month, Oceanport approved a PILOT that will bring the borough nearly $65 million over 30 years.

Last month, Eatontown approved a similar PILOT for the second phase of the studio project, including an immediate $47 million payment that borough officials said could fund long-needed improvements to roads, sewers and public facilities.

Kelly thanked local officials as well as Gov. Phil Murphy and his administration for helping bring the project to life.

While there is still work ahead before we open our doors, we look forward to continuing our close partnership with this remarkable community as we transform this historic site into a world-class studio and vibrant community hub, Kelly said.
There is a rising global interest in extracting much-needed critical minerals from the Arctic to meet the growing needs for various metals and minerals. However, environmentalists are concerned about what impact the exploitation of vast untapped reserves in the region might have on wildlife and the environment. Despite potentially holding huge reserves of critical minerals, several countries have previously avoided mining activities and other invasive actions in the Arctic due to its fragile nature and the wide array of unknown challenges to development.

Several countries around the globe are looking to develop their critical mineral mining and refining capacity to counter Chinas dominance in the market. This has led some powers to look to the north to access vast untapped resources, with five in particular  Russia, Canada, the US, Denmark, and Norway  asserting their claims and advancing their strategic interests in the region.

The Arctic is seen as a source of a lot of different raw materials, not only oil and gas, but a lot of strategic materials and rare earths Greenland, right now, is a repository of a lot of base metals, precious metals, gemstones, rare earths, uranium  its all there. The problem is that up until recently, it was seen as completely unviable to actually mine them, the associate professor at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromso, Marc Lanteigne, stated.

But with climate change and the ability to navigate the Arctic Ocean much more frequently, especially during the summer months, Greenland is starting to be looked at much more carefully as a potential alternative source for a lot of these strategic materials to China, Lanteigne added.

Greenlands landscape is rapidly changing in response to global warming, with ice sheet and glaciers melting and leaving behind wetlands, shrubland, and bare rock. This means that accessing critical minerals that were previously extremely difficult to reach may now be possible, which is driving greater international interest in the region.

Earlier this year, United States President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. might take ownership of Greenland, stating upon his inauguration in January that U.S. ownership of the autonomous Danish territory is an absolute necessity for national security and freedom throughout the world. Greenlands Prime Minister Mute Egede quickly responded to Trump by saying the Arctic island is not for sale.
The longtime Mendham restaurant will close on Dec. 31 as part of the sale to new owners. Karim Shamsi-Basha

A legendary Morris County steakhouse has been sold after nearly 100 years of operation and three generations of family ownership.

The owners of Sammys Ye Old Cider Mill in Mendham, which started as a speakeasy during Prohibition, announced the sale on the restaurants Facebook page.

The Fornaro family said they will transfer ownership of the steakhouse with Dec. 31 marking their final day of service, according to the social media post.

We would like to inform you that after 30 amazing years and much consideration, we have made the decision to sell Sammys, according to the post. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your loyal support, friendship and patronage through the years. Serving you has been an honor and we are proud of the memories and connections we have built together.

Just the word, speakeasy, takes you back to the tie of illegal alcohol, jazz and innovative solutions! Karim Shamsi-Basha

The restaurant, located at 353 Mendham Rd. west, will remain open during the transition.

We never imagined that when we took over in 1995 that the legacy started by our grandfather in 1933 and then our father and uncle would continue with us as the third generation for the past 30 years.

According to the restaurant website, Sammys Ye Old Cider Mill is an American steak house that was started as a speakeasy in the 1920s by Samuel Fornaro.

Samuel Fornaro, original owner of Sammys Ye Old Cider Mill in Mendham.

Sammys is owned and operated by Fornaros grandchildren  Samuel, Philip and MaryAnn Fornaro.

The uniqueness of this roadside restaurant is that you place your order upon entering. You then proceed to the original Prohibition-era bar to relax while your dinner is prepared. When your meal is ready, you are called to the upstairs dining room where the first course awaits, according to the website.

Philip Fornaro, left, along with his sister Mary Ann and brother Samuel. Karim Shamsi-Basha

All dishes are cooked to order, and meats are dry-aged and hand-cut on premises.

In addition to dry-aged steaks and chops, other popular favorites include Maine lobster, shrimp scampi, pastas and seasonal soft-shell and stone crabs.

Sammys will be under new ownership following the sale, the owners said. We wish the new owners every success and are confident they will preserve Sammys legacy for generations to come.

The Fornaro family urged patrons to stop by during December to say goodbye.

As we prepare for our closing, we hope you will stop by to share your favorite memories and allow us the opportunity to thank you in person.

The restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday, and open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
President Donald Trump is greeted by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before speaking to a gathering of top U.S. military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Quantico, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP

This week, we discuss the Trump administrations handling of the U.S. killing of non-combatants, the Epstein files, immigration policy, tariffs, the food assistance debate as well as the presidents age and approval rating. Locally, we look at new anti-corruption legislation and Gov. Murphys lame duck moves.

Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends. Star-Ledger editor Enrique Lavin is moderator.

War crime allegations

Q: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under bipartisan scrutiny after reports a second strike on an alleged drug-running boat near Venezuelan was ordered to leave no survivors. Legal experts warn this could constitute a war crime under international law. Where do you see this going?

Mike: Hegseth will continue to posture with extreme bravado, but this one has legs. You could see cracks among Republicans in the Senate and House. There is a line, and murder is on the other side of the line. In the eyes of the law, if the situation is being relayed accurately, killing neutralized combatants is murder, not combat.

Julie: This is murder, by both the Pentagons own standards and under international law. Even if these men were drug runners  and this administration has presented absolutely no evidence that they are  they do not deserve to be summarily executed by a former Fox host cosplaying as a tough guy.

Epstein files

Q: House Oversight Democrats just released 73 photos and four videos from Epsteins private island. Bipartisan lawmakers are pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi on whether DOJ will meet the Dec. 19 deadline to release all unclassified Epstein files. What happens if the administration misses that deadline?

Mike: My guess is everyone will celebrate the holidays, and we will talk about this again in January, and February, and March.

Julie: If Bondi punts, she will say that she cannot release the files either because they are classified or because she is in the midst of an investigation into Epsteins alleged co-conspirators. There is no way that Donald Trump will ever allow all of these files to be released.

Immigration crackdown

Q: Trump has halted all immigration cases  including citizenship ceremonies, work permits and green cards  for nationals of 19 countries, following a deadly attack by an Afghan refugee on National Guardsmen. Trump also announced a pause on asylum decisions and expanded deportation operations. Democratic-led states are putting up a fight. What outcomes should we expect?

Mike: Eventually, we cannot let collective punishment continue. Is there a moment for extra scrutiny, sure, but I dont think it can go on indefinitely.

Julie: Disgraceful, un-American and contrary to everything we should stand for. Kind of like Donald Trump himself.

SNAP funding showdown

Q: The administration has targeted 21 blue states with a threat to withhold federal food assistance (SNAP) funds unless they share detailed recipient data, including immigration status. States argue this violates privacy and federal law. Where is this going?

Mike: Withholding food for poor people is not a winning political issue. Thats not why people voted for Trump.

Julie: This president is purposely starving people out of spite. If you still support him, look towards your own humanity, friends.

Underwater approval ratings

Q: Trumps approval rating has dropped to historic lows  36% approval, with 60% disapproval (Gallup). Economic concerns, foreign policy controversies and the Epstein files saga are eroding confidence among independents and even some MAGA loyalists. With MAGA stalwart Marjorie Taylor Greene resigning and others openly criticizing Trumps foreign policy and spending plans, are we seeing the GOP fracture ahead of the 2026 midterms? Or is this a blip?

Mike: Its not a blip. Republicans are heading toward a very difficult midterm election unless feelings on the economy turn around.

Julie: The House GOP seems to be on the cusp of open revolt against House Speaker Mike Johnson but assiduously ignore the real cause of their ills: a deranged, increasingly authoritarian president who is the real root cause of their problems.

Age debate

Q: Weve spent months debating Joe Bidens age and stamina, but now Trump is making headlines for appearing to nod off during a Cabinet meeting and rage-posting more than 160 times on social media in one night. Does this shift the conversation? Does Trumps behavior raise a different set of questions than with Bidens?

Mike: It will not change, yet. Trump has not looked in the same league of lost incompetence that Biden appeared at times. Trump nodding off is not the same as an incoherent two-hour rambling disaster of a debate, which is what doomed Biden. It is wishful thinking from the Trump haters to think its the same. Hes getting older, but he is far from Biden levels of concern right now.

Julie: Trump rambles every time he opens his mouth. The problem is that the media has just shrugged and convinced the American people that this is just Trump being Trump. I wish I had been graded on this kind of curve back in high school.

Looming U.S. Supreme Court tariff decision

Q: Costco has sued the administration over tariffs imposed under emergency powers, arguing they are unlawful. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is weighing whether Trumps use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify tariffs was legal. What happens if SCOTUS rules against Trumps tariffs? Conversely, what if they support it?

Mike: The Supreme Court could save Trump from himself if they strike down the tariffs. The status quo, on the other hand, is not working for Trump.

Julie: This Supreme Court cares less about the law than about sticking it to the libs. That, and Chief Justice Roberts is so afraid of a confrontation where Trump just ignores his orders and makes the court look impotent that he is staving off that reckoning by just giving Trump everything he wants.

Transparency in Trenton?

Q: Senate President Nicholas Scutari sponsored a controversial bill that would strip the Office of the State Comptroller of its subpoena power and transfer key investigatory authority to the State Commission of Investigation. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim and Attorney General Matt Platkin call this a naked power grab that weakens anti-corruption efforts. Whats going on here?

Mike: Andy Kim is against it because he thinks it is popular. Andy Kim was happy to have the lines when he was the choice of the county parties and the incumbent, but when the county parties were going the other way, he was suddenly a champion for reform. Give me a break. The knee-jerk opposition to this is nuts. I would like to hear from both sides, because there are some merits to giving broader power to the SCI which has some wider latitude. The Comptrollers Office has brought this reform on itself by becoming more political under Gov. Murphy than ever before. It lost credibility and there are repercussions to that.

Julie: If the Legislature wanted to make Sen. Kim into a martyr, they could not have done a more effective job than by making him wait hours to testify and then treating him disrespectfully from the podium when he did. It may not matter two years before the next election, but this is exactly the kind of thing that loses you a primary election, especially when the line no longer exists.

Lame ducking

Q: Aside from the Scutari bill, there are multiple proposals being pushed during lame duck ahead of an incoming Sherrill administration. What are you watching for?

Mike: I am watching how many appointments go through for judges and various powerful boards Murphy pushes through with Senate consent, some of which will not be appreciated by Team Sherrill.

Julie: True. Murphy has to take one last opportunity to reward his cabal of boys on his way out the door, since their time will be up the moment he leaves Trenton to look for whatever merit badge he wants to collect next.

Political consultants Julie Roginsky and Mike DuHaime Photo by Stephanie Cowan

Editors note: Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week with this Friendly Fire conversation.
Behind every statistic is a person trying to survive in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. Canva for NJ.com

By Richard Uniacke

Across New Jersey, homelessness is rising at an alarming rate.

According to data from the Office of Homelessness Prevention, over 34,000 people have already entered homelessness in 2025 and that number is expected to more than double by years end.

Behind every statistic is a person trying to survive in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.

But ending homelessness means far more than just finding someone a place to live. It means addressing the web of challenges that drive people into crisis in the first place.

Access to affordable housing is part of that, yes, but also financial stability, food security, health care, education, and community connection. When these supports work together, they dont just house people; they restore dignity, rebuild independence, and strengthen neighborhoods.

At Bridges Outreach, we see those realities every day. One of our clients, a veteran living on $1,040 a month, received just $30 in SNAP benefits which is barely enough to cover a few days of groceries. After paying $300 in rent, he must choose which bills to skip to eat.

Another veteran, denied SNAP entirely, was hospitalized after taking his medication without food. These arent isolated cases. Rather, they reveal the cracks in a system that leaves too many New Jerseyans one emergency away from disaster.

For decades, New Jersey made steady progress toward ending homelessness. That progress is now being undone by federal funding cuts and policy shifts that are pulling the rug out from under state and local programs just as demand reaches historic levels. The result is a safety net stretched to breaking.

New Jersey is now the sixth most expensive state for housing, with average rents near $2,500 a month. More than half of renters spend over 30 percent of their income on housing. In Union and Essex Counties, the Fair Market Rate no longer matches reality.

For example, a one-bedroom often costs $1,850 to $1,900 while vouchers cap out at $1,768. Even those approved for assistance cant find units within their limits.

When the federal government pulls back, the cost doesnt disappear. Instead, it shifts to local shelters, hospitals, and nonprofits like ours. Its far more expensive to respond to a crisis than to prevent one.

It doesnt have to be this way. New Jersey knows how to solve this problem and Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill now has the chance to make housing stability a defining priority of her first 100 days.

Heres what the incoming Sherrill administration can do:

Restore and protect the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, ensuring it is used solely to build and preserve affordable homes.

Increase eviction filing fees to discourage frivolous cases and fund prevention programs that keep families stably housed.

Extend and expand the Bringing Veterans Home program, which has already housed more than 1,500 veterans in 2025. The program goes beyond housing, connecting veterans to case management and supportive services that help them stay housed.

And, champion legislation that safeguards essential services statewide.

In California, Senate Bill 79 was recently signed into law to prevent local governments from banning or displacing homelessness services. That kind of practical, compassionate policy could help protect the work New Jersey agencies are doing every day.

These are not radical ideas. Theyre common-sense solutions rooted in compassion, fiscal responsibility, and data. What they require is leadership and the willingness to act before this crisis deepens further.

Gov.-elect Sherrill campaigned on pragmatism, partnership, and progress. Helping our neighbors move from crisis to self-sufficiency is where all three meet.

By acting swiftly, she can set the tone for a New Jersey that doesnt turn its back on its most vulnerable neighbors. A New Jersey that chooses community over convenience, long-term progress over short-term politics.

Homelessness is not inevitable. It is the direct result of policy failures, and strong leadership can change that. The people doing this work havent given up.

They see success stories every day. But they cant do it alone.

Richard Uniacke is president of Bridges Outreach, a New Jerseybased nonprofit working to end homelessness through street outreach, case management, and permanent housing programs serving Essex and Union counties.
By Linda Stamato

All three of New Jerseys Republican congressmen  Reps. Jeff Van Drew, Chris Smith, and Tom Kean Jr.  supported the bill to open the government with no evident hesitation.

It was signed into law by President Donald Trump soon afterwards.

When they got their way  a bill to open the government without extending the subsidies  New Jerseys nine Democrat representatives, joined their GOP colleagues, all of them, to vote for it.

Before the vote, Republican representatives refused to even discuss options to help families afford their healthcare coverage. They stayed home to avoid doing so.

Now what they are concerned more about, though, is a mid-term backlash that may come in response to their previous votes against extending the subsidies.

In short, they are less certain about their chances of being re-elected in 2026.

Their prospects are not looking so good. So, they are trying to switch gears, while, ahem, they wait on a new plan to replace the Affordable Care act, set to expire at the end of the year.

Seriously? Didnt they just close the government to avoid extending those subsidies?

Here is Van Drew, saying that until his party is ready to present a better plan, they must act at least temporarily to preserve the tax credits that bolster the current law:

I dont like Obamacare.but theres a big but with thatif were not ready, then we need to, for a year or a year and a half, renew the subsidy.

He cant be serious. Weve been waiting for alternatives to the Affordable Care Act since it became law in 2010.

Its reasonable to conclude by this time that there will not be a replacement as the ACA has become entrenched and more citizens have come to rely on it. The subsidies, in particular, have been hugely successful: In the four years since their inception, the new and expanded credits helped ACA Marketplace enrollment explode from 11.4 million to 24.3 million.

Canceling them will hurt those who rely on them and they are letting their representatives know about it. And, they, the representatives, those that have opposed the subsidies and the healthcare program itself all along are acknowledging that something needs to be done..for now.

A bipartisan bill to extend the subsidies, for example, provides that they last only for one year, conveniently enough, ending after the mid-term elections!

But most GOP representatives are opposed to extending the subsidies; they outnumber those of their colleagues who fear the loss of their positions and want to extend them.

Americans needing help, any interest? Nah, not the focus, not the problem.

Of course, let it be known that when it comes to helping American citizens deal with the increasing costs and pressures on them, the GOP doesnt even try to be with them; its with the well-off who want tax cuts and other benefits.

Healthcare-related challenges, on several fronts, are putting families in crisis. And, the Republican-dominated Congress, well, its having little, if anything to say but, for those who face re-election, saying what may be needed to stay seated.

Will Rogers, the columnist known for his political wit and wisdom, offered his insight in an apt observation, in March, 1931:

Aint it wonderful to have something come up in the country where you can find out just how many political cowards there are?

He would be astonished, I think, to visit America today, for in this country there are far too many things that come up to give us just this insight over and over again.

Calling your elected representative in the U.S. House Of Representatives or U.S. Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your representative and senator to voice your position, go to the House website and the Senate website.

Linda Stamato is co-director of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.
Opinion: We need an independent assessment of available resources to inform how we deliver public media services most effectively. (2023 NJ Advance Media file photo)

By Marc Pfeiffer

New Jersey faces a decision it hasnt confronted in 15 years: how to support the public interest information needs of 9 million residents.

New Jersey state government news receives historically limited coverage by New York and Philadelphia media outlets.

The states most recent effort to encourage news and cultural coverage will end when WNETs contract with the New Jersey Broadcasting Authority expires June 30, 2026.

To get it right, we need an independent assessment of available resources to inform how we deliver public media services most effectively. The Murphy administration, the incoming Sherrill administration, and the Legislature should collaborate on commissioning this immediately.

Todays news ecosystem includes professional journalists at traditional organizations complemented by online media, regional and hyper-local websites, and social media channels. Reporters, documenters, influencers, and others participate through a diverse statewide ecosystem.

With a new NJTV programming contract to be let, the state has an opportunity to reconsider its role in public interest broadcasting, thereby enhancing a diverse media ecosystem that supports news, arts, culture, and education  one that ensures independence from political influences.

To make this work, the state needs to integrate diverse resources, including sound financial footing for NJTV and NJ Spotlight (relied upon for WNETs nightly newscast). It should leverage the pathbreaking New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, which has invested nearly $11 million across the state, supporting 75 newsrooms in 18 counties.

Other resources include arts, cultural, and public policy programming from Stockton Universitys State of the Arts program, the NJ Performing Arts Center, and Caucus Educational Corporation, as well as high school and college sports.

The model must leverage educational institutions  high schools, community colleges, and universities like Montclair, Rowan, Rutgers, Kean, NJIT, and TCNJ  to develop journalism professionals.

It should engage legacy newspapers and their websites as they expand online to serve multigenerational audiences.

The analysis should consider working alongside for-profit outlets like NJ Advance Media (The Star-Ledger and NJ.com), JerseySportsZone.com, ONNJ TV, News12, and cable news programs.

The assessment must capitalize on opportunities from statewide, regional, and community social media platforms, websites, independent video outlets, and podcasts reflecting news, politics, arts and culture, community, environment, and economic concerns.

The model must address the digital divide, ensuring access despite location, affordability, or connection quality issues. The states BEAD-funded broadband expansion (managed by the Board of Public Utilities) should inform this planning.

Services should be delivered through broadcast, cable, streaming, on-demand platforms, and social media. The study should explore how these institutions and players can best align to meet our needs.

Critical to success is establishing stable, predictable funding independent of annual budget negotiations or political priorities. The structure requires dedicated, ongoing funding streams, including public funding, spectrum utilization agreements, public-private partnerships, business and foundation support, and membership programs.

They must insulate editorial operations from political pressure while ensuring financial sustainability. Ideally, this funding should support the broader ecosystem of news organizations, community media outlets, libraries, and civic information projects essential to serving all 21 counties.

The assessment should not be burdened by fixed ideas or backroom advocacy.

Immediate attention is warranted as the June 30, 2026 deadline looms.

The Sherrill administration and Legislature will benefit from a comprehensive assessment, evaluation of options, understanding of risks, and weighing the pros and cons of viable approaches.

Unfortunately, completing a study in five months is challenging. Rushing into a flawed solution would be worse than taking time to get it right.

Hopefully, a thorough, expedited process can be arranged. If not, the state should negotiate a short-term extension with WNET while completing the necessary assessment. That arrangement must maintain current programming levels, including continuation of NJ Spotlight News and its website.

There is too much at stake to rush into a solution that might not succeed. We have the opportunity  lets make the most of it.

Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assembly member and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature websites Legislative Roster.

Marc Pfeiffer is senior policy fellow at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.
Crows fly over the capitol in Trenton in this 2019 file photo. Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

By Antoinette Miles

Last month, voters sent a resounding message to New Jerseys corrupt and contented political class.

Not only did they elect as their governor a candidate for governor, Mikie Sherrill, who pledged to change the way things are done in Trenton.

They also elected a strong cohort of independent progressives to the General Assembly, candidates who had pledged to take on the entrenched special interests that have Trenton in their grip and instead fight for working families.

The shockwaves of this historic election are now being felt in Trenton  even before they take office.

Earlier this week, during a hearing that ranks as one of the most disgusting displays weve seen in Trenton in recent years, state Sen. James Beach (D-Camden) was trying to dutifully advance legislation that is designed to gut the Office of the State Comptroller and intimidate career prosecutors at the Office of the Attorney General.

Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh has put out reports critical of one of Senate President Nick Scutaris former aides and of companies controlled by George Norcross, Beachs political boss. And Attorney General Matt Platkin indicted Norcross and his business partners for corruption.

While Beachs colleagues on the State Government Committee stood by in silence as Beach berated opponents of the bill and ran roughshod over the First Amendment, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla (D-Hudson), who recently defeated the Hudson County Democratic machine for a key seat in the Assembly, didnt mince words.

This whole hearing is a sham, Bhalla declared. Its a farce, and its an insult on the intelligence of the public.

Beach didnt know what hit him, and neither did Trentons political class.

For years, Scutari has successfully muscled through legislation that opened the floodgates of dark money coming into our elections and dramatically weakened the landmark Open Public Records Act.

Hes been able to act with impunity because, for more than a century, a corrupt county line allowed political insiders to practically hand-select primary election winners.

But no more.

Our work with U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, who was also at Mondays hearing, put the final nail in the coffin of the county line. And we saw last year that voters have a choice, they elect candidates who are going to fight for them  not Trenton backroom politics as usual.

And make no mistake: This bill represents the worst of Trenton backroom politics.

While Scutari and Beach are misleadingly claiming that this is designed to strengthen oversight, it would do the exact opposite.

Its a direct assault on government accountability and watchdog independence by removing the teeth from the Comptrollers Office. This bill makes corruption easier to pull off and would cost New Jersey taxpayers millions of dollars.

And its designed to intimidate career prosecutors in the state Attorney Generals Office who dare to investigate government corruption by enacting a legislative takeover of the moribund State Commission on Investigation and giving its agents wiretap authority over law enforcement  without any of the training or oversight that normally accompanies such sweeping powers.

It even manages to enrich politically connected insiders by bumping up the pay of the SCI commissioners, including the chair, who would be handpicked by legislative leaders.

Remember that SCI has released zero public reports this year in comparison with the Comptrollers Office, which has released more than 20, touching on topics ranging from conflicts of interests in lucrative municipal contracts to nursing home oversight to police accountability.

Thats why more than 60 organizations, from the American Civil Liberties Union to the League of Women Voters, have signed a letter opposing this bill.

While Bhalla and his progressive colleagues have yet to take office, their election  and Bhallas bravery in standing against this corrupt bill  should send a clear message to the political class that the days of business as usual are over.

Voters fed up with Donald Trump Washington are enraged that Democrats in New Jersey time and again follow the MAGA playbook by enriching their friends at taxpayers expense.

If this legislature cant stand up to powerful interests and reject this fatally flawed legislation, then voters will certainly have something to say about it.

Make no mistake. Theyre watching closely.

Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assembly member and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature websites Legislative Roster.

Antoinette Miles serves as New Jersey Working Families state director.
By Scott E. Rutter

After World War II, the Greatest Generation didnt just win a war  they built America. That same potential exists today, but New Jersey is failing to tap it

Today, while states like Texas and Florida aggressively court veteran entrepreneurs and the next generation of innovative companies, New Jersey is letting history slip through our fingers. The very industries we pioneered are relocating. The artificial intelligence companies that will define the 21st century  the modern equivalent of Bell Labs  are setting up shop elsewhere.

And were missing the key ingredient that could reverse this trend: strategic investment in our veteran community and their families.

Support vs investment

Heres the uncomfortable truth: most states, including New Jersey, support veterans and their families with basic services and ceremonial gratitude. But support is passive. Investment is active. Investment means recognizing veterans and veteran family members not as beneficiaries of charity, but as catalysts for economic growth.

States that understand this distinction are winning. Theyre not just offering veterans and their families help  theyre offering them opportunity. Theyre creating ecosystems where veteran-owned businesses and family enterprises can thrive, attract capital, and scale. Theyre implementing tax incentives that make it financially attractive for companies to hire veterans and their family members and contract with veteran-owned firms. Theyre removing barriers to entrepreneurship and actively recruiting veteran talent and their families.

The result? These states are capturing the next greatest generation of innovators, business leaders, and job creators  both veterans and their family members who share their values and work ethic.

Veterans and their families

The data is compelling. veterans start businesses at rates 45% higher than non-veterans. But we often overlook another crucial resource: veteran family members. Military spouses and children develop unique skills through frequent relocations, adapting to new environments, managing households during deployments, and building communities from scratch. They bring resilience, adaptability, project management expertise, and cross-cultural competency that employers desperately need.

Veterans bring leadership experience, problem-solving skills honed in high-stakes environments, and an unparalleled work ethic. Many have managed million-dollar budgets, led diverse teams, and operated sophisticated technologiesoften before age 30. Their spouses have often managed complex family logistics, pursued portable careers, and demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit out of necessity.

Just as WWII veterans returned with technical skills from radar operation, aircraft maintenance, and communications that directly translated to civilian innovation, todays veterans return with expertise in cybersecurity, drone technology, logistics systems, artificial intelligence applications, and advanced manufacturing. Their family members bring complementary skills in healthcare, education, business administration, and technology. T

These arent just employees  theyre the founders and workforce of tomorrows Fortune 500 companies.

But only if we invest in them.

Losing N.J.s historical advantage

New Jersey should be leading this charge. We have a proud military tradition. We have world-class universities. We have proximity to capital markets. We have the infrastructure that once made us an industrial giant.

What we lack is vision.

Bell Labs didnt just happen. It thrived because New Jersey created an environment where innovation could flourish. Today, that environment exists in Austin, Miami, and Raleighnot Newark or Trenton. The AI companies that will define the next century are setting up headquarters in states that have rolled out the red carpet for entrepreneurs, including veteran entrepreneurs and their families.

Meanwhile, New Jersey hemorrhages businesses, talent, and tax revenue. We rank near the bottom in business climate surveys. Young veterans and military families leaving military service look at our tax structure, regulatory environment, and cost of living and choose to build their companies elsewhere.

The Texas and Florida Model

Texas and Florida understand something fundamental: veteran entrepreneurs and their families dont need handouts  they need runway.

These states have eliminated state income taxes for all residents, making them immediately attractive to business owners. Theyve streamlined business registration and licensing. Theyve created veteran-specific business accelerators with access to capital, mentorship, and government contractsoften including programs specifically for military spouses. They mandate meaningful percentages of state contracts go to veteran-owned businesses  and then they actually enforce it.

The results speak for themselves. Texas has seen explosive growth in veteran-owned technology companies. Florida has become a magnet for defense contractors and cybersecurity firms founded by veterans and their family members. These businesses generate jobs, tax revenue, and innovationnot just for veterans and their families, but for entire communities.

The New Jersey Veterans Investment Act

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill has a unique opportunity. As a veteran herself, she understands whats at stake. But understanding isnt enough  we need bold action.

New Jersey should pass comprehensive legislation that doesnt just support veterans and their families but actively invests in them as economic drivers:

Economic investment, not charity: Implement aggressive tax incentives for companies that employ veterans and veteran family members and contract with veteran-owned businesses. Mandate that 15-20% of state contracts go to veteran-owned firms  with teeth behind the requirement.

Remove barriers to entrepreneurship: Create a graduated scale of income tax reductions for veteran residents and their families. Offer property tax incentives that make New Jersey competitive with Florida and Texas. Make it financially rational for veteran entrepreneurs and military families to choose New Jersey.

Build the infrastructure: Establish veteran business accelerators in partnership with our universities, focusing on high-growth sectors like AI, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. Create direct pathways from military transition to business ownership for both veterans and their spouses. Recognize that many successful veteran-owned businesses are family enterprises.

Recruit aggressively: Actively recruit veteran-owned companies to relocate to New Jersey with the same intensity we once recruited pharmaceutical companies. Target veterans and military families leaving service at nearby military installations and offer them compelling reasons to start their businesses here.

Healthcare and quality of life: Ensure veterans and their families receive healthcare within New Jersey, not at distant VA facilities. Provide recreational access that makes our state attractive to military families. These arent just benefits  theyre recruitment tools that recognize the whole familys sacrifice and contribution.

Employment opportunities: Provide veteran family members with preference ratings for state, county, and municipal employment. Recognize that military spouses face unique employment challenges due to frequent relocations and should be prioritized for remote work opportunities and professional licensing reciprocity.

The bottom line

The time for half-measures has passed. New Jersey can either lead the nation in veteran and military family investment and reclaim our position as an innovation hub, or we can continue watching our economic future relocate to states that understand what we apparently dont:

Investing in veterans and their family members isnt charity. Its the smartest economic development strategy available.

The choice is ours. The clock is ticking.

Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assembly member and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature websites Legislative Roster.

Scott E. Rutter, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, is a decorated combat veteran, business owner, and CEO of The Valor Network of Glassboro, N.J. Find his forthcoming book Damn Fine Soldiers (Simon & Schuster) in July 2026.
U.S. President Donald Trump dances in front of members of the military aboard the USS George Washington during his visit at the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) AP

More Americans back the Democratic Congress members who urged U.S. service members to refuse unlawful orders than support President Donald Trumps claim that those legislators were committing sedition, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll.

The survey found that 46% of Americans approved of the Democrats message, while 39% disapproved and 15% were unsure. Americans viewed Trumps response less favorably, with 26% saying they approved and 59% saying they disapproved, a net approval of -33.

The Economist/YouGov polls findings come amid an extraordinary conflict between the president and a group of six Democrats who in November released a joint video calling on service members to refuse illegal orders that might be issued by the Trump administration.

We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.



The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.



Dont give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r  Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025

In a series of Truth Social posts, Trump accused the Democrats of engaging in seditious behavior" that was punishable by death.

Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL, Trump said on Nov. 20. Their words cannot be allowed to stand - We wont have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.

The Pentagon last month opened an investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), one of the six Democratic lawmakers Trump labeled as a traitor. The FBI has also launched an inquiry into Kelly and the five others, all of whom have military or intelligence backgrounds.

As hostilities escalate between Trump and the Democrats, a majority of Republican voters remain firmly in the presidents corner.

According to the Economist/YouGov poll, 68% of Republicans disapproved of the Democrats video message and 58% approved of Trumps response.

Nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters, 74%, approved of the lawmakers message and 91% disapproved of the way Trump reacted. Among independents, the six Democrats had a net approval of +13 points, compared to Trumps net approval of -40.

Methodology:The poll was conducted among 1,628 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGovs opt-in panel to be representative of U.S. adult citizens. Baseline party identification is the respondents most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 33% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3%.
Nvidia (NVDA) is the global AI chip leader, but word that Google (GOOG, GOOGL) could sell some of its own AI chips to Meta (META) has raised concerns that one of its biggest clients is becoming a major competitive threat.

According to a Nov. 24 report by the Information, Googles deal with Meta could be worth billions of dollars.

That sent Nvidias stock price down 2.5% the day after the report. Nvidia also released a statement on X saying that it was happy for Googles success, but that Nvidias own chips are a generation ahead of the search giants offerings.

On Tuesday, Amazon (AMZN) announced the public availability of its Trainium3 chip, saying that it can save up to 50% on training costs for AI software compared to alternatives.

But Google potentially selling its TPUs (tensor processing units) and Amazon providing access to its Trainium3 chips doesnt necessarily mean that Nvidia is at risk of losing its lead in the AI race anytime soon.

It does, however, mean that Google and Amazon could end up taking their own share of the broader market as the global AI build-out continues to expand and companies look for alternatives to Nvidia amid a rush for its AI chips.

GPUs vs TPUs

One of the main things to understand about the Nvidia versus Google and Amazon debate is that they dont exactly offer the same products. Googles TPUs and Amazons Trainium3 are types of chips called ASICs, or application-specific integrated circuits, meaning theyre built to accomplish specific tasks very well.

That means Google and Amazon have developed them to handle certain applications efficiently because the chips were made specifically for those purposes.

[Google knows] the requirements and they know what trade-offs are most efficient for them, explained Forrester senior analyst Alvin Nguyen.

They can make something that works better today for them. Now, it doesn't mean that it's superior to Nvidia in every aspect. But  at least for Google, it will be superior for their needs, he added.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai addresses the crowd during Google's annual I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California on May 20, 2025. (Photo by Camille Cohen / AFP) (Photo by CAMILLE COHEN/AFP via Getty Images)  CAMILLE COHEN via Getty Images

Nvidias chips, meanwhile, are available across multiple cloud platforms, including those from Google and Amazon, as well as Microsoft. The architecture that underpins the chips can also be transferred to different use cases, whether thats training AI models, running models on robots, powering video games, or helping bring computing capabilities to self-driving car technologies.

Nvidia also has its own line of networking products that it sells to third parties, including Amazon, which will use the companys NVLink technology alongside its Trainium4 and Graviton CPU chips in its servers, as well as its popular CUDA software.
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The casket carrying the remains of U.S. Navy Mess Attendant 1st Class Ralph McHenry Boudreaux is rolled into the funeral at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell, La., Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. Boudreaux was killed in 1941 aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
Formula One technology has been embraced as part of a trial to improve WiFi on the South Wests trains.

A proof of concept trial is now underway on one GWR intercity express train, serving the region through to Devon and Cornwall.

The two-month trial uses technology used by McLaren race cars, and sits atop the train carriage to pick up signals from 5G masts and low Earth-orbit satellites to ensure uninterrupted WiFi.

Devon County Councils full council heard about the trial, which will end in January, after questions about what was being done to improve internet availability on trains.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter (Conservative, Wearside & Topsham), asked what was being done to improve WiFi on trains.

When I was chairman of the Peninsula Rail Task Force, it was a common comment that even if journeys took some time, as long as the WiFi worked, it wasnt too bad, as you could work on the train, he said.

This now seems to be problematic, so what work is ongoing with the train operators to improve the situation?

Councillor Jacqi Hodgson (Green Party, Totnes & Dartington), the cabinet member for climate change, outlined the trial that is underway on one train.

She said it had been made possible through 300,000 of funding from the Peninsula Transport sub national transport body, alongside GWR, Network Rail, Hitachi trains and Motion Applied.

The trial kicked off two weeks ago and was launched in Paddington station where the operators and system designers also attended, Cllr Hodgson said.

The technology is like a pizza box on top of the train, and it can pick up signals from mobile phone masts and satellite systems, and has been designed for McLaren race cars.

It is only on one train, so there is a random chance it will be on the train you are on, but it is on services down to Cornwall, and we will need more funding to implement it long-term if the trial goes well, which it seems to be at the moment.

In a written statement on the trial, Cllr Hodgson added: The government has committed funding to enhance mobile connections on all Great British Railway operated trains by 2030.

This trial, which runs until January, will hopefully provide the evidence to support the Department for Transport in developing a procurement and delivery strategy for enhanced WiFi on the GWR intercity network.

Following the trial, there will be a procurement phase until May 2026, and a delivery phase from June 2026 onwards.
Key Points

ONEOK has made several acquisitions in recent years.

The deals have significantly diversified its operations and grown its earnings.

They set it up for continued growth over the next several years.

10 stocks we like better than Oneok 

ONEOK (NYSE: OKE) is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in the U.S. The company has significantly expanded and diversified its operations over the past five years, following the completion of a series of acquisitions.

Here's a look at the pipeline stock's performance versus the S&P 500 over the last five years.

Image source: Getty Images.

Drilling down into ONEOK's five-year returns

The following table shows ONEOK's share price and total return with reinvested dividends over the past one-, three-, and five-year periods compared to the S&P 500:

One-year Three-year Five-year ONEOK -29.5% 14% 88.5% ONEOK (total return with reinvested dividends) -27% 31.4% 148.4% S&P 500 12.9% 68.9% 85.9%

Data source: Ycharts.

While ONEOK investors might not be happy with the company's more recent performance, they're likely thrilled by its total return over the last five years. Shares of the pipeline company have beaten the S&P 500's returns on their own. Meanwhile, the total return, which includes the company's lucrative dividend income (5.4% current yield), has absolutely obliterated the broader market index.

The buying binge

Five years ago, ONEOK had three lines of business: natural gas gathering and processing, natural gas pipelines, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Today, it has a much more diversified midstream platform, having expanded into refined products, crude oil, and export terminals.

The company's transformation began in 2023 with the acquisition of Magellan Midstream Partners in a $18.8 billion deal. The transaction meaningfully enhanced its scale and diversification by adding refined products, crude oil, and export terminals to its portfolio. ONEOK continued to enhance its scale and diversification the following year, purchasing Medallion Midstream and a 43% interest in EnLink for $5.9 billion. Those deals helped establish a fully integrated midstream platform in the high-growth Permian Basin while expanding and extending its footprint into other core regions. ONEOK would go on to buy the rest of EnLink for $4.3 billion earlier this year. Additionally, the company completed a couple of smaller bolt-on deals, including purchasing NGL pipelines from Easton Energy for $280 million and its joint venture partner's 49.9% interest in a Delaware Basin gathering and processing company for $940 million.
Your Money Could Soon Be Tied Up   In This $300 Billion Crypto Market

Theres a new type of money spreading rapidly across the internet, propelled by the crypto boom. Its supposed to be worth a dollar, but its not issued by any government. Called a stablecoin, it is a digital currency that is subject to very little legal oversight  and its growing popularity has recently transformed it into a $300 billion market.

You can use stablecoins to buy things online, make investments or send money abroad with minimal fees.

Hundreds of different brands of stablecoins exist now, with more to come. The Trump family introduced its own version this year. Walmart has been exploring one, as have major banks, tech companies and others.

And as big businesses flock to the cryptocurrency, so have bad actors. When pushing for stablecoin legislation in March, Senator Bill Hagerty, Republican of Tennessee, said the United States could not ignore the use of these digital dollars for illicit activities by drug cartels, foreign terrorist organizations and state actors.

Financial experts worry that the increasing adoption of these cryptocurrencies could pose large risks to the financial system. You can use them to easily move official money into digital currencies and back again. But they do not come with deposit insurance, like money in a savings account from a bank will have. There are no fraud protections. And there is scant regulation in place to make sure people are not using them for illegal transactions.

Stablecoin companies enjoy the privileges of being a bank without the responsibilities, said Corey Frayer, a former official at the Securities and Exchange Commission focused on crypto policy and a director at the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group.

The mechanics of how stablecoins work are straightforward. You can buy them, usually from a large online crypto exchange, in a matter of minutes with a wire transfer or credit card. The coins sit in your digital wallet, available for cheap and fast transactions anywhere in the world.

Imagine you want to buy this pair of Nike Air Force 1 shoes. They cost $222 from Crepslocker, a British online reseller of luxury goods.



Heres what happens at checkout: DEBIT CARD METHOD STABLECOIN METHOD Shopify, a payments processor, contacts Wells Fargo, your debit card company. Shopify, a payments processor, contacts your crypto wallet. INSTANTLY INSTANTLY Wells Fargo approves the charge, and temporarily reserves $222 in your account. The wallet sets aside $222 in stablecoins for the purchase. No fraud checks are performed by your crypto wallet or on the blockchain. Before approving, Wells Fargo checks for possible fraud. The shoes ship to you. The shoes ship to you. FEW MINUTES Crepslocker receives payment in stablecoins. 1-5 BUSINESS DAYS Shopify charges Crepslocker under 2% in transaction fees and no foreign exchange fees. Crepslocker receives payment in local currency. Card network and foreign transaction fees cost Crepslocker ~2-3% of the final cost. DEBIT CARD METHOD STABLECOIN METHOD Shopify, a payments processor, contacts your crypto wallet. Shopify, a payments processor, contacts Wells Fargo, your debit card company. INSTANTLY INSTANTLY Wells Fargo approves the charge, and temporarily reserves $222 in your account. The wallet sets aside $222 in stablecoins for the purchase. No fraud checks are performed by your crypto wallet or on the blockchain. Before approving, Wells Fargo checks for possible fraud. The shoes ship to you. The shoes ship to you. FEW MINUTES Crepslocker receives payment in stablecoins. Shopify charges Crepslocker under 2% in transaction fees and no foreign exchange fees. 1-5 BUSINESS DAYS Crepslocker receives payment in local currency. Card network and foreign transaction fees cost Crepslocker ~2-3% of the final cost.

Shopify has said that it monitors all transactions on its platform for fraud. Mani Fazeli, the vice president of product at Shopify, noted that since cryptocurrency regulations were still evolving, consumer protections can differ from traditional card payments. He added that the company worked with regulated partners to handle compliance for different parts of the process for payments.

Until recently, stablecoins served two main purposes: buying other cryptocurrencies and making risky crypto bets. But new regulations, including the GENIUS Act that President Trump signed into law this year, legitimized them for traditional payments and banking.

As it becomes more mainstream, many people may not even know theyre using stablecoins for transactions, said John Collison, a founder of Stripe, a payments company.

He cited Felix Pago, a popular app that allows people to send money transfers through WhatsApp and other platforms. Using Stripe technology, Felix Pago converts money into stablecoins to cut out foreign exchange fees, but doesnt advertise cryptocurrency anywhere on its website.

For me, this is a sign of the maturity of the industry and the utility of the technology, Mr. Collison said in an interview.

The lack of transparency worries Mr. Frayer. He predicts that payment companies will slip stablecoins into updated terms of service, so consumers unknowingly agree to crypto transactions every time they swipe their card. But those transactions will come with none of the protections that Americans expect, like chargebacks and fraud protection, he said.

Mr. Frayer warns that the proliferation of the coins echoes a dangerous era in American finance. In the 19th century, before federal regulations, private banks issued their own currencies that frequently collapsed, wiping out peoples savings.

Heres how stablecoins in your crypto wallet differ from a traditional bank deposit:

BANK DEPOSIT STABLECOIN WALLET The deposit is insured up to $250,000 by the federal government. Your money is not insured by the federal government. The bank lends out your deposit for mortgages, business loans and other types of borrowing. The coin issuer invests the money in financial markets, often by buying bonds. The bank shares a portion of the proceeds with you in interest. In most cases, the coin issuer keeps all of the proceeds. You are legally entitled to the money held in the bank, and you can withdraw the funds at any time. You can trade your tokens back for dollars on a crypto exchange, but you dont have a legal right to redeem tokens for their full value with the issuer. BANK DEPOSIT STABLECOIN WALLET The deposit is insured up to $250,000 by the federal government. Your money is not insured by the federal government. The bank lends out your deposit for mortgages, business loans and other types of borrowing. The coin issuer invests the money in financial markets, often by buying bonds. The bank shares a portion of the proceeds with you in interest. In most cases, the coin issuer keeps all of the proceeds. You can trade your tokens back for dollars on a crypto exchange, but you dont have a legal right to redeem tokens for their full value with the issuer. You are legally entitled to the money held in the bank, and you can withdraw the funds at any time.

A niche invention that grew bigger than nations G.D.P.s

Five years ago, stablecoins were mostly niche assets for crypto traders. Today, theyre worth more than the yearly economic output of Greece.

Tether, one of the most well-known issuers of stablecoins, made $13 billion in profit last year, according to company disclosures, just from the interest on customer funds. It now has roughly $180 billion in circulation. Circle, which issues the stablecoin USDC, has about $78 billion.

The Rise of Tether and Circle Tether $180 billion 160 140 The Terra stablecoin collapses, triggering a broad crypto selloff 120 100 80 Circle 60 40 20 0 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 $180 billion Tether 160 140 The Terra stablecoin collapses, triggering a broad crypto selloff 120 100 80 Circle 60 40 20 0 2019 2021 2023 2025 Source: CoinMarketCap. The New York Times

To understand why that matters, you need to understand Treasury bills, or T-bills.

T-bills are essentially short term loans taken by the U.S. government to fund its operations, accounting for 20 percent of all U.S. debt. Theyre considered some of the safest investments in the world because the United States is very unlikely to default on its debt, especially over shorter time periods. So banks, pension funds, foreign governments and money market funds all heavily invest in this market as a way to safely park enormous amounts of cash while earning a return.

Now, stablecoin issuers are some of the biggest purchasers of Treasury bills. Circle and Tether together hold roughly $136 billion in T-bills, according to an analysis of their financial statements, putting them on par with large nations and institutional investors.

Top Purchases of Treasury Bills in 2024 0 $10 billion 30 50 JPMorgan China Coin Issuers Fidelity Japan Hong Kong Caymans Israel Singapore Germany Luxembourg U.A.E. Belgium Switzerland 30 50 $10 billion 0 JPMorgan China Coin Issuers Fidelity Japan Hong Kong Cayman Islands Israel Singapore Germany Luxembourg U.A.E. Belgium Switzerland Source: Bank for International Settlements Working Paper No. 1270, Stablecoins and Safe Asset Prices (Ahmed & Aldasoro). Note: JPMorgan and Fidelity amounts reflect investments made by their respective government-focused money market funds. The New York Times

With the passage of the GENIUS Act, the Trump administrations signature crypto policy, the adoption of stablecoins is projected to skyrocket.

The Federal Reserve estimates that the total market could be worth $3 trillion in five years. Thats nearly the entire 2024 gross domestic product of France, according to the World Bank.

Industry giants are celebrating. We love, we love the GENIUS Act, said Rubail Birwadker, the global head of growth at Visa, which has expanded into stablecoin payments. He added that the new regulation makes it so much easier for more legitimate banks, technology companies, others to actually enter the ecosystem because they know exactly what theyre getting into.

Mr. Frayer, the Consumer Federation of America director, said the law fell far short of existing regulations for financial firms. It hands financial power to companies, he argued, that fundamentally dont believe that the federal government has any role in regulating financial transactions.

A coin that provides all of the power, with none of the oversight.

Because stablecoins exist in a regulatory gray zone, Tether has become a favorite currency of criminals and money launderers.

ISIS has used it to fund operations, according to the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Russian oligarchs moved millions of dollars in Tether across borders to evade sanctions in Europe, the Treasury Department said.

On Telegram, underground channels openly advertise weapons and narcotics, accepting Tether payments while promoting zero fees and untraceable transactions.

In a statement, a Tether spokesperson said the company worked closely with law enforcement agencies and that it regularly froze assets of bad actors. Blockchain transactions are traceable in ways that cash and traditional banking channels are not, the company said. Criminals predominantly use cash along with every form of money, but digital assets create immutable records that law enforcement can trace.

The risks of stablecoins extend beyond criminal use. Because they have connected crypto markets directly to traditional finance, failures in either system can spread to the other.

When the price of Bitcoin slid recently, people used stablecoins to cash out, according to data from CoinMarketCap, an industry firm. The overall value of the number of Circle stablecoins decreased nearly 3 percent over a 13-day period.

The sell off was relatively slow, happening over the course of nearly two weeks. But had withdrawals happened more rapidly, it could have meant something much more damaging. Heres how that could have played out.

The value of cryptocurrency crashes, pushing investors into stablecoins, in part to help them cash out of their investments. As crypto continues to tumble, stablecoin companies begin to sell Treasury bills in order to pay back customers. T-bills, as a result, lose their value, affecting bank and money market fund reserves.

A crash could also work in the other direction, a danger that became clear two years ago.

Banks or money market funds go under. In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. The money that is backing stablecoins disappears. Circle had $3.3 billion trapped in the failed bank, causing its USDC currency to plunge to 87 cents per coin. Panic cascades, sending cryptocurrency into free-fall. Crypto exchanges froze withdrawals, margin calls resulted in forced selling and the contagion spread to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The crisis ended only when federal regulators guaranteed all Silicon Valley Bank deposits. The episode, however, exposed a critical vulnerability: Unlike bank deposits, stablecoin holdings have no federal safety net, so customers are at risk if the issuer falters. Had Circle lost its $3.3 billion, many everyday users would simply have been out of luck.

The risk isnt just hypothetical. Stablecoin issuers have a checkered record when it comes to managing customer funds, according to Hilary Allen, a professor at American University.

In 2021, for example, Tether reached a settlement with the New York attorney general after investigators found it had falsely claimed to hold sufficient assets to match the amount of Tether in circulation, according to court documents. Had there been a surge in withdrawals, Tether might not have been able to cover all its stablecoin holders.

On Nov. 26, S&P Global, a ratings firm, downgraded its assessment of Tethers holdings to weak, the firms lowest rating, citing persistent gaps in disclosure and overreliance on high risk assets like bitcoin, gold and corporate bonds.

In a statement, a Tether spokesperson said its currency has remained stable through banking crises, exchange failures, and extreme market volatility. Since the New York attorney general settlement years ago, Tether has increased its holdings of safe assets, the company said.

Tethers checkered history nonetheless does not inspire confidence, according to Ms. Allen. Any doubt about solvency, she said, could generate a run.
JUDGE Haulage officially launched its beloved Santa Truck fundraiser for LauraLynn, Irelands Childrens Hospice with the help of actors Ryan and Michaela Andrews along with their son Rowan.

The couple joined Santa, Mrs Claus, and the crew at Judge Haulage to kick off the festive campaign, which will see the dazzling Santa Truck travel to towns and villages across Ireland this Christmas to raise vital funds for children with life-limiting conditions including visiting Offaly on the following dates:

Wednesday 10th December  Edenderry, Co. Offaly from 6.30pm to 8pm

Saturday 20th December  Bridge House Shopping Centre, Tullamore, Co. Offaly from 4.30pm to 6.30pm

Please note Santa Truck times and locations are subject to change. Please see the Santa Truck Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SantaTruckIreland) for the most up to date schedule.

The Santa Truck is a heartwarming initiative that transforms a Judge Haulage truck into a mobile winter wonderland, complete with lights, music, and festive cheer while supporting LauraLynn. Families are invited to meet Santa, take photos, come on board and enjoy the spectacle with donations collected for LauraLynn.

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I am delighted to be supporting the Santa Truck fundraiser this year in aid of LauraLynn, who do incredible work for seriously ill children and their families right across the country. said Ryan Andrews. Make sure to check the Santa Truck locations and get out and support LauraLynn all while having an amazing festive evening. Its not to be missed!

The Santa Truck will visit multiple locations throughout November and December. Offaly residents are welcome to come and join the festive cheer, meet Santa and Mrs Claus and support a good cause. Donations for LauraLynn will be collected at each event or online at www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/LauraLynnSantaTruck25.

LauraLynn provides specialist palliative care to children from birth to 18 years, offering services such as symptom management, music and play therapy, psychological support, and end-of-life care, all delivered in the hospice, in hospitals, and in family homes across Ireland.

There are lots of ways to support LauraLynns vital work this Christmas including a visit to The Santa Truck or by making a donation in support of the charitys Christmas Appeal by visiting lauralynn.ie/donate.

REVEALED: Free Christmas street parking times for December in Tullamore
Author: Babu Moger <babu.moger@amd.com> Date: Tue Oct 28 13:25:14 2025 -0500 x86/resctrl: Fix miscount of bandwidth event when reactivating previously unavailable RMID [ Upstream commit 15292f1b4c55a3a7c940dbcb6cb8793871ed3d92 ] Users can create as many monitoring groups as the number of RMIDs supported by the hardware. However, on AMD systems, only a limited number of RMIDs are guaranteed to be actively tracked by the hardware. RMIDs that exceed this limit are placed in an "Unavailable" state. When a bandwidth counter is read for such an RMID, the hardware sets MSR_IA32_QM_CTR.Unavailable (bit 62). When such an RMID starts being tracked again the hardware counter is reset to zero. MSR_IA32_QM_CTR.Unavailable remains set on first read after tracking re-starts and is clear on all subsequent reads as long as the RMID is tracked. resctrl miscounts the bandwidth events after an RMID transitions from the "Unavailable" state back to being tracked. This happens because when the hardware starts counting again after resetting the counter to zero, resctrl in turn compares the new count against the counter value stored from the previous time the RMID was tracked. This results in resctrl computing an event value that is either undercounting (when new counter is more than stored counter) or a mistaken overflow (when new counter is less than stored counter). Reset the stored value (arch_mbm_state::prev_msr) of MSR_IA32_QM_CTR to zero whenever the RMID is in the "Unavailable" state to ensure accurate counting after the RMID resets to zero when it starts to be tracked again. Example scenario that results in mistaken overflow ================================================== 1. The resctrl filesystem is mounted, and a task is assigned to a monitoring group. $mount -t resctrl resctrl /sys/fs/resctrl $mkdir /sys/fs/resctrl/mon_groups/test1/ $echo 1234 > /sys/fs/resctrl/mon_groups/test1/tasks $cat /sys/fs/resctrl/mon_groups/test1/mon_data/mon_L3_*/mbm_total_bytes 21323 <- Total bytes on domain 0 "Unavailable" <- Total bytes on domain 1 Task is running on domain 0. Counter on domain 1 is "Unavailable". 2. The task runs on domain 0 for a while and then moves to domain 1. The counter starts incrementing on domain 1. $cat /sys/fs/resctrl/mon_groups/test1/mon_data/mon_L3_*/mbm_total_bytes 7345357 <- Total bytes on domain 0 4545 <- Total bytes on domain 1 3. At some point, the RMID in domain 0 transitions to the "Unavailable" state because the task is no longer executing in that domain. $cat /sys/fs/resctrl/mon_groups/test1/mon_data/mon_L3_*/mbm_total_bytes "Unavailable" <- Total bytes on domain 0 434341 <- Total bytes on domain 1 4. Since the task continues to migrate between domains, it may eventually return to domain 0. $cat /sys/fs/resctrl/mon_groups/test1/mon_data/mon_L3_*/mbm_total_bytes 17592178699059 <- Overflow on domain 0 3232332 <- Total bytes on domain 1 In this case, the RMID on domain 0 transitions from "Unavailable" state to active state. The hardware sets MSR_IA32_QM_CTR.Unavailable (bit 62) when the counter is read and begins tracking the RMID counting from 0. Subsequent reads succeed but return a value smaller than the previously saved MSR value (7345357). Consequently, the resctrl's overflow logic is triggered, it compares the previous value (7345357) with the new, smaller value and incorrectly interprets this as a counter overflow, adding a large delta. In reality, this is a false positive: the counter did not overflow but was simply reset when the RMID transitioned from "Unavailable" back to active state. Here is the text from APM [1] available from [2]. "In PQOS Version 2.0 or higher, the MBM hardware will set the U bit on the first QM_CTR read when it begins tracking an RMID that it was not previously tracking. The U bit will be zero for all subsequent reads from that RMID while it is still tracked by the hardware. Therefore, a QM_CTR read with the U bit set when that RMID is in use by a processor can be considered 0 when calculating the difference with a subsequent read." [1] AMD64 Architecture Programmer's Manual Volume 2: System Programming Publication # 24593 Revision 3.41 section 19.3.3 Monitoring L3 Memory Bandwidth (MBM). [ bp: Split commit message into smaller paragraph chunks for better consumption. ] Fixes: 4d05bf71f157d ("x86/resctrl: Introduce AMD QOS feature") Signed-off-by: Babu Moger <babu.moger@amd.com> Signed-off-by: Borislav Petkov (AMD) <bp@alien8.de> Reviewed-by: Reinette Chatre <reinette.chatre@intel.com> Tested-by: Reinette Chatre <reinette.chatre@intel.com> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org # needs adjustments for <= v6.17 Link: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=206537 # [2] (cherry picked from commit 15292f1b4c55a3a7c940dbcb6cb8793871ed3d92) [babu.moger@amd.com: Needed backport for v5.10 stable] Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
Fire Truck 7 leaves Portland Fire & Rescue Station 7 on a medical call the morning of Mon., Jan. 1, 2024. Dave Killen / The Oregonian

Portland firefighters on Sunday morning responded to an apartment fire on Southeast 162nd Avenue that one resident said was started by fireworks.

Emergency responders took at least one person to the hospital, the Portland Fire Bureau said on social media.

Firefighters who responded to reports of explosions at the complex around 10:20 a.m. reported heavy fire on the second floor of the structure. Two people had jumped from the second story to avoid explosions, the bureau said.
Wilmer Toledo-Martinez, pictured here with one of his three children, was violently detained by ICE agents in Vancouver despite having no criminal record, his lawyer and a Washington Senator say. Courtesy Sen. Patty Murray

When a man dressed as a construction worker knocked on Wilmer Toledo-Martinezs door claiming to have hit his car, he believed it was an accident.

Instead, ICE agents were waiting for him outside on Nov. 14.

Toledo-Martinezs lawyer, Olia Catala, said once he went out to check on the damage and exchange insurance information, undercover agents released a dog that had been hiding out of sight with a handler. Immigration officials detained Toledo-Martinez, 28, of Vancouver, Wash.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is calling for the immediate release of the Clark County father of three, who was mauled by the dog despite not resisting arrest, his attorneys say.

He heard the officer say, Hes gonna run! or Hes running! and he didnt even realize what was happening, Catala said in an interview Saturday. And the next thing he knows is that the dog is on top of him, mauling him. He did not flee. He did not resist.

Toledo-Martinez did not have weapons on him. He has no criminal convictions, though he had been arrested for investigation of a misdemeanor years ago in Oregon, Catala said. She suspects thats why immigration officials had him on their radar. Court records suggest Toledo-Martinez has never been charged with a crime in Washington.

A video shows Toledo-Martinez being placed in handcuffs by an undercover officer wearing a construction vest, while a dog handler threatens his wife, who filmed the interaction.

You need to back up, the dog handler tells her. Or hes going to get bit again.

Photos show Toledo-Martinez suffered deep cuts to his arm and back from the dog attack. He was denied medical care for several hours after his arrest, then given stitches and prescribed antibiotics, which were not immediately provided to him, Murray said.

The photos documenting his injuries are horrific, the longtime senator said. This should shock the conscience of every one of us. I do not want to live in an America where federal agents can sic attack dogs on peaceful residents with impunity and face no consequences.

As of Saturday, Toledo-Martinez was being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.

Murray said Toledo-Martinezs detainment is an example of President Donald Trumps depraved deportations, saying hes going after all people, not just violent criminals.

I am calling for Wilmers immediate release from NWIPC  he has no criminal convictions, he poses no threat to the community, and he urgently needs appropriate medical care since ICE is denying him the treatment he requires," Murray said in a news release.

Toledo-Martinezs lawyers told Murray their client is an undocumented immigrant and he was brought to the U.S. at age 15. He married a U.S. citizen and has three children, ages 2, 3 and 7.

A spokesperson for ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

In a statement, Toledo-Martinezs wife said the family is in shock, and his children cry for him every night.

We are terrified for his safety and urgently call for proper medical care, she said. No family should have to endure this, and we are asking the public and officials to ensure he is treated with dignity.
USS Shaw explodes after being hit by bombs in Pearl Harbor (U.S. Navy via AP, File) AP

Today in history:

On Dec. 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched an air raid on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing more than 2,300 Americans. The United States declared war against Japan the following day.

Also on this date:

In 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1972, Americas last crewed moon mission to date was launched as Apollo 17 blasted off from Cape Canaveral.

In 1982, convicted murderer Charlie Brooks Jr. became the first U.S. prisoner to be executed by lethal injection, at a prison in Huntsville, Texas.

In 1988, a major earthquake in the Soviet Union devastated northern Armenia, killing at least 25,000 people.

In 1993, six people were killed and 19 wounded in a mass shooting aboard a Long Island Rail Road train in New York.

In 2004, Hamid Karzai (HAH-mihd KAHR-zeye) was sworn in as Afghanistans first popularly elected president.

In 2018, James Alex Fields Jr., who drove his car into a crowd of counterdemonstrators at a 2017 white nationalist rally in Virginia, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Heather Heyer, an anti-racism activist. He was later sentenced on that and other convictions to life in prison plus 419 years.

In 2024, the newly-restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was reopened to the public after a devastating blaze nearly destroyed the beloved Gothic masterpiece in 2019. World leaders attended the reopening ceremony amid great fanfare and celebration.
Was the low point of last Tuesdays Portland Public Schools board meeting when Vice Chair Michelle DePass decried the districts 13 years of failures in managing its school bond construction program  glossing over the on-time modernizations of five high schools, a middle school and a PreK-8 that have delivered top-notch learning conditions for tens of thousands of students?

Or it might have been when people in the audience heckled Roosevelt High School senior Ian Ritorto, the boards student representative, for rightly noting board members duty to consider the concerns of people who couldnt make it to the evening meeting as well as those who were present.

Or perhaps it was the many times that Board Chair Eddie Wang allowed audience members to jeer board members  who then directly engaged back  prolonging an exchange that only raised the temperature. Or when Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong derided the districts Office of School Modernization  her own employees  as having fallen apart.

Or when Wang and others objected to board member Stephanie Engelsmans asking questions about a whopping $61.5 million construction management contract. Instead of allowing her to get answers, he ended debate and pushed through the contracts approval after only 45 minutes of board discussion  even though the board did not receive the contract for review until the afternoon before Thanksgiving.

All in all, the episode showed a board chair who cant command a meeting, a superintendent resistant to questions and a board dynamic that is perilously close to a complete breakdown.

This long list of problems doesnt even mention the significant concerns about the contract itself  a five-year agreement with Texas-based Procedeo to manage PPS Jefferson, Cleveland and Ida B. Wells high school modernizations and the renovation of the Center for Black Student Excellence. The contracts price tag  roughly a maximum of $1 million a month  includes bonuses of nearly $6 million to Procedeo for simply meeting the contracts deadlines to open the buildings on time. Notably, there are no penalties for missing the deadlines.

As The Oregonian/OregonLives Julia Silverman wrote, the $61.5 million is a maximum award and will be reduced by the PPS-paid salaries of district employees who continue to work on the projects. But the arrangement arguably sets up a perverse incentive to cut PPS staff to increase the pay Procedeo receives  an issue Engelsman raised but was chided by Wang for asking. Yet, already, the districts chief operating officer has sent an email to employees in the school modernization office warning that some of their positions may be eliminated, a PPS spokeswoman confirmed.

Its disappointing that the board majority and PPS administration did not embrace board member Virginia La Fortes request for a cost-analysis of the contract. Nor did they accept the offer from the chair of the districts Bond Accountability Committee  a team of experienced volunteers that helps build public confidence in the districts bond program for the committee to review the contract. Both would have been responsible, reasonable steps that would not take an excessive amount of time. This money, after all, is coming out of the pocket of Portland taxpayers. Board members, as the elected representatives of those same taxpayers, have a fundamental obligation to show the public theyve vetted the agreement.

The contract is now a done deal, with only Engelsman and La Forte voting no. Ritorto also cast a no vote, although the student representative vote is unofficial. But credit those who have put their concerns on the record, starting with Kiesha Locklear, an architect and PPS senior project manager on the Jefferson High School rebuild. Despite the risk of speaking out as a PPS employee, she has posted on social media and testified at two board meetings  the second time, thanks to being granted the opportunity by Wang. She has spelled out the contracts irregularities and high price tag and, at her own expense, is seeking related public records from the district, which has yet to fulfill her request.

She also countered statements by Wang and Armstrong who have praised Procedeo as the driving force behind the districts plans to open all three rebuilt high schools in fall 2029 instead of on a longer, more expensive timeline. Locklear said the fall 2029 schedule has been the plan since earlier this year, before Procedeos involvement. Documents about the projects support Locklears statement, including detailed updates that were posted on Sept. 12. Thats just three days after Procedeo was authorized to do any work beyond a limited contract involving the Jefferson modernization, raising logistical questions of how Procedeo would have been able to spearhead such a major change.

Ritorto also showed his mettle in standing up multiple times for the boards responsibility to consider broad public engagement before making its decisions. Its a statement Wang should have made, and unfortunately, generated pushback from the crowd. But it was reassuring to see Armstrong later in the meeting come to Ritortos defense and remind the adults in the room that student voices should be valued.

We have written previously about the critical importance of asking questions. They are the first component of a culture of accountability  not, as some seem to think, a sign of mistrust. In fact, the discussion prompted by those questions helped make clear that the district could use some help from a firm like Procedeo. Why wouldnt PPS allow more analysis and discussion about the price tag?

A full week or two to explore such issues is a reasonable ask to ensure financial responsibility and transparency. Instead, board members got barely more than a holiday weekend and the public, even less. Apparently this holiday season, the public should be grateful for those crumbs.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
The share price of Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG) fell by 2.3% between November 26 and December 3, 2025, putting it among the Energy Stocks that Lost the Most This Week.

Scorpio Tankers (STNG) Price Target Trimmed by Analyst

Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the seaborne transportation of crude oil and refined petroleum products worldwide.

On December 1, BofA analyst Ken Hoexter lowered the firms price target on Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG) from $73 to $67, while maintaining a Buy rating on its shares. The update came following the increased prospects of a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia after Kyiv reportedly agreed to the core terms laid out by the Trump administration. Such an agreement could potentially lift Western sanctions and open the doors for Moscow to export its oil to international markets.

In such a scenario, Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG)s Handymax and MR rates are expected to increase slightly as it gains access to the Russian market. However, the LR2 rates are expected to decrease due to lower ton-miles from the Middle East. It is worth noting that benchmark rates for large crude carriers recently surged to a 5-year high after the US sanctions on the oil exports of Russias Rosneft and Lukoil took effect last month, forcing buyers to look for alternative suppliers.

The analyst firm maintains its EPS estimate for Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG) of $5.7 for FY 2025, but trimmed its estimates for the next two years by 14% and 16% to $6.1 and $5.1, respectively.

While we acknowledge the potential of STNG as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 10 Best Renewable Energy Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and 14 Best Utility Dividend Stocks to Buy Now.

Disclosure: None.
Members of Congress on Thursday saw video of a controversial U.S. attack on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea. Survivors clinging to the wreckage died in a second attack, which some lawmakers viewed as a war crime and others saw as justified. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House offered shifting explanations of the Sept. 2 incident. Hegseth denied giving the order to kill the survivors.

Jack Ohman leads this weeks editorial cartoon gallery with his view of the Pentagons credibility sinking beneath the waves. Nick Anderson draws Hegseth running from accountability. Mike Luckovich sees the blame being placed on Adm. Frank M. Mitch Bradley, the Special Operations commander overseeing the mission. Bill Bramhalls Hegseth displays a tattoo saying, Kill em all. Let God sort em out.

The drug boat attacks are an outgrowth of President Donald Trumps accusation that Venezuelas president, Nicolas Maduro, is running a narcoterrorist cartel flooding the United States with drugs. Some view the threats as a prelude to regime change. Michael Ramirez sees Maduro sitting at the center of a bulls-eye. Dana Summers Trump rolls a Maduro-shaped boulder toward the edge of a cliff.

Other news events in this weeks gallery include the welfare benefits scandal engulfing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz; the presidents sleepiness at a Cabinet meeting; an end to immigration from Afghanistan in the wake of the National Guard shootings in Washington, D.C.; and Santas redacted naughty list.

Cartoons were drawn by Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Mike Luckovich, Steve Breen and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.
The singing started early on.

As the 112-year-old steam locomotive rumbled out of its berth at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Southeast Portland, St. Nick launched into a song about himself  Santa Claus is Coming to Town  as he moved through the aisles of the vintage train cars, passing out candy canes, his elf assistants in tow. Soon almost all the passengers in the car  especially the children  were joining in, belting out the familiar yuletide ditty.

The Holiday Express is back, with the 1912 train heading out multiple times every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the end of the year. The trip trundles along the Springwater Corridor

on a roughly 45-minute out-and-back trip that reverses at Sellwood Riverfront Park. On this day, in 50-degree weather, it included an open-air front car, hitched behind the engines billowing smokestack.

Passengers had the chance to see the vintage train engine up-close from the open-air train car. Tatum Todd/The Oregonian

Megan Black, who was on the train Saturday with her husband Jason, their 3-year-old son and their 9-month-old daughter, loved being in the old passenger car, bedecked in strings of colored lights, and loved the sights outside along the way  including spotting a buck with two-prong antlers in a marsh along the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

But it was Santa and the other volunteers who really made the trip special, she said.

Theyre super-jolly and super-helpful,  she said. They just really make the vibe of this whole thing amazing.

The trains cars were mostly packed, as young children excitedly looked out at the views of the Willamette River while their parents chatted.

The volunteers, meanwhile, were busy at work, keeping that vibe amazing.

Ive put in 16-hour days leading up to this to have it pay off, said Zack Black, an 18-year-old volunteer at the rail center unrelated to Megan Black and her family. He helped get the trains antique engine in shape for the holiday rides, and it was worth all the effort, he said. Seeing everyone so happy and glad to be down here really warms my heart.

The railroad museum has three vintage steam locomotives, with two of them operational. The oldest one, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, arrived in Portland just in time for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, just 17 months after the Wright Brothers first flew at 9.8 mph, when Teddy Roosevelt was President and 3 years before Henry Ford rolled out his first Model T, notes the rail centers website.

The train used for the Holiday Express is the Polson Logging Co. 2, which the Albany Eastern Railroad has lent to the museum for the last three years.

The 112-year-old Polson 2 logging train pulled this year's Holiday Express. Tatum Todd/The Oregonian

The Portland museum offers train rides around Easter and at other times, but the Holiday Express, in its 20th year, is by far the most popular, with typically more than 20,000 people showing up each winter to ride the train.

It truly is the volunteers who keep this place going, Renee Devereux, the Oregon Rail Heritage Centers executive director, said. Its a big operation, and they come back year after year.

Jason Black (left) holds his 3-year-old son as they spot wildlife from the train. Tatum Todd/The Oregonian

So do many of the passengers  although several of the people onboard the train on Saturday were experiencing the ride with fresh eyes.

One of them was Jason Black, who was holding his son, Manny, on the deck of the open-air train car as white steam from the engine billowed past them.

We love that its a beautiful day and they have the open-air cars today, he said. My sons in love with trains, so this was a great opportunity.
The Portland International Airport finished as a runner up for a prestigious international design award, losing out to a fellow West Coast hub.

In July, PDX was included on the 2025 Worlds Most Beautiful Airports List compiled by the Prix Versailles, a French organization that hands out a series of international architecture awards each year at UNESCO.

The Portland airport was one of six laureates competing for the final World Title honor, a group that included the Yantai Penglai International Airport in China, the Marseille Provence and Roland Garros airports in France, the Kansai International Airport in Japan and the San Francisco International Airport in California.

In the end, the San Francisco airport took the top honor, though PDX was awarded a Special Prize for an Exterior, one of two runner-up awards, the Prix Versailles announced Thursday.

In its Presentation of the Laureates in July, the Prix Versailles lauded the Portland International Airports main terminal, which opened in 2024 and immediately began turning heads with its wood-beamed ceiling, live trees, and new dining and retail options. Judges heaped praise on the terminal, calling it a resplendently staged renovation that is both sustainable and functional, with elements that create a calming, immersive experience for travellers.

The spectacularly scaled structure promotes access to natural light, views of the forested landscape, and the incorporation of a multitude of biophilic elements, the Paris-based organization wrote. The subtle composition of the terminals interior, arranged as a series of rooms, takes its cues from the citys urban fabric.

In the end, Portland couldnt compete with San Francisco airports new terminal, which was designed to reduce carbon emissions and center the arts. The terminal is also a tribute to gay civil rights icon Harvey Milk.

The Prix Versailles lauded the San Francisco airports Terminal 1, calling it the fruit of an ambitious transformation that provides a soothing, restorative setting for travellers.
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Dick Van Dyke has no regrets about not starring in The Omen.

Dick Van Dyke turned down The Omen

The 99-year-old actor was offered the part of Ambassador Robert Thorn in the 1976 horror classic but he wasn't interested in such dark material.

Speaking during Vandy High Tea - a charity event at his home in Malibu to raise money for The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts and the Dick Van Dyke Museum - he said: I could have done The Omen that Gregory Peck did.

"I didn't want to do that kind of movie. It just didn't fit my taste somehow.

But one thing the Mary Poppins star does regret is turning down an unspecified project with Cary Grant.

He said: One thing I regret: [declining a movie with] Cary Grant  He was the best looking guy in the world, and I just liked the way he dressed and acted and everything  We got to be good friends.

"He asked me to do a movie with him, and I can't remember why I said no  and doggone it! he recalled.

Dick also "never forgave" his agent after he missed out on workig with Sophia Loren.

He quipped: I'm still mad about that!

"My agent called me one day, and he said, I had a call from Sophia Loren's manager, she wants to do a movie with you.

"And I said something like, When do we start? He says, Well, I turned it down. I said, What? He said, Well, you would've had to take second billing. I said, I don't care if they mention my name! I said. I would've paid them!

"I never forgave him for that. He turned down a movie with Sophia Loren. Can you believe that? I didn't even get to meet her.

Dick credited late stage legend Chita Rivera for igniting his career after their Broadway production Bye Bye Birdie in 1960 led to him landing his own eponymous Dick Van Dyke Show.

He said: I think she is the best thing that ever stepped foot on a stage. She was incredible, strong. I got that part, [but] I didn't sing or dance, and she is such a strong dancer. She just made me look good  I won a Tony, didn't I?

We were in Philadelphia, where you do performances but you're still trying out things and rewriting and everything.

"One day, the writers came down with a new song for Chita and she said, You know, Dick doesn't have anything to do in the first act. Why don't you give it to him? It was 'Put On a Happy Face,' which started my career  She saved my life.

"That was my song, and it got me a series. That's how good a lady she was. Boy, I loved that lady.
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has a long history of pitching grand visions.

We only live once, so I want to think big, he said, and his new idea definitely lives up to the billing.

The billionaire investor is pitching an idea to convert large swaths of U.S. federal land into a nationwide network of President Donald Trump-branded industrial parks.

Think of them as enormous sprawling hubs that are tailor-made to push out the hardware powering the AI boom.

It involves reimagining his trillion-dollar mega-city concept from early in the year, evolving into building massive facilities spread across various states, backed by a new Japan-U.S. investment pipeline worth hundreds of billions.

On paper, the parks could produce everything from fiber and servers to, eventually, advanced silicon that pushes the U.S. ahead in the fiercely competitive AI arms race.

Masayoshi Sons newest pitch hints at a massive industrial vision taking shape behind the scenes.Photo by Bloomberg on Getty Images

Who is Masayoshi Son?

Tech visionary Masayoshi Son clearly isnt the kind who plays it safe.

At 68, he still holds nearly a 30% stake in SoftBank (per Investopedia), giving him freedom to pursue ideas that would make even seasoned investors blink.

SoftBank, founded in 1981, covers a myriad of tech verticals like telecom, chips via Arm, e-commerce, fintech, and hundreds of startups.

More AI Stocks:

Through SoftBank, Son built his massive fortune (net worth in the $60-$70 billion range) on his powerful early bets in Yahoo and Alibaba, cementing his reputation through the Vision Fund.

That venture capital fund itself is a $93 billion swing at startup dominance, producing major wins such as Coupang and DoorDash.

Sons latest giant swing in the AI arms race

The ambitious concept is essentially borne out of "Project Crystal Land," Sons earlier blueprint for a $1 trillion high-tech city outside Phoenix, Reuters reported.

It was meant to be a Shenzhen-style mega-hub bundling AI robotics, chip fabs, packaging plants, and even worker housing into one colossal footprint.

Related: Morgan Stanley reveals eye-popping price target on Nvidia stock

The new version pushes the idea even further.

Instead of just one big city, Son wants a distributed grid of Trump-branded industrial parks across multiple states.

Each of these parks could produce the hardware on which AI is dependent.
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Eric Dane recently opened up once more about his battle with ALS following an acting role. Marvin Joseph | The Washington Post

To Eric Dane theres no option when it comes to sharing his journey with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The actor is opening up once more about his diagnosis after appearing in an episode of NBCs Brilliant Minds as Matthew, a firefighter and 9/11 hero, who couldnt bear to break the devastating news to his wife that hes been diagnosed with ALS.

His role on the show was the Euphoria stars first performance since his diagnosis announcement back in April.

Participating a virtual panel featuring I AM ALS and Synapticure co-founders Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, joined by Brilliant Minds showrunner, creator and executive producer Michael Grassi and show writer and consulting producer Dr. Daniela Lamas, M.D., Dane talked about his experience portraying an ALS patient on the show amid his reality battling the same neurodegenerative disease.

He also confessed about the difficulty in separating the character from himself during his Brilliant Minds appearance. So much so, that he was indebted for the experience.

I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day, I dont think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying, he said, per People. And I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasnt built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me.

In fact, to the Greys Anatomy stars surprise, how he felt after was quite the opposite of crying for two weeks.

For the beloved actor, it was actually very encouraging to know that he had a buoyant spirit in the face of something so horrible.

But, regardless of the praise Dane seemed to have given himself for the deeply personal acting role he undertook, hes not sure if this is a road hed embark on again for anyone else. The actor also acknowledges that its imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can because I dont feel like my life is about me anymore.

Its something hes often back and forth with himself about due to being a pretty selfish person, but is unable to move on with life being all about himself.

He simply called it, a propulsive sort of component to my existence.

You know, obviously, I have a family at home, and theyre the priority. But this is such a big deal to me, Dane noted.

I make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what its about, and more importantly, what we can do to combat it and improve the landscape, because its so rocky and littered with hurdles and bureaucracy and all this other nonsense that were trying to sift through so we can get to a place where we go, start working on solution, he shared.
Ted Egan arrives at the 42nd Country Music Awards Of Australia on January 25, 2014 in Tamworth, Australia. The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual event held in Tamworth to celebrate Country music and its heritage. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Getty Images

Folk music legend Ted Egan has died.

He was 93. No cause of death was reported.

Egan reportedly died on Dec. 4.

It is with sadness, but also great pride that Nerys Evans and the Egan family marks the passing of our beloved partner, Dad, grandfather, great grandfather and best mate Ed Egan, his family said in a statement according to themusicnetwork.com. Ted passed peacefully at home this morning as was his wish. We shared Ted with Territorians, Australians and the wider world. He lived in a big and very generous life, spanning 93 years.

The outlet called Egan a legend among the Australian music scene.

Egans long career began back in 1969, and he went on to release more than 30 albums. But that was not all that he achieved during his remarkable life. He authored 17 books, had a six-part TV series called This Land Australia, hosted The Great Outdoors show, and even got into public service working as the Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 through 2007.

ABC.net of Australia called him a pioneer of Australian folks and country music, who wasnt afraid to confront the hard truths of northern Australias history.

We will miss you Ted, long live the legacy of The Outback Song Man, musician Matt Scullion wrote on social media.

Australias National Folk Festival issued a statement noting that his influence continues to shape artists and audiences alike, and we honor his legacy with enormous gratitude.
Image Credit: Depositphotos

Southwest Airlines delivered a stark warning to investors Friday, cutting its full-year 2025 earnings forecast by 40% as the historic 43-day government shutdown decimated holiday travel demand and triggered widespread industry disruption.

The company said it now expects its full-year earnings before interest and taxes to be about $500 million, compared with its previous forecast of $600 million to $800 million, representing one of the most dramatic profit revisions in the airline's recent history.

Government Shutdown Creates Perfect Storm

A 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, disrupted flight operations nationwide, forcing thousands of air traffic controllers and other aviation staff to work without pay. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight reductions at 40 major airports because of staffing shortages.

Southwest attributed this substantial cut in its profit outlook to dual pressures, explicitly citing lower expected earnings because of lower revenue during the shutdown, mixed with higher fuel prices. This combination of reduced consumer spending and increased input costs compressed margins dramatically.

Industry-Wide Impact on Airlines

Image Credit: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.c

Southwest's forecast revision reflects broader damage across the aviation sector. Competing airline Delta disclosed that the shutdown alone cost it approximately $200 million in fourth-quarter pre-tax profit. When combined with unexpected winter weather impacts, these twin crises forced Wall Street to slash airline profit estimates industry-wide.

Shares of Southwest were down 2.3% in premarket trading following the announcement, underscoring investor concerns about the airline's near-term financial performance.

Operational Chaos and Flight Cuts

The government shutdown forced air traffic controllers to work without pay and triggered 10 percent flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports, creating a cascade of operational challenges that extended far beyond the shutdown period itself.

The increased pressure and personnel shortages created immediate safety concerns and operational bottlenecks across the nation's hubs. To manage the escalating crisis, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a mandate requiring airlines to reduce their schedules and cancel flights.

Broader Economic Pressures

The earnings cut comes amid a challenging period for Southwest, which has been grappling with multiple headwinds throughout 2025. Southwest Airlines revealed plans to cut its flight capacity by approximately 1.5% in the third and fourth quarters of 2025, focusing on low-demand, off-peak routes. The decision comes as domestic leisure travel, a cornerstone of Southwest's business model, has shown significant weakness.
Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery has a new head winemaker who, its safe to say, already knows his way around the place.

The producer, located in Southold, on the North Fork of Long Island, recently announced that Andrew Rockwell is taking over as the head winemaker.

A key member of the production team since 2017, Rockwell has spent the last eight years helping to guide the winemaking operations along with founding winemaker Gilles Martin during his tenure.

With more than 16 years of experience in traditional method sparkling wine, he brings both technical precision and creative vision to the role, a press release said. His career began at North Forks renowned Premium Wine Group, and his background in engineering continues to shape his meticulous approach.

Rockwells process focuses on preserving each vintages character, cultivating exceptional fruit, and crafting methode champenoise wines that are consistent yet expressive. While not seeking sweeping changes, he embraces a philosophy of continuous improvement, introducing subtle refinements in the cellar to elevate quality year after year.

Bottom line, hes committed to innovation, sustainability, and excellence, and is set to guide the winery through its next chapter.

Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery opened in 2004. Sparkling Point Vineyards & Winery

Our goal is to build on Sparkling Pointes strong foundation by constantly striving towards advancements in our grape growing and winemaking processes, he said in the release. I have been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to learn and collaborate with an industry leader such as Gilles Martin, and refine my skills across all aspects of sparkling winemaking. It is an honor to continue this legacy and invest my passion and expertise into the Sparkling Pointe brand.

Sparkling Pointe, at 39750 County Road 48, is open seven days a week. Reservations are required. You can view the winerys tasting, by-the-glass, and food pairing menu before your visit.

The winery, founded by Tom and Cynthia Rosicki, opened in 2004.

Rockwell sent back these answers to several questions from PennLive.

Q, I looked at the winery announcement just to get a little background. Can you fill in a few blanks? How old? Where are you from? How long were you in engineering before you switched to wine, and what drew you in that direction?

A, Im 42. I was born and grew up on eastern Long Island but a bit further west in Brookhaven. More of an educational background than a significant career in engineering, though I worked in a half dozen different laboratories during the school year and during the summers while I was receiving a bachelors degree in Material Science Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. I later earned a masters in Biomedical Engineering from Stony Brook University when I returned to Long Island after undergraduate studies. I started to become interested in wine toward the end of my studies and took a part-time job working in the tasting room for Roanoke Vineyards, one of our great producers here on the East End. My then-girlfriend, now wife, was friends with the laboratory director at the local custom crush, Premium Wine Group, and I was encouraged to try out a vintage as a harvest lab intern.

The portfolio of Sparkling Point Vineyards & Winery features more than a dozen options, starting in price at $30. Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery

Q, Youve been there since 2017, yes? What did you do with the Premium Wine Group, and have you made wine anywhere else?

A, I started at Premium Wine Group in harvest 2008 and then took over as Lab Director the following year when the previous lab director left. Ive spent my entire winemaking career making wine on Long Island. I just wrapped up vintage number 18. My wife and I also do our best to travel all over the wine world, spending time at wineries and with winemakers from every region to broaden our understanding.

Q, The announcement references your work with Gilles Martin. What are a couple of the lessons/perspectives you took from him?

A, The perspective of how Pinot and Chardonnay work with one another to make a harmonious and complex cuvee, and the value of holding some of your best lots as reserve wines for future blends.

Q, The announcement noted youve made some improvements in the cellar there  what are a few of the subtle changes you have made to achieve that quality that you seek?

A, I tend to focus on incremental, gradual improvements, especially when we are talking about well-established traditional techniques such as Methode Traditionelle sparkling. There are always new tools and ideas being presented by the trade, but its important to hold that fundamental foundation in place while thinking about how we can improve wines that we already feel are of strong quality. Ive been focusing on some fine-tuning of all aspects of the winery, with a primary focus on streamlining workflow logistics and some adjustments to how we handle and press grapes and our secondary fermentation processes, all with the goal of continuing to make fresh, lively sparkling wines with great aging potential.

Sparkling Pointe is located at 39750 County Road 48, Southold, New York. Sparkling Point Vineyards & Winery

Q, Whats the appeal for you, from a winemakers standpoint, of making sparkling wine? Are there a couple of things youve learned along the way to create the level of sparkling that you strive for?

A, I love how food-friendly the wines are. The great acidity typically found in sparkling wines seems to have an ability to pair well with most foods, and the bubbles always seem to help enliven the palate. Our region is blessed with wonderful growing conditions for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for sparkling. Ive never seen a year where we couldnt make a good sparkling wine here. The ability to pick the grapes early limits our vineyard inputs and helps make the entire system of growing grapes and making the wine more sustainable for Sparkling Pointe. Fortunately, we seem to only have good and great years for this style of wine on Long Island, so from a winemakers perspective, its a blessing to be able to work with a style of wine I am confident we can deliver with consistency and quality year in and year out, and that I also love to drink myself. Ive learned along the way that there are a lot of extra steps and long waiting times to make a high-quality sparkling as opposed to just still wines. Once you have them dialed in, it can be quite an easy formula to follow, assuming you have good starting base wines, but there are also many opportunities for missteps. It is of critical importance to have the technical side of things well within your mental grasp and control if you want to deliver a high-quality and consistent product.

Q, Careerwise, what are a couple of the things that appeal the most to you, and a couple of the biggest challenges?

A, Biggest appeal is the ability to continue working with the great team we have in place and the opportunity to help drive the continued growth and success of the winery in concert with the feedback from all the other hardworking, well-experienced individuals at Sparkling Pointe. The greatest challenges will probably be finicky grapes in a finicky environment in terms of costs, labor, and changing climate, followed closely by shifting consumer tastes and preferences that are always changing with the times.
Influencer Samuel Weidenhofer, left, poses Friday with Ed Bambas, right, the 88-year-old Brighton, Michigan resident who received $1.7 million after a viral GoFundMe campaign started by Weidenhofer. (Katy Kildee/The Detroit News/TNS) TNS

By Max Reinhart, The Detroit News (TNS)

BRIGHTON, Mich.  Ed Bambas, 88, choked back tears Friday, saying he wished his late wife could be there as he received a donation of more than $1.7 million from online well-wishers.

I cannot express any words to how thankful I am, Bambas said during a check presentation in the lobby at Foguth Financial Group in Brighton.

The money was raised via an online fundraiser launched by Samuel Weidenhofer, a YouTuber, TikToker, blogger, and Instagram personality. Weidenhofer met Bambas while the octogenarian was working his shift in the Meijer in Brighton.

Weidenhofer thanked all the donors for helping make the early Christmas present to Bambas a reality.

Its an honor to do this, Weidenhofer said, a dream come true.

Weidenhofer posted a video of their initial meeting on social media, which has since received hundreds of thousands of views. In the clip, Weidenhofer tells Bambas that one of his coworkers at the grocery store nominated him to be the recipient of his next fundraising project.

During that first meeting, Weidenhofer gave the senior citizen $400 in cash as a tip.

Influencer Samuel Weidenhofer, left, hugs Ed Bambas, right, the 88-year-old Brighton, Michigan resident who received over $1.7 million from a viral Gofundme campaign started by Weidenhofer. (Katy Kildee/The Detroit News/TNS) TNS

Weidenhofer has said he started the GoFundMe fundraiser in order to help Ed live the life he deserves to finally give him some relief, comfort, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing he can enjoy his later years without constant struggle. He has said that too many older people, especially veterans, have to struggle to make a living.

Bambas is an Army veteran and widower of seven years who works full-time. The money is intended to help him pay for his living and medical expenses, as well as minor daily comforts.

Bambas told Weidenhofer he retired from General Motors in 1999 but lost his pension after the company filed for bankruptcy.

A GM spokesperson said the company generally does not share details about employees, but added that in 2012, salaried GM retirees receiving monthly pension payments were given several options, including continuing monthly lifetime payments or a lump-sum payout.

Starting in 2008, retirees older than 65 received a $300 monthly lifetime payment for supplemental Medicare coverage, said the spokesperson, who spoke on the condition that their name not be used.

Mr. Bambas personal story is deeply moving, and its wonderful to see the outpouring of support for him. We are grateful for what he has contributed to GM and to our country, the spokesperson added.

Bambas said Friday that most of the pension he received from GM was spent on medical care for his wife, who suffered from chronic illness all her life before passing.

Thank you, honey, the soft-spoken Bambas said Friday, when asked if he had anything hed want to say to his wife.

He said Friday he plans to work another month or two at the grocery store before retiring for good.
FILE - An Axon body camera is worn by MSGT Matt Gilmore who is one of the officers using Axon's Draft One AI software at OKCPD headquarters on Friday, May 31, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Nick Oxford, File) AP

By MATT OBRIEN and GARANCE BURKE, The Associated Press

Police body cameras equipped with artificial intelligence have been trained to detect the faces of about 7,000 people on a high risk watch list in the Canadian city of Edmonton, a live test of whether facial recognition technology shunned as too intrusive could have a place in policing throughout North America.

But six years after leading body camera maker Axon Enterprise, Inc. said police use of facial recognition technology posed serious ethical concerns, the pilot project  switched on last week is raising alarms far beyond Edmonton, the continents northernmost city of more than 1 million people.

A former chair of Axons AI ethics board, which led the company to temporarily abandon facial recognition in 2019, told The Associated Press hes concerned that the Arizona-based company is moving forward without enough public debate, testing and expert vetting about the societal risks and privacy implications.

Its essential not to use these technologies, which have very real costs and risks, unless theres some clear indication of the benefits, said the former board chair, Barry Friedman, now a law professor at New York University.

Axon founder and CEO Rick Smith contends that the Edmonton pilot is not a product launch but early-stage field research that will assess how the technology performs and reveal the safeguards needed to use it responsibly.

By testing in real-world conditions outside the U.S., we can gather independent insights, strengthen oversight frameworks, and apply those learnings to future evaluations, including within the United States, Smith wrote in a blog post.

The pilot is meant to help make Edmonton patrol officers safer by enabling their body-worn cameras to detect anyone who authorities classified as having a flag or caution for categories such as violent or assaultive; armed and dangerous; weapons; escape risk; and high-risk offender, said Kurt Martin, acting superintendent of the Edmonton Police Service. So far, that watch list has 6,341 people on it, Martin said at a Dec. 2 press conference. A separate watch list adds 724 people who have at least one serious criminal warrant, he said.

We really want to make sure that its targeted so that these are folks with serious offenses, said Ann-Li Cooke, Axons director of responsible AI.

If the pilot expands, it could have a major effect on policing around the world. Axon, a publicly traded firm best known for developing the Taser, is the dominant U.S. supplier of body cameras and has increasingly pitched them to police agencies in Canada and elsewhere. Axon last year beat its closest competitor, Chicago-based Motorola Solutions, in a bid to sell body cameras to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Motorola said in a statement that it also has the ability to integrate facial recognition technology into police body cameras but, based on its ethical principles, has intentionally abstained from deploying this feature for proactive identification. It didnt rule out using it in the future.

The government of Alberta in 2023 mandated body cameras for all police agencies in the province, including its capital city Edmonton, describing it as a transparency measure to document police interactions, collect better evidence and reduce timelines for resolving investigations and complaints.

While many communities in the U.S. have also welcomed body cameras as an accountability tool, the prospect of real-time facial recognition identifying people in public places has been unpopular across the political spectrum. Backlash from civil liberties advocates and a broader conversation about racial injustice helped push Axon and Big Tech companies to pause facial recognition software sales to police.

Among the biggest concerns were studies showing that the technology was flawed, demonstrating biased results by race, gender and age. It also didnt match faces as accurately on real-time video feeds as it did on faces posing for identification cards or police mug shots.

Several U.S. states and dozens of cities have sought to curtail police use of facial recognition, though President Donald Trumps administration is now trying to block or discourage states from regulating AI.

The European Union banned real-time public face-scanning police technology across the 27-nation bloc, except when used for serious crimes like kidnapping or terrorism.

But in the United Kingdom, no longer part of the EU, authorities started testing the technology on London streets a decade ago and have used it to make 1,300 arrests in the past two years. The government is considering expanding its use across the country.

Many details about Edmontons pilot havent been publicly disclosed. Axon doesnt make its own AI model for recognizing faces but declined to say which third-party vendor it uses.

Edmonton police say the pilot will continue through the end of December and only during daylight hours.

Obviously it gets dark pretty early here, Martin said. Lighting conditions, our cold temperatures during the wintertime, all those things will factor into what were looking at in terms of a successful proof of concept.

Martin said about 50 officers piloting the technology wont know if the facial recognition software made a match. The outputs will be analyzed later at the station. In the future, however, it could help police detect if theres a potentially dangerous person nearby so they can call in for assistance, Martin said.

Thats only supposed to happen if officers have started an investigation or are responding to a call, not simply while strolling through a crowd. Martin said officers responding to a call can switch their cameras from a passive to an active recording mode with higher-resolution imaging.

We really want to respect individuals rights and their privacy interests, Martin said.

The office of Albertas information and privacy commissioner Diane McLeod said she received a privacy impact assessment from Edmonton police on Dec. 2, the same day Axon and police officials announced the program. The office said Friday its now working to review the assessment, a requirement for projects that collect high sensitivity personal data.

University of Alberta criminology professor Temitope Oriola said hes not surprised that the city is experimenting with live facial recognition, given that the technology is already ubiquitous in airport security and other environments.

Edmonton is a laboratory for this tool, Oriola said. It may well turn out to be an improvement, but we do not know that for sure.

Oriola said the police service has had a sometimes frosty relationship with its Indigenous and Black residents, particularly after the fatal police shooting of a member of the South Sudanese community last year, and it remains to be seen whether facial recognition technology makes policing safer or improves interactions with the public.

Axon has faced blowback for its technology deployments in the past, as in 2022, when Friedman and seven other members of Axons AI ethics board resigned in protest over concerns about a Taser-equipped drone.

In the years since Axon opted against facial recognition, Smith, the CEO, says the company has continued controlled, lab-based research of a technology that has become significantly more accurate and is now ready for trial in the real world.

But Axon acknowledged in a statement to the AP that all facial recognition systems are affected by factors like distance, lighting and angle, which can disproportionately impact accuracy for darker-skinned individuals.

Every match requires human review, Axon said, and part of its testing is also learning what training and oversight human reviewers must have to mitigate known risks.

Friedman said Axon should disclose those evaluations. Hed want to see more evidence that facial recognition has improved since his board concluded that it wasnt reliable enough to ethically justify its use in police cameras.

Friedman said hes also concerned about police agencies greenlighting the technologys use without deliberation by local legislators and rigorous scientific testing.

Its not a decision to be made simply by police agencies and certainly not by vendors, he said. A pilot is a great idea. But theres supposed to be transparency, accountability. ... None of thats here. Theyre just going ahead. They found an agency willing to go ahead and theyre just going ahead.

AP writer Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this report.
From left, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shake hands after their joint news conference in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on May 10, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) TNS

By Alex Wickham, Alberto Nardelli, Daryna Krasnolutska, Bloomberg News (TNS)

The message couldnt have been clearer. In a 33-page National Security Strategy signed by President Donald Trump, the White House said Europe risked being wiped away unless it changed its culture and politics.

For Britains Keir Starmer, Frances Emmanuel Macron and Germanys Friedrich Merz, the timing of their key allys latest broadside  much in the vein of Vice President JD Vances infamous Munich address in February  was telling. It came just as Russias war in Ukraine enters a potentially decisive phase.

European leaders are deeply concerned by U.S. efforts to cut a deal that was drafted with Russia and would represent a capitulation by the West. Its shattered confidence in the Trump administration on the continent and raised more existential questions: The transatlantic alliance is fracturing  can Europe defend itself?

European diplomats sometimes compare managing Trumps policy on Ukraine to riding a roller coaster. Right now, they are staring down a particularly steep drop.

Kyivs allies had hoped Ukraine was in a better place, Starmer told Bloomberg in October. Theyd moved past Trumps Oval Office shouting match with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Anchorage summit with Russias Vladimir Putin. The U.S. had seemed to pivot to a tougher stance against Moscow, imposing sanctions on its major energy companies.

If Kyiv could be supported militarily and financially through the winter, Ukraines supporters saw Russias economic struggles intensifying next year, losing Putin his negotiating leverage.

Yet European officials were always clear-eyed that there would be further lurches. Last month, one came. A new U.S.-Russian peace plan emerged, forcing them to reach again for their strategy of publicly welcoming American efforts and relying on Putin to derail them.

That approach is now being tested to its limits. And its not clear whether theres a plan B.

Bloomberg News revelation that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff had advised Russia on how to pitch a plan for Ukraine to Trump led many in Europe to lose trust in the presidents negotiators.

Macron expressed that on a European leaders call reported by Der Spiegel, reportedly warning that the U.S. could be about to betray Ukraine. Merz was said to have accused the Americans of playing games.

Meanwhile, the U.S. in its strategy document said European officials hold unrealistic expectations for the war and lamented that the continent is suffering from a lack of self-confidence thats most evident in its relationship with Russia.

For the U.K., the challenge is particularly acute: Starmer has sought to position Britain as Ukraines leading ally and the European nation thats closest to the U.S. The unique nature of its intertwined military and intelligence partnership means that for London, a rupture in the so-called special relationship is unthinkable.

Thats partly why the U.K. has seen itself as managing Trumps moves more calmly than some European counterparts. British officials note that claims of an imminent deal proved unfounded, that Putin appeared to reject U.S. proposals in a meeting with Trumps envoys this week, and that the plan appears to have been altered at least slightly to Ukraines benefit.

But the Europeans see potentially different dynamics this time around. European diplomats report that communication with U.S. and Ukrainian sides has not been easy of late. They are also increasingly prepared for the prospect of Trump walking away if he cannot get an agreement.

The risk remains that the U.S. walks away from the whole issue and leaves it up to the Europeans to deal with it, said John Foreman, former British defense attache to Moscow and Kyiv. Statements of standing shoulder to shoulder as long as it takes arent a strategy. With the U.S. out, Europe will have to decide whether it can afford to continue to support Ukraine militarily and financially.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is under pressure from both the US and a domestic corruption scandal that has brought changes to his top team, potentially weakening Kyivs ability to resist a bad deal, one official said.

It also remains unclear whether Europe will succeed in producing a viable plan to continue financing support for Ukraine. A proposal to use frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Kyiv remains in the balance, held up by Belgium and opposed by the U.S. Merz has pushed back against any U.S. attempt to take the money for itself, warning there was no possibility of leaving the money we mobilize to the U.S.

The continents primary objective is to avoid a situation where a battered Zelenskyy is forced by the U.S. to withdraw troops from Ukraines Donbas region and agree to a deal without any serious American security guarantees. European officials say that would not be a just peace and would only encourage a future wider war with Russia. Delegations from the continent will travel to the U.S. in the coming days to discuss the state of talks.

Europe  and the U.K. in particular  still holds out hope that Trump will come back round to his October viewpoint, see Putin as the peace blocker, and ratchet up pressure on Russias economy. But leaders are also wary that he could wash his hands of the war if he cant get a deal.

There are different versions of what that could look like, a Western European official said. A worst-case scenario would be him lifting pressure on Russia, blocking U.S. weapons from being used by Ukraine and stopping intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, leaving Europe truly on its own. A less-bad outcome would be Trump saying its now Europes war, but continuing weapons sales to NATO for use by Ukraine, and maintaining the intelligence relationship, they argued.

Starmer, Macron and Merz see their defining mission as preventing a cleavage between the U.S. and Europe, something they see as a key Russian strategic objective. That is also revealing of the continents ongoing reliance on America.

Europe has become accustomed to the U.S. security blanket, under-invested for years, ignored the warning signs of disengagement, nor prepared adequately, said Foreman. The consequences of this strategic misjudgment are now clear.

All three European leaders face domestic rivals to their political right who have enjoyed support from nationalist Trump officials such as Vance. The security strategy alluded to the need for political changes in Europe to reestablish conditions of strategic stability across the Eurasian landmass, and to mitigate the risk of conflict between Russia and European states.

Still, the document indicated continued U.S. engagement on the continent. Not only can we not afford to write Europe off, doing so would be self-defeating, it said.

(With assistance from Ellen Milligan.)

2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
There was a time when Sears was as big as it gets in the retail game in the United States, and having the stores catalog in hand  well, 30 years ago that was about like hoping on Amazon or any of todays modern online mega retailers.

But times have been changing fast for Sears.

Earlier this year, the one-time giant was down to just eight locations, and now eight is down to five, according to a new report from The Street.

To put that in perspective: Sears once had 3,500 stores, making it the largest retailer in the country.

The company has been on a death spiral for well over a decade, former Sears executive Mark Cohen told CBS. It lost sight of the fact that change is a constant.

Still, considering the retailers footprint at one time, the idea that just five remain is likely a shock to many Americans of a certain age.

Kmart actually purchased Sears in an $11 billion merger back in 2005, but the stores were not able to keep up with the retail competition that came from the likes of Walmart and Amazon. Sears filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and then bought out of that in 2019. The struggles have continued since, though, and the retailer is just hanging on by a thread.

For folks looking for a bit of nostalgia and a trip to the store before it is no more, the final five Sears locations are in Coral Gables, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Braintree, Massachusetts; Concord, California and El Paso, Texas.
FILE - From left to right, Pearl Harbor survivors Harry Chandler, Ken Stevens, Herb Elfring and Ira "Ike" Schab sit during the 82nd Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony Dec. 7, 2023, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File) AP

HONOLULU (AP)  Survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor have long been the center of a remembrance ceremony held each year on the military bases waterfront.

But today only 12 are still alive  all centenarians  and this year none is able to make the pilgrimage to Hawaii to mark the event, scheduled for Sunday.

That means no one attending will have firsthand memories of serving during the attack, which killed more than 2,300 troops and catapulted the U.S. into World War 2. The development is not a surprise and is an evolution of an ongoing trend. As survivors fade, their descendants and the public are increasingly turning to other ways of learning about the bombing.

The idea of not having a survivor there for the first time  I just, I dont know  it hurt my heart in a way I cant describe, said Kimberlee Heinrichs, whose 105-year-old father Ira Ike Schab had to cancel plans to fly in from Oregon after falling ill.

Survivors have been present every year in recent memory except for 2020, when the Navy and the National Park Service closed the observance to the general public because of coronavirus pandemic health risks.

FILE - From left to right, Pearl Harbor survivors Harry Chandler, Ken Stevens, Herb Elfring and Ira "Ike" Schab sit during the 82nd Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony Dec. 7, 2023, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File) AP

I can still see what was happening.

The ceremony begins with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the same time the attack began on Dec. 7, 1941. Solemn rituals follow.

Fighter jets fly overhead in missing man formation, in which one jet peels off to symbolize those lost. Survivors present wreaths to honor the dead, though active duty troops have assumed this job in recent years. Survivors rise to salute active duty sailors who themselves salute as their ship passes the USS Arizona Memorial, which sits above submerged hull of the battleship sunk in the attack.

About 2,000 survivors attended the 50th anniversary event in 1991. A few dozen have showed in recent decades. Last year, only two made it. That is out of an estimated 87,000 troops stationed on Oahu that day.

Many survivors were jovial despite the occasion, happy to catch up with old friends and pose for photographs. Even so, harrowing recollections were seldom far from their minds.

In 2023, Harry Chandler gazed across the water while telling an Associated Press reporter how he was raising the flag at a mobile hospital in the hills above the base when he saw Japanese planes fly in and drop bombs. Chandler and his fellow Navy hospital corpsmen jumped in trucks to help the injured.

He spoke of seeing the Arizona explode, and of hearing sailors trapped on the capsized USS Oklahoma desperately tapping on their ships hull to summon rescue. He helped care for Oklahoma sailors after crews cut holes in the battleship.

I can still see what was happening, Chandler said. He died the next year at a senior living center in Tequesta, Florida.

Lessons from the past

The bombing has long held different meanings for different people, the historian Emily S. Rosenberg wrote in her book A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory.

FILE - A photo of Pearl Harbor survivor Lou Conter, 101, as a young sailor is displayed at his home in Grass Valley, Calif., Nov. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) AP

Some say it highlights the need for a well-prepared military and a vigilant foreign policy. To some it evokes then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt administrations ineptitude or deceit and the unfair scapegoating of the military. Others focus on the treachery of Japan or the heroic acts of individual troops, she wrote.

Asked what he wanted Americans to know about Pearl Harbor, Chandler said: Be prepared.

We should have known that was going to happen. The intelligence has to be better, he said.

Lou Conter, who was the Arizonas last living survivor when he died last year at 102, told the AP in 2019 he liked to attend to remember those who lost their lives.

Its always good to come back and pay respect to them and give them the top honors that they deserve, Conter said.

Heinrichs father has been six times since 2016. The former tuba player on the USS Dobbin likes to go not only to remember those killed but also in place of his late band mates; his three brothers who fought in World War II; and the now-deceased Pearl Harbor survivors he has met.

Recording the remembrances before the survivors are gone

Retired National Park Service Pearl Harbor historian Daniel Martinez said the circumstances resemble the early 20th century when Civil War veterans were dying in increasing numbers. Awareness grew that soon they wouldnt be able to share their stories of Gettysburg and other battles, he said.

Martinez knew something similar could happen with Pearl Harbor survivors and recorded their oral histories. During a 1998 convention, he conducted interviews 12 hours a day for three days. The Park Service today has nearly 800 interviews, most on video.

FILE - Pearl Harbor survivor Archie Odom, of Federal Way, Wash., salutes during a moment of silence in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1991, in remembrance of those killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Odom was a signalman on the bridge of the USS West Virginia when the Japanese attacked. (AP Photo/John Gaps III, File) AP

They remain as a part of the national memory of a day that changed America and changed the world, Martinez said.

The Park Service shows some in its Pearl Harbor museum and aims to include more after renovations, said David Kilton, the agencys Pearl Harbor interpretation, education and visitor services lead.

The Library of Congress has collections from 535 Pearl Harbor survivors, including interviews, letters, photos and diaries. Over 80% are online. They are part of the librarys Veterans History Project of firsthand recollections of veterans who served in World War I onward. Many were recorded by relatives, Eagle Scouts and other amateurs interested in documenting history.

The Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors gives presentations in schools and marches in parades to share the stories of their families. The California chapter has added six new members this year, including two great-grandchildren of survivors.

When theyre all gone, were still going to be here, said Deidre Kelley, the groups president. And its our intent to keep the memory alive as long as were alive.
By JOSH FUNK and RIO YAMAT, AP Transportation and Airlines Writer

The government picked a company with little experience working with the Federal Aviation Administration, called Peraton, to oversee the roughly $31.5 billion overhaul of the outdated air traffic control system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday evening that Peraton was chosen in the hope that its innovative approach will make it possible to complete the upgrades within the next three years before the end of President Donald Trumps term in office ends. Peraton was chosen over Parsons Corp., which does have extensive experience with FAA contracts.

Working together, we are going to build on the incredible progress weve already made and deliver a state-of-the-art air traffic control system that the American traveling public  and our hard-working air traffic controllers  deserve, Duffy said in the announcement.

Heres what to know about the modernization project and the company hired to oversee it:

A $12.5 billion down payment on the project

Earlier this year, Congress approved $12.5 billion as a down payment on the project after technical problems twice knocked out the radar for air traffic controllers managing planes around Newark Liberty International Airport. This year began with the worst American aviation disaster in years when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington D.C., killing 67 people.

Duffy has said hell need roughly $20 billion more to complete the upgrade.

This effort to upgrade the technology controllers use is on a much more aggressive timeline than the previous NextGen effort that began shortly after the turn of the century and failed to deliver all the benefits it promised even after an investment of $36 billion. The Biden administration had estimated that upgrading the system might take more than a decade.

The FAA hasnt yet released the details of how much Peraton will be paid for this contract, but the agency said it includes incentives to reward good performance and penalties for shortcomings.

Upgrades needed to avoid delays and prepare for drones and flying taxis

The technical problems that disrupted flights at the Newark airport in the spring demonstrated just how fragile the nations aging air traffic control system is. And Duffy has said those kind of technical failures in a system that too often still relies on copper wires and floppy discs could happen anywhere unless the system is upgraded.

Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed in Newark. After the radar outages, the facility in Philadelphia that controls the flights in and out of Newark had a half dozen controllers go on leave, which forced the reductions in flights.

The number of flights across the country each day that the FAA has to safely manage is expected to continue growing in the years ahead. And drones will continue to proliferate across the country as flying taxis start to take to the air.

Everyone agrees that the air traffic control system must be modernized to be able to handle those future demands.

Ambitious timeline for the upgrades

John Rose, chief risk adviser for global travel management company ALTOUR, said the three-year timeline is extremely aggressive but partially realistic. He said its plausible for the FAA to build the foundation for a modern air traffic control network in its tight timeline, with more advanced capabilities layered on later.

You need to build the base before you can have all the bells and whistles, he said. If the project gets to the core structure in three years, I think weve accomplished the mission.

He likened it to an iPhone, where once you have a robust base system, you can upgrade the software, like when the phone gets an iOS update. If they build the infrastructure, then as things change from a technology capability, its almost like a plug and play, he said.

Air Traffic Control Association President and CEO Stephen Creamer represents the companies that make the gear that Peraton and the FAA will use to complete the upgrades. He said it helps that the new system wont have to be built from scratch.

The technology thats needed in the system is not cutting-edge technology. Its been tested and trialed all over the world in various places. We know what the capabilities of it are. We know what the risks of those installations are in a way that we wouldnt know if we were trying to do it and be the first one out of the gate, Creamer said.

Why is this contract needed?

Duffy said that putting a private company in charge should help this project get done more quickly, and Peratons expertise with complex technical systems and artificial intelligence will help.

Peraton has said the fact that it doesnt have a history of work at the FAA might actually help because it wont be biased to working with the same companies that have failed in the past.

And after all the cuts to the federal workforce Trump made this year and the early retirements. Creamer said that FAA needs the help to complete this project because it no longer has the staff to do it.

The expectation is that Peraton will be able to award contracts to other companies more quickly than FAA would be able to because it wont be limited by the same process. That does introduce the possibility that mistakes could be made, but Creamer said I think theres plenty of checks and balances in the administrative system to ensure that theres not gonna be substantial waste or fraud or abuse.

Peraton has worked on other government tech upgrades

Peraton has worked on multibillion-dollar technology contracts for the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Special Operations Command and the National Park Service along with the military and other agencies.

The company is owned by Veritas Capital private equity firm, so it doesnt have shareholders. Its board of advisers is full of an assortment of former military and intelligence officials. A Peraton spokesman said the company was too busy getting started on the contract to do any interviews Friday, but its CEO Steve Schorer promised in a statement that his team is committed to completing this project.

FILE - An American Airlines American Eagle jet flies past the air traffic control tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Nov. 8, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, file) AP

Our highly-skilled, dedicated, and talented team of engineers, technologists, and mission experts stands ready to hit the ground running to deliver a system Americans can count on  one that is more secure, more reliable, and a model for the world to follow, Schorer said.

The companys political action committee donated a quarter-million dollars to politicians last year with a little over half of that going to Republicans, according to www.opensecrets.org.

Improvements already underway

Duffy said that the FAA has already been working on making improvements and more than one-third of the old copper wires that air traffic controllers were relying on have been replaced with fiber optic lines or other modern connections.

But some of the advancements, like installing new systems to help controllers keep track of planes on the ground at 44 airports, began during the last administration.

And significant work remains ahead to install more than 27,600 new radios and 612 new radar systems. The old connections still need to be upgraded at thousands of additional facilities, and six new air traffic control centers are scheduled to be built.
The Pennsylvania Department of General Services Bureau of Vehicle Management has announced that approximately 375 used vehicles will be up for public purchase at the December Commonwealth Vehicle Auction.

The auction begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Manheim Keystone Pennsylvania, 488 Firehouse Road, Grantville, according to a press release.

Included in this months lineup are retired state police vehicles, 4-wheel-drive SUVs, pickups, and utility vehicles from top brands such as Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota, GMC, and Jeep, along with sedans, minivans, and seized vehicles from law enforcement agencies.

Pre-registration and in-person preview of the vehicles will continue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

Interested bidders must pre-register by 4 p.m. on Monday. There is no registration on the day of the sale. Cash will not be accepted for registration.

Buyers must make purchases with cash or certified funds in the form of a money order, cashiers check, or certified check, made payable to Cox Automotive.

The December auction is the final auction scheduled for 2025.

More information on this auction, registration information, payment conditions, and a complete listing of vehicles is available on the DGS Auto Auction Information page.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices votes to recommend changes to the infant hepatitis B vaccination policy during a meeting in Atlanta on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 (AP Photo/Ben Gray) Ben Gray | AP Photo

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Author: David Higgins, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The committee advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy voted on Dec. 5, 2025, to stop recommending that all newborns be routinely vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus  undoing a 34-year prevention strategy that has nearly eliminated early childhood hepatitis B infections in the United States.

Before the U.S. began vaccinating all infants at birth with the hepatitis B vaccine in 1991, around 18,000 children every year contracted the virus before their 10th birthday  about half of them at birth. About 90% of that subset developed a chronic infection.

In the U.S., 1 in 4 children chronically infected with hepatitis B will die prematurely from cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Today, fewer than 1,000 American children or adolescents contract the virus every year  a 95% drop. Fewer than 20 babies each year are reported infected at birth.

I am a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist who studies vaccine delivery and policy. Vaccinating babies for hepatitis B at birth remains one of the clearest, most evidence-based ways to keep American children free of this lifelong, deadly infection.

What spurred the change?

In September 2025, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, an independent panel of experts that advises the CDC, debated changing the recommendation for a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, but ultimately delayed the vote.

This committee regularly reviews vaccine guidance. However, since Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disbanded the entire committee and handpicked new members, its activity has drastically departed from business as usual. The committee has long-standing procedures for evaluating evidence on the risks and benefits of vaccines, but these procedures were not followed in the September meeting and were not followed for this most recent decision.

The committees new recommendation keeps the hepatitis B vaccine at birth for infants whose mothers test positive for the virus. But the committee now advises that infants whose mothers test negative should consult with their health care provider. Parents and health care providers are instructed to weigh vaccine benefits, vaccine risks and infection risks using individual-based decision-making or shared clinical decision-making.

On the surface, this sounds reasonable. But while parents have always been free to discuss benefits and risks with their health care providers to make a decision on whats best for their child, this change is not based on any new evidence, and it introduces uncertainty into a recommendation that has long been clear.

As a doctor, I am already seeing this uncertainty play out in the clinic. I recently had new parents ask to postpone the hepatitis B vaccine until adolescence because they believed federal health leaders had evidence that people only become infected through sexual activity or contaminated needle use.

After a brief conversation, they came to understand that this was inaccurate  children can be infected not only at birth but also through routine household or child care exposures, including shared toothbrushes or even a bite that breaks the skin. In the end, they chose to vaccinate, but this experience highlights how easily well-intentioned parents can be misled when guidance is not clear and consistent.

Why the CDC adopted universal hepatitis B shots

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects liver cells, causing inflammation and damage. It is spread through blood and bodily fluids and is easily transmitted from mother to baby during delivery.

The hepatitis B vaccine has been available since the early 1980s. Before 1991, public health guidance recommended giving newborns the hepatitis B vaccine only if they were at high risk of being infected  for example, if they were born to a mother infected with hepatitis B.

That targeted plan failed. Tens of thousands of infants were still infected each year.

Some newborns were exposed when their mothers werent screened; others were exposed after their mothers were infected late in pregnancy, after their initial screening. And like any lab test, the screening can have false negative results, be misinterpreted or not be communicated properly to the babys care team.

Recognizing these gaps, in 1991 the CDC recommended hepatitis B vaccination for every child starting at birth, regardless of maternal risk.

The U.S. adopted a policy of vaccinating all babies from birth because the number of people with hepatitis B infections was, and remains, relatively high, and because many mothers do not receive prenatal care, so their infections go undetected.

Meanwhile, in some European countries, like Denmark, only babies with certain risk factors receive the vaccine at birth. Thats because in those countries, hepatitis B infections are much less prevalent and pregnant mothers are more widely tested due to universal health care. Due to these differences, that approach is not effective in the United States. In fact, most World Health Organization member countries do recommend a universal birth dose.

Vaccinating at birth

The greatest danger for infants contracting hepatitis B is at birth, when contact with a mothers blood can transmit the virus. Without preventive treatment or vaccination, 70% to 90% of infants born to infected mothers will become infected themselves, and 90% of those infections will become chronic. The infection in these children silently damages their liver, potentially leading to liver cancer and death.

Children are most likely to get infected by hepatitis B at birth, when contact with their mothers blood can transmit the virus. Ekkasit Jokthong/iStock via Getty Images Plus Ekkasit Jokthong/iStock via Getty Images Plus

About 80% of parents choose to vaccinate their babies at birth. If parents choose to delay vaccination due to this new recommendation, it will leave babies unprotected during this most vulnerable window, when infection is most likely to lead to chronic infection and silently damage the liver.

A research article published on Dec. 3, 2025, estimates that if only infants born to mothers infected with hepatitis B received the vaccine, an additional 476 perinatal hepatitis B infections would occur each year.

The hepatitis B vaccines used in the U.S. have an outstanding safety record. The only confirmed risk is an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis that occurs in roughly 1 in 600,000 doses, and no child has died from such a reaction. Extensive studies show no link to other serious conditions.

How children get exposed to hepatitis B

Infants and children continue to be vulnerable to hepatitis B long after birth.

Children can become infected through household contacts or in child care settings by exposures as ordinary as shared toothbrushes or a bite that breaks the skin. Because hepatitis B can survive for a week on household surfaces, and many carriers are unaware they are infected, even babies and toddlers of uninfected mothers remained at risk.

Full protection against hepatitis B requires a three-dose vaccine series, given at specific intervals in infancy. Anything short of the full series leaves children vulnerable for life.

In addition to changing the birth dose recommendation, the committee is now advising parents to consult with their health care provider about checking childrens antibody levels after one or two doses of the vaccine to determine whether additional doses are needed. While such testing is sometimes recommended for people in high-risk groups after they get all three doses to confirm their immune system properly responded to the vaccine, it is not a substitute for completing the series.

The recommendation for all babies to receive the vaccine at birth and for infants to complete the full vaccine series is designed to protect every child, including those who slip through gaps in maternal screening or encounter the virus in everyday life. A reversion to the less effective risk-based approach threatens to erode this critical safety net.

Portions of this article originally appeared in a previous article published on Sept. 9, 2025.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/vaccine-committee-votes-to-scrap-universal-hepatitis-b-shots-for-newborns-despite-outcry-from-childrens-health-experts-271202.
Soybeans posted losses of 11 to 15 cents on Friday, with January down 32 cents on the week. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price was 14 1/4 cents lower at $10.34 1/2. Soymeal futures were down $3.50 to $4.20, with weekly loss of $11.30 for the January contracts. Soy Oil futures were steady to 17 points lower, with January down 36 points.

USDA reported a private export sale of 462,000 MT of soybeans to China this morning. That takes to the total known sales to 2.845 MMT to China for the marketing year.

More News from Barchart

The CFTC Commitment of Trade data from the week of October 28 showed managed money ballooning (by 83,160 contracts) their net long position to 118,489 contracts around the President Trump/Xi meeting over a month ago. Commercials added 96,154 contracts to their net short position to 245,133 contacts as longs were exiting. That is the largest net short since May 2022.

The backlog of USDA Export Sales reports will have data for the week ending on 11/6 on Monday, with soybean bookings estimated to total 0.45-1.6 MMT. A total of 132,000 MT sold to China and 117,000 MT to unknown destinations in that week are known through the daily reporting system. Soybean meal sales are seen at 50,000 to 400,000 MT, with 5,000 to 25,000 MT for bean oil.

WASDE data will be updated on Tuesday, as traders are looking for 306 mbu in US soybean ending stocks, up 16 mbu from the previous month if realize.

Argentina soybeans are estimated at 45% planted, according to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange just below the same point last year

Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.05 1/4, down 14 1/4 cents,

Nearby Cash was $10.34 1/2, down 14 1/4 cents,

Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $11.16, down 12 3/4 cents,

May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.25 1/2, down 11 3/4 cents,

On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
With both bracelets awarded so far at the 2025 WSOP Paradise festival going to first-timers, there could be another maiden bracelet winner. But we're going to have to wait to find out who that is.

Sam Soverel and Andras Nemeth will head into overtime on Sunday to decide the winner in Event #3: $100,000 Triton PLO Main Event after calling it quits at 4 a.m. local time.

Soverel holds a 4:1 chip lead and will be looking for a fifth WSOP bracelet just five months after securing his last, but will also be looking for his first Triton title. Meanwhile, Nemeth will be looking for that elusive WSOP bracelet to add to his collection.

Event #3: $100,000 Triton PLO Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Payout 1st $2,594,000 2nd $1,751,000 3rd Dan Dvoress Canada $1,135,000 4th Richard Gryko United Kingdom $941,000 5th Philip Sternheimer United Kingdom $760,000 6th Ben Lamb United States $598,000 7th Joni Jouhkimainen Finland $457,500 8th Nacho Barbero Argentina $345,000

Sam Soverel

Day 2 Action

The field in the $100,000 Triton PLO Main Event swelled to 103 players thanks to 26 late registrations, generating a prize pool of over $10 million. The winner will walk away with $2,594,000 but in the early part of the day it was all about making it to the money, let alone who was going to win.

The plan for the day was to play down to a winner, but a 90-minute bubble and an extended dinner break to allow the $250,000 Triton Invitational seat draw to take place meant that tournament officials were anxiously looking at their watches.

The bubble did at least provide some drama, with Daniel Negreanu on the verge of elimination by fellow Poker Hall of Famer Phil Ivey, only for Negreanu to survive and Ben Tollerene to fall short of the money.

Daniel Negreanu & Phil Ivey

A sixth WSOP Paradise cash for Negreanu, with Martin Kabrhel and Jesse Lonis among those also finishing in the money. Ivey fell short of the final table in ninth place, with Nacho Barbero's eliminated in eighth  the same position he finished in Event #2: $75,000 Triton PLO.

$100,000 Triton PLO Main Event Final Table

Dvoress and Richard Gryko were the only players at the final table to have won Triton PLO titles, but the congested chip counts saw five of the seven players sitting on around four million chips. Joni Jouhkimainen and Ben Lamb were the outliers, falling in seventh and sixth place, respectively.

Nemeth led after the elimination of Lamb, but Dvoress closed the gap after a double through Philip Sternheimer, with Sternheimer eliminated shortly thereafter. Soverel then shot into the lead with the elimination of Gryko, with all three remaining players guaranteed seven-figure scores.

Dan Dvoress

The trio were given the option to keep playing or bag for the night, but they battled on with the chip lead switching between all three. However, it was Dvoress who finally fell at the hands of Soverel. In a three-bet pot, the flop came 1032 with Dvoress check-shoving on Soverel. Soverel called, putting Dvoress at risk.

Dan Dvoress: KK107

Sam Soverel: 4433

Soverel had flopped a set and improved to quads on the 93 runout to eliminate his opponent. The remaining pair bagged for the night and will return on Sunday (time TBC) to contest the final heads-up battle.
It took just twelve hours, but Daniel Rezaei is a WSOP champion after triumphing in Event #4: $50,000 NLH High Roller Turbo.

He topped a 151-player field, denying Mustapha Kanit what would also have been a maiden victory for the Italian.

The rapid-fire victory also saw Triton Poker Series co-founder Paul Phua record his first WSOP final table since his bracelet victory back in 2022.

Event #4: $50,000 NLH High Roller Turbo Final Table Results

Place Player Country Payout 1 Daniel Rezaei Austria $1,900,000 2 Mustafa Kanit Italy $1,215,000 3 Paul Phua Malaysia $815,000 4 Joao Simao Brazil $570,000 5 Hui Chen China $405,000 6 Matthew Wakeman Australia $300,000 7 Thomas Boivin Belgium $235,000 8 Tyler Moncek United States $189,000 9 Michael Moncek United States $157,500

Daniel Rezaei

Action-Packed and Rapid-Fire

The only one-day event at the 2025 WSOP Paradise Festival was always going to be a quick one. A field of 151 players was quickly assembled, featuring the likes of five-time WSOP bracelet winner Adrian Mateos, online poker legend Viktor Blom and high roller stalwarts like Mikita Badziakouski.

As the field dwindled, Michael Moncek hit the front, making the most of his seven bullets in the event, and by 10 p.m. there were half a dozen places between the remaining players and the money.

The unfortunate bubble boy was Dan Shak, who missed out on the $114,000 min-cash. He got it in with KQ against the 88 of Thomas Boivin on the very first hand of hand-for-hand play and was eliminated.

Joao Simao led the final two tables, but Rezaei was knocking on the door thanks to a well-timed double through Tom Fuchs with kings against tens.

Paul Phua

By the time the final table was secured, it looked like Paul Phua was going to ride a wave of momentum to victory and a second WSOP bracelet, eliminating Fuchs along with both Michael and Tyler Moncek and four-handed held almost twice the remaining chips in play.

However, the pace of play meant that even commanding chip leads such as his weren't infallible, and he fell in third place to Rezaei, who had quietly stuck around at the final table. Stacks were level between Rezaei and heads-up opponent Kanit, but it was only a matter of time before the Austrian secured victory.

In all, it took two hours from the start of the final table for Rezaei to wrap up victory and secure his $1,900,000 payday. Not a bad hourly...
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.
Tesla is pushing back against Uber and Waymo's regulatory proposals for robotaxis in California, per Business Insider. The dispute could affect how reliable and accessible these services appear to riders as the state develops new rules.

What's happening?

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is drafting new rules for robotaxi passenger services and has invited companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Uber to participate.

However, Tesla is clashing with both companies over their proposals.

Waymo wanted companies using advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for ride-hailing to file quarterly reports on mileage, passenger trip time, and incidents.

Current regulations require robotaxi operators like Waymo to disclose this information, but Tesla's ride-hailing service in California isn't required to do so.

Tesla pushed back, arguing that ADAS-equipped vehicles, including those using its Full Self-Driving system, are "wholly distinct" from autonomous vehicles because they require human supervision.

Tesla maintained that making additional reporting mandatory would confuse consumers and complicate the process.

Uber proposed that California's Department of Motor Vehicles define what qualifies as an autonomous vehicle. It also cautioned that applying autonomous-vehicle rules to cars with driver-assist technology could obfuscate important distinctions.

Tesla also disputed Uber's suggestion, arguing that regulators should ensure ADAS-equipped vehicles aren't advertised as fully autonomous and avoid phrases like "self-driving" or "robotaxis," which could be "misleading."

Why is this important?

Robotaxis have routinely been scrutinized for concerns about their reliability.

The Guardian reported that approximately 2,000 of Waymo's robotaxis were investigated in October to assess their compliance with traffic safety laws. Tesla has faced scrutiny after several reported crashes.

The regulations are crucial because they will determine the safety standards of robotaxis in California. Disputes between these companies could exacerbate concerns about robotaxi readiness and undermine riders' confidence in the service.

These developments came as Tesla grappled with concerns about its driver-assist features and recent sales performance  factors that can shape how riders perceive the safety and dependability of emerging transportation technologies.
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 7, 2025 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. ("Alexandria" or "the Company") (NYSE:ARE) and certain of its officers.Class DefinitionThis lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Alexandria securities between January 27, 2025 and October 27, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/ARE Case DetailsThe Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Defendants provided overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of the Company's Long Island City (LIC) property; (2) The Company's claims and confidence regarding the leasing value of the LIC property as a life-science destination were misleading and lacked a reasonable basis, particularly in connection with ARE's Megacampus strategy; and (3) As a result, Defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/ARE or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Alexandria you have until January 26, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & GrossmanBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.ContactBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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NEW YORK CITY, NY AND NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / December 6, 2025 /Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilDecember 8, 2025to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuit against WPP plc (NYSE: WPP), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's securities between February 22, 2024 and July 8, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of WPP and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-wpp/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to the Court byDecember 8, 2025 .About the LawsuitsWPP and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On July 9, 2025, the Company published a trading update for the first half of 2025, disclosing that it had allegedly "seen a deterioration in performance as Q2 has progressed" due to both "continued macro uncertainty weighing on client spend and weaker net new business than originally anticipated," as well as "some distraction to the business" as a result of the continued restructuring of WPP Media a.k.a. GroupM. The Company further disclosed that its CEO "will retire from the Board and as CEO on 31 December 2025."On this news, the price of WPP's shares fell from a closing price of $35.82 per share on July 8, 2025 to $29.34 per share on July 9, 2025, a decline of about 18.1% in the span of just a single day.The first-filed case is Marty v. WPP plc, 25-cv-08365. A subsequent case, Teamsters Local 456 Annuity Fund v. WPP plc, 25-cv-09930, expanded the class period.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. This past year, KSF was ranked by SCAS among the top 10 firms nationally based upon total settlement value. KSF serves a variety of clients, including public and private institutional investors, and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana, Chicago, and a representative office in Luxembourg.TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action ServicesTo learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedInSOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
Abubakar* remembers the night a lot changed. I was sleeping under a corridor when somebody touched me, the teenager recalled. They didnt tell me anything. They just said I should follow.

Before he could understand what was happening, he was in the back of a van with dozens of other underage boys like himtired, confused, and half-awake.

At the temporary camp where they were taken after last years raid by the religious police, Hisbah, he slept in a vast hall on thin mattresses lined from wall to wall. The mats stretched across the entire floor, giving little space between one child and the next.

We prayed when they said we should pray, we ate when they said we should eat. Nobody asked where I came from. Nobody said anything, he recalled.

Abubakar said he ended up spending about three days in the camp after which he was released. Officials of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) later met Abubakar and are helping with his rehabilitation.

Abubakars voice is a compositeconstructed with guidance from psychologists and shaped by years of living on the streets with other boys.

Although Abubakars experience occurred last year and such raids by Hisbah have been ongoing for several years, the Kano State Government decided to formalise the process earlier this year.

Launched with fanfare and framed as a protective measure, the programme is now suspended, and the children it targeted are caught between competing narratives of rescue, rights, and responsibility.

Kano, the commercial hub of northern Nigeria, is at the centre of the countrys almajiri and street-children crisis. Almajiri are children whose relatives send them to live with Islamic teachers, where they learn about the Quran. Although a common practice in Northern Nigeria, many of the children end up on the streets where they beg or do menial labour. Estimates of Almajiri boys in Kano State range from 300,000 to more than 600,000. UNICEF places the number of out-of-school children in Kano at 989,000most of them boys, the same group that fills informal Quranic schools and street-begging ranks.

Kano State has long been the heart of the Almajiri crisis.

It was against this backdrop that the state government, under Governor Abba Yusuf, authorised a new Hisbah-led operation in early 2025.

The Deputy Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Mujahideen Abubakar, announced that children found sleeping under bridges, near gutters, or in uncompleted buildings would be taken to the Hajj Camp, medically screened, fed, and provided with both religious and formal education.

We have decided to keep them at the Hajj Camp and give them proper education, he said, promising that some could be supported up to tertiary level.

Hisbah Board is Kano States Islamic moral police, established in 2003 to support the enforcement of Sharia-based social order. It operates under the state government and works alongside conventional security and social agencies. Hisbah officers typically engage in activities such as mediating family disputes, curbing public immorality, resolving community disagreements, managing lost and found persons, and promoting religious and social discipline.

After the Hisbah Board launched the street-children rescue operation, the state set up a multi-agency committee to guide and monitor the programme. The committee included the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and several state ministries.

In one major sweep, between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., Hisbah officers combed the city, and more than 200 children were taken to the Hisbah rehabilitation centre, Hajj Camp.

Abdullahi Shehu, Kano State coordinator of the NHRC and a member of the committee, said that the Hajj Camp was inspected before the children were taken there. He insisted that conditions at the camp met basic standards.

They were given mattresses and blankets, fed three times a day and screened by health personnel. Children with contagious diseases were quarantined and treated, and those with severe skin conditions were shaved and medicated, he said.

He said their rights were not violated and their conditions were improved.

Compared to sleeping by the roadside or hotels in the middle of the night, their pattern of life was improved. To us, their rights have been realised, not violated, he said.

For Mr Shehu, the rescue was justified under Nigerian law. He pointed to the Constitution, the Child Rights Act and Kanos Child Protection Law, which all place responsibility on the state to intervene when parents fail to care for their children.

Leaving children on the street is a violation of their rights. The government does not need parental consent to rescue them if it is in the childs best interest, he said.

But even as the programme appeared to offer street children a lifeline, operational cracks were beginning to show.

A Programme Without a Comprehensive Plan

To implement the rescue, the government placed operational responsibility on Hisbah. The corps is widely known for enforcing public morality, mediating community disputes and supporting Sharia-inspired social ordernot running complex child-protection systems.

For Hisbah officers like Yusuf Abdullahi, who participated in street raids around Sabon Gari and other areas, the assignment felt like a humanitarian duty.

When you see them sleeping near gutters, roadside, under the bridge, you will sympathise, he said. Children found sleeping in such spots were taken straight to the Hajj Camp, where teachers, cooks and healthcare workers were deployed.

However, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and People with Special Needslegally responsible for child protectionraised concerns. When ministry officials visited the Hajj Camp, they found no structured case management.

Hisbah cannot handle child-protection issues the way they handle other issues, said Yakubu Salihu, a senior official at the ministry. Staff from the ministry had to carry out their own documentation: collecting names, ages, health details and family information.

During their assessment, ministry officials discovered that many of the children had experienced serious harm on the streets, including sexual abuse and untreated illnesses, among them HIV. The scale of vulnerability required more than just shelter and food.

Children on the streets are vulnerable to a lot of dangers, Mr Yakubu explained. You cannot address this without concrete plans for services, family reunion and integration.

Another complication quickly emerged: nearly 70 per cent of the children were not from Kano.

Some were from neighbouring Nigerian states, while others came from Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. A few had no known families to trace. While the governor wanted the children returned to their home states rapidly, the ministry resisted, insisting they could not send children back without proper case management, psychosocial support and verified reintegration plans.

Meanwhile, sustainability became a major concern. Feeding and caring for more than 200 children required steady funding.

According to Mr Shehu, there are over 5,000 children living in exposed and unsafe conditions across the streets of Kano. The federal government temporarily supported feeding costs, and NGOs assisted in repatriating foreign children. But no other state government stepped in to share responsibility.

Planning to host more than 5,000 children is a big task that needs to be well-planned and budgeted. The reason the state government stopped the process is to have a clear strategy and budget.

Even Hisbah officials admitted the truth: the programme was overwhelming and the state was underprepared. The number of children coming into Kano is too high; the goal of the intervention has not been achieved, one officer said.

By July and August, Hisbah quietly stopped its nighttime rescues. The children who had already been collected were later quietly transferred from Hajj Camp to Mariri Camp in Kumbotso Local Government Areaan environment designed to facilitate a more thorough assessment.

However, this was done without any public announcement, a move that has triggered widespread controversy and left many members of the public asking one pressing question: where are the children?

As of now, about 231 children remain at Mariri camp, awaiting reunification with families or guardians across states.

Community, Legal and Psychological Perspectives

Community reactions to the programme were mixed.

A parent and community leader, Usman Garba, recalled supporting a neighbour whose child had vanished for days. They eventually discovered that Hisbah had taken the boy to the camp.

The family was worried until they found him there. The child used to be very rude, but when we saw him in the camp, he was calmer, he said.

Yet Mr Garba believes the state should have communicated more clearly with parents and communities.

If there are programmes like this, they should announce it in the media with a clear message so that the public will know what is happening, he noted.

To him, what the children need more is education.

The government needs to do more to enrol the children in school to give them hope, he added.

Some children outside the camp also expressed fear.

Fifteen-year-old Abbas Yusuf*, an almajiri from Katsina who has lived in the streets of Kano for two years, said he heard about the rehabilitation programme but avoided areas where Hisbah was active.

I dont want to be taken there because I dont know them, and I dont want to be caged. Here is better for me. I think food, money and freedom will be the challenge there. My message to the governor is to sponsor us to good schools, give us food and clothes, he pleaded.

Civil society groups are more critical. The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), which has long worked on Almajiri issues, warns that forced round-ups and repatriations often breach childrens rights.

The organisations Senior Programme Officer, Omoniyi Adewoye, recalled how his organisation raised an alarm in 2020 when states began forcefully returning Almajiri children during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In most cases, they are forcefully arrested, transported to their supposed states of origin and dumped there like unwanted items, he said.

He described the Hisbah-led intervention as not humane and unsustainable, arguing that a serious solution would focus on poverty, inequality, parenting failures and misconceptions about the religious principles behind the almajiri system.

Lawyers, too, highlight legal tensions.

Becky Dike, an attorney with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, noted that while the government may defend its actions in the name of public interest, several provisions of the Child Rights Act demand caution.

Section 11 prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment; Section 6 protects children against arbitrary deprivation of liberty; Sections 8, 9, 14 and 15 guarantee parental care, protection from neglect and access to education.

Removing a child from the street can be lawful only if it protects the child from harm, follows due process, and the alternative care meets minimum standards. Taking children without investigation, consent or adequate care arrangements risks violating their rights to dignity, liberty and family life, she noted.

Psychologists warn of emotional damage, emphasise that even well-intentioned interventions can cause harm if poorly designed.

Sadiya Danyaro, a psychologist at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, said forced pickups and sudden relocation can trigger fear, nightmares, insecurity, and mistrust in authority.

Instead of seeing the system as protective, they see it as controlling, she said.

Ms Danyaro offered a sobering reminder of what is truly at stake.

Rehabilitation is not just about removing a child from danger, she said. It is about giving them stability, dignity, and continuity. When you take children suddenly, move them abruptly, and then leave their future uncertain, you create a new wound while trying to heal an old one.

She paused, choosing her words carefully.

When structure disappears overnight, the child feels confused, insecure, and sometimes abandoned. Forced pickups alone can be traumatic. And when support collapses, children begin to fear the very system that claims to protect them, she added.

From a child-rights perspective, she believes the programme demonstrated both strengths and gaps. Removing children from street dangers and providing basic needs aligned with protection principles, but the reliance on force, lack of psychological care, weak family involvement, and sudden withdrawal of services fell short.

Sustainable rehabilitation must be child-centred and built on dignity, support, and continuity of care, she said. Anything less leaves children more vulnerable than where they were found.

Looking ahead, children remain caught in the middle

The suspension of the Hisbah-led programme reveals a deeper struggle within Nigerias child-protection response: how to balance urgent rescue with legal safeguards, psychological care and sustainability.

To Hisbah officials, the programme was a good one that should continue if the governor approves. The NHRC also defended the intervention as lawful and in the best interest of children abandoned on the streets.

However, a clear gap is seen. While Hisbah and the NHRC focused on the legitimacy of the rescue, the Ministry of Women Affairs insisted that no child should be returned home without proper case management, psychosocial support, and a verified reintegration plan.

This indicates that, despite good intentions, the operation lacked the coordinated systems needed to protect the children beyond the initial rescue.

Additionally, CHRICED argues that coercive, short-term operations cannot replace long-term investments in education, social protection, and regulated Quranic schooling.

Meanwhile, about 231 children remain in Mariri Camp, waiting for files to be processed, families to be found, governments to coordinate, and decisions to be made.

For Abubakar, the boy who remembers being shaken awake under a corridor, the future remains uncertain.

Even if they want to help us, he said softly, they should ask us what we need. We are children, not criminals.

I just want an intervention that truly helps us, not one that takes us away and leaves us with nothing, he added. If the government says it wants to protect children, then it should give us real shelter, real food, real education  not promises that end in suffering.

His imagined words echo the silent plea of thousands of real boys roaming Kanos streets, waiting for a system that sees them, hears them, and remembers they, too, deserve a childhood.

* The names of the street children have been changed to protect their identities.

This story was produced with the support of Media Monitoring Africa as part of the Isu Elihle awards.
A United States Congressional delegation has arrived in Abuja and met with Nigerias National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, as both countries intensify diplomatic engagement on security cooperation and rising concerns in Washington over allegations of religious persecution.

Mr Ribadu confirmed the visit in a statement on Sunday afternoon, saying he received the delegation on a fact-finding mission to Nigeria, following earlier engagements in Washington, D.C. on shared security priorities.

The delegation included Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Norma Torres, Scott Franklin, Juan Ciscomani, and Riley Moore.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, was also in attendance, reflecting the importance both nations attach to this engagement, Mr Ribadu noted.

According to the NSA, discussions focused on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability, and strengthening the NigeriaUS strategic security partnership.

Im optimistic this engagement will deepen trust, collaboration, and our shared commitment to peace and security, Mr Ribadu said.

Nigeria, the US, and a false genocide claim

Sundays meeting comes weeks after Mr Ribadu led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Washington amid heightened US congressional scrutiny and a renewed push by some American lawmakers to categorise Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged Christian persecution.

During that US visit, the Nigerian delegation, which included senior government, security, intelligence, and diplomatic officials, held a series of engagements with key administration figures, including the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.

Mr Hegseth said he discussed horrific violence against Christians in Nigeria with the delegation, adding that Washington was working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.

Earlier, the delegation also met with Rep. Riley Moore, one of the most vocal promoters of the false Christian genocide narrative.

Mr Moore described the talks as frank, honest, and productive, saying Nigerian officials outlined concerns about counterterrorism operations, security assistance, and the protection of vulnerable communities.

A divided Christian-genocide debate in Washington

Since September, several US politicians and campaigners, including Mike Arnold, Senator Ted Cruz and some Christian leaders, have amplified claims that Islamist militants in Nigeria are systematically targeting Christians.

Senator Cruz has even sponsored a bill seeking punitive action against Nigerian officials. At the same time, a coalition of Christian leaders submitted a petition in October pushing for Nigerias redesignation as a CPC.

The issue has sharply divided US lawmakers. PREMIUM TIMES reported that a congressional hearing held last week split along partisan lines, with some members framing the crisis as Christian genocide and others warning that the narrative dangerously oversimplifies Nigerias complex and multi-layered security challenges.

Security researchers and credible media reports (including a PREMIUM TIMES editorial and a recent BBC fact-check) have raised doubts about the data driving the genocide claims, noting that many figures cannot be independently verified.

Analysts argue that the narrative misrepresents Nigerias security challenge, which affects both Christians and Muslims and is driven mainly by non-state armed groups.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected the allegation, describing it as a gross misrepresentation of reality. Officials insist that terrorists attack anyone who opposes their ideology, regardless of faith.

President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria will continue working with international partners, including the United States, to defeat terrorism in all its forms while resisting narratives that inflame religious tensions or mischaracterise the countrys security situation.

Sundays visit by the US congressional team signals continued high-level engagement and Washingtons growing interest in Nigerias internal security dynamics as both sides negotiate the future shape of their strategic partnership.
There is an ongoing coup in Benin with soldiers announcing that they have toppled President Patrice Talon.

The soldiers, who called themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), said on state television that President Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.

The soldiers, led by a lieutenant-colonel, Pascal Tigri, appeared on Benins state TV to announce the dissolution of the government. They said that Mr Tigri has been appointed president of the military committee.

However, the Benin presidency later released a statement, saying Mr Talon was safe and that the army was trying to ensure the coup failed.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the coup in Benin occurred about two weeks after a coup in Guinea-Bissau. Both countries are located in West Africa, a region that has experienced numerous coups in recent years, including those in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

In a post on X on Sunday morning, the French Embassy in Benin said gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo near the presidents official residence.

The coup plotters also said all borders in the country have been closed and political parties suspended.

However, in its statement, the Benin presidency said the putschists are a small group of people who only control the television.

The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure, the AFP agency quoted the Benin presidency as saying.

Al Jazeera describes the situation in the West African nation as confusing due to the contradictory reports emerging.

Although the government says it has repelled an attack on the presidential palace, soldiers appearing on national television have announced the closure of Benins land, sea, and air borders.
The Benin Republic presidency says that President Patrice Talon is safe and the army is regaining control from the coup plotters.

This comes shortly after a group of military officers appeared on Benin national television Sunday morning, declaring the removal of the president and all state institutions.

The group of army officials described themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation.

However, according to AFP, the presidents office said Mr Talon is safe and that the army is regaining control.

This is a small group of people who only control the television.

The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure, the agency quoted the Benin presidency as saying.

This coup is the latest in West Africa, coming a few days after the military takeover of the government in Guinea-Bissau.

More details coming
The police on Saturday released the lawyer prosecuting former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his children in the multi-billion-naira dry port ownership scandal.

The lawyer, Muhuyi Magaji, is the immediate past chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

He was appointed by the state government to prosecute Mr Ganduje regarding the dry port ownership scandal.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Kano State Government filed criminal charges at the state high court against Mr Ganduje and his children over the change of ownership of the dry port.

Mr Magaji was arrested at his office on Friday by the police, allegedly from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) squad, and taken to Abuja.

Following his release, he told reporters that the police arrested him based on petitions written against him by Mr Ganduje and former Managing Director of Kano State Agricultural Company (KASCO), Bala Inuwa.

He said that in the petition, Mr Ganduje accused him of malicious charges over the Kano State Governments equity in Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Kano State Government filed criminal charges at the State High Court against Mr Ganduje and his children, over the ownership of the facility.

Mr Ganduje, who was the governor between 2015 and 2023, is scheduled to appear before the state high court on 18 December, alongside his three children and Abubakar Bawuro, to face a 10-count charge of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of public funds, breach of trust, and conflict of interest.

Others charged by the state government include former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, and Mr Gandujes family lawyer, Adamu Aliyu-Sanda.

The prosecution also alleged that the defendants diverted over 4.49 billion of Kano State funds to execute infrastructure projects such as a double carriageway, electricity, and perimeter fencing at the dry port for their personal and family benefit.

The defendants also faced charges of abuse of office and conflict of interest, as it was alleged that they leveraged their official roles to redirect public resources for personal benefit, thereby violating financial and constitutional regulations.

The prosecution has assembled several key witnesses, including government officials who were allegedly manipulated to sign documents that perfected fraudulent transactions from the state government to the Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.

In September, PREMIUM TIMES investigation also exposed how Mr Ganduje secretly transferred the state governments 20 per cent stake in the facility to private hands, making his children co-owners of the company before awarding a contract worth more than N4 billion to provide infrastructure for the project.

The transfer ended Kano States shareholding in the project, while Mr Gandujes children and aide, Abubakar Bawuro, became directors and shareholders.

The state government accused the defendants of conspiring to fraudulently transfer 80 per cent of the shares of Dala Inland Dry Port, including the states 20 per cent equity, to private ownership under the fictitious name City Green Enterprise.

The owners of the Dala Port, however, denied any wrongdoing. They told PREMIUM TIMES that the state government never owned any shares at the Dala Port and that they acquired the port legally from its former owner.
The Beninese government says the countrys military has foiled the coup, which sought to oust the President Patrice Talon administration.

The Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, announced on Sunday that the countrys armed forces had foiled an attempted coup hours after the plotters appeared on national TV to declare a takeover of government.

A small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the country and its institutions.

Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the presidency earlier announced that Mr Talon is safe and the army is addressing the crisis and regaining control.

The soldiers called themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation, and were led by a lieutenant colonel, Pascal Tigri, who was also appointed president of the military committee.

The group said that they had met and decided that President Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.

READ ALSO: Presidency warns of major setbacks in health sector amid dwindling foreign aid

Although the situation has been fluid since the coup plotters made their broadcast, the ministers announcement suggests the coup has been successfully foiled.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the coup in Benin occurred about two weeks after a coup in Guinea-Bissau. Both countries are located in West Africa, a region that has experienced numerous coups in recent years, including those in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
We came across a bullish thesis on Tetra Tech, Inc. on Valueinvestorsclub.com by WittyWizard. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on TTEK. Tetra Tech, Inc.'s share was trading at $34.48 as of December 1st. TTEKs trailing and forward P/E were 37.10 and 22.57 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

Why Oklo Inc. (OKLO) is Skyrocketing?

Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash

Tetra Tech (TTEK) presents a highly compelling risk/reward opportunity as a resilient global engineering and consulting firm specializing in water, environmental, and sustainable infrastructure solutions. The companys diversified revenue base30% U.S. federal, 10% state and local, 10% commercial, and 40% internationalpositions it across mission-critical projects, mitigating the impact of recent USAID funding cuts that drove the stock down 40%.

Even in a worst-case scenario with no USAID recovery, EPS is projected to grow 1011% in 2026, reflecting managements proactive derisking and shift to higher-margin disaster response, federal, and state/local work. TTEK is embedded in multi-year, multi-award contracts, supporting high-single-digit organic growth and improving margins as revenue mix shifts from lower-margin federal cost-plus contracts to higher-value digital water, analytics, and fixed-price work, with the exit of USAID alone adding roughly 80 bps to EBITDA margins.

The companys asset-light, labor-intensive model drives exceptional free cash flow, which underpins continued tuck-in M&A in digital water and industrial automation, alongside share buybacks, all while maintaining leverage around 1x EBITDA. Structural tailwindssecular growth in water scarcity, climate resilience, and regulatory compliancesupport durable demand across U.S. federal, state, and international markets.

TTEKs leading expertise, proprietary digital solutions, and long-standing client relationships create a strong moat, particularly in complex water and environmental projects, while its early adoption of digital automation and AI positions it ahead of slower-moving peers.

Near-term catalysts include U.S. federal task-order conversion, UK AMP8 ramp, state and local water funding, PFAS regulatory work, and disaster response demand. With earnings quality improving, margins expanding, and conservative guidance likely to drive upside surprises, TTEK offers a structurally growing, high-quality, and defensive investment with potential for multiple expansion, projected EPS around $2 by 2027, and sustainable long-term returns.

Previously we covered a bullish thesis on Amentum Holdings, Inc. (AMTM) by Cornerstone Value in May 2025, which highlighted the divestment of its Rapid Solutions Division, debt reduction, and margin improvement amid defense sector volatility. The stock has appreciated approximately 33% since our coverage. The thesis still stands as AMTM executes its transformation. WittyWizard shares a similar focus but emphasizes Tetra Techs (TTEK) exposure to water and environmental infrastructure with digital automation driving growth.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the gallantry of Nigerias military on Sunday for responding swiftly to the request by the Government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn today.

Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.

The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population.

In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.

The Benin government also requested Nigerian ground forces, strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed Groups.

Nigerias Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said all the requests have been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now in Benin.

Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu, he said.

Constitutional order was upended in the Republic of Benin, Nigerias neighbour, when some soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup on Sunday morning. The putschists seized the National TV and claimed they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions.

It took some hours before the governments loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.

In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu saluted the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.

Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

December 7, 2025
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Joash Amupitan, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to promptly account for the missing or diverted N55.9 billion meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections.

SERAP said the grave allegations are documented in the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on 9 September 2025.

SERAP also urged him to disclose the names of the contractors that reportedly collected over N55.9 billion for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, including details of the directors and shareholders as well as the contractors addresses.

SERAP urged him to refer these grave violations of constitutional and international standards to appropriate anticorruption agencies for prosecution, as appropriate, and to ensure the full recovery of proceeds of corruption.

In the letter dated 6 December 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: INEC must operate without corruption if the commission is to uphold Nigerians right to participation in their own government.

SERAP said, Allegations of corruption in the supply of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials directly undermine Nigerians right to participate in elections that are free, fair, transparent, and credible.

According to SERAP, INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

The letter, read in part: These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC under your leadership to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law.

According to the recently published 2022 audited report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) irregularly paid over N5.3 billion [N5,312,238,499.39] to a contractor for the supply of Smart Card Readers for the 2019 general elections.

The contract was awarded without prior approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council. The payment was also made without any document and any evidence of supplies to the commission.

INEC claimed approval was not sought because the supply of smart card readers falls under national defence or national security and therefore exempted under the Procurement Act.

But the Auditor-General rejected the claim as alien to the Procurement Act, and stated that INEC ought to have received a Certificate of No Objection from the BPP for the contract. He is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

INEC also reportedly paid over N4.5 billion [N4,505,220,044.06] to six contractors for ballot papers/result sheets, but the payments were without any documentary evidence of supply from the contractors. There was no evidence of advertisement, bid submission, bid evaluation, approvals and no Certificate of No Objection.

There was also no evidence of the contractors eligibility, as INEC failed to show the contractors Tax clearance certificate, pension clearance certificate, NSITF certificate, ITF certificate of compliance, and BPP registration.

The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

INEC reportedly paid over N331 million [N331,228,070.04] to some contractors in doubtful circumstances as several payments had contradictory supporting documents.

The contract for the supply of 25 pieces of generating sets was dated 28 December 2019 but the receipt for the payment was issued 12 months before the contract, that is, 15 January 2019. The contractors were paid even before the award of the contracts.

INEC claimed that these infractions are justified for the Commission to ensure that the 2019 general elections were concluded and to avoid what would have been a deep constitutional crisis, but the Auditor-General considered the commissions response unsatisfactory.

The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

INEC also reportedly failed to deduct over N2.1 billion [N2,193,484,804.06] of stamp duty from contractors between 2018 and 2019. According to the Auditor-General, there were no justifiable reasons by the Commission for the failure to deduct and remit the stamp duty.

INEC claimed it did not receive any circular requesting it to deduct stamp duty from contract payments to contractors, but the Auditor-General considered the commissions response unsatisfactory.

The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

INEC also failed to retire over N630 million [N630,625,319.80] of cash advances granted to some officers of the Commission. Some officers were granted multiple advances when the previous ones had not been retired.

The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

The Commission also awarded contracts of over N41 billion [N41,312,066,801.00] for the printing of ballot papers, result sheets, and voting point result sheets for various elections, but without due process. According to the Auditor-General, there was no evidence that the contractors were eligible to carry out such contracts.

There was also no evidence of previous work carried out by the contractors, as some of the contractors were Civil Engineering Constructions Company, Oil and Gas Company and Importer of Building Materials, among others, in violation of paragraph 2909 of the Financial Regulations.

The contracts were also awarded without the Federal Executive Councils approval, and No Objection approval from the BPP. The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

INEC also irregularly awarded a contract for the supply of 4 Toyota Land Cruisers to the Commission for over N297 million [N297,777,776.00]. The contract was awarded without the approval by the Federal Executive Council.

The market survey carried out showed that the price of Toyota Land Cruiser in 2019 was not above N50 million, but the commission claimed it paid N74 million for each Toyota Land Cruiser.

The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.

These grim allegations by the Auditor-General suggest a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anticorruption laws, and the countrys international obligations.

INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, suspected perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered.

We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and INEC to comply with our request in the public interest.
Nigerias Securities and Exchange Commission has warned the public to avoid an online investment platform known as Glorious Wealth Fund, saying the entity is not registered to operate in the countrys capital market.

The regulator said its attention was drawn to the activities of the platform, which claims to offer investment services in Nigerian stocks and other financial instruments through its website, gloriouswealthfund.com.

The commission made this known in a statement on Friday.

The Glorious Wealth Fund (GWF) is not registered or licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria to carry out any form of capital market activity in the Nigerian capital market, the statement said.

It added that claims by the operators that the platform was supervised or approved by the regulator were false, misleading, and fraudulent.

The SEC said it had received complaints from investors who were unable to withdraw their funds after depositing money on the platform, noting that the activities of GWF bear the clear characteristics of an illegal investment scheme designed to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.

The regulator urged the public to avoid the platform, warning that anyone who engages with it does so at his/her own risk.

It reminded investors to verify the registration status of any entity offering investment opportunities on its online portal before engaging in transactions.

Online investment scams have become increasingly common in Nigeria as more people turn to digital platforms for savings and quick-return schemes.

The SEC has, in recent years, issued several warnings about unregistered investment operators, amid rising complaints from users who lose money to platforms that collapse after promising high returns.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, where he will represent President Bola Tinubu at the swearing-in of President Alassane Ouattara for his fourth term in office.

Mr Shettima will join other African leaders and international dignitaries at Mondays inauguration ceremony, to be held at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan on December 8, 2025.

Mr Ouattara won re-election on 25 October 2025, securing another term to lead the West African nation, which maintains strong diplomatic relationships with Nigeria.

Nigeria has maintained a longstanding commitment to supporting sister nations in West Africa and upholding the principles of constitutional governance. At this inauguration, VP Shettima will again reaffirm Nigerias dedication to promoting democratic values, respecting the will of the people, and ensuring that constitutional processes remain the foundation of leadership transitions across the region.

Nigeria and Cote dIvoire work closely together on multiple fronts. The two countries partner through ECOWAS and the African Union on issues ranging from security to trade and development. Their cooperation is backed by a Bi-National Commission and several agreements covering everything from fighting human trafficking to boosting agriculture and growing the digital economy. A large Nigerian community living in Cote dIvoire has also helped strengthen business ties and social connections between both nations.

He was received on arrival at the airport by Cote dIvoires Prime Minister, Robert Mambe; the Charge dAffaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Cote dIvoire, Item Akpama; and other senior government officials.

The vice president will return to Abuja after the ceremony concludes.

Stanley Nkwocha

Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications

(Office of The Vice President)

7th December, 2025
A former Chairperson of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission aa(NERC), Sam Amadi, has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to disband Tiger Base, a police anti-kidnapping unit in Imo State, over alleged involvement in extortion and extrajudicial killings in the state.

Mr Amadi, in a video clip uploaded on his Facebook page on Thursday, also appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo to help disband the police unit in the state.

The former NERC chairperson, who is currently the director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, said there have been several allegations of extrajudicial killings by operatives from the police unit.

He said the Nigerian Human Rights Commission and other watchdog agencies have repeatedly documented cases of extortions and extrajudicial killings of residents by the personnel of the police unit.

I want to appeal to Governor Hope Uzodimma. Can you please end the Tiger Base? First, there was no basis for building a police station into a government annex, he said.

Mr Amadi narrated how operatives from the police unit recently stormed a community involved in a land dispute and shot a man who afterwards spent a long time in a hospital for treatment.

There are many cases in which police officers under the Tiger Base have terrorised residents of Imo State. Mr Governor, this is obviously not what you intended.

To the IG of police, why should there be a Tiger Base police unit that is not accountable within the normal police structure? he said.

The former NERC chairperson argued that the criminality and terror attacks in Imo State began in the South-eastern state because of the high-handedness of the Tiger Base operatives.

It is also because governors and state officials cared less about how their citizens are being destroyed either by the so-called herdsmen or criminals or police, he claimed.

Police speak on allegations

The police authorities in Imo State have denied allegations of extrajudicial killings and extortion by operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained a video clip which showed the police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, conducting reporters and civil society organisations around the facility on Thursday.

Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, claimed the allegations were false.

It is a misinformation circulated by mischief makers to undermine the efforts by our gallant operatives, Mr Okoye said of the allegations.

The spokesperson asked residents who have evidence of such extrajudicial killings, extortion and torture to submit them to the Police Complaint Response Unit or the Police Public Relations Unit for action.

He also denied allegations that some of the operatives were involved in harvesting organs of extrajudicially executed suspects.

There are CCTV cameras that monitor everything going on in this place and the commissioner of police gets this report directly from his office.

So, if theres anything like slaughtering of humans or organ harvesting, theres no way the commissioner of police will not know, he said.

On his part, the Officer-in-Charge of the police unit, Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa, claimed that operatives from the unit do not handle civil matters.

The major cases we handle are purely kidnapping, terrorism, murder and armed robbery, Mr Odeyeyiwa, a chief superintendent of police, said.

He also claimed that operatives from the police unit do not torture arrested suspects.

Extrajudicial killing, torture and human right violations

For years, operatives from the Tiger Base have been accused of engaging in torture of suspects, illegal detention, human rights violations and extrajudicial killings.

Calls for the disbandment of the police unit gained fresh momentum recently after demand for justice by the family of an entrepreneur, Levi Opara, who died under controversial circumstances while in custody at the unit.

Mr Opara, 46-year-old indigene of Owerri North LGA in Imo State, was arrested on 15 October 2023 following a domestic misunderstanding between him and his wife.

The father of five was confirmed dead by the police unit three days after his arrest.

The police authorities initially claimed the man fell ill in detention and died on his way to a police clinic, but autopsy results later reportedly showed he was stabbed to death.

This, it was gathered, triggered a petition to the IGP by the family which prompted the arrest and investigation of the operatives involved in the alleged murder.

But the family said that although the matter was transferred to Zone 9, Umuahia, Abia State in 2024, the arraignment of the officers allegedly involved has been delayed.
Pensioners of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) on Saturday said they were set to join the naked protest scheduled for 8 December.

The National Financial Secretary of the Pensioners, Bola Popoola, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria had on Friday hinted at a planned nationwide naked protest.

The coalitions National Chairman, Mukaila Ogunbote, had said that the move is to press home their demand for payment of members outstanding pension increment arrears and palliative allowances.

On Saturday, Mr Popoola said that FRCN pensioners within the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) and under the Coalition of Federal Pensioners of Nigeria were left with no other option but to be part of the protest.

He said that joining the protest is to further demand the payment of their accrued arrears from the N32,000 minimum pension.

Our resolve to participate in the naked protest stems also from outright non-payment of the N25,000 palliative for six months, as approved since 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Such is not flying with our colleagues in diaspora, which is the reason they have vowed to put their own naked protest on the international stage, wherever they are domiciled on Monday, Dec. 8, he said

According to him, pensioners are in a vulnerable status as they dedicated productive years of their lives to the service of their fatherland.

He said that subjecting pensioners to a state of begging on the streets is worrisome and called for urgent attention.

(NAN)
A farmer has been reported killed and several others, including a police officer, injured on Saturday in a fight between farmers and herders in Yelwan Musari village in the Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Residents identified the deceased farmer as Magaji Maiaya.

A farmer, Ado Musa, said the armed herders attacked the village between Saturday and Sunday morning, setting houses and local rice milling factories ablaze.

The herders blocked the Guri-Hadejia highway, frustrating the efforts of residents attempting to convey the injured victims to Hadejia hospital for treatment.

Police and soldiers arrived at the scene late but could not prevent the escalation, as both groups had been violent since Saturday afternoon, Mr Musa said.

It is not yet clear whether the herders recorded any injuries or fatalities in the fight.

The fight broke out after months of tension that followed the killing of another farmer, Yau Namara, by herders last year.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that local authorities had attempted to reconcile the warring communities but had failed.

Mr Musa said there had been tension for months since herders boycotted local markets.

Adamu Ori, a leader in the herders community, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES phone calls seeking comment on the incident.

The latest confrontation in Guri LGA followed a similar clash on Tuesday, where 12 farmers were injured in Zarga village, Taura Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Lawan Adam, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Guri and several council areas in Jigawa North-east senatorial district have fertile land suitable for farming and grazing.

However, the struggle for control of the lush land has led to deadly conflicts between farmers and herders over the years.

Although over the years, both areas have been the hotbeds of farmer-herder conflicts in Jigawa State, the migration of strange herders seasonally in the area has worsened the conflict, resulting in many deaths.

In other parts of the state, the dynamics of the farmers-herders conflict are complex, rooted in ecological, socio-economic, and historical factors.
The Nigerian government has condemned Sundays failed coup in Benin, describing it as a direct assault on democracy, constitutional order, and the collective will of the Beninese people.

In a statement, Nigerias foreign affairs ministry said, Nigeria stands in firm solidarity with the Government and people of the Republic of Benin, and applauds the swift action taken by Beninese authorities to protect its legitimate institutions and preserve the peace.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the coup, announced by a group of soldiers on national television, who said they had removed President Patrice Talon and dissolved government institutions.

However, the Benin presidency later released a statement, saying the coup had failed, President Talon was safe and that the army had successfully foiled the coup.

Read the statement by the Nigerian government below.

The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has received with grave concern and unequivocally condemns in the strongest possible terms the attempted forcible seizure of power in our friendly neighbour and brotherly nation, the Republic of Benin in the early hours of Sunday 7th December, 2025.

This act of destabilisation represents a direct assault on democracy, constitutional order, and the collective will of the Beninese people, who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to peaceful political transitions. Nigeria stands in firm solidarity with the Government and people of the Republic of Benin, and applauds the swift action taken by Beninese authorities to protect its legitimate institutions and preserve the peace.

We commend the courage and professionalism of the Beninese security forces in defending the constitutional order and guaranteeing the safety of the President. Their dedication ensured that the unfortunate attempt to subvert democracy was decisively repelled.

Nigeria reiterates its strong commitment to the principles of democracy, good governance, and the rule of law as fundamental pillars for peace, development and regional stability. Unconstitutional changes of government are an unacceptable and retrogressive step that threatens the hard-earned democratic gains and socio-economic progress of our sub-region.

As a steadfast partner within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, Nigeria calls on all member states and the international community to unite in condemning this act and in reaffirming our shared commitment to the African Unions Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

We urge all parties in the Republic of Benin to remain calm, uphold the rule of law, and continue to channel any political discourse through peaceful, constitutional, and democratic means.

The Federal Government of Nigeria reassures the Government of the Republic of Benin of its full support and continued cooperation as we work together, as brothers and partners, to deepen democracy and ensure lasting peace and prosperity for our peoples and the entire West African region.

Signed:

Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa,

Spokesperson,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

Sunday, 7th December, 2025
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has reaffirmed Nigerias commitment to a pragmatic, interest-driven foreign policy, anchored on economic growth, job creation, and strategic global partnerships.

Mr Tuggar said this in a statement issued on Sunday through Alkasim Abdulkadir, his special assistant on media and communications strategy.

Mr Abdulkadir quoted Mr Tuggar as saying this during a high-level panel entitled BRICS, GCC and evolving relations for a Changing Global Order at the Doha Forum 2025.

The minister said, Nigeria remains committed to building partnerships based on mutual respect, shared interests, and tangible economic outcomes that directly benefit its people.

He explained that Nigerias foreign policy under President Bola Tinubu was shaped by the countrys demographic realities and development priorities.

This, according to him, with a population of no fewer than 230 million people, mostly young people, Nigeria must urgently expand employment opportunities, grow its middle class, and attract sustained investment.

He reiterated that Nigerias engagement with platforms such as BRICS and the G20 is not driven by ideological alignment with any bloc, but by national interest.

Nigeria is deliberately avoiding rigid EastWest divisions and instead pursuing balanced relationships with all partners in a rapidly changing multipolar world, he said.

He cautioned against the importation of external geopolitical rivalries into Africa, stressing the need to safeguard regional stability and prevent proxy competition that could undermine peace and development.

He said Nigerias participation in global bodies reflected its long-standing tradition of independent diplomacy and multilateral engagement, rooted in its historic role in Africas liberation struggles and its contributions to global development cooperation.

(NAN)
Trump Bitcoin network. Photo by BeInCrypto

A small Texas lender is drawing outsized attention across crypto and political circles. Monet Bank, a community bank with assets under $6 billion, has rebranded twice this year and repositioned itself as a crypto-focused infrastructure bank.

The move matters because its owner, billionaire Andy Beal, a major Trump ally, is now placing the institution within what analysts describe as a fast-expanding pro-Bitcoin power network surrounding Donald Trump.

A Small Bank Makes a Big Crypto Pivot

Monet Bank openly states that it aims to become the premier digital asset financial institution, offering forward-facing solutions for Bitcoin, stablecoins, and broader digital asset finance.

The bank, regulated by the FDIC, has six offices in Texas and was known for decades as Beal Savings Bank.

Earlier this year, it briefly became XD Bank before adopting the Monet brand, a sequence of rebrands that signals a deliberate strategic shift.

Beal, who founded Beal Financial Corp., is known both for high-stakes poker and for heavily backing Trumps 2016 presidential campaign through personal political committees.

His renewed entry into the digital-asset sector positions Monet as one of the few federally regulated banks openly prioritizing crypto infrastructure.

Analysts See Monet Joining a Pro-Bitcoin Political Network

According to analyst Jack Sage, Monet Bank is now part of a pro-Bitcoin power network orbiting Trump that has accelerated throughout 2024 and 2025.

The network includes firms with personal, political, or financial ties to Trump and his advisers, forming what Sage calls an emerging Bitcoin-and-stablecoin monetary bloc.

signals that Trumps camp keeps actively building an alternative monetary order centered on Bitcoin and stablecoins. And they havent given up. The banking system sees whats happening. We see it too, Sage remarked.

Notable entities in the bloc include:
The Labour Party Caucus in the House of Representatives has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of placing its 2027 political ambitions above the welfare and security of Nigerians.

The lawmakers described the development as insensitive, unconscionable, and a troubling reflection of the quality of leadership offered by both the party and the presidency.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday and signed by its Leader, Afam Ogene, the caucus maintained that while President Bola Tinubu is entitled to seek re-election, his foremost obligation should be tackling the deepening economic hardship and escalating insecurity across the country.

The lawmakers said the primary responsibility of any government is to guarantee the welfare and safety of its citizens, but expressed regret that the APC-led administration appears preoccupied with political permutations rather than addressing the urgent issues confronting Nigerians.

According to the caucus, this misplacement of priorities is unfolding at a time when insecurity is spreading nationwide, the government is struggling to fund its budget, and public confidence in governance is declining.

It cited the ongoing protests by local contractors, many of whom have been holding vigils outside the Ministry of Finance over unpaid debts, as a symbol of the administrations economic failings. The delay in payments, it said, has worsened hardship, stalled development windows, and halted new projects.

The situation has led to prolonged protests by local contractors who remain unpaid for completed projects, sparking economic hardship, stalled development, and a dearth of new projects.

Recently, these aggrieved contractors have been holding vigils outside the Ministry of Finance, highlighting the governments shortcomings, the statement read.

The caucus further raised concerns about what it described as persistent violations of the Appropriation Act. It criticised the government for pursuing mega-projects such as the multi-trillion naira coastal highway without transparent appropriation or due procurement processes, even as vital federal roads remain in deplorable condition.

The Appropriation Act, a law governing budget allocation, has been consistently disregarded by the current administration, the statement read.

It said that with the festive season approaching, road users now face dangerous travel conditions coupled with rising cases of kidnapping.

Of particular alarm to the LP Caucus is the revelation in the recently audited accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) that the government spent N17.5 trillion in 2024 alone on a pipeline-security contract.

It noted that over 12 years, Nigeria spent about N18 trillion on fuel subsidy, an expenditure that benefited the general population through cheaper transport and food prices. It argued that scrapping the subsidy on the grounds of insufficient funds, only to channel an equivalent sum into a controversial and opaque contract, amounts to robbing Peter (Nigerians) to pay Paul (cronies).

The statement went on to paint a bleak picture of the state of governance, declaring that the executive continues to underperform, the judiciary is increasingly questioned, and the legislature is criticised for not having the moral fibre to hold the executive accountable.

Our dear country has become a special economic zone, where everyone and kidnappers now have a price, the Caucus said. Kidnappers and bandits have prices for citizenry; elected officials now have a price to look the other way; opposition voices have prices to enthrone chaos in their own platforms. Even the clergy and ulamas are not spared the chicanery of the divisive effects of a gravely monetised polity.

The lawmakers warned that, with 2025 drawing to a close, most ministries, departments, and agencies have failed to implement even 10 per cent of their capital budgets, describing the situation as a new normal enabled by impunity and a lack of accountability in revenue management.

The caucus pointed to the chaotic scenes of local contractors occupying the Ministry of Finance, retired police officers blockading the National Assembly, and kidnappers attacking communities daily, arguing that the situation reflects a country on a negative cruise.

Despite this, they said, the administrations response appears limited to launching vehicles under the Renewed Hope Agenda, rather than addressing the structural crises facing the nation.

So, while the country sits on the precipice, all Mr President thinks about is returning to power in 2027, the statement said. Mr President, while your quest is a legitimate aspiration, please do well to attend to the current stark realities confronting Nigerians.

The caucus added that many lawmakers are beginning to question their own roles, acknowledging that personal gains have compromised some members of the 10th Assembly. It lamented that the legislature has earned the reputation of the worst in Nigerias democratic history, reduced to rubber-stamping and offering little value to citizens.

The caucus described current government actions as economic banditry and warned that the country cannot continue on its present course.

We must not continue on this sorry path. Both the ruling party and opposition must put aside politics and prioritise the peoples welfare. Citizens are the backbone of democracy, and their interests should come above all else, it said.
The factional Board of Trustees (BoT) aligned with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced an ambitious restructuring agenda targeting crisis-ridden state chapters and laying the foundation for new congresses and a national convention.

The Chairman of the factional BoT, Mao Ohuabunwa, announced the plan on Sunday during the opening session of the boards meeting held at Mr Wikes Life Camp residence in Abuja.

Mr Ohuabunwa said the board was committed to rebuilding the PDP from within and restoring public confidence in its internal processes, noting that the party could only regain relevance by straightening its organisational structures and re-establishing trust among members.

He disclosed that the faction had already begun meaningful progress in reorganising affected states, including the constitution of credible caretaker committees, explaining that these steps would serve as a preparatory ground for transparent congresses and the subsequent convention process.

According to him, the internal reforms are essential to strengthen the partys structures, build trust, and ensure that the PDP remains a model of fairness and inclusiveness in Nigerias democratic space.

Mr Ohuabunwa also declared the factions full support for the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee (NWC), stating: We are going to work with this NWC, we are going to encourage them, we are going to support them to ensure that the right things are done, and that things will be done in line with the law and the guidance of our great party.

He emphasised that the BoT must reclaim its statutory role in stabilising the PDP, adding that the party constitution mandates the board to provide stability, wisdom and moral guidance.

It is our responsibility to safeguard the partys soul, steer it away from divisive tendencies, and reinforce the values that have historically set the PDP apart as a disciplined and democratically established institution, he said.

Mr Ohuabunwa urged members to prioritise unity as they advance the restructuring agenda, stressing that internal cohesion was crucial at a time he described as defining for the party.

Our duty is clear and well stated, to consolidate the reforms already underway, deepen internal cohesion, and ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party emerges stronger, more virile, more united and fully prepared for leadership responsibilities ahead, he added.

He reiterated that the BoT must remain the conscience of the party and its moral compass, warning that the board must never be found wanting in upholding due process and legality.

We must stand by the truth and ensure that this party remains counted among those obedient to the laws of the federation, the laws of our party, and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, he said.

Mr Ohuabunwa thanked members who attended the meeting despite the short notice and logistical challenges, expressing optimism that the deliberations would provide a stable pathway towards a reinvigorated PDP.

Notable attendees included the factional National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; former deputy governors, including Kogis Philip Salawu, and several other party chieftains.

Mr Ohuabunwa was appointed Chairman of the partys BoT on 7 November during a meeting convened at the FCT Ministers official residence. At the same session, Ibrahim Dansidi was named Board Secretary, marking a significant shift in the leadership structure of the faction.

The appointments were interpreted within the party as a strategic move by the Wike-aligned bloc to consolidate its influence and provide organisational direction.
President Tinubus recruitment surge may generate political reassurance, especially under international pressure and heightened domestic fear. Yet, Nigeria cannot achieve lasting security by feeding more personnel into a compromised system. The nation must first confront insider corruption, rebuild doctrine, end political interference, and create a security culture grounded in merit rather than patronage.

Nigeria is once again preparing for a sweeping expansion of its security forces. President Bola Ahmed Tinubus recent declaration of a national security emergency, accompanied by an order to recruit tens of thousands of new police officers and soldiers, was framed as an urgent response to escalating kidnappings, banditry, and extremist violence. The announcement was designed to project strength at a moment of mounting public frustration and international scrutiny. Yet, beneath the symbolism lies a harder truth: Nigerias security failures are not rooted in insufficient manpower. They stem from a crisis of doctrine, integrity, leadership, and political will.

Despite commanding one of Africas largest security establishments, the Nigerian state continues to lose ground to decentralised militant networks that operate with speed, mobility, and ideological motivation. The persistence of insecurity suggests that expanding an already vast security workforce may reinforce, rather than resolve, the structural weaknesses that have undermined the system for more than a decade.

A Numerical Advantage That Has Not Produced Security

Nigerias security forces are large by global standards. With more than half a million uniformed personnel across the military, police, and paramilitary agencies, the state possesses a numerical advantage far greater than that of the armed groups terrorising communities. The imbalance is stark:



In counterinsurgency theory, a 10-to-1 advantage is often considered sufficient for success, when discipline, coordination, and morale are high. Nigeria exceeds this threshold dramatically. Yet, insecurity continues to spread from the ravaged villages of the North-East to the volatile forests of the North-West, and the vulnerable towns of the North-Central. The numbers reveal a stark contradiction: the crisis is not about how many personnel Nigeria has, but how those personnel are used, supported, and led.

The Enemy Within: Corruption, Collusion, and Systemic Decay

Nigerias inability to convert numerical strength into meaningful security cannot be understood without confronting the internal decay that has quietly eroded its security architecture.

In recent years, court-martials have exposed soldiers and officers who diverted weapons and ammunition to bandits and jihadist groups. Some of the deadliest attacks were carried out with state-supplied firearms. The insurgency is fuelled, in part, by weapons slipping out of the very armouries meant to defeat it.

Tinubus mass recruitment order also overlooks the deeper doctrinal failures that shape Nigerias security operations. The nations security response remains reactive, centralised, and slow. Troops are often deployed only after attacks occur. Coordination among different branches is inconsistent, intelligence is poorly shared, and decision-making is mired in layers of bureaucracy.

Beyond operational leaks, Nigerias opaque security vote system has entrenched a network of conflict entrepreneurs who profit from protracted instability. Scholars and officials alike now describe the existence of an economy of insecurity, where political and bureaucratic actors benefit financially from prolonged conflict, rather than its resolution.

These structural failures extend to the welfare and morale of security personnel. Many soldiers serve under conditions marked by late salaries, inadequate equipment, limited medical care, and poor living standards. Reports of desertion, though often denied, reflect the predictable consequences of neglect. A force this large, burdened by internal betrayal and chronic under-support, cannot rely on numbers alone to deliver peace.

An Outdated Doctrine in a Modern Conflict

Tinubus mass recruitment order also overlooks the deeper doctrinal failures that shape Nigerias security operations. The nations security response remains reactive, centralised, and slow. Troops are often deployed only after attacks occur. Coordination among different branches is inconsistent, intelligence is poorly shared, and decision-making is mired in layers of bureaucracy.

The now-abandoned Super Camp strategy illustrates the consequences of doctrinal misalignment. Designed to consolidate and protect troops, the strategy left vast rural areas undefended, enabling militants to move freely, expand recruitment, and dominate ungoverned spaces. The state inadvertently ceded the terrain it sought to secure.

Recruiting tens of thousands of new personnel into this architecture will not create a more capable fighting force. It will only enlarge an institution unable to train or deploy its existing manpower effectively.

Leadership and Political Will: Nigerias Missing Link

Beyond numbers and doctrine, Nigeria requires a more fundamental shift: courageous leadership and genuine political will. The nations political elite must stop denying the depth of their governance failures and end the cycle of blaming external actors for a crisis rooted in internal weakness.

Nigeria needs a strategic reset built on integrity, transparency, and modern operational thinking. A dedicated counter-intelligence unit should be mandated to pursue insider threats with prosecutorial authority and transparent reporting. Security must become localised through properly structured state policing, professionally trained forest guards, and wider community-based intelligence networks.

The appointment of General Christopher Musa as minister of Defense is an encouraging development. He brings experience, credibility, and a clear understanding of Nigerias complex security terrain. However, the President must grant him both a clear mandate and the operational autonomy to lead. Successive defence ministers had complained privately that interference from the Presidency restricted their abilities to plan, reorganise, or execute major reforms. Without the freedom to act, even the most capable leader cannot transform the system.

Nigerias adversaries are highly motivated. Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters are driven by ideology and a theocratic worldview. Bandit networks, though often economically motivated, operate within increasingly organised and hardened structures. To counter such groups, Nigerias military personnel must feel equally motivated and supported. Morale cannot rise in an environment where soldiers are underpaid, under-equipped, and undermined by corruption.

One of the most corrosive practices weakening Nigerias security institutions is the enlistment of political loyalists, party foot soldiers, and unqualified cronies into the military and law enforcement agencies. This culture has compromised professionalism and discipline, and allowed political actors to embed influence within the security structures for personal gain. Patronage is not a recruitment strategy. No professional security system can thrive when political affiliation matters more than competence.

Nigeria does not lack capable officers. It lacks a political class willing to empower them.

A Strategy for Stability: Reform Before Expansion

Nigeria needs a strategic reset built on integrity, transparency, and modern operational thinking. A dedicated counter-intelligence unit should be mandated to pursue insider threats with prosecutorial authority and transparent reporting. Security must become localised through properly structured state policing, professionally trained forest guards, and wider community-based intelligence networks. Technology, particularly drones, surveillance systems, and integrated intelligence centres, should replace manpower-heavy border deployment. Welfare improvements must be prioritised before expansion. Finally, the country must embrace socioeconomic solutions that reduce the supply of young people who turn to militancy or banditry.

Rebuild the System Before Expanding It

President Tinubus recruitment surge may generate political reassurance, especially under international pressure and heightened domestic fear. Yet, Nigeria cannot achieve lasting security by feeding more personnel into a compromised system. The nation must first confront insider corruption, rebuild doctrine, end political interference, and create a security culture grounded in merit rather than patronage.

A stronger and safer Nigeria will emerge not from swelling the ranks, but from transforming the institutions that lead them. The country must first repair the basket before pouring in more water. Only then can recruitment support, rather than undermine, the pursuit of national stability.

Oludare Ogunlana is a national security scholar and consultant specialising in intelligence analysis, counterterrorism, and strategic security policy.
The Director General (DG) of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, has once again highlighted the importance of the National Value Charter, noting that it is relevant in promoting unity, patriotism and national values.

Mr Issa-Onilu made this observation when he visited the Imo State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), leveraging his presence in the state for the Economic Summit organised by the government of the state.

The Director General reminded staff of the Agency that NOAs mandate was to communicate the policies and programmes of government to the people and to promote patriotism, national identity and civic responsibility. He urged the staff to commit to this mandate by using social media to amplify the messages of the NOA. He encouraged them to continue to work diligently to achieve the Agencys goals.

Earlier, in her welcome address, the Imo State Director NOA, Mrs Oparaugo Stellamaris, thanked the Director General and his team for their visit. She commended the DG for transforming the NOA and raising its profile to a level of recognition and visibility that it had hitherto lacked. This increased awareness, according to her, will translate to more support and collaboration for NOAs mission of promoting national orientation and development.

The Zonal Director South East of the NOA, Mrs Regina Iroha, also welcomed the Director General, and commended him for the remarkable achievements made by the Agency in just two years of his leadership.

The speeches were followed by a question-and-answer session which was a lively part of the visit, with staff seeking clarification on various issues bordering them. The DG addressed their concerns, providing guidance and assurance.

The DGs visit was a great morale boost for the staff who were quite excited to interact with their Chief Executive.

The Theater for Development team of the State Directorate presented an exciting performance of music and dance to specially welcome the Director General.

The visit was also marked by a notable display of patriotism and discipline as the DG inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Citizen Brigade, one of the platforms created by the National Value Charter to promote Nigerian values among the youth.

The visit ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr Mercy Nwosu, Deputy Director in charge of Programmes, expressing the Management and Staff s appreciation for the visit, and stating that it had re-inspired and reinvigorated them.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has commissioned major development projects delivered by Katsina Local Government Chairman, Isah Miqdad Ad Saude, marking the final stop of his state-wide engagement tour. The projects unveiled include an upgraded Legislative Council Chamber, new offices at the Local Government Council, a renovated ICT Centre, official vehicles for council officers, and a new Primary Health Centre in Unguwar Yari Arewa A.

Governor Radda praised the unity of stakeholders and highlighted ongoing urban renewal works transforming Katsina metropolis, such as road expansions and dual carriageways designed to boost tourism and economic growth. He announced the upcoming Health Imaging Centre Hospital, valued at over N34 billion, promising its commissioning within his administrations tenure. Accountability is our priority. You gave us your mandate; we must deliver, Governor Radda said.

Mr Radda stated that local government autonomy is now visible, as LGA chairmen can present clear development plans for their communities. Addressing political concerns, the Governor dismissed rumors of crisis, attributing such reports to social media misinformation. He confirmed progress in frontline local governments including Danmusa, Faskari, Jibia, Batsari, Kankara, and Dandume.

Speaking during the event, business mogul Dahiru Mangal expressed strong support for Governor Raddas leadership: Allah has blessed Katsina with a humble and committed governor. We will stand firmly behind you to complete your first four years and beyondup to 2031.

Earlier, Governor Radda visited the Katsina District Heads led by Magajin Garin Katsina, Aminu Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, who praised community responsibility and leadership. The governor also disclosed equitable distribution of fertilizers across all 361 wards to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for every community.

Governor Radda was joined by the Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon Nasir Yahaya Daura; Senator representing Katsina Central, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yaradua; Chief of Staff, Hon Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji and the Member representing Batagarawa/Rimi/Charanchi Federal Constituency, Usman Murtala Banye.

Also present were the Member representing Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency, Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, the Member Representing Katsina Federal Constituency, Sani Dan Lami, the National APC Legal Adviser, Murtala Aliyu Kankia, the Katsina State APC Chairman, Sani JB Daura; members of the Katsina State Executive Council; and other political leaders.
The Cross River government has directed all civil and public servants in the state to proceed on a 20-day leave for them to participate fully in the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festivities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is contained in a circular with Ref: GO/HOS/4/Vol.II1/277 and signed by the Head of Service of the state, Mr Orok Okon.

The circular directed all the civil servants, with the exception of those on essential duties, to proceed on leave from 15 December 2025 to 5 January 2026.

The approval is to enable Civil/Public Servants fully participate in the Christmas festivities within the State.

However, officers on essential duties are hereby exempted from this leave and are expected to remain at their duly posts to ensure continuous delivery of critical public services.

Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are requested to bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all staff and ensure strict compliance, it stated.

NAN reports that the biggest street party in Africa, Carnival Calabar, is part of the activities put in place to celebrate Christmas in the state.

This years carnival is the 20th edition of the annual street party established by the Donald Duke administration in 2005.

(NAN)

ESI/BRM
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has marked the 10th anniversary of his coronation with a public lecture and the unveiling of the Ojaja University campus in Ile-Ife.

The event, which took place on the campus in Ile-Ife, drew political leaders, royal dignitaries, diplomats, business executives, and youths from across Africa.

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, the Pro-Chancellor of Ojaja University, Lere Baale, described the traditional ruler as an enigma, a reconciler, a global royal diplomat and a cultural renaissance leader whose influence has elevated Yoruba civilisation onto the world stage.

The statement spotlighted the Oonis use of the throne of Oduduwa as an international platform, participating in global forums to advocate for youth inclusion, global peace, and cultural diplomacy.

In 2016, he represented Nigeria at the United Nations to promote youth engagement and global communities.

The Ooni launched a N100 million fund in 2020 to support youth entrepreneurship, demonstrating his commitment to empowering young Nigerians.

The statement said the establishment of Ojaja University represents a continuation of the monarchs commitment to advancing education as a tool for generational transformation.

Unveiling of Ojaja University Ile Ife campus

The Ojaja University Ile-Ife campus was unveiled as a key highlight of the anniversary event. The institution is among the private universities approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in May 2023.

According to the statement, the campus is designed to serve as a cultural and intellectual hub rooted in Yoruba civilisation. Academic programmes will focus on technology, artificial intelligence, innovation, and indigenous knowledge systems.

The university will also teach traditional African knowledge, including Ifa divination, recognised by UNESCO as part of the global intangible heritage.

Building partnerships

The pro-chancellor called for support from individuals and organisations to fund scholarships, research centres, technology hubs, and campus infrastructure.

READ ALSO: Ooni of Ife inspires new wave of female tech talents in Lagos

Kabiyesi has laid the foundation. Now, together, we must raise the walls of a future we can all be proud of, the statement from the office of the Universitys Vice Chancellor, said.

About Ojaja University

Founded by the Ooni, Ojaja University operates campuses in Ile-Ife and Ilorin. It focuses on leadership development, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, cultural studies, health innovation, enterprise, and research.

The institution also seeks to promote Yoruba civilisation and African scholarship through its academic and cultural programme
The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, on Sunday, said the rampant kidnappings and other security challenges facing Nigerians are a violation of their constitutional rights to life.

He, therefore, called on the federal government to take drastic actions against kidnappings, banditry and terrorism rampaging the country.

Mr Babalola spoke in Ado-Ekiti during the commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Advocacy Campaign by ABUAD in partnership with UN Women.

The theme of the event was Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls.

The legal icon, who condemned the recent attacks in different parts of the country, lamented the prolonged fear that the menace has instilled in the hearts of Nigerians, which has stolen their courage to go about their daily activities.

He noted that prioritising the welfare of citizens remains a major tool for ending the catastrophe, urging governments at all levels to take the necessary steps to ensure the protection of the governed.

He harped on the principles of the university, saying no women and men have been violated and abused in ABUAD since the inception of the University.

While calling on the general public to end violence against women and girls, he advocated fair treatment for men and boys, saying violence is not restricted only to the female gender.

Section 13 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, says the duty of the government is the welfare and safety of the citizens.

I appeal to the Government to go on about the safety of people on the farm, road, so that we can have a safe society.

Many people are now being killed, everybody is afraid of going to work, farms, its not only violence against women and girls but violence against me and me now.

While I agree with you about ending violence against women and girls, the Government should do more about the safety of Nigerians.

On her part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Smaranda Olarinde, a professor, said ABUAD will continue to work proactively with the government, private sectors, development partners and multinational organisations to address issues affecting women and girls.

In a keynote address, Tosin Tume noted that the impact of digital violence on women and girls is multifaceted and unsettling, as it results in severe consequences such as emotional trauma, distress, social isolation & exclusion, poor mental health, physical harm, and death, among others.

She highlighted education & awareness, policy development, support & resources, advocacy & activism, interdisciplinary collaboration and communication engagement as pathways to curbing digital violence against women and girls in the academic environment.
NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL) resulting from allegations that Western Alliance Bancorporation may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

So what: If you purchased Western Alliance Bancorporation 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=46349 https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=39889 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 16, 2025, Western Alliance Bancorporation disclosed that it had initiated a lawsuit against a borrower, Cantor Group V LLC, alleging fraud related to collateral loans.

On this news, Western Alliance Bancorporation's stock fell 10.88% on October 16, 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, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the 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.

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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

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New York, NY 10016

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Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

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NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Expert Consumers has named Rugs Direct the top choice for washable area rugs in 2025, recognizing the retailer's strong alignment with the growing demand for practical, low-maintenance, and design-forward home furnishings. The acknowledgment reflects a wider shift in home decor preferences, as many households continue to prioritize products that support real-life living without compromising style.

Rugs Direct is known for carrying a wide assortment of washable area rugs that combine thoughtful design with materials suitable for repeated cleaning.

Washable rugs have become an important category as homes adapt to busier schedules, indoor pets, family activities, and multipurpose spaces. Interest in rugs that can be cleaned in standard washing machines has increased significantly, driven by the need for surfaces that maintain a fresh appearance with less upkeep. Spills, pet accidents, dust buildup, and routine wear can be managed more easily when a rug is machine washable, turning what was once a high-maintenance item into a functional part of everyday living.

Rising Demand for Washable Rugs

Many households now treat washable rugs as a practical solution rather than a niche accessory. The appeal goes beyond convenience. Washable rugs support cleaner living conditions by allowing more frequent laundering, which helps remove allergens, pollen, dust, and bacteria. As indoor air quality becomes a larger concern for many households, washable rugs function as a simple, accessible way to maintain healthier spaces.

At the same time, advances in materials and weaving techniques have made it possible for washable rugs to offer the visual depth, texture, and pattern variety once found only in traditional styles.

Designs now include vintage inspired florals, modern geometrics, striped and bohemian looks, timeless oriental motifs, rustic patterns, and even styles made specifically for children's bedrooms. Washable rugs have become part of mainstream interior design, not just a functional accessory.

Why Expert Consumers Recognized Rugs Direct

Expert Consumers highlighted Rugs Direct for its breadth of washable area rug options, construction quality, design range, and easy-to-navigate shopping experience. Instead of offering limited selections or simplified styles, Rugs Direct carries washable rugs that look and feel like high-quality decor pieces, while still meeting the demands of machine-friendly care.

The assortment includes rugs made from polyester, cotton blends, polypropylene, and other materials chosen for durability, color retention, and stain resistance. These rugs are crafted in flat or low pile constructions to support quick drying times and improved washability. Many pieces also feature reinforced edges, tightly woven backings, or foldable designs that help maintain structure during washing.

Rugs Direct's partnerships with well-established manufacturers have also contributed to the recognition. The retailer collaborates with design-forward makers who focus on pattern clarity, textile quality, and contemporary color palettes. This has resulted in a collection that feels curated rather than crowded.

The recognition also reflects the retailer's longstanding presence in the home furnishings sector. Founded in 1998, Rugs Direct has operated as a destination for area rugs of various styles and materials for more than two decades. The company recently rebranded under Elevated Brands Group following its acquisition of Lightopia, expanding its footprint into multiple home categories while maintaining a strong focus on floor coverings.

Washable Rugs in Today's Home Environment

Expert Consumers noted several major reasons why washable area rugs have become prominent in modern homes:

Household convenience: Machine laundering reduces the need for professional cleaning services.

Machine laundering reduces the need for professional cleaning services. Allergen control: Frequent washing helps manage dust and contaminants that vacuums may not capture.

Frequent washing helps manage dust and contaminants that vacuums may not capture. Adaptability: Washable rugs perform well in living rooms, children's rooms, kitchens, entryways, and multipurpose spaces.

Washable rugs perform well in living rooms, children's rooms, kitchens, entryways, and multipurpose spaces. Design improvement: New patterns and materials now resemble traditional handcrafted rugs.

New patterns and materials now resemble traditional handcrafted rugs. Cost efficiency: Reduced maintenance supports longer-term affordability for families and renters.

Rugs Direct has matched these shifts by offering washable pieces that address both functional and styling needs, making them suitable for homes that balance activity, pets, and personal expression.

Notable Washable Rugs Highlighted by Expert Consumers

Expert Consumers also pointed to several Rugs Direct best sellers that reflect the variety and practicality of the retailer's washable offerings. The Josie Washable JOS-02 Earth/Natural by Amber Lewis x Loloi was noted for its warm, vintage inspired palette and machine washable polyester construction. The Anniston Washable ANS-05 Lagoon by Loloi Rugs offers a richer, old-world look with a distressed finish suited for busy living spaces.

For contemporary interiors, the Aibel Liva Blue AIB-05 by Jaipur Living features a hand tufted wool and cotton blend with a geometric pattern that supports easy at-home upkeep. The Margaret 33733 Taupe/Brown/Grey BOMG-2310 by Becki Owens x Livabliss was recognized for its indoor-outdoor durability, weather resistant build, and classic medallion design.

Shipping and Customer Experience

Rugs Direct ships to physical addresses in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Most ready-made rugs ship within one to two business days, with delivery typically taking five to seven business days depending on size and destination. Rug pads and accessories may arrive separately due to packaging requirements.

Made to order washable rugs are also available, along with custom options such as large hand tufted or hand knotted pieces. Throughout the production and shipping process, the Rugs Direct Customer Service team provides timeline updates to help shoppers plan their home projects with confidence.

A 30-day return period is offered on washable rugs, giving customers an opportunity to evaluate how each rug looks within different lighting conditions and how it responds to foot traffic and cleaning. Rugs Direct also maintains a price match guarantee on qualifying items to ensure competitive purchasing.

Why Recognition Matters in the 2025 Market

As more households focus on maintaining flexible, easy-clean spaces, washable rugs have become a core part of home planning. They support lifestyle shifts toward more casual living, hybrid work environments, pet-inclusive homes, and family-oriented layouts. Their versatility provides value across different housing types, from apartments to large homes and from student residences to retirement living.

The washable rug segment is expected to expand in 2025 as more consumers invest in furnishings that support ease of cleaning and long-term use. Improvements in weaving technology, synthetic fiber innovation, and machine-washable backings are expected to further strengthen interest in the category. Rugs Direct continues to update its selection to reflect these advancements, making the retailer a key player in the ongoing growth of washable rugs.

Expert Consumers noted that Rugs Direct's ability to offer both variety and reliability played a significant role in the recognition, positioning the retailer as a relevant source for consumers who want washable rugs that support both practicality and design.

Readers can explore the full washable area rug feature at Expert Consumers .

About Rugs Direct

Since 1998, Rugs Direct has been a market-leading specialty online retailer of decorative area rugs for consumers, professional designers, and commercial customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Rugs Direct offers the best styles of area rugs such as Persian, Organic, Wool, Moroccan, Vintage-Inspired, Outdoor and more.

About ExpertConsumers.org: Expert Consumers delivers news and insights on consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

SOURCE ExpertConsumers.org
Photographer: Ethan Swope/Bloomberg

The Netflix Inc. plans that clinched the deal for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. started to shape up around Thanksgiving.

A deadline was looming: Warner Bros. had asked bidders, which also included Paramount Skydance Corp. and Comcast Corp., to have their latest proposals and contracts in by the Monday after the holiday, following a round about a week earlier. The suitors were told to put their best foot forward.

Most Read from Bloomberg

While most Americans were watching football and feasting on turkey, Netflix executives and advisers hunkered down to finalize a binding offer and a $59 billion bridge loan from banks, one of the biggest of its kind. That gave the streaming company the ammunition to make a mostly cash-and-stock bid that helped it prevail over Comcast and David Ellisons Paramount, according to people familiar with the matter.

The resulting $72 billion deal, announced Friday, is set to bring about a seismic shift in the entertainment business  if it can survive intense regulatory scrutiny and a potential fight from Paramount. This account of Netflixs surprise victory in the biggest M&A auction of the year is based on interviews with half a dozen people involved in negotiations. They asked not to be identified because the details are confidential.

Photographer: Jill Connelly/Bloomberg

The sales process had kicked off with several unsolicited bids from Paramount Skydance, itself a newly formed company after a merger this year orchestrated by Ellison. Hes now the studios chief executive officer and controlling shareholder, with backing from his father, Oracle Corp. billionaire Larry Ellison.

Paramounts early move gave it a head start in the bidding process weeks before other would-be buyers got access to information. But the post-Thanksgiving deadline for second-round bids became a turning point by giving Netflix time to catch up and assemble the documents it needed, some of the people said. And since the streaming giant was bred in the fast-paced ethos of Silicon Valley, it could move quickly.

When the binding bids arrived that Monday, Netflixs offer emerged as superior, the people said.

One issue was the Warner Bros. camp had doubts about how Paramount would pay for the company, which owns sprawling Hollywood studios, the HBO network and a vast film and TV library. Paramounts offer included financing from Apollo Global Management Inc. and several Middle Eastern funds, and it had conveyed that its bid was fully backstopped by the Ellisons. Still, Warner Bros. executives were privately concerned about the certainty of the financing, people familiar with the matter said.
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Now, the technicals suggest the stock is taking a breather. The 14-day RSI sits slightly over 47, signaling a neutral, cooling phase after months of relentless momentum. Meanwhile, the MACD leans soft, with the yellow MACD line sliding below the blue signal line and the histogram deepening into negative territory  an indication that short-term momentum has eased even as the broader uptrend remains firmly intact.

AMDs 2025 run has played out like a market thriller. After months of quiet accumulation, the stock burst into life, rallying nearly 81% year-to-date (YTD), leaving the Semiconductor Ishares ETFs (SOXX) 44.3% rise far behind. It even hit $267.08 in October before cooling off by about 18%. Yet over the past six months, it shows an extraordinary 89% climb, driven by AI chip mania, heavyweight partnerships, and a wave of bullish analyst calls.

Founded in 1969, Santa Clara-based AMD has spent more than fifty years pushing the limits of high-performance computing. It is one of the worlds most influential semiconductor players, valued at a market capitalization of $351.6 billion. AMDs chips power everything from everyday gaming rigs to the massive data centers running modern AI.

Amid this frenzy, California-based Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is one of the companies standing out as a stealth beneficiary. Known for powering everything from AI training rigs to edge-level compute, AMDs chips are increasingly the digital backbone of next-generation robots. If robotics becomes the next national sprint, AMD could be a wise way to play it. Lets take a closer look.

Agencies are scrambling to align. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is prepping a robotics working group, congressional committees are drafting policy experiments, and industry lobbyists are urging Washington to match Chinas breakneck pace. Even the market felt the tremor, and U.S. robotics-related stocks soared recently as investors sensed a big push toward automation on the horizon.

For months, the Trump administration has been thundering about Americas artificial Intelligence (AI) revival. But now, the spotlight is swiveling to a new space  robotics. The shift did not come with fanfare, just a steady drumbeat of meetings between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the countrys biggest robotics founders. Those conversations, insiders say, are laying the groundwork for a potential executive order that could ignite a full-scale national robotics push.

Story Continues

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AMDs rally this year has pushed its valuation to elevated levels, trading near 69.67 times forward adjusted earnings and 10.36 times forward sales, well above its historical medians and sector averages. Its a steep tag, but the market seems convinced that AMDs expanding AI momentum warrants the premium.

Still, if the company delivers the strong double-digit growth analysts expect, these rich multiples could settle naturally over time, turning what looks expensive today into a valuation that feels far more justified down the line.

A Snapshot of AMDs Q3 Earnings Report

The chipmaker reported fiscal Q3 2025 results on Nov. 4, and the performance was commanding. Revenue surged to a record $9.25 billion, up 36% year-over-year (YOY) and comfortably ahead of expectations, underscoring how quickly AMDs AI roadmap is turning into real, material momentum.

The data center segment  now the backbone of AMDs AI ambitions  posted $4.3 billion in revenue, a 22% annual jump fueled by heavy demand for 5th Gen EPYC CPUs and Instinct MI350 series GPUs. But the real surprise came from the consumer side. Client and Gaming revenue climbed to $4 billion, soaring 73% YOY. Ryzen processors pushed Client sales to a record $2.8 billion, while Gaming revenue rocketed 181% to $1.3 billion on robust Radeon and semi-custom shipments.

Profitability strengthened in tandem. Adjusted EPS rose to $1.20, up 30.4% annually, handily beating analyst estimates. As CFO Jean Hu highlighted, AMDs consistent investment in AI and HPC is becoming a flywheel, driving demand today while laying the groundwork for far bigger opportunities ahead.

And the company is not easing up. For fiscal Q4, management expects revenue of about $9.6 billion, plus or minus $300 million, implying 25% YOY growth at the midpoint and roughly 4% sequential growth. Management also sees non-GAAP gross margin holding near 54.5%, signaling both confidence in product mix and discipline in execution.

Wall Streets estimates echo the positive tone. Q4 revenue is pegged at around $9.6 billion, up 25.7% YOY, with EPS expected to reach $1.10, a 25% annual improvement. Meanwhile, fiscal 2025 EPS is expected to jump 19.1% to $3.12 and surge another 73.1% in 2026 to $5.40.

A U.S. Robotics Push Could Quietly Power Up AMD

Global robotics and automation are set to explode, with the humanoid market alone projected to reach $38 billion by 2035, according to Goldman Sachs (GS). The surge in automation creates a fresh compute race. Every new robot  factory, warehouse, or service  demands faster processing, richer vision models, and on-device intelligence.

Trumps proposed robotics agenda, built around tax incentives, federal funding, and a national strategy, directly boosts companies supplying the silicon behind these capabilities. As automation scales across sectors, demand for efficient AI and edge compute platforms accelerates.

Probably, that is where AMD becomes a natural fit. Its growing AI accelerator lineup, embedded processors, and edge-ready Ryzen platforms give robotics firms scalable, cost-effective power. In a government-fueled robotics rally, AMD becomes the silent infrastructure, feeding the brains behind Americas next generation of machines.

What Do Analysts Expect for AMD Stock?

Brokerages see AMD as a sleeper giant finally stepping into its moment. TD Cowen, which just added the stock to its Best Stock Ideas list, argues the market is underrating AMDs expanding AI reach. With the Helios platform and MI450 accelerator slated for mid-2026, the firm expects earnings to double and its AI accelerator business to scale toward a massive 2030 opportunity. Cowen brushes off worries around AI spending, reiterates a Buy, and pins a $290 target as weakness opens a window.

Overall, sentiment is favorable, with AMD holding a Moderate Buy consensus. Among the 43 analysts covering the company, 28 rate it a Strong Buy, three consider it a Moderate Buy, and the remaining 12 recommend a Hold.

Meanwhile, the mean price target of $291.29 indicates 33.6% upside potential, while the Street-high target of $380 suggests the stock could surge as much as 74% from current levels.

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On the date of publication, Sristi Suman Jayaswal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a key figure in implementing President Donald Trump's economic agenda including tariffs, disclosed on Sunday that he has recently divested his interests in a soybean farm to comply with the ethics agreement he signed last January when he joined the administration.

The divestiture comes four months after the U.S. Office of Government Ethics informed the Senate Finance Committee in an August 11 letter that Bessent had failed to comply with certain terms of the agreement aimed at avoiding any potential conflict of interest.

"I'm involved in the agricultural industry. I run a soybean farm," Bessent initially told CBS' "Face the Nation" program while discussing the U.S. trade situation for U.S. farmers. He quickly added: "I actually just divested it this week as part of my ethics agreement. So I'm out of that business."

The New York Times has reported that Bessent owned as much as $25 million of soybean and corn farmland in North Dakota, including thousands of acres that earned him as much as $1 million a year in rental income.

As part of his ethics agreement, Bessent pledged to divest his Key Square Group hedge fund and other assets to avoid conflicts of interest. Many of the divestitures were to be completed by April 28, 2025.

In an August statement issued by the Treasury Department, Bessent said he had completed all but 4% of the asset divestitures required by his ethics agreement and intended to divest the remaining assets by the end of the year.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Sergio Non and Diane Craft)
Over the weekend, two Minnesota-based carriers under the True North Equity Partners umbrella ceased operations overnight, putting approximately 200 drivers out of work.

MinStar Transport and Transport Design Inc., each operating fleets of around 100 trucks, announced their immediate closures in communications to employees and partners, according to multiple reports circulating in trucking communities on social media. The sudden shutdowns are the latest in a string of carrier failures amid the ongoing Great Freight Recession, now approaching its fourth year since starting in March 2022.

2 Minnesota Companies overnight are Shutting Down. 200 more Truckers out of work, read a widely shared post from the TalkCDL Facebook group that has drawn significant attention among drivers and industry insiders. Similar alerts appeared across other trucking forums, underscoring the abrupt loss of jobs in an already challenging market.

Both companies were part of True North Equity Partners portfolio of transportation assets. True North, a Minneapolis-based private equity firm focused on lower-middle-market investments, acquired Transport Design in March 2020. The Burnsville, Minnesota-headquartered firm specialized in refrigerated and dry van services, serving food and consumer goods shippers across the Midwest. True North expanded its holdings in October 2022 by purchasing MinStar Transport of Eagan, along with affiliated entities MinStar Logistics, Transport21, and North Star Transport. MinStar focused on temperature-controlled logistics, with a network supporting regional and national distribution.

Data: SearchCarriers portal in SONAR (GoSONAR.com)

At the time of the MinStar acquisitioneight months into the freight downturnthe Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported that True North Equity Partners trucking portfolio was expected to generate $220 million in annual revenue.

True North Transportation Holding Company, a key entity in the groups structure, was named in a September 2025 lawsuit filed by American National Bank in Scott County District Court. The suit, involving defendants including Norsemen Holdings, Norsemen Trucking, and principals Brian Slipka and Eric Valder, alleges breach of loan agreements and seeks repayment of outstanding debts. While details remain limited due to the cases early stage, such financial pressures often precede operational wind-downs in the sector.

This is not an isolated incident. The trucking industry has seen a wave of closures and bankruptcies throughout 2025. FreightWaves has covered several high-profile failures in recent months, including:
Margot Robbie understands the backlash to her and Jacob Elordi's casting in Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Barbie star is 35 and blonde, while the original Catherine Earnshaw in Emily Brontes 1847 novel was brunette and a teenager, leading to some criticism before the flick is even out.

Reacting, Robbie told British Vogue: I get it.

Theres nothing else to go off at this point until people see the movie.

Elordi stars as Heathcliff, who is "dark-skinned", so his casting also raised eyebrows, but there's a whole line of actors who have played him before that did not meet that description.

Robbie was blown away by the 28-year-old actor's portrayal, hailing him "our generation's Daniel Day-Lewis".

Insisting cinema-goers need to give the movie a chance, she said: I saw him play Heathcliff.

And he is Heathcliff. Id say, just wait. Trust me, youll be happy. Its a character that has this lineage of other great actors whove played him, from Laurence Olivier to Richard Burton and Ralph Fiennes to Tom Hardy. To be a part of that is special. Hes incredible and I believe in him so much. I honestly think hes our generations Daniel Day-Lewis.

Fennell herself has defended her casting of Robbie, saying she has the "supersized star power" required to take on such a feisty female.

She said: Cathy is a star. Shes willful, mean, a recreational sadist, a provocateur. She engages in cruelty in a way that is disturbing and fascinating. It was about finding someone who you would forgive in spite of yourself, someone who literally everyone in the world would understand why you love her. Its difficult to find that supersized star power. Margot comes with big d*** energy. Thats what Cathy needs.
Key Points

Investors shouldn't panic, despite fears that the stock market could fall.

Buffett has built a big cash stockpile for Berkshire Hathaway, a wise move for other investors as well.

He continues to buy stocks selectively -- another prudent approach for all investors.

These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires 

You won't find Warren Buffett spreading doom and gloom. That isn't his style. Buffett has always been an optimist at heart, even during the most perilous days of the 2008 financial crisis.

However, Buffett is sending a clear warning as 2026 approaches. How? He has been a net seller of stocks for 12 consecutive quarters  the longest such streak ever since he took over Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B). This reflects an unprecedented negative outlook for Buffett as he prepares to step down as Berkshire's CEO at the end of the year.

The "Oracle of Omaha" isn't publicly predicting what he thinks is about to happen with the stock market. He isn't telling investors specific steps to take, either. However, his actions speak volumes. Here are three things investors should do, based on what Buffett is doing himself.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

1. Don't panic

People often refer to Buffett's quote, "[W]e simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful." There's a good case to be made that Buffett is fearful right now.

It can be tempting to equate the fear Buffett referenced with panic. But the legendary investor would never recommend panicking.

Sure, Buffett has sold numerous stocks in recent quarters. He wouldn't be a net seller of stocks if that were not the case. However, he hasn't dumped shares in a frenzy.

Do you want proof that Buffett isn't panicking? Simply look at Berkshire's portfolio. It still includes more than 40 stocks valued at over $300 billion. If Buffett were truly nervous about the future, Berkshire wouldn't have so much money tied up in the stock market.

Buffett has held onto positions for which he's most comfortable over the long term, including stalwarts such as American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). That's a good strategy for other investors. Sell any stocks for which you have a lower conviction. Keep those you like the most. And, most importantly, remain calm.

2. Build cash

In the same letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders where Buffett provided his famous "be fearful" quote, he also wrote:
Key Points

Carnival is positioning itself to generate much more revenue in 2030.

Higher earnings and lower debt levels indicate a business on better financial footing.

The stocks current valuation helps to stack the odds in investors favor.

10 stocks we like better than Carnival Corp. 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a boon for certain businesses. However, it also dealt a devastating blow to others. Carnival (NYSE: CCL) fell into the latter camp, as its operations were halted temporarily as a safety measure.

Things have improved drastically, though. In the past three years, shares of Carnival have rocketed 158% higher (as of Dec. 3). The market has generally been more bullish on the company, even though this travel stock is 20% below its 52-week high.

Where will Carnival be in five years?

Image source: Carnival.

The growth should continue

During the fiscal 2025 third quarter (ended Aug. 31), Carnival's revenue increased 3% year over year to $8.2 billion. Compared to three years ago, the figure almost doubled. The business is now posting record sales, customer deposits, and net yields (a measure of pricing power), all clearly encouraging signs.

Investors should expect Carnival's top line to continue expanding over the decade, even though the pace will moderate from the bounce-back period since the pandemic. The cruise industry currently represents only a tiny fraction of the overall travel market. Younger customers, as well as first-time cruise travelers, are interested. And these cruise trips are generally more cost efficient than land-based alternatives.

Carnival is looking to capture more demand in the future. It's expanding its fleet, with plans to introduce one to two new ships per year. And it's pushing aggressively into places like Australia and New Zealand. This should allow the company to serve more customers, which supports more revenue over time. Consequently, there's a high likelihood that the business will be larger in 2030.

Carnival's finances are improving

During the worst days of the pandemic, Carnival was in major financial trouble. With operations halted, revenue took a hit, which led to mounting losses. The net loss came in at an alarming $10.2 billion in fiscal 2020. The company had to take on more debt to stay afloat. It's no wonder the stock was under pressure.

But the situation is much better these days. And Carnival's financial picture is improving. Its net income totaled $2.4 billion in the last three quarters. Rising profits are obviously something that shareholders want to see. Wall Street consensus analyst estimates predict that earning per share will increase at a compound annual rate of 13.2% between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2027. Double-digit growth could continue after this forecast period.
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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 12/07/2025



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.
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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 12/07/2025



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Juliana Pasquarosa has revealed where her relationship with Grant Ellis currently stands.Juliana gave the latest update on her relationship with Grant during the Tuesday, December 2 episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.ette alum Joe Amabile , who co-hosts the podcast alongside wife Serena Pitt , asked Juliana if she and Grant still talk and are on good terms."No, we don't talk," Juliana replied."We have talked since the breakup, which is why I think I got a little defensive when he said [in September] we didn't just because I didn't understand the logic behind that."Juliana added, "But, you know, we don't talk. I wish him well, to be honest."In September, Grant conducted a Q&A session via Instagram in which a fan asked if he had spoken to Juliana since their June breakup announcement."No, we haven't spoken," Grant claimed at the time."I reached out a couple of times, but we haven't spoken and I haven't spoken to her family. But I hope that they're doing well."When asked why he and Juliana broke up, Grant called it "a difficult question" and explained, "When two people make a commitment, I feel like they're supposed to do everything they can to try to make it work."29 alum continued, "But, you know, that wasn't the case, and I guess we just weren't meant for each other.""I fully don't know [why we split], but I know there were some issues and we just couldn't make it work," he concluded in September.According to @ZacharyReality, Juliana fired back via Instagram Stories by changing her song to "Boy's a Liar" and then writing, "WDYM I didn't try. I stayed even when I felt unloved."She proceeded to claim, "We have talked after the breakup, multiple times. He reached out to my family & friends multiple times. They always responded. He also knows why we broke up. He just doesn't want YOU to know why."Juliana gave her side of the story on what really happened before her split from Grant during her December 2 appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.Grant and Juliana announced their breakup via separate Instagram Story postings on June 13.Prior to announcing their breakup, Grant and Juliana had repeatedly denied there was trouble in paradise , and Grant had said in multiple interviews how he was still planning to move to Boston , where Juliana's close-knit family lives.The former couple had said on a podcast that they were planning to go apartment hunting in June and then enjoy a romantic Italian vacation, where they hoped to look at wedding venues, in early July.When Juliana and Grant publicly confirmed their romance was over, Grant wrote in a statement: "This is one of the harder things I've had to write, but I want to share it honestly. Juliana and I have decided to end our relationship."According to the posting, Grant and Juliana simply determined they weren't "the right fit" for each other."We both gave this our best and poured a lot of love into each other, but after a lot of deep conversations, we've come to the understanding that we're simply not the right fit long term," Grant continued."What we had was meaningful. The connection we built on the show was real, and so was the effort we made to continue once the cameras stopped rolling."Grant also claimed his split from Juliana was amicable and there was "no negativity" or resentment between them."[We're] just two people who care about each other and want the best for one another moving forward. I'll always be grateful for what we shared and for the growth that came with it," Grant said at the time.He concluded, "This chapter is closing, but we're both walking away with love and respect in our hearts."Juliana, for her part, wrote via Instagram Stories how "it's a gift to find someone who sees the world in a way that resonates with you, while encouraging you to grow."Juliana continued, "I've been grateful to share that experience with Grant. We shared something meaningful, navigating a unique journey side by side, learning, growing and showing up for each other the best we knew how.""While this isn't the ending we once imagined, it's one filled with mutual respect, care and hope for what's ahead," she wrote."We're still cheering each other on, just from different places now. I'm beyond thankful for all the love and support you all have given us. Please be kind."Grant later insisted that Juliana had brought up the breakup conversation, although their decision was ultimately mutual.Grant previously cited "outside noise" and having "issues" as the cause of their split.Juliana and Grant got engaged in the Dominican Republic at the Final Rose Ceremony of 's 29th season, which had shown Grant torn and undecided between Juliana and Litia Garr seemingly minutes before the Final Rose Ceremony.Grant had said he was in love with both women, and he repeatedly told Litia that he was in love with her.Litia therefore felt blindsided and devastated when Grant eliminated her in second place.Shortly after 's Season 29 finale aired, Grant faced backlash for allegedly leading Litia on Litia claimed on : After the Final Rose in March that Grant had confirmed they were getting engaged the night before the Final Rose Ceremony.Litia subsequently threw shade at Grant on social media and suggested he only picked Juliana as his winner because she had allegedly slept with him in the Fantasy Suite.Interested in more news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. We deliver cutting-edge coverage of guns, gear, accessories and technology. We go beyond basic reviews, providing no B.S. buyers guides, hands-on testing and expert analysis on everything from firearms and survival equipment to watches and vehicles.

Our reviewers are the backbone of our operation and come from diverse shooting backgrounds: Former law enforcement, military veterans, competitive shooters, seasoned hunters and plain old firearms enthusiasts. Furthermore, were not just gun experts, but dedicated journalists who adhere to the strictest standards of our profession.

At RECOIL, editorial independence is the foundation of everything we publish and the cornerstone of reader trust. Our editors, writers and content creators make all editorial decisions independently, free from outside influence. That boils down to: advertisers dont dictate our coverage, the outcomes of our reviews or what we recommend in our buyers guides. First and always, our commitment is to our audienceensuring every review and article is accurate, unbiased, and driven by real-world experience.

Whether youre selecting your next firearm, upgrading your gear, or exploring the latest innovations in the shooting world, RECOIL provides the trusted insights you need to make informed decisions. Learn more about our Editorial Standards and how we review products.
Indian armed forces 'could have done much more' during Operation Sindoor but deliberately opted for a 'restrained' response and did what was necessary, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh being pinned with a badge on the Armed Forces Flag Day, on Sunday. Photograph: @rajnathsingh/ANI Photo

Singh, who inaugurated 125 strategically significant infrastructure projects by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in different parts of the country including the Shyok tunnel in Ladakh, stressed that better connectivity, especially in border areas, made the successful military operation possible.

"Our continuous endeavour has been to strengthen our communication and connectivity with all border areas, including Ladakh. We are fully committed to the overall development of each border area," the defence minister said in Leh.

He highlighted the growth in India's defence manufacturing sector, noting that production has risen from Rs 46,000 crore in 2014 to a record Rs 1.51 lakh crore, and the country that was import-dependent has emerged as a producer-exporter.

"Just a few months ago, we witnessed how, in response to the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, our armed forces executed Operation Sindoor, and the world knows what they did to the terrorists.

"Of course, we could have done much more had we wanted, but our forces demonstrated not only valour but also restraint, doing only what was necessary," Singh said.

Stressing that such a massive operation was feasible due to strong connectivity, Singh said, "Our armed forces were able to deliver logistics right on time. Connectivity with the border areas was also maintained, giving Operation Sindoor its historic success."

"During Operation Sindoor, the coordination we witnessed among our armed forces, the civil administration, and the citizens of the border areas was incredible. I express my gratitude to every citizen of Ladakh as well as the border areas for extending their support to our armed forces," the defence minister said.

Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian armed forces on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.

The defence minister added that improved connectivity in the border areas is transforming security in multiple ways and enabling troops to operate more effectively in difficult terrains.

"Today, our soldiers stand strong in difficult terrains because they have access to roads, real-time communication systems, satellite support, surveillance networks, and logistics connectivity," Singh said.

He stressed that improved connectivity is not only strengthening security and infrastructure but also driving economic growth.

Citing the 8.2 per cent GDP expansion in the second quarter of 2025-26, Singh said stronger communication and connectivity networks have been a key enabler, supported by the government's pro-growth policies and nationwide reforms.

He said India once lacked a robust system to manufacture arms and equipment domestically, but has witnessed a paradigm shift due to sustained efforts over the last decade.

"Due to our hard work in the last 10 years, our defence production, which was approximately Rs 46,000 crore in 2014, has now grown to a record Rs 1.51 lakh crore.

"Our defence exports, which were less than Rs 1,000 crore 10 years ago, have now reached nearly Rs 24,000 crore," Singh said.

He called the 125 newly completed projects of the BRO a 'vivid example' of the government's commitment to bolstering India's border infrastructure.

These strategically significant projects -- built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore and spread across the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, and seven states including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram -- consisted of 28 roads, 93 bridges and four miscellaneous works.

The event marked the largest single-day and highest-value inauguration in the history of BRO.

Singh praised the BRO for consistently finishing projects ahead of schedule and adopting new technologies aligned with the government's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

He emphasised that stronger border connectivity not only fortifies security, but also stabilises local economies, enhances disaster response -- as seen during rescue operations after cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Chaso?i -- and strengthens people's faith in governance in remote regions.

He made special mention of BRO's adoption of Class-70 modular bridges indigenously developed in partnership with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) vision.

The defence minister also pointed out that in the financial year 2024-25, BRO incurred a record expenditure of Rs 16,690 crore, the highest ever, and a target of Rs 18,700 crore has been set for FY 2025-26, which underlines the government's confidence in BRO's capabilities.

In the last two years, 356 BRO infrastructure projects have been dedicated to the nation, marking a benchmark achievement in strategic infrastructure development, an official said.
The Opposition in Maharashtra on Sunday boycotted the government's customary tea party on the eve of the Winter session, citing its failure to appoint leaders of the opposition (LoPs) in both houses of the state legislature.

IMAGE: MVA leaders during a press conference. Image used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar told reporters the tea party invitation had been sent to individual MLAs, instead of the LoPs. He addressed a press conference at the Vidhan Bhavan complex here along with Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leaders Bhaskar Jadhav, Sunil Prabhu and Nitin Raut as well as Anil Deshmukh of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar.

"There are no LoPs in both the houses. Both these are constitutional posts. By keeping both posts vacant, the government has shown that it does not trust the Constitution. So we have boycotted the tea programme," Wadettiwar said.

Following the Opposition's rout in the state assembly polls last year, no party could win 10 per cent of the total 288 seats. As per the norm, it is necessary for any opposition to win at least 10 per cent seats to stake a claim for the post of LoP.

Wadettiwar said that in 1980, the BJP had 14 MLAs, still the LoP's post was given to the saffron party. Similarly, in 1985, the Bharatiya Janata Party had 16 MLAs, yet it was given the LoP's post.

"The Congress never kept the constitutional post of LoP vacant. If the government wants to keep these posts vacant and call us for tea, then it is better to boycott," Wadettiwar said.

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Bhaskar Jadhav claimed the government is scared of the Opposition despite its low number because of the 'sins' it has committed.

The LoP's post is constitutional and the government fears the LoP will expose the government, he charged.

"The government is not deciding on LoP but has appointed two deputy chief ministers, a post not mandated in any law," Jadhav said.

Wadettiwar claimed six to seven farmers die by suicide every day in the state. The government got votes by promising farm loan waiver, but has been postponing its implementation, he said, adding that cotton and soybean farmers were in huge trouble.

As per the National Crime Record Bureau records, in the first eight months of 2025, Maharashtra saw 1,183 farmer suicides, the Congress leader said.

"Some 1.12 lakh farmers ended their lives in India since 2014, of which 38.5 per cent are in Maharashtra. We don't find it appropriate to accept the tea invitation of the anti-farmer government. Competition is going on in the government to demean the farmers," he alleged.

While the state government has claimed it sent a farmers' relief fund proposal to the Centre, the latter denies having received it, Wadettiwar said.

The state has a debt of Rs 9.32 lakh crore, and has to spend 22 per cent of its revenue only in repaying loans and interest, he added.

Wadettiwar also cited the "rising" crimes against women in the state behind the Opposition's decision to decline the tea party invitation.

"A total of 37000 cases of atrocities against minors were registered between 2021 and 2025. Every day, 24 such cases come to light in Maharashtra, which is number one in cases of molestation and atrocities related to girls under the age of 18," the Congress leader said.

He also said 75 people were killed in wild animal attacks in Vidarbha since last year's Winter session, while the state has seen 218 such deaths between 2020 and 2024.

There are no employment opportunities in Vidarbha though Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is from the region, he added.

Assurances of farm loan waiver and Rs 2100 to Ladki Bahin Yojana beneficiaries have not been fulfilled, Wadettiwar said.

Alleging massive corruption, he said had written to the Fadnavis government seeking a "white paper" on government land transfers.

The winter session of the state legislature will be held from December 8 to 14 in Nagpur.

Sena-UBT leader Jadhav has been nominated by his party, the largest Opposition outfit in the lower house with 20 MLAs, for the post of LoP in the legislative assembly, but no decision has been taken on the Cabinet-rank appointment by the speaker.

In the past, Jadhav had written to the state legislature seeking to know if there is any rule mandating that an Opposition party should have 10 per cent of the total strength of the assembly (29 out of 288 seats) to stake a claim to the LoP post.

The tenure of former Shiv Sena-UBT MLC Ambadas Danve, who was the LoP in the legislative council, ended in August.

The Congress has nominated its MLC Satej Patil for appointment as the LoP in the upper house.

State legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde on Sunday said his office has received a proposal for the appointment of a leader of opposition, and a decision will be made after talks with stakeholders.

Govt has no role: Fadnavis

Fadnavis, meanwhile, said the Opposition was directionless and asserted the decision to appoint Leader of Opposition in the assembly and council comes under the jurisdiction of the respective presiding officers.

The state government has no say in it, he said addressing a press conference in Nagpur on the eve of the Winter session of the state legislature.

Whatever decision is taken by the presiding officers of both Houses is acceptable to his government, the CM emphasised.

"The Opposition's press conference appeared full of frustration and theatrics. It is not the government's role to announce the Leader of Opposition. Only the Speaker and the Council Chairman have the authority to do so," the CM pointed out.

Fadnavis also claimed the Opposition had submitted a representation regarding their boycott but it was without signatures from the NCP-SP.

"The duration of the session is of a week since the model code of conduct is in place for local body polls. Despite the short duration, we plan to do maximum business. The government is preparing to introduce 18 bills during the Winter session. Some are minor, but we will attempt to prioritise issues related to Vidarbha and Marathwada," the CM said.

He said 92 per cent rain-affected farmers, or 92 lakh individuals, have received financial aid, while the remaining will get it after Know Your Customer (KYC) details are updated.

"The Opposition is making accusations without studying the issue. My government is ready to debate on any issue raised in the legislature," he asserted.

He informed reporters that Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was in Bahrain for his son's wedding, has landed in Pune and will arrive here by tonight.

Responding to Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar's remarks that he should focus on the development of Vidarbha, Fadnavis said the government had already prioritised regional issues.

"Wadettiwar has made comments without any study. He seems eager to project Maharashtra as a financially mismanaged state, but that is far from reality. Maharashtra is among the top states adhering to the Union government's fiscal norms despite financial stress," Fadnavis said.

On pending legislations, Fadnavis said the President had sent back the Shakti Bill as some provisions were found to be infringing constitutional rights.

"The Lokpal Bill has been approved with minor corrections suggested. The Public Security Bill is in its final stage and will be cleared soon. A Director General-level committee is finalising an Act addressing so-called love jihad," he added.

'Love jihad' is a term used by right-wing outfits to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure women from other faiths into relationships and marriage with the aim of converting them to Islam.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the delay in counting of votes for the local body polls held on December 2 saved the Opposition from loss of face in the session.

"The Mahayuti contested together in some places. In some other places we had friendly fights. We will win more than 70 per cent seats," Shinde said.

Shinde said the Opposition lacks seriousness about Vidarbha's concerns and they seem more interested in creating spectacles outside Vidhan Bhavan than raising real issues inside it.

On Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray's demand to abolish the 'unconstitutional' post of deputy chief minister, Shinde said the former should 'study first and sit through at least all the working days of the session'.

The Opposition must win a strong mandate in future to claim the Leader of Opposition post, he added.

"This session is meant to deliver justice to Vidarbha, not to focus attention on one individual. The Opposition should come with a positive mindset and contribute to solutions. There is a valley of difference between Maharashtra's condition in 2014 and now," Shinde said.
For nearly eight years, a key question has hung over the glittering world of Malayalam cinema: Could one of its own biggest stars, the actor Dileep, have orchestrated a horrific attack on a fellow actress?

IMAGE: Actor Dileep appeared before the Principal Sessions Court in connection with the 2017 actress assault case, in Kochi on October 31, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

On Monday, a court in Kerala is expected to answer that question, delivering a verdict in a 2017 assault case that changed from a terrible crime into a sensational legal saga -- a trial of extraordinary twists, agonising delays, and a battle over narrative that has far outlasted years beyond its original deadline.

The actress-victim, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours on the night of February 17, 2017, by some persons who forced their way into the vehicle and later escaped in a busy area of Kochi.

Ernakulam District and Principal Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese will deliver the verdict after completing the trial proceedings, which began in January 2020.

As many as 10 accused who faced trial are Sunil NS alias Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh VP, Salim H, Pradeep, Charly Thomas, actor Dileep (real name P Gopalakrishnan), Sanil Kumar alias Mesthri Sanil and Sharath.

They were charged under sections 120A (conspiracy), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 109 (abetment of offence), 366 (kidnapping or abducting a woman), 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty), 354B (use of criminal force to disrobe a woman), 357 (use of criminal force to wrongfully confine a person), 376D (gang rape), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 212 (harbouring an offender) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code.

Section 66E of the Information Technology Act (capturing or transmitting images of private areas without consent) and 67A (transmitting sexually explicit material electronically). Dileep faces an additional charge under Section 204 of the IPC (destroying evidence to prevent its production).

Police arrested the accused soon after the incident and filed the first chargesheet against seven persons in April 2017. During further investigation, Dileep was arrested on July 10, 2017, after the probe team found that the prime accused Suni had allegedly sent a letter to him from jail.

Dileep was granted bail on October 3, 2017.

In November 2017, police filed a supplementary chargesheet against seven more persons, including Dileep. Five of them were later discharged or turned approvers.

Although the mobile phone used to record the sexual assault visuals could not be traced, police relied on the memory card containing the videos, which was submitted in court by a lawyer.

The prosecution claims that the complainant informed Dileep's first wife, Manju Warrier, of his affairs with another actress. There was a fight between the complainant and Dileep over this during the rehearsal of a stage event in 2016.

The conspiracy was hatched in the aftermath of the fight at a hotel in Kochi later.

Like the case itself, the trial too witnessed several twists and turns.

In 2019, Dileep approached the Kerala high court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, but the plea was dismissed.

In 2019, the Supreme Court directed that the trial be completed in a six-month period.

However, frequent petitions before higher courts by the accused, the prosecution and the complainant delayed proceedings, and the trial finally began only in January 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic halted proceedings for several months.

Later, Special Prosecutor A Suresan resigned, and the prosecution approached higher courts seeking transfer of the trial to another court in December 2020.

On December 29, 2021, when the investigation officer was to be examined as the last witness, the prosecution informed the court that new information had emerged and sought further investigation, halting the trial again.

The further probe was based on revelations by film director B Balachandra Kumar that Dileep possessed visuals of the victim.

Another allegation was that Dileep conspired to harm the investigation officers, leading to another case against him and five others.

When the trial resumed, V N Anilkumar was appointed Special Public Prosecutor.

He resigned in December 2021 and was replaced by V Ajakumar. Another major twist emerged in 2022 when police moved the trial court seeking an inquiry into illegal access to the memory card kept in court custody.

Though the petition was dismissed, the Kerala high court later ordered a fact-finding inquiry after the complainant alleged tampering.

It was revealed that the memory card had been accessed by a magistrate and later by officials at the District Sessions Court.

This led the high court to issue detailed guidelines on handling sexually explicit evidence in December 2023.

A total of 261 witnesses were examined during the trial, including several from the film industry.

Many actor-witnesses turned hostile. The investigation officer alone was examined for 109 days. The court admitted 834 documents and two defence witnesses.

Meanwhile, two key witnesses -- former MLA PT Thomas and director Balachandra Kumar -- died during the trial stage.

"We are hopeful of the judgment, as all possible evidence was presented before the court. The delay was due to various developments during the trial," an officer who was part of the investigation told PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday, which is expected to bring to light several important and previously unknown facets about the national song.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photograph: DPR_PMO/ANI Photo

Lok Sabha has listed 'Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram' on Monday and allocated 10 hours for the debate.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to be the second speaker in the debate that will also see the participation of Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among other members.

The debate in Parliament is part of the year-long celebrations on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, a poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and set to tune by Jadunath Bhattacharya.

Prime Minister Modi had hit out at the Congress, accusing it of removing key stanzas from the song in 1937 and sowing the seeds of partition.

On November 7, Modi launched year-long celebrations to commemorate the 150th year of Vande Mataram aimed especially at youth and students to deepen awareness of the song's significance.

"Many important and unknown facets related to Vande Mataram will come out in front of the nation during the debate," officials said.

Home Minister Amit Shah will initiate the discussion in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and Health Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha J P Nadda will be the second speaker.

Lok Sabha will also take up the debate on election reforms, which will cover all aspects of the contentious subject, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Rajya Sabha will take up the debate on election reforms on Wednesday and Thursday.

The proceedings on the first two days of the Winter session that started on December 1 were disrupted due to the opposition's protests on the SIR leading to repeated adjournments.

The Monsoon session of Parliament was a virtual washout over the demand by the opposition for a debate on the SIR, then being held in Bihar.
Truist acknowledges that, despite a stable base business and improving PrEP execution, oncology results remain mixed and cell therapy faces competitive pressure, suggesting that a portion of the upside from newer platforms is still uncertain and may already be partially embedded in targets around $140 to $145.

BMO Capital, while keeping an Outperform and $135 target, is cautious on reading across very early Kelonia inMMyCAR data to Gilead and Arcellxs anito cel program, citing extremely small sample size and limited follow up that leave significant questions on durability and true differentiation versus competitors.

RBC also flags policy risk, estimating about 5% downside if high profile US drug pricing commentary was aimed at Biktarvy, and warning that Gilead could be more exposed to price cuts than some biotech peers, which could cap valuation multiples even as fundamentals improve.

RBC Capital maintains a Sector Perform rating, emphasizing recent setbacks in the HIV life cycle program, including termination of the Phase 1 study of next generation integrase inhibitor 1219 after enrolling only 4 of 30 patients, which illustrates the challenges of extending the HIV franchise.

Beyond product fundamentals, Scotiabank notes an out of consensus positive stance on large cap biopharma, while Raymond James and Stifel highlight Gileads commitment to Veevas Vault CRM as evidence of ongoing investment in commercial execution and infrastructure, which supports longer term growth quality.

On valuation, multiple firms have raised targets into the $135 to $145 range, including Mizuho ($140 from $131), Truist ($145 from $127 and a separate Buy at $140), Citi ($135 from $125) and Wells Fargo ($140), arguing that innovation momentum and patent wins justify modest upside from current levels.

Truist underscores oncology as a key growth pillar, led by Trodelvy and the anito cel program, and also flags a strong early launch for Livdelzi in PBC, reinforcing the view that Gilead can layer new growth on top of its durable HIV cash flows.

HIV remains the core bull driver, with Truist and Mizuho pointing to the Biktarvy patent settlement that extends US exclusivity to 2036, stronger than expected PrEP opportunity and roughly 5% modeled HIV growth, while Citis physician survey backs a robust Yeztugo launch.

Several firms maintain positive or Outperform stances, with Truist, Citi, Mizuho, Wells Fargo, BMO Capital and Scotiabank all highlighting Gilead as a relative winner in large cap biopharma, supporting the stocks premium to historical levels.

Gilead Sciences stock has seen its fair value estimate edge down only slightly, from about $130.83 to $130.63, even as the discount rate nudged up from roughly 7.26% to 7.29% and long term revenue growth expectations eased from around 3.89% to 3.68%. These modest adjustments reflect analysts fine tuning their models in light of a more nuanced mix of tailwinds, such as extended HIV cash flows and a larger PrEP opportunity, and headwinds, such as execution risk in next generation programs and oncology competition. Stay tuned to see how you can track these evolving assumptions and the shifting narrative around Gilead in real time.

Story continues

Do your thoughts align with the Bull or Bear Analysts? Perhaps you think there's more to the story. Head to the Simply Wall St Community to discover more perspectives or begin writing your own Narrative!

NasdaqGS:GILD Community Fair Values as at Dec 2025

What's in the News

Truist raised its Gilead price target to $145 from $127 and reiterated a Buy rating, pointing to a stable base business, stronger HIV PrEP execution, and oncology trends that, while mixed, still support upside in the medium term.

Gilead started shipping twice yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV PrEP to Eswatini and Zambia, a key step toward broad, low cost access across sub Saharan Africa under voluntary licenses and no profit supply commitments.

Topline Phase 3 ARTISTRY 1 results showed that a once daily single tablet regimen combining bictegravir and lenacapavir maintained viral suppression in patients switching from complex multi tablet HIV regimens, with no new safety signals reported.

New data for Livdelzi in primary biliary cholangitis confirmed durable 3 year efficacy, liver stiffness improvements, and a favorable safety profile, while Health Canada granted conditional approval for Livdelzi as a second line PBC therapy.

How This Changes the Fair Value For Gilead Sciences

Fair value estimate has edged down slightly from approximately $130.83 to $130.63, reflecting modestly more conservative assumptions.

Discount rate has risen slightly from about 7.26% to 7.29%, indicating a marginally higher required return on capital.

Revenue growth has been trimmed from roughly 3.89% to 3.68%, signaling a modestly softer long term top line outlook.

Net profit margin has declined from about 32.21% to 31.28%, incorporating slightly lower long term profitability expectations.

Future P/E has increased from around 18.8x to 19.5x, implying a modestly higher valuation multiple on forward earnings.

 Never Miss an Update: Follow The Narrative

Narratives are simple, living stories that sit behind the numbers, connecting your view of a companys future revenue, earnings and margins to a clear fair value. On Simply Wall Sts Community page, millions of investors use Narratives to tie Gileads business story to a financial forecast, compare that fair value with todays share price to decide when to buy or sell, and see those views update dynamically as new news and earnings arrive.

Head over to the Simply Wall St Community and follow the Narrative on Gilead Sciences to stay on top of how its story and fair value evolve over time, starting with this in depth Narrative that tracks:

How extended HIV exclusivity and expanding global PrEP access can offset oncology uncertainty and policy risk while supporting steady mid single digit growth.

Why disciplined costs, strong cash flows and buybacks could lift margins toward the low 30%s and sustain rising EPS and capital returns.

What would need to go right or wrong for Gilead to justify analyst targets around the low $120s to low $140s range, and whether the stock looks fairly priced today.

Curious how numbers become stories that shape markets? Explore Community Narratives

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include GILD.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Invercargills Focus Technology Group recently won the Peoples Choice Award at the 2025 Grand Business South Awards and was also named a finalist in the Excellence in Customer Experience category.

The Grand Business South Awards celebrate excellence across multiple business categories in the Otago and Southland regions, with the Peoples Choice Award decided entirely by public vote.

The win was powerful acknowledgement of the companys strong local roots in the South Island, said chief executive Brendon McDermott.

With clients, partners, and community members casting their votes, the award reflects a deep level of trust and appreciation for the work Focus does throughout the South Island, McDermott said, adding this made the award an even more meaningful honour.

This award means a lot to us because it comes directly from the people we support. Our mission has always been to build genuine relationships and deliver exceptional service  and to see our clients and community recognise that effort is incredibly humbling. Were grateful for every vote and proud of our team who made this possible.

Also being named a finalist in the Excellence in Customer Experience category further highlighted Focus commitment to delivering outstanding service across the region, McDermott added

Focus Technology Group began as a small local IT service provider in Invercargill 31 years ago and now offered a wide range of IT services, cybersecurity solutions, cloud support, business systems, and technology consulting for organisations across the South Island.

While Focus was now a multi-branch organisation, Invercargill remained its home base and heart, which was a point of pride reflected in winning the community-driven Peoples Choice award, McDermott said.
Dozens of Iranian nationals deported from the United States are due to arrive in their home country over the next few hours, the Foreign Ministry in Tehran said on December 7, the second such repatriation under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

"In the coming days, about 55 nationals will return to Iran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. This is the second group being returned to Iran in the last few months."

The spokesman claimed the deportations were based on "political grounds and anti-migrant policies that are against international law."

CNN reported that the flight is expected to arrive in Iran, via Kuwait, later on December 7. The first flight, carrying 120 people, arrived in Tehran via Qatar in October.

The United States and Iran do not have direct diplomatic relations, and most interactions are conducted through intermediary parties. However, the transfer of deportees involved an unusual amount of coordination between Washington and Tehran.

Accusations Against Iran

Washington and its Western allies have slapped severe financial sanctions on Tehran, accusing it of attempting to develop a nuclear weapon and of supporting extremist violence in the Middle East. Iran denies the allegations.

Human rights advocates have consistently urged the United States not to expel individuals to countries with poor rights records. Irans record, they say, is among the worst.

The Islamic republic continues widespread persecution of political dissidents, activists, religious minorities, and LGBTQ individuals.

In recent years, significant numbers of Iranians have joined larger migrant flows through Central America into the United States, citing those same risks as reasons for seeking asylum.

US authorities in September said the government had identified some 400 Iranians to be deported.

Following the first deportations, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson was quoted by AP as saying: The Trump Administration is committed to fulfilling President Trumps promise to carry out the largest mass deportation operation of illegal aliens in history, using all the tools at our disposal.

The United States in early December paused all pending immigration application for nationals from 19 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan.

The move followed the attack on two US National Guard members three blocks from the White House by a suspect authorities say entered the United States from Afghanistan in 2021.

The man was charged with murder after one of the National Guard members died. The other victim remains hospitalized.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
A Russian government-backed foundation allocated funds through intermediaries in an effort to collect information supporting Kremlin narratives and undermine Kyiv's defense against Moscow's invasion, Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found.

The findings are based in part on a trove of tens of thousands of e-mails and other documents that were obtained by Danish public broadcaster DR and shared with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and other news outlets, including Schemes.

Through those documents and additional reporting, Schemes found that reports were submitted to the Moscow-based Pravfond -- an abbreviation of the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad -- via intermediaries known as "curators."

Lavrov's Kyiv Footprint

Pravfond was created by the Russian Foreign Ministry and Rossotrudnichestvo, a government agency that says its "main mission is to strengthen Russia's humanitarian influence in the world." The foundation's stated goal is to provide legal and other support to Russians abroad when their "rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests" are violated.

However, a broader OCCRP investigation concluded that it works with intelligence operatives, finances Russian propaganda, and builds channels of Kremlin influence.

An agreement reviewed by Schemes indicated that Pravfond was to be funded for at least several years by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is chairman of its board of trustees.

The 'Ukrainian Direction'

Among the materials reviewed by Schemes was a section of a document titled "Ukrainian direction," which outlined the foundation's activities in Ukraine and indicated they were overseen from Moscow by at least two coordinators including Yevhen Baklanov, a Ukrainian citizen who has been wanted in Ukraine on suspicion of treason since 2022, the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion.

According to the report by a Pravfond curator for Ukraine, lawyers at an organization called the Legal Consultation Center received Ukrainian citizens at its Kyiv offices, while the center prepared reports for Russian authorities on alleged "war crimes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine" and "violations of the rights of Russian speakers" in Ukraine -- most of whom are not Russian citizens.

Ukrainian and international authorities are compiling growing evidence of possible war crimes committed by Russia and its forces in Ukraine. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023, alleging he is responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

Details of the reports produced for Pravfond were scarce, and there was no direct evidence of who prepared them. When contacted by Schemes, several lawyers named in the documents denied cooperating with Pravfond.

Money From Moscow

Documents show that the Legal Consultation Center has been operating in Kyiv since 2015, the year after Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and fomented a war in the eastern region known as the Donbas. It is unclear whether it remains active.

In a report to Moscow on activities in 2022, Baklanov stated that the center had conducted 309 legal consultations throughout the year. Topics included "rules for crossing the border" and "obtaining deferrals from mobilization" -- suggesting that, whoever initiated the conversations, the center advised Ukrainians on actions that could undermine Kyiv's efforts to defend against the Russian invasion.

Ukraine's defense against Russia, whose population is much larger, has been hampered by desertion, struggles to mobilize men of conscription age, and the flight of potential soldiers in violation of a bar prohibiting most men aged 23-60 from leaving the country.

Schemes also determined that funding for a network of lawyers and websites in Ukraine was repeatedly requested from Pravfond by the curators. In a 2025 funding request, Baklanov sought more than 3 million rubles ($39,000) for "legal aid for compatriots in Ukraine."

The trove of documents and a statement from an account held by Baklanov in a Russian bank, which was obtained by Schemes, revealed that he received over 12 million rubles ($157,000) from Pravfond over the past two years. There was no information indicating whether any of that money was ever transferred to the Ukrainian lawyers.

Treason Trial

According to documents reviewed by Schemes, Svitlana Novytska, a Ukrainian lawyer who is not connected to the Legal Information Center, applied to Pravfond directly, seeking a grant "for the defense of Tetyana Kuzmych," who is charged with treason. Ukraine's SBU security service alleges that Kuzmich led an agent network run by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Kherson region, which is partially occupied by Russian forces and which Moscow baselessly claims is part of Russia.

Schemes did not see evidence that Novytska received money from Pravfond. Novytska, who was herself detained in a separate treason probe, denied receiving any support when contacted by Schemes. "This is the first time I'm hearing this," she said.

Websites Promote 'Denazification'

In addition to references to the Legal Information Center and the Kuzmych case, the Pravfond-related material examined by Schemes identifies four websites linked to Ukraine, one of which is called Pravcenter . A report to the Russian Foreign Ministry states that the purpose of such sites is to support the Kremlin's stated goal of the "denazification" of Ukraine.

The demand for 'denazification' stems from Putin's false assertion that Ukraine is run or dominated by "nazis," a claim widely seen as part of the Kremlin's effort to ensure that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government loses power and is replaced by Russia-friendly figures.

In one of his reports to Pravfond, curator Maksym Zelenskiy highlighted a Pravcenter article that republished what it claimed was a report in a Polish media outlet that said Ukrainian refugees in Poland had "convinced people of the need for denazification in Ukraine," called Ukraine's government "neo-fascist," and warned that Ukrainian migration could destabilize the European Union.

While the European Union has imposed sanctions on Pravfond and its leadership for what it says have been anti-Ukrainian subversive activities, the foundation is currently not subject to sanctions from the Ukrainian government. Kyiv hit the organization with sanctions in 2021 for a three-year period, but the measures expired in 2024 and were not extended.

Adapted from the original Ukrainian by Ulviyya Asadzade
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to arrive in London on December 8 to meet with his key allies -- the so-called European 3 -- looking to bolster Kyiv's negotiating position following his teams talks in Florida with US officials.

Along with discussions on an elusive peace proposal, the Ukrainian leader is set to push for additional defensive weapons from his allies as Russia steps up attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure sites as the winter cold weather moves in.

Almost every day and every night, our emergency services eliminate the consequences of Russian shelling of peaceful Ukrainian cities and communities, he wrote on Telegram, adding there were some 1,600 Russian drone attacks and 1,200 guided aerial bombs launched against Ukraine over the past week.

We continue to work with partners to strengthen our defense in response to these strikes. The priority is obvious -- more air-defense systems and missiles, more support for our defenders. Each agreement should be implemented faster, he added.

In London, Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz -- Kyivs biggest backers in Europe.

"Ukraine can count on our unwavering support. That is the whole point of the efforts we have undertaken as part of the coalition of the willing," Macron said on X on December 6, referring to a loose grouping of Western countries aiming to provide more military support for Ukraine.

Macron said the group of four leaders would take stock of peace negotiations when they convene in London.

On the eve of the visit, senior British cabinet minister Pat McFadden said Ukraine was facing a pivotal moment and that its security and sovereignty would be "at the heart" of the leaders' talks

"The principle behind the talks will be for Ukraine to be able to decide its own future," McFadden, who has been a vocal supporter of Kyiv, told Sky News.

"This is a really pivotal moment now. Everybody wants the war to come to an end, but they want it to come to an end in a way that gives Ukraine that freedom of choice in the future," McFadden added.

Three Days Of Talks In Florida

The London talks follow three days of negotiations between Ukrainian and US officials near Miami. Those discussions ended with a positive tone but produced no evident breakthrough.

US President Donald Trump's administration is pressing Kyiv to accept a peace proposal that many critics have said is highly tilted in Russia's favor.

After the Florida talks, Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace, adding that the parties agreed on the next steps and a format for talks, without disclosing further details.

In his nightly video address on December 7, Zelenskyy said the "American envoys are aware of Ukraines core positions, and the conversation was constructive, though not easy."

The recent flurry of diplomacy around ending the war was sparked when a US 28-point peace plan was leaked to the media in November. That original proposal appeared to heavily favor Russia, although it has since undergone several changes to take Kyivs concerns more into account. The most recent version of the proposal has not been shared publicly.

The White House has pushed Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a plan to end the war, but there has been little sign of headway, despite both sides engaging with the US-led process.

Questions remain over what the final US peace plan will look like and whether Russia is willing to make concessions to its maximalist positions that it has held since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California on December 7, Trump's outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said a deal to end the Ukraine war was "really close."

The two main outstanding issues, Kellogg said, were on territory -- primarily the future control of Ukraine's Donbas region -- and the status of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant -- which is Europe's largest and remains under Russian control.

"If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well," Kellogg said. "We're almost there."

The territory and US security guarantees are long-standing sticking points for any possible deal.

Ukraine maintains that a just end to the war would include reliable security guarantees and would not force it to surrender more territory to Russia.

Russia Hits Dam In Kharkiv Region

Meanwhile, Russia has continued its air strikes on key Ukrainian infrastructure as winter temperatures continue to fall.

Oleksandr Gusarov, mayor of the town of Pechenihy, said on Telegram on December 7 that Russian forces had struck a dam in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, disrupting a supply route used by Ukrainian forces, who are engaged in fierce ground battles in the region.

"The Russian army has launched and continues to launch missile strikes on the dam of the Pechenihy reservoir," he wrote, without giving an exact time frame.

"There is a probable threat of destruction of the Pechenihy hydroelectric dam by the enemy. An emergency situation may occur due to catastrophic flooding of territories downstream."

Earlier, the mayor of the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, a key industrial hub home to one of Ukraines biggest oil refineries, said his city suffered a "massive" attack that caused power and water damage. No deaths were reported.

Ahead of the London talks, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni -- who is not expected to be at the meeting -- spoke by phone with Zelenskyy and reaffirmed Rome's solidarity with Kyiv and pledged to supply emergency supplies to support Ukraine's energy infrastructure and its population, her office said.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
The cryptocurrency has a total supply of 100 billion tokens, with 60.3 billion in circulation, and the other 39.7 billion in the custody of Ripple, which gradually releases them to meet demand from institutions. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took issue with this arrangement and sued Ripple in 2020. The agency argued that XRP should be classified as a financial security just like a stock, bond, or any other financial instrument issued by a company.

XRP was designed to standardize each transaction. For example, a Japanese bank can send XRP tokens to a European bank instead of sending Japanese yen, which eliminates expensive foreign exchange fees. The transaction in XRP can cost as little as 0.00001 tokens, or a fraction of $0.01.

The global financial system is very sophisticated, but not every bank uses the same payment infrastructure. Therefore, banks in some countries need to use intermediaries when sending money across borders, which creates delays and adds costs. Ripple Payments solves this problem by allowing banks to communicate with one another directly no matter what existing infrastructure they use, which facilitates instant transfers.

The Trump administration is likely to continue offering regulatory support for the crypto industry in 2026, and Ripple Payments should also experience further growth. With those tailwinds in mind, could XRP cross the milestone price of $5 per coin next year?

Ripple scored a big regulatory win in the U.S. earlier this year, which was a key reason XRP soared to a seven-year high. But that momentum quickly faded, and the token is trading at about $2.10 as I write this, which is more than 40% below its recent peak of $3.65.

XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is one of the exceptions because it was created as a bridge currency for the Ripple Payments network, which allows banks to send money around the world instantly, and with negligible costs.

Not all cryptocurrencies have a legitimate purpose, so they lack an organic source of demand, which is why they often suffer extreme volatility and struggle to maintain their gains.

The crypto might benefit from lighter regulations and the growing adoption of Ripple Payments, but further upside isn't guaranteed.

XRP recently hit a seven-year high of $3.65, but it has since lost 40% of its value as investors size up its viability as a payment mechanism.

Story Continues

This could have derailed Ripple's business model by forcing the company to operate under strict regulations. Fortunately, a judge issued a ruling mostly in favor of Ripple in August 2024, and in August 2025, the SEC agreed to drop all pending appeals, which effectively ended the five-year legal battle. The recent decision was part of the Trump administration's pro-crypto agenda, which aims to foster innovation in this sector.

Why XRP's latest rally is stalling

Despite hitting a seven-year high in the lead-up to the SEC settlement, XRP struggled to maintain its momentum, and its recent downside might be a sign of things to come.

Banks actually don't have to use XRP to benefit from instant cross-border transactions through Ripple Payments, because the network also supports the use of fiat currency. That means even if the network continues to grow, it won't necessarily fuel demand for XRP, which could limit further upside.

Plus, Ripple launched its own stablecoin, called RippleUSD, last year, which is much better suited for payments because it offers practically zero volatility. The value of XRP can swing violently from day to day, exposing banks to sharp losses even during very brief holding periods.

A $5 price might be a tall order for XRP in 2026

At the current price of $2.10 per token, XRP has a fully diluted market capitalization of $210 billion. If it were to rise to $5, its market cap would climb to $500 billion, making it the world's second most-valuable cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin, which has a market cap of $1.8 trillion. In other words, $5 per token isn't necessarily unrealistic.

However, it's unclear whether there is a catalyst capable of driving XRP to that milestone, especially if it becomes progressively less relevant as a payment mechanism. During the past 12 months, the number of daily active addresses (unique users) on the XRP Ledger has plunged. There were just 5,980 active addresses as of the most recent data on Dec. 3, down significantly from a peak of more than 105,000 addresses last December.

XRP lost over 90% of its value within 12 months of hitting its all-time high in 2018, and that was long before the SEC formally cracked down on Ripple's practices. Another decline of that magnitude isn't out of the question considering the token is already down more than 40% from its most recent record high.

As a result, I wouldn't bank on XRP hitting $5 in 2026. If anything, it could be heading much lower from here.

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A County Roscommon woman pictured with her great-grandmothers dresser, which has a unique piece of history, features in the 2026 Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar.

This calendar, part of the ongoing Irish Dresser Project by Michael Fortune/folklore.ie, has become a cherished tradition for fans of Irish heritage, storytelling, and the timeless beauty of the Irish dresser. The 2026 edition features 14 dressers from across Ireland, including one from the Loughglynn area.

The calendar features Laura Beirne-Geraghty from Castlerea/Ballintubber, standing beside her great-grandmother's dresser. Her great-grandmother, Hanoria O'Brien, had been 50 years deceased at the time the photo was taken earlier this year.

The dresser is located in a time-untouched cottage in the townland of Moyne, Loughglynn. It has layers of paint, almost leather-like in appearance and features the unusual characteristic of just one drawer. It lacks shoulders or sledge feet but has plate laths and added cup hooks.

Laura's father, Gerry Beirne and aunt, Helena Beirne, asked that she stand in beside the dresser, to help keep a connection to the past and their ancestors.

Over 100 folklore and calendar dates are included in the calendar, celebrating seasonal customs, ancient traditions, and Irish sayings  many with accompanying QR codes linking to audio and texts recorded by Michael over the decades.

The Irish Dresser Project is an ongoing body of research that Michael has been conducting around Ireland since 2015.

He featured with Maura Derrane and Daithi O Se on their RTE Today show on Friday afternoon with the Loughglynn dresser featuring prominently.

* Calendars can be ordered at www.thedresserproject.ie
Goa's Arpora restaurant fire: Chef from Nepal among 24 others dead; Congress demands CM's resignation

While authorities moved to manage the aftermath, the tragedy triggered sharp political reactions from the opposition.

Goa restaurant fire: In North Goas Arpora, a total of 25 people lost their lives in a deadly fire incident at a restaurant. The deceased includes a chef from Nepal.

A man told news agency ANI, "One of the deceased was my family friend from Nepal. His name was Poorna Bahadur. He was working as a chef in the kitchen...He died in the incident that happened last night..."

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Narayan Mathur, a relative of two victims, told the news agency, "Those were my nephews, sons of my elder brother. So, I have come here for them. Both of them died. They worked in the kitchen of the restaurant. I came to know about it this morning...A neighbour also died in the fire. All of us belonged to Jharkhand."

#WATCH | Fire at a restaurant in North Goas Arpora, claiming 25 lives | Arpora, Goa: Narayan Mathur, relative of two victims, says, "Those were my nephews, sons of my elder brother. So, I have come here for them. Both of them died. They worked in the kitchen of the restaurant. I pic.twitter.com/ieYc3mjosl Advertisement December 7, 2025

The bodies of the deceased have been kept at a local medical college.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Collector, North Goa, has issued emergency numbers to ensure effective monitoring, incident response and public grievance redressal.

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While authorities moved to manage the aftermath, the tragedy triggered sharp political reactions from the opposition.

State Congress president Amit Patkar called the incident a black day in the tourism history of Goa. 25 innocent people died, so we pay condolences to the families of all the deceased, Patkar added.

Patkar termed the fatal incident a deliberate murder and a failure of Goas chief minister.

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I feel that this is deliberate murder of people. What we have been finding out through sources is that a demolition order was issued for this club and these people approached higher authorities, used pressure by ministers to stop the demolition. When a local elected body orders demolition as an illegal structure, I feel it should be the moral right of the administration to not grant any permission there. I have also come to know that did not have a fire license under fire safety norms. We saw the CM saying on record last night that this is a dangerous situation and people are not following the norms. It means that Goa CM has admitted that his administration has failed.

The Congress leader urged for an inquiry, asking, Who will take responsibility for the 25 people who died?

He also demanded the resignation of the chief minister and all the ministers involved in granting permission, on moral and political grounds.

We also demand that the Governor should immediately request the Govt to dismiss this Govt because this is not the first incident. Rapes and murders are rising in Goa..." he added.

On the other hand, Goa CM Pramod Sawant called it an "unfortunate day" and assured that those found guilty will be dealt legally.

Sawant told ANI, "For the first time in Goa's tourism history, such a big incident of fire has occurred. 25 people died...I reached the spot at 1.30-2 am, local MLA Michael Lobo accompanied me. All officers were also present there. Fire was doused off within half an hour but the club where this happened, some people could rush out of it but some others could not. So, a few people died of suffocation. As per preliminary information, 4 people were tourists and the rest were employees at the club. I express my condolences over their demise and express sympathies to their families. May the soul of the deceased rest in peace."

The Chief Minister assured that the families of the deceased will be provided compensation by the government.

Sawant added that the six injured are being given the "best medical treatment" at Goa Medical College.

"I have spoken with the Dean of the College. We have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. What permissions were obtained by the club, and who gave those permissions, will be inquired into. Whether the fire safety norms and building construction norms were followed will be seen," he added.

An arrest warrant has been issued against the club owners, Sawant confirmed, while adding that managers and others have already been arrested.

"Whoever is found guilty will be put behind bars," he further added.

The chief minister has also briefed Prime Minister Modi. He said the PM called him up this morning and asked for all details.

"PM also asked for details on the injured. I briefed the PM in detail...Goa Govt will take all steps to ensure that such an incident never happens in future..." Sawant said.

(For more news apart from Goas Arpora restaurant fire: Chef from Nepal among 24 others dead; Congress demands CMs resignation," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
PM Modi expresses gratitude to defence forces on Armed Forces Flag Day

Armed Forces Flag Day is observed every year on 7 December in India to honour the soldiers, airmen and sailors of the Indian Armed Forces.

Modi News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday morning, expressed his deepest gratitude to the soldiers of the country who place the nation above their own precious lives.

On Armed Forces Flag Day, we express our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women who protect our nation with unwavering courage. Their discipline, resolve and spirit shield our people and strengthen our nation. Their commitment stands as a powerful example of duty, discipline and devotion to our nation. Let us also contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day fund, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on his X.

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Armed Forces Flag Day is observed every year on 7 December in India to honour the soldiers, airmen and sailors of the Indian Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, on 07th December, today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is scheduled to be in the Leh district of UT Ladakh, has already arrived in Leh.

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#WATCH | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Leh, Ladakh.



He tweets, "Today, 07th December, I shall be in Leh, Ladakh. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed 125 strategically significant infrastructure projects including Shyok Tunnel, across 07 States and pic.twitter.com/bo0MovF2GU  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

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"The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed 125 strategically significant infrastructure projects including Shyok Tunnel, across 07 States and 02 Union Territories. Looking forward to it," the defence minister said in a post earlier today.

(For more news apart from PM Modi expresses gratitude to defence forces on Armed Forces Flag Day," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
IndiGo flight cancellation in Chandigarh: Around 30 flights cancelled; 8,000 passengers impacted

Over 600 Indigo flights were cancelled across the country just yesterday.

IndiGo flight cancellation in Chandigarh: Punjab Civil Aviation Secretary Sonali Giri on Sunday said that due to the ongoing IndiGo airline's flight disruptions across the country, around 30 flights were cancelled, which impacted nearly 8,000 passengers.

She told news agency ANI that the Punjab Civil Aviation Department held a meeting with officials of IndiGo and other airlines, as well as the CISF.

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A control room has been set up to resolve problems faced by passengers, and a helpline number has been issued through which affected passengers can check the status of their flights. She added that baggage-handling information can also be retrieved, and the luggage will be delivered to passengers at their homes.

Approximately 30 flights were cancelled in the last 2-3 days, and today there were also 5 cancellations, about which the passengers were already informed. 7000-8000 passenger movements were impacted, but today's situation is much better, Sonali Giri added.

She appreciated the passengers for handling the situation carefully and hailed the CISF for controlling the situation.

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The food and stay of the passengers were taken care of by the airline. And as well the accommodations.. she added.

#WATCH | Chandigarh | On IndiGo flight cancellation, Punjab Civil Aviation Secretary Sonali Giri says, "We held a meeting with the officials of IndiGo and other airlines, as well as CISF. A control room was set up here for the problems faced by the passengers and a number was pic.twitter.com/COKT1ngq1H Advertisement December 7, 2025

Over 600 Indigo flights were cancelled across the country just yesterday. Protests by frustrated passengers in the airports across the nation have been seen over the past few days. In some airports, passengers, including elderly citizens and children, were left without water and forced to sleep on concrete in December's cold.

People missed important moments of their lives as they remained stuck at an airport. A couple was seen attending their own wedding reception virtually while the guests attended the reception at home.

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In the wake of the widespread flight disruption, the government placed Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms in abeyance, which many called "arm-twisting" by the airline.

As devastation went on for several days, airfares of other airlines, including Air India, skyrocketed, prompting the centre to impose a nationwide cap on domestic economy-class airfares.

Ranchi: Stranded passengers at Birsa Munda Airport amid IndiGo flight disruptions, in Ranchi, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (PTI Photo)

The disruptions continue for the seventh day straight today, with passengers continuing to be affected by delays, cancellations, and related issues.

#WATCH | Delhi: Visuals from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, where IndiGo passengers continue to be affected amid flight disruptions and cancellations. pic.twitter.com/FrJefzjz2L  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

At the core of all this chaos stands the centre's FDTL norms, which the airline completely failed to adjust itself to. The FDTL norms gave pilots increased rest time from the earlier 36 hours per week to 48 hours per week.

The rule was introduced last year in January 2024, and reports say that Indigo had almost two years to adjust itself as per the rules; however, its failure to do so has led to the historic flight disruption.

(For more news apart from IndiGo flight cancellation in Chandigarh: Around 30 flights cancelled; 8,000 passengers impacted," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
BREAKING NEWS: Ciprian Ciucu wins the mayoral race in Bucharest

Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) is the new mayor of Romania's capital city.

Ciprian Ciucu Photo: Agerpres

Radio Romania International, 07.12.2025, 21:05

UPDATE 4: Final results: Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) is the new mayor of Bucharest, after winning the mayoral election in Bucharest, with 36.16% of the votes. Ranking second was Anca Alexandrescu (AUR) with 21.94%.Daniel Baluta (PSD) came third with 20.51%, followed by Catalin Drula (USR) with 13.90% and Ana Ciceala (SENS), with 5.85%.

UPDATE 3: After the count of 99,92 of all cast votes, Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) secures a clear victory in the Bucharest mayoral race, with 35.76% of the votes. He is followed by Anca Alexandrescu (AUR) with 21.69%, Daniel Baluta (PSD) with 20.27% and Catalin Drula (USR) with 13.74%.

I want to convey a message of unity to the parties in the ruling coalition, especially those of center-right orientation. We will have a lot of work to do together, at the Bucharest City Hall, as we will have many projects to carry through. I want to make of Bucharest the project of my life, not just on short term, but in the long run. Cities that are truly changing need mayors to stay there, for the long haul, said Ciprian Ciucu, shortly after the results of the exil polls were made public, at 9 p.m.

UPDATE 2: Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) is the clear winner of the mayoral race in Bucharest, after the count of 97.13% of the votes, with 35.48%. He is followed by Anca Alexandrescu (AUR) with 21.83%, Daniel Baluta (PSD) with 20.39% and Catalin Drula (USR) with 13.71%.

UPDATE 1: After the count of some 95% of the cast votes in the mayoral election in Bucharest, Ciprian Ciucu (PNL) is the new mayor of Bucharest.

According to exit polls, Ciprian Ciucu is set to win the mayoral race in Romanias capital city, Bucharest.

The poll conducted by CURS-Avangard places the Liberal candidate in first place, with 32.7% of the votes, followed by Daniel Baluta (PSD) with 26.3%, Anca Alexandrescu (AUR) with 20.2%, Catalin Drula (USR) with 12.8% and Ana Ciceala (SENS), with 6%.

According to SOCIOPOL, ranking first is Ciprian Ciucu with 32%, followed by Daniel Baluta  27%, Anca Alexandrescu -19%, Catalin Drula  12% and Ana Ciceala  8 %.

INSCOP credits Ciprian Ciucu with 31.7% of the cast votes, followed by Daniel Baluta (PSD)  26.1%, Anca Alexandrescu  21.1%, Catalin Drula  12.8% and Ana Ciceala  7%.

Voter turnout stood at 32.17% (589,918 cast votes), approximately 5% lower than in the 2024 mayoral election in Bucharest.
December 7, 2025

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsflash

Newsroom, 07.12.2025, 13:40

Elections. By-elections are held today in Romania for the position of Buzau County Council president and mayor of the capital Bucharest and 12 other localities. Almost 1,800,000 voters are expected at the ballots in Bucharest in the almost 1,300 voting stations, to elect their new general mayor, as Nicusor Dan left this post to become the president of the country in May. 15 candidates are in the race for mayor of Bucharest. 11 are backed by political parties and an electoral alliance and 4 are running as independents. By 6 pm local time, some 27% of voters had cast their ballots, fewer than at the same time at the previous local elections, in June 2024. Apart from the administrative importance of the vote, todays elections are also an X-ray of the current political scene in Romania.

Motion. A no-confidence motion against Ilie Bolojans government, made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, will be presented in a plenary parliamentary session on Monday. The motion was initiated by MPs who entered Parliament last December as candidates of the populist opposition parties SOS Romania and the Party of Young People, but have since left these parties. They accuse the government of being incapable of managing the countrys vital areas, from finance to social protection. The ruling parties are giving assurances that the motion will fail, as the ruling coalition has a comfortable majority in Parliament. The debate and vote on the motion are due to take place on 15th December.

Agriculture. Only 30% of Romanian farmers obtained European or national funding this year, while 70% say they did not benefit from any form of support because of the bureaucracy or the shortage of human and financial resources to work on the projects. These are the conclusions of a White Paper on Agriculture report published by the organisation defending the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. The organisation says most of the farmers who made investments used the money for the modernisation of their agricultural equipment and machinery, the refurbishment of administrative spaces, accounting and marketing services, consultancy for European projects and for digitalisation. However, 12% of farmers have channelled the funds into maintaining their current activity, that is, for the survival of their business.

Visit. Romanian President Nicusor Dan will pay a visit to France on Monday and Tuesday, according to the presidents office. He will be received by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and will meet Romanians living in France. Nicusor Dan is also due to have talks with representatives of French business companies, visit the Thales factory specialising in the manufacture of defence and space products, and meet the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.

Defence. German defence minister Boris Pistorius will visit the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogalniceanu, in the south-east of Romania, on Tuesday. The talks with the Romanian officials will focus on bilateral defence cooperation, joint projects and the latest developments with respect to regional security. The visit by minister Pistorius demonstrates Germanys constant commitment to Romanias security and to strengthening cooperation within NATO, the Romanian defence ministry said in a statement.

Pensions. The Constitutional Court of Romania will analyse on December 10 a notification from the High Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the governments second version of a bill amending retirement rules for magistrates. The government recently assumed responsibility in Parliament for this new law that limits the pensions of judges and prosecutors to 70% of the net income earned in their last month before retirement and gradually increases their retirement age to 65 years. The High Court of Cassation and Justice says the bill discriminates against other categories of employees who benefit from special pensions, is unclear and lacks predictability. Previously, it also challenged the governments first version of the bill to reform magistrates pensions, with the Constitutional Court saying the bill was unconstitutional on procedural grounds.

Book fair. Today is the last day of the 32nd edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania. Since Wednesday, book lovers have had the chance to attend hundreds of publishing events, from meetings with writers to the promotion of cultural and educational projects. The fair has brought together 180 exhibitors, including prestigious publishers, Romanian and foreign book distributors, university publishing houses and higher education institutions, as well as music distributors. (CM)
December 7, 2025

Romania holds by-elections today in the capital Bucharest and other places around the country.

Newsflash

Newsroom, 07.12.2025, 11:33

By-elections are held today in Romania for the position of Buzau County Council president and mayor of the capital Bucharest and 12 others localities. Almost 1,800,000 voters are expected at the ballots in Bucharest in the almost 1,300 voting stations, to elect their new general mayor, as Nicusor Dan left this post to become the president of the country in May. 15 candidates are in the race for mayor of Bucharest. 11 who are backed by political parties and an electoral alliance and 4 are running as independents. Apart from the administrative importance of the vote, todays elections are also an X-ray of the current political scene in Romania.
November 7, 2025 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

November 7, 2025 UPDATE

Newsroom, 07.12.2025, 19:30

Visit. Romanian President Nicusor Dan will pay a visit to France on Monday and Tuesday, according to the presidents office. He will be received by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and will meet Romanians living in France. Nicusor Dan is also due to have talks with representatives of French business companies, visit the Thales factory specialising in the manufacture of defence and space products, and meet mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.

Motion. A no-confidence motion against Ilie Bolojans government, made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, will be presented in a plenary parliamentary session on Monday. The motion was initiated by MPs who entered Parliament last December as candidates of the populist opposition parties SOS Romania and the Party of Young People, but have since left these parties. They accuse the government of being incapable of managing the countrys vital areas, from finance to social protection. The ruling parties are giving assurances that the motion will fail, as the ruling coalition has a comfortable majority in Parliament. The debate and vote on the motion are due to take place on 15th December.

Agriculture. Only 30% of Romanian farmers obtained European or national funding this year, while 70% say they did not benefit from any form of support because of the bureaucracy or the shortage of human and financial resources to work on the projects. These are the conclusions of a White Paper on Agriculture report published by the organisation defending the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. The organisation says most of the farmers who made investments used the money for the modernisation of their agricultural equipment and machinery, the refurbishment of administrative spaces, accounting and marketing services, consultancy for European projects and for digitalisation. However, 12% of farmers have channelled the funds into maintaining their current activity, that is, for the survival of their business.

Book fair. The state is doing nothing to encourage reading, said Sabina Fati, the honorary president of this years edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organised by Radio Romania. A well-known journalist, writer and foreign politics commentator, Fati deplored last summers increase in the VAT on books from 5 to 11% and the fact that 95% of the Romanian population say they didnt buy a single book this year. The fair, which came to an end on Sunday, brought together 180 exhibitors, including prestigious publishers, Romanian and foreign book distributors, university publishing houses and higher education institutions, as well as music distributors. (CM)
Japan will release Q3 figures for gross domestic product, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In the second quarter, GDP was down 0.4 percent on quarter and 1.8 percent on year.

Japan also will see October numbers for current account and November data for bank lending and the eco watchers index. In September, the current account surplus was Y4.483 trillion. In October, overall bank lending was up 4.1 percent on year and the eco watchers index had a score of 49.1.

China will release November numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. In October, imports were up 1.0 percent and exports slipped an annual 1.1 percent for a trade surplus of $90.07 billion.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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One of the most powerful volcanic events of the past 10,000 years occurred on the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea, yet researchers have long debated whether it took place in the late 17th or 16th century BCE. Ash from the eruption spread across much of the eastern Mediterranean, prompting archaeologists to question how this dramatic event aligned with ancient Egyptian chronology. A research team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Groningen has now provided the first radiocarbon dates related to King Ahmose, the ruler known for reunifying Upper and Lower Egypt and founding the New Kingdom. Their results suggest that the Santorini eruption happened before the New Kingdom, placing it in the Second Intermediate Period. These new measurements strongly support a "low" (i.e. younger) timeline for the start of the 18th Dynasty, a shift that reshapes our understanding of Egypts interactions with nearby cultures.

Their findings were published in PLOS One.

New Radiocarbon Sampling From Key Egyptian Artifacts

Prof. Hendrik J. Bruins of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at BGU's Sylan Adams Sde Boker Campus and Prof. Johannes van der Plicht of the University of Groningen received exceptional access to select artifacts from the British Museum and the Petrie Museum in London. Under the supervision of museum teams, they collected samples from several objects for radiocarbon dating. These included a mudbrick from the Ahmose Temple at Abydos (British Museum), a linen burial cloth linked to Satdjehuty (British Museum), and six wooden stick shabtis from Thebes (Petrie Museum).

Revised Timeline for the Santorini Eruption and Early Dynasties

Analysis of the samples showed that the massive eruption did not take place during the Egyptian New Kingdom, as some earlier interpretations suggested. Instead, it occurred earlier in the Second Intermediate Period. The radiocarbon ages for the Santorini event were markedly older than the first radiocarbon dates obtained for artifacts associated with Pharaoh Ahmose and those from the 17th to early 18th Dynasty.

"Our findings indicate that the Second Intermediate Period lasted considerably longer than traditional assessments, and the New Kingdom started later," says Prof. Hendrik J. Bruins.
Reform UK expelled a senior local figure on Friday after broadcaster Sangita Myska alleged she had been subjected to racial slurs, with the Guardian reporting that Nigel Farage's rhetoric was emboldening attacks on people of colour. Myska, who has presented programmes for the BBC and LBC, said former Staffordshire council leader Ian Cooper told her she was English "only in your dreams" because of her south Asian heritage. Cooper, a twotime Reform UK parliamentary candidate, was forced to resign his council leadership role after the party revoked his membership. The Guardian noted that the incident has raised fresh concerns about the tone of political debate and its impact on minority communities.

Reform UK secured a highprofile defection over the weekend as Lord Malcolm Offord, a millionaire Conservative donor elevated to the Lords by Boris Johnson, announced he was quitting the Tories to join Nigel Farages party, the Independent reported. Offord said he planned to stand for election to the Scottish parliament next year, arguing the Scottish Conservatives had given up on the country. Farage introduced the former Tory minister at a rally in Falkirk on Saturday, hailing the move as "a brave and historic act" and predicting Offord would have a transformative impact on Reform's presence in Scotland. The Independent noted the defection marks a significant boost for Farage as he seeks to expand the party's influence north of the border.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that "next steps" had been agreed in talks with the United States over the country's postwar future, the Independent reported. Zelensky posted on X that he had spoken with Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Trumps soninlaw Jared Kushner to review the third day of discussions, and would await the return of negotiators Rustem Umerov and General Hnatov from Florida before working on "ideas and proposals". Earlier in the day, Zelensky condemned Russia's latest drone strike as meaningless from a military point of view, accusing Moscow of seeking only to inflict suffering on millions of Ukrainians. The Independent noted the comments came as Kyiv continued to face regular overnight attacks despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Justice secretary David Lammy unveiled plans this week to tackle the crown court backlog by introducing "swift courts", the Times reported. Under the proposals, judges sitting alone would decide guilt in cases carrying sentences of up to three years, as well as complex fraud trials, while magistrates' sentencing powers would be extended to 18 months. With around 80,000 cases currently waiting to be heard and forecasts suggesting the queue could top 100,000 without intervention, Lammy argued the reforms could cut trial times by 20% and rescue the system from "total collapse". However, senior legal figures told the Times they doubted the measures would resolve the crisis, pointing instead to deeper dysfunctions in the chronically underfunded justice system.

Airbus is set to safeguard 2,750 UK engineering jobs after reaching a longawaited agreement with Boeing, the Times reported. Sources said the world's largest aircraft manufacturer will confirm as early as Monday that it is taking on 1,550 staff at the former Short Brothers factory in Belfast and 1,200 roles at Prestwick in Scotland. The move forms part of Boeing's $4.7bn takeover of Spirit AeroSystems, which owns both sites, and follows months of uncertainty for workers kept in place by shortterm arrangements while negotiations continued. According to the Times, the deal will provide significant relief across the UK aerospace sector, where job security had been in question since Boeing first announced its acquisition plans last year.

Elon Musk has called for the European Union to be "abolished" after the bloc fined his social media platform X 120m, the Telegraph reported. Musk lashed out at officials over transparency breaches and threatened to pursue individual countries in a series of posts on the site, which he rebranded from Twitter in 2022. "The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people," he wrote. Polish prime minister Donald Tusk later defended the bloc, describing Europe as America's closest ally, while tensions between Washington and Brussels continued to mount. According to the Telegraph, Donald Trump's administration released a national security strategy on Thursday accusing the EU of undermining "political liberty and sovereignty," censoring free speech and encouraging uncontrolled migration, while pledging to prioritise fair treatment of US workers and businesses in dealings with the continent.
The application to join the FDNY is typically open every four to five years  though this timeline is subject to change (Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)

In order to become a New York City firefighter, youre required to first take a civil service exam.

But you may be waiting a while.

The application to join the FDNY is typically open every four to five years  though this timeline is subject to change.

The last time the application for FDNY was open was July 2024. That means, according to the usual timeline, the application wont open again until at least 2028 or 2029.

But there is still time to prepare for the exam.

The test doesnt require you to have any special knowledge of firefighting or the fire department.

It includes multiple-choice questions that test on reading, problem-solving, and applying rules and concepts. And the fire department hosts free prep sessions for the written test.

The exam preparation resources are available at joinfdny.com/fdny-exam-preparation.

What happens after the exam?

Once you pass this written test, you also must participate in an in-person interview with FDNY officers.

Once the exam is completed, you are considered to be a firefighter applicant, and your name will be placed on order of performance and other factors. Candidates will then be called to take the physical portion of the exam. Applicants also undergo a medical and psychological evaluation, a drug screening, and a background check.

Candidates will be called based on the list number and need, which can take up to multiple years.

Whats the salary and job description?

The current minimum salary as a firefighter is $54,122 per annum. Incumbents will receive salary increments reaching $105,146 per annum at the completion of five and one half years of employment. All rates are subject to change.

Heres what the job entails, according to city Department of Citywide Administrative Services:

Under supervision, firefighters assist in the control and extinguishment of fires, in providing pre-hospital emergency medical care, and in the enforcement of laws, ordinances, rules and regulations regarding the prevention, control and extinguishment of fires, as well as perform Fire Safety Education activities; perform inspections and related enforcement duties, such as issuing criminal court summonses and vacate orders, to assure compliance with provisions of the Fire Prevention Code and applicable sections of the Building Code, Multiple Dwelling Code, Housing Maintenance Code, Labor Law and other laws, rules and regulations, within enforcement purviews of the New York City Fire Department; perform inspections of equipment and schedule as necessary the maintenance of various tools and equipment, including but not limited to power tools, company apparatus, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (S.C.B.A) and other personal safety equipment; and perform related work. Some of the physical activities performed by Firefighters and environmental conditions experienced are: wearing protective clothing, such as bunker suit, helmet, boots and breathing apparatus; crawling, crouching and standing, often for prolonged periods, while extinguishing fires; driving fire apparatus and other Department vehicles; climbing stairs, ladders and fire escapes; raising portable ladders; using forcible entry tools, such as axes, sledge hammers, power saws and hydraulic tools; searching for victims in smoke-filled environments; carrying or dragging victims from dangerous locations; connecting, stretching and operating hose lines; locating hidden fire by feel and smell; providing medical assistance to injured or ill citizens; and providing control and mitigation of hazardous materials incidents while wearing chemical protective clothing.
In March, Dr. Jeffrey A. Doggett, president of Wagner College, Grymes Hill, made the decision to propose decommissioning some low-enrollment programs and instead focus on expanding core programs and creating new ones. (Advance/SILive.com | Mark Stein)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Wagner College is continuing its efforts to enhance academic excellence and better serve students, building on earlier plans to invest in new programs while phasing out others.

In March, the Grymes Hill colleges president, Dr. Jeffrey A. Doggett, made the decision to propose decommissioning some low-enrollment programs and instead focus on expanding core programs and creating new ones.

Were going to evolve over time and grow more unique programs, said Doggett in March.

This proposal to decommission programs was approved, which means several programs will no longer be available after the spring 2026 semester has concluded.

Here is a list of decommissioned programs:

Anthropology (and all minors/tracks)

Certificate in Leadership

Dance Education

English (and all minors/tracks)

Environmental Studies (and all minors/tracks)

Government and Politics (and all minors/tracks)

History (and all minors/tracks, including American Studies)

Mathematics

Modern Languages (majors and minors)

Music

Music Education PreK -12

Philosophy and Religious Studies (and all minors/tracks)

Physical Sciences (chemistry and physics)

Sociology (and all minors/tracks)

Visual Arts

In regard to new programs, faculty have approved majors in digital design and human services, which will have three tracks: criminology, pre-law, and social work. The college continues to work on approving a new major in business analytics.

Any new major proposed by the school requires state approval before students can be admitted into a program, a college spokesperson explained.

Once all three new programs are approved, the majors could be implemented by the fall 2026 semester.

These changes mark the first step toward stabilizing enrollment at Wagner College.

After the announcement of the restructuring, enrollment has held steady at the college. The total enrollment was 1,997 at the start of the fall 2025 semester  just four students less than the start of the fall 2024 semester, according to a Wagner College spokesperson.

Going forward, Wagner College will invest in key programs, including:

Nursing

Physician Assistant

Psychology (all concentrations) Biopsychology

Business, including: Accounting Business Administration Economics Finance Management Marketing Sports Management

Theatre

Education

Biological Sciences, including: Health Sciences Biopsychology General Biology Microbiology & Immunology Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry Neuroscience

Arts Administration

Computer Science/Information Systems

According to a college spokesperson, students will continue to be required to take core curriculum classes in topics like writing, ethics, math, science, art, and more.

Doggett said in March he has other plans to reinvent the college, like expanding classroom sizes through repurposing and restructuring existing campus spaces, and re-establishing relationships and partnerships with businesses in the community, like hospitals.

The program cuts and reinvention plans at Wagner come a year after St. Johns University closed its Staten Island campus at the conclusion of the spring 2024 semester, following a 50-plus year run on the borough.

Now, Wagner College stands as the only private institution of higher education in the borough, and more than half its students are residents of Staten Island who commute.

The school was founded in 1883 as a Lutheran seminary prep school in Rochester, New York. It relocated to Staten Island at the end of World War I, and later moved to its current 105-acre campus on Grymes Hill in 1918.
COMPANY NEWS: Informatica recognised with multiple 2025 AWS Partner Awards Informatica introduces new Model Context Protocol servers for Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, CLAIRE AI integration with Anthropic Claude via Amazon Bedrock and Agentic Blueprint for enterprises at AWS re:Invent 2025

Informatica from Salesforce, a leader in enterprise AI-powered cloud data management, today unveiled new advancements at AWS re:Invent 2025 that deepen the integration between Informaticas Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) platform and Amazon Web Services (AWS). These updates give customers a stronger foundation to build enterprise-grade AI agents powered by trusted, high-quality and well-governed data.

Additionally, Informatica was also recognised as the recipient of two 2025 Geography and Global AWS Partner Awards: Industry Partner of the Year - Healthcare & Life Sciences (HCLS) - Technology | Global and Sustainability Partner of the Year (Nomination-Based Award) | Global. Announced during the Partner Awards Gala at AWS re:Invent 2025, this recognition highlights Informaticas commitment to driving measurable business outcomes for customers through innovation, sustainability, and collaboration with AWS.

Informatica MCP Servers for Building Agents on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore

Informatica introduced new Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers that enable enterprises to build autonomous AI agents in Amazon Bedrock AgentCore using Informaticas trusted data management services, including data integration, governance and quality.

With these MCP servers, developers can extend Informaticas IDMC into Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, providing enterprise-ready data management capabilities to any agent. Customers can now design agents that connect to, interpret and act on governed data in near real-time, improving accuracy, traceability and compliance in AI-driven operations.

Informatica also achieved AWS Agentic AI Specialisation, a category launched within AWS AI Competency. This specialisation recognises Informatica as an AWS Partner enabling customers to deploy smart, self-operating AI systems that can think, plan and work independently to execute complex business processes.

CLAIRE AI Engine Integration with Anthropic Claude through Amazon Bedrock

Informaticas CLAIRE AI Engine now leverages Anthropics Claude models through Amazon Bedrock, bringing advanced reasoning, semantic parsing and natural language understanding to Informaticas agentic services.

This integration enhances CLAIREs ability to support intelligent agents across data integration, data quality, governance and Master Data Management (MDM). With Anthropic Claude via Amazon Bedrock, CLAIRE Agents can perform complex tasks such as schema grounding, SQL optimisation and semantic query generation, accelerating how enterprises manage, access and trust their data.

Blueprint for Enterprise Agents on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore

Informatica also unveiled the next evolution of its Enterprise Agent Blueprint, a prescriptive framework that helps customers and partners design, optimise, scale and implement agentic AI systems on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore.

The blueprint leverages Informaticas pre-built connectors, MCP servers and a rich API layer for critical data management functions. It offers customers a clear path to deliver enterprise-grade, trusted and scalable autonomous agents that meet the most stringent governance, security and performance standards.

General Availability of CDI Connector for Amazon SageMaker Lakehouse

Informatica announced the general availability of its Cloud Data Integration (CDI) connector for Amazon SageMaker Lakehouse, giving customers the ability to ingest data from more than 300 sources and rapidly build no-code, low-code pipelines for machine learning, generative AI and analytics.

With support for Apache Iceberg, the connector provides open, interoperable access to large-scale datasets, simplifying how data scientists and engineers prepare, transform and operationalise data across AWS analytics and AI environments.



As AI becomes more autonomous, the quality and governance of the underlying data become critical, said Krish Vitaldevara, Chief Product Officer at Informatica. Our collaboration with AWS empowers customers to confidently build intelligent, compliant agents with the best of Amazon Bedrock AgentCore and Informaticas enterprise data management expertise. Being recognised with two AWS Partner Awards further underscores the impact were driving for customers.



We selected Informatica on AWS as part of a best-in-breed approach. We were impressed by its strong product vision and its AI-powered capabilities that align perfectly with our long-term roadmap, said Benoit Abadie, Group Deputy CIO, Emeria Group. Informaticas cloud platform gives us the trusted, high-quality data foundation we need to explore new opportunities in automation and AI accelerating innovation and improving decision-making across the Emeria Group.

As enterprises begin exploring agentic AI, they need trusted data foundations to power these intelligent agents and deliver real business value, said Rahul Pathak, Vice President of Data and AI GTM at AWS. Through our collaboration with Informatica, customers can now seamlessly connect their enterprise data from Informatica's Intelligent Data Management Cloud platform to Amazon Bedrock AgentCore. This allows them to build agents that are secure, context-aware, and ready to drive innovation at scale."

Together, these innovations reflect Informaticas deepening collaboration with AWS to help enterprises transition from AI experimentation to AI at scale. Informaticas trusted data foundation, powered by CLAIRE and offering integrations within Amazon Bedrock, provides the intelligence, governance and scalability required to deliver responsible, high-impact agentic AI across the enterprise.
In this June 24, 2011 photo, a nurse in El Salvador takes a blood sample to be tested for HIV/AIDS during the national day for testing HIV/AIDS in San Salvador. ASSOCIATED PRESS

The citys latest HIV Surveillance Annual Report cites an increase in the number of residents diagnosed with the disease, while health officials voice concerns over looming federal budget cuts.

Across New York City, 1,791 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2024, representing a 5.4% increase from 2023.

On Staten Island, there were 39 new diagnoses of HIV reported in 2024, with 2,608 borough residents living with HIV and 44 HIV-related deaths, the data shows.

The report showed stark racial and ethnic disparities in new HIV diagnoses due to structural racism, poverty, the legacy of housing segregation, unfair access to health care, and other systemic factors, according to a press release issued by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Roughly 86% of people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2024 were Black or Latino/Latina, according to the report.

The data comes as federal funding cuts loom.

The federal government has proposed shuttering the entire Division of HIV Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and fully eliminating $755 million in CDC funding for HIV prevention, according to reports.

If enacted, the citys health department would lose over $41 million in funding, which city officials say is used to identify people newly diagnosed with HIV, connect them to treatment and offer partner services.

Over the past quarter century, numbers across the five boroughs have improved drastically, data shows.

Since 2001, new diagnoses across New York City are down more than 70%, data shows. However, progress has stalled, city health experts say.

In the last three decades, weve made immense progress toward ending the HIV epidemic in New York City, said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. Yet this progress has stalled as new diagnoses have increased or remained stable for the fourth year in a row.
Under new City of Yes zoning rules, small apartment buildings can now be constructed in low-density neighborhoods along the Staten Island Railway. Staten Island Advance

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Some local builders are concerned that one aspect of the City of Yes zoning changes, which have been overwhelmingly celebrated by developers, may have gone a step too far.

The Advance/SILive.com editorial board recently sat down with officials from the Building Industry Association of NYC to discuss the impacts the City of Yes will have on the future landscape of Staten Island.

The builders, who voiced their support for various aspects of the massive zoning initiative, took issue with one specific part of the transit-oriented development component.

Representatives from the Building Industry Association of NYC spoke with the Advance/SILive.com editorial board on Nov. 25, 2025, to voice concerns about the City of Yes. Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel

Under the zoning changes, the city has re-legalized the construction of small apartment buildings in low-density areas so long as they meet various requirements, which include being located near a mass transit station.

The issue, the builders said, is that the new rules allow these apartments to be built too far from Staten Island Railway stations that qualify them for the development.

Its very aggressive. Its basically a blank sheet of paper. If youre within 2,500 feet of any of the Staten Island Railway stops, either station, you qualify, said Robert Kelly, chair of government relations for the Building Industry Association of NYC.

Theres a spot for some of these buildings, right? And I believe theyre much closer to the train stations themselves than what the City Council or [City Planning] Commission has devised... its just too large, he added.

Robert Kelly, chair of government relations for the Building Industry Association of NYC, spoke with the Advance/SILive.com editorial board on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel

To qualify for a transit-oriented development increase in density, a lot on Staten Island must be located within a half-mile of a Staten Island Railway station.

A Department of City Planning map that highlights the areas where transit-oriented development is permitted shows that the boroughs transit zone essentially spans the entire length of the rail line due to the spacing of the stations.

This map from the Department of City Planning shows areas on Staten Island where transit-oriented development now permits small apartment buildings in low-density neighborhoods. (Department of City Planning) Department of City Planning

Additionally, the lot must be at least 5,000 square feet and on the short end of the block or facing a street that is at least 75 feet wide.

These apartment buildings can range from three to five stories, depending on the existing zoning in the area.

A representative from the Department of City Planning told the Advance/SILive.com that the half-mile radius was chosen as a commonly-used urban planning measure for a comfortable walking distance to transit.

Modest apartment buildings exist in town centers across the outer boroughs, and in fact help give New York neighborhoods much of the character that we know and love. City of Yes made targeted zoning changes to re-legalize these three-, four-, or five-story buildings where they fit into the neighborhood, enabling a little more housing in every neighborhood in order to address the citys dire housing crisis. Over time, these changes will play an important, but gradual, role in giving New Yorkers the housing options they need, a City Planning spokesperson said.
Huguenot resident Christine Fiscardi Lentinello created "Guido on a Ledge" to inspire Italian pride. I think a guido is someone who believes in putting family first. Someone who is confident, generous and extremely proud of his heritage, Lentinello noted. The title of guido is not a joke. Its a compliment. (Courtesy of Chrissy and Biscuit Bliss Novelty)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Youve heard of Elf on the Shelf. Now, thanks to a Staten Island small business owner, theres Guido on a Ledge.

Christine Fiscardi Lentinello, a Huguenot resident, has taken the word guido and flipped it into a term of endearment.

I think a guido is someone who believes in putting family first. Someone who is confident, generous and extremely proud of his heritage, Lentinello said to the Advance/SILive.com earlier this year. The title of guido is not a joke. Its a compliment.

Thats why in 2022, Lentinello built her business based on the cultural archetype.

Were having a lot of fun with this, Lentinello said. Theres currently Christmas guido and birthday guido, and Im hoping to add more to the collection soon.

Decked out in a tank top, shorts and slides, the plush is accessorized with shades, a chain and a wristwatch. Birthday guido holds a cake decorated like an Italian flag. Although Guido on a Ledge is the perfect holiday gift, Lentinello says he has no magical capabilities and exists mostly to elicit a few laughs.

Its a cute gift or a conversation starter, she said. Wrap it around a bottle of wine or put a gift card in his hands. As soon as people see it, they crack up laughing.

Lentinello sells Guido on a Ledge through her brand, Chrissy and Biscuit Bliss Novelty, for $25. She also regularly sets up a table at fairs and local events.

I market it on social media and honestly most of my sales are through word of mouth, Lentinello said. I receive messages from people in Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee. I think this plush has traveled more than me. But I also hype it up locally  Im not afraid to walk into a pizzeria and ask the owners if theyd like to purchase.

Lentinello is proud of the way her small biz has grown so rapidly.

I love what I created, she concluded.

Ive learned so much with this little side hustle, done things I never thought I could do and proved to myself that you really can do anything that you put your mind to. Im very optimistic about what the future will bring.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In the basement of Staten Island Technical High School in New Dorp, a former computer science room has been transformed into a small cafe that offers a valuable opportunity for students with special needs to develop essential job skills. This supportive environment allows them to gain practical experience while also fostering their independence and confidence in the workplace.

The cafe is called Barks and Beaks, named after the mascots of the two schools: the bark of a husky for P37R, a school for students with special needs such as autism, and the beak of a seagull for Staten Island Technical High School, a specialized academic high school where eight P37R students have been co-located.

Rob Leavy, a special education teacher at P37R said: We are a District 75 Special Education program that places a strong emphasis on developing vocational and life skills for our students as they prepare to transition from our program. This coffee shop is just one of the ways we equip our students for the next step in their journey.

Dr. Cori Regan, principal at P37R, the David Marquis School of the Arts, said: We are always looking for pathways for our students as they transition out of the school, especially for those with skills they have developed over the years. These students are very capable of succeeding.

Staten Island Tech school social worker Jessica Pisano and school counselor Chris Maddaluno stop by the cafe for a snack on Dec. 3, 2025. Staten Island Advance

Tech school social worker Jessica Pisano said: In the beginning... they (Tech students) were a little uncomfortable. They didnt want to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, but now the girls have genuine friendships, which is so amazing to see.

Zoe Zborowski, a senior at Staten Island Tech, visits Matthew Gellerstein, a delivery person for the Barks and Beaks Cafe at Staten Island Technical High School. Staten Island Advance

In the Barks and Beaks Cafe program, students learn how to prepare and serve food and drinks while improving their communication skills. The program emphasizes the application of academic knowledge in a coffee shop setting, where students practice taking orders, making coffee, and creating various recipes. Ultimately, they develop their ability to work effectively as part of a supportive team.

The program benefits both groups of students. The high achieving students from Tech learn that there are people outside of their shared academic life that need patience, kindness, camaraderie, and maybe, sometimes, a little help.

Leavy explained that each zone in the facility is thoughtfully designed to build on the skills students already possess, including life skills, language, communication, literacy and math. For example, the Point of Sale system emphasizes active listening. Students must listen to customers to understand their orders, ask relevant follow-up questions, and gather essential information, such as names. They also need to communicate effectively with cooks and baristas, creating a realistic experience similar to that of a coffee cafe in the community.

It has been a wonderful endeavor, said Tech Principal Mark Erlenwein. So much unexpected good has come from this co-location operation.
It was easier to walk at Hylan Boulevard and Seaview Avenue in 1980, one of the Island's traditional flooding spots. A sewer project currently under way on Seaview Avenue relieved the condition. Staten Island Advance

Hi Neighbor,

My pal, Grasmere Steve, and I had wondered for years what was going on at Seaview Avenue and Hylan Boulevard in Dongan Hills.

Strong gusts of wind blew sheets of plaster board from a construction site at Hylan Boulevard and Seaview Avenue Monday Feb 25, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

A vacant building just sat there after plans were filed for a child-care center in 2016. Finally, just a few weeks ago, our Jessica Jones-Gorman reported the early learning and child-care center, along the lines of one the same company operates in Bulls Head, will open mid-2026.

We all know what happens on Staten Island when school lets out.

Traffic. Traffic. Traffic.

The building at 1719 Hylan Blvd., which has been under construction for several years, is now taking shape as childcare services center. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

It got us discussing the mayhem that might result with parents dropping off and picking up their toddlers at one of the most traveled intersections in the area.

It sent me on a trip down memory Lane again, back to the days when you didnt risk life and limb crossing the boulevard at Seaview. When traffic across the Island was not even an issue.

Loads of memories live at that intersection.

For the Weed People  those who lived Below the Boulevard  the intersection at Seaview and Hylan was the gateway into more respected Staten Island environs like Dongan Hills, New Dorp or Grasmere. We lived in Ocean Breeze, but when asked, often said we lived in Dongan Hills. Close enough, we figured.

A band of us kids would venture up Seaview to Flagg Place or Todt Hill Road in search of salamanders that lived in little streams on the hillside.

But before crossing the boulevard into Nirvana, a stop at the Chuck Wagon on Hylan near Liberty Avenue was mandatory. It was the first 15-cent hamburger joint on Staten Island, years before Ronald McDonald found his way over the Verrazzano.

One summer, my buddy Brother  I never knew why that was his nickname  applied for a job flipping burgers at Chuck Wagon. It was the 60s. Brother had hair down to his shoulders. The manager looked at him and pointed at me. Ill hire you, he said. Not him. Not till he gets a haircut.

Brother refused the haircut. I refused the job. It was out of solidarity with Brother. Plus, I wanted the summer off.

A family relaxes in unhurried enjoyment of a fine dinner at Magnotti's Restaurant in Dongan Hills in 1973. The dining spot became The Broadway Pub, Under The Boardwalk and The Boardwalk. (Staten Island Advance) Staten Island Advance

Youd never call Hylan Boulevard a sleepy little roadway, even in those days. But it was nothing like today. Where the child-care center now dominates the stretch of Hylan between Seaview and Cromwell Avenues once sat a little Italian restaurant called Magnottis. It was my familys go-to place. When Magnottis closed, a tavern opened, first called Under the Boardwalk, and then just The Boardwalk. Why the name change? Anyones guess.

But lets get back to traffic.

A friend asked over lunch the other day if a proposed parkway through the Greenbelt connecting the Sunnyside section of the Staten Island Expressway to whats now the Korean War Veterans Parkway leading to the Outerbridge would have been built if Robert Moses had not fallen out favor in the late 1960s.

Moses, if youre new to the history of these parts, was responsible for the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Staten Island Expressway, reshaping the East Shore waterfront . . .not to mention the Triborough Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Bronx Whitestone Bridge, the Henry Hudson Bridge, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, the Throgs Neck Bridge  and a lot more.

Moses had all kinds of extraordinary ideas to move traffic to and from Long Island and in or out of New Jersey and points south, the VN Bridge and Staten Island Expressway the most notable for us.

He had another that would have reshaped the traffic pattern dramatically.

It would be so interesting to go back to the future to see the impact of one of Moses biggest highway plans for Staten Island and how traffic would be today  if it was built.

A series of political battles and a financially controversial  some say disastrous -- 1964 Worlds Fair in Queens, of which he was president, cast a shadow over Moses and his influence was diminished significantly.

Shore Drive, it was called. Moses planned it along with the Staten Island Expressway and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The plan was for the drive to stretch from Fort Wadsworth, along the waterfront, all the way to the Outerbridge.

Wow. But it made sense. Now, those Outerbridge-bound must cross over the width of Staten Island, make a left at the West Shore Expressway, and travel the length of Staten Island.

Shore Drive would have run through Miller Field, New Dorp Beach, a private bungalow colony called Cedar Grove Beach, Great Kills Park, Wolfes Pond Park, over a bridge at Lemon Creek, all the way to the Outerbridge, swallowing up houses along the way.

Shore Drive to Engulf 579 Parcels, 148 Buildings, read the headline in the Advance on July 23, 1962 as plans for the parkway were being advanced.

Staten Islanders back then didnt fight against such projects as we do today. The story noted that legislation providing for the project has already been provided by the state and that its construction is essential to the development of the Island which will follow the competition of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The plan, very real at the time, had the federal government and state splitting the estimated $33.3-million cost.

Before a shovel hit the ground, Moses enormous power dwindled, the city got cold feet and Great Kills Park became part of Gateway National Recreation Area  sacred land in terms of building on it.

Those old enough to remember, or who know the history, grimace when the name Robert Moses and the extraordinary power he wielded, is mentioned. But in the 1950s, he had the vision to see what Staten Island would become 75 years later if something dramatic didnt happen to deal with traffic.

Traffic backs up along Hylan Boulevard near Bedford Avenue in Midland Beach on Thursday, May 8, 2025 (Advance/SILive.com | Mike Matteo) Mike Matteo Mike Matteo

Think about it next time you sit stalled on a choked Hylan Boulevard. Whos has the vision to plan for the now, and next 75 years?

Brian

Oh by the way: Could any of my Republican friends explain the thought process of their leader, Dozing Donny Trump? In the days leading up to the NYC mayoral election, Dozing Donny called Zohran Mamdani a Communist, and a Communist lunatic. He threatened to cut off federal aid to New York if Mamdani won, and many expected the National Guard to be patrolling city streets on January 1. In the days after the election, Trump was showing off the gilded Oval Office to the mayor-elect, telling reporters Mamdani would do a great job, that hed help him succeed and that they have a lot more in common than he thought. I guess whoever paraphrased Shakespeare was right. Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. Or phonies.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  More than one hundred people turned out for the grand opening of the Staten Island Urban Centers new facility at 206 Bay Street in Tompkinsville on Saturday.

Kelly Vilar, CEO of the Urban Center, was excited to welcome a bevy of guests and supporters to explore the new storefront and celebrate with an afternoon of music and activities in a welcoming atmosphere.

Staten Island Urban Center is going into its 10th year in 2026, said Vilar, founder of the center. We have been operating in a very small space right above ETG Cafe next door, so its nice to have a home, with space to expand our programs.

The spacious new multipurpose facility represents a significant upgrade for the organization, which has been providing environmental education, leadership training and cultural programming for local youth and families since its founding.

We were happy to get the support of the Trinity Wall Street philanthropy, which allowed us to renovate the space and to get it all furnished and to be able to open our doors today, Vilar explained.

Judge Raymond L. Rodriguez, administrative judge of the Richmond County Supreme Court, was among those who came to show their support.

Rodriguez, a native Staten Islander, said, This is a wonderful place where we can share our cultures and show how diverse Staten Island is, and we are so lucky to have all of us here because it only enriches everyone.

I was fortunate to have opportunities through the hardworking women in my life, my mom, my grandmothers, and my great-grandmothers. Civic engagement with the youth in our community is critical, so you will always have a partner in me, both personally and with the courts, added Rodriguez.

The new facility will serve multiple functions, housing art exhibitions, dance classes, educational workshops and community gatherings. According to Vilar, the space will feature different artwork from people not just here on Staten Island, but from artists all over the world.

Cultural programming will be a significant focus, with plans to offer West African dance classes as well as Bomba y Plena, which Vilar described as Afro, Puerto Rican, Afro Caribbean, Latin, Caribbean dance. Thats very special to Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban and communities all over South America.

We want to expand our food program... and we want to transition that into a workforce development program where we can teach young people food handling skills as well as learning how to work in a restaurant or learning how to own their own business, Vilar added.

Fern Metcalf reflected on her grandsons transformative experience with the Urban Center. Starting at age 11, her grandson, Tyson, quickly distinguished himself by helping older children, and he continued with the program every summer. Metcalf proudly described how he developed maturity and leadership skills under the centers guidance, eventually being entrusted with significant responsibilities.

Metcalf said, I grew up in urban areas in New York and Brooklyn, and you dont see that all the time. Im not saying it doesnt happen, but to actually see it, witness it, and have a family member experience it. His mother and I are very proud of what he has become under Vilars guidance and the staff of Staten Island Urban Center.

Virginia Allen, a 2005 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement and one of the two surviving Staten Island Black Angels, has a long-standing involvement with the Urban Center.

Allen expressed her immense enthusiasm for the centers new, larger facility, saying, This is fantastic. You can do a lot more here, whether its art or mentoring, especially since its right off the street.

The event opened with Gregory Taylor offering a libation, Make this a safe space, make this a space where creativity can thrive. Make this a space that we all can come and share with one another and be at one with one another.

Guests enjoyed food prepared by Jonathan Padro of Padros Kitchen and Jah-American.
A plan to burn 600,000 tonnes of Sydneys waste in NSWs central west has attracted fierce opposition from farmers, families and traditional owners, who say the proposed $1.5 billion incinerator threatens their health and endangers their livelihoods.

With Sydney projected to run out of landfill space by 2030, the state government last year awarded a tender to a private consortium to build and operate a waste-to-energy facility near Parkes  famed for its Elvis festival, astronomical observatory and the film about its role in the 1969 moon landing.

Third-generation farmer Graeme Somers, 66, on his farm bordering the proposed waste-to-energy facility. Credit: Kate Geraghty

The proposed plant will burn non-recyclable waste at 1000 degrees to create steam, driving turbines to generate electricity.

Emissions from the process pass through a filtration system to remove toxic particles.
For Koolewong locals Craig Gill and wife Sarra Saxon-Gill, the house on the bushy block overlooking Brisbane Waters was a dream home.

That dream turned to embers on Saturday afternoon. Their property was one of 16 destroyed and nine damaged by a fast-moving and furious blaze that overtook the Central Coast suburb.

On Sunday morning, the devastated couple showed the Herald the wreckage of their home. Twisted steel beams  once a support for the garage roof  and melted aluminium littered the ground as they took in the total destruction.

Its all gone, said Saxon-Gill, looking at a still-smouldering tree.
Azul, the only company 100% focused on Java, announced that Ausgrid, Australias largest electricity distributor, has eliminated Oracle Java audit exposure and reduced potential Java licensing costs by 80% after migrating to Azul Platform Core. The migration, completed in just two months, also reduced Java-related vulnerabilities by 99% across Ausgrids IT environment.

Ausgrid distributes energy to more than 1.8 million homes and businesses across Sydney, the Central Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales. The companys 4,000 employees rely on hundreds of applications to deliver these crucial services; some of these applications are managed by teams outside of the technology team.

Ausgrid Solved Audit Anxiety, Security Gaps and Rising Costs All at Once

During a Windows 11 upgrade project, Ausgrids technology team discovered that some of the applications managed by non-technology teams were dependent on various versions of Oracle Java. The timing of this discovery coincided with Oracles 2023 shift from an instance-based license subscription model, to one based on total employee headcount  a change that dramatically increased potential licensing exposure for organisations worldwide.

Under Oracles new model, any single use of Oracle Java could trigger a company-wide fee for every employee, contractor or consultant, regardless of whether they used a company device. For Ausgrid, this could have translated into more than $500,000 per year in potential licensing costs.

Oracles license subscription model was very aggressive, and I was aware of their ability to move the goalposts again at any time, said Glen Parker, senior partner solutions manager at Ausgrid. This represented a risk we simply werent willing to carry forward.

In addition to the financial concerns, Oracle Java was identified as a significant contributor to Ausgrids overall volume of cyber security vulnerabilities. With these concerns in mind, Ausgrid sought a solution which would address both the commercial and the cyber concerns at the same time  ensuring license compliance (eliminating audit concerns) while minimising the associated cost, and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, without disrupting operations.

Proof-of-Concept Deployments Validated Seamless, Secure Migration to Azul Platform Core

One of Ausgrids technology partners recommended Azul Platform Core as a secure and compatible alternative to Oracle Java. To validate compatibility, Azul conducted three proof-of-concept (POC) deployments across Ausgrids applications and device environments.

The Azul Platform Core POCs gave us confidence that migrating to an OpenJDK alternative was the right approach, said Parker. We saw first-hand that moving off Oracle Java wouldnt cause any disruption, which was an important milestone in our evaluation. In addition, we were able to reduce our large volume of outstanding Java-related vulnerabilities by 99%. With Azul Platform Core, we now have a modern, well-supported Java platform with clear, predictable licensing  and the confidence of knowing well be covered in the event Oracle comes knocking to perform an audit of our Java usage.

The full migration was completed in just two months, preserving application stability throughout the transition while resolving both compliance and security concerns.

Ausgrids proactive approach shows how critical it is for enterprises to address Java licensing and security risks before they become compliance crises, said Dean Vaughan, vice president of APAC at Azul. By moving to Azul Platform Core, Ausgrid successfully eliminated three significant business issues in one initiative: audit anxiety, substantial and unplanned license costs, and associated cyber security vulnerabilities.

Learn more about Azul Platform Core here.
There is nothing simple about building roads and railways  especially when those builds are enormous modifications of existing and vital Sydney infrastructure.

Todays report by Transport and Infrastructure editor Matt OSullivan on the Warringah Freeway upgrade is a classic example of no pain, no gain. The pain has not been unsubstantial, but the finish line is coming into view: one more year, authorities say.

The northern end of the Warringah Freeway. Credit: Janie Barrett

The upgrade ultimately will allow motorists to bypass the CBD when the Western Harbour Tunnel opens in late 2028. The 6.5-kilometre project will link the WestConnex motorway under the inner west to the Warringah Freeway in the north.

Since 2022, the Herald has been reporting on disruptions caused to home owners and cyclists as well as motorists trying to figure out their path to the other side of the bridge. Above the tunnelling, residents were stuffing socks between the glass shelves in their fridges to stop them rattling, and trying to prevent their toasters shaking off kitchen benches overnight.
A stoush has erupted between rowers and a Sydney council over plans to build a $3.8 million swim spot on the Parramatta River, amid fears the pool will compromise safety and encroach on a popular two-kilometre rowing course.

Inner West Council wants to install a fixed jetty, pontoon and shark net in Iron Cove on the Callan Park foreshore at Lilyfield. The waterway adjoins the Bay Run walking loop and flows into Sydney Harbour.

Iron Coves 2000-metre rowing course has been used continuously for training and competitions since the 1880s. Credit: Steven Siewert

The council has touted the Callan Park tidal baths, backed by the state government, as a future Sydney icon, while Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne says the spectacular addition is the next step in rehabilitating the river.

But enthusiasts argue the project should not proceed due to concerns about water quality, heritage assets, public safety and the bays long-term viability as a venue for more than 1000 rowers.
Premier David Crisafulli directly lobbied two foreign prime ministers in his bid to host the Quad leaders summit, a day after the federal government rebuffed Queenslands request for a detailed meeting to discuss the proposal.

Documents obtained by this masthead through Right to Information legislation show Crisafulli offered up Brisbane as just one of three potential locations to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to host Australias first Quad.

The summit would bring together the prime ministers of Australia, India and Japan and the President of the United States  a grouping of democracies that, in part, aimed to contain communist Chinas influence in the region.

Premier David Crisafulli has started an ambitious campaign to bring Trump and other Quad world leaders to Queensland. Credit: Matt Davidson

The released documents show the extent of Crisafullis ambition.
Police have charged a 35-year-old man with attempted murder, following two separate stabbing incidents in south-east Queensland over the weekend.

Emergency services were called to a home on Bank Street in Park Ridge about 10pm on Friday following reports of an altercation between two men.

A 27-year-old Regents Park man was located in a life-threatening condition after suffering an alleged stab wound to the chest.

He was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment.
Like several parents to whom this masthead spoke, Bonfiglio understands the point of the ban, even if she doesnt agree with every element of it. She has always taken online safety seriously, monitoring her childrens online activity and teaching them how to use the internet safely. I can absolutely see why the ban is being introduced. Kids today are growing up online, and the risks around social media are real, she says. But weve also got to prepare them for the world they live in. Id like to see more focus on digital literacy, not just a restriction  teaching kids how to use the internet safely. Emilia Rossi with her children, Olympia and Hercule. Credit: Justin McManus Mother of two Emilia Rossi sees both sides of the coin: social media poses risks and opportunities in equal measure, which she knows all too well as a marketer and lifestyle blogger. Rossis son, Hercule, is eight, and has just started getting interested in the world of social media. In year 2, they are already talking about Snapchat and TikTok. Some kids are already using AI  which is very scary. Instead of getting a book or going on Google, they are going to AI, which to me is very dangerous.

The incoming ban slams the door on that, and Rossi is already thinking about how to be a good digital role model. If Im going to be preaching why my kids need to act in a certain way, I need to set an example. Were at the cusp of having these conversations. Like Bonfiglio, Rossi closely monitors her childrens internet usage. But with the luxury of working from home, shes able to spend time keeping an eye on what the children are doing. She sees more value in a blanket ban for the many parents who dont have that time or proximity to pay close attention. Its the parents, its up to them. We need to feel empowered, lets take control. But I can see the way I parent is very different to others. People just dont have that capacity. Taihan Rahman, 16, and his brother, Rehan, 12. Credit: Joe Armao What about the young people themselves? Taihan Rahman, 16, sees social media as a good thing. Hes built rich communities on Facebook and Instagram, and uses Messenger to stay in touch.

There are negative sides  if youre scrolling or things like that, but for me, its been very positive, he said. It feels as though young people are being somewhat targeted by the ban ... Just outright removing that way of connection, being with friends and community, is going to have quite a detrimental effect  especially on specific groups of young people. His mother, Tania Kaniz, is not convinced about the effectiveness of the strategy, either. A blanket ban, she thinks, is just going to make children more likely to seek out ways to access social media. They can have it, but it has to be limited and monitored. We cannot give some tools to young people and say, You have to be responsible by yourself, she says. Lauren Munro and her daughters, Hayley and Emma. And the ban does not address her major concern: online gaming, which often has chat functions. Thats not banned.

Lauren Munros daughter, Hayley, has ADHD and finds social media  particularly YouTube  to be very calming. She finds it really therapeutic to comment on videos she likes. And when she gets comments in response, it really helps her mental health, Munro says. Its going to be hard to deal with once she does not have access. Loading Munro says she has already had an honest conversation with her daughters about the ban, and what it will mean for their technology use. Both of my kids feel like they are going to lose touch with their friends. When we sit down and talk, we try to brainstorm other ways they can talk to their friends safely, particularly around Messenger Kids [Facebooks child-focused messenger app, which will be exempt from the ban], she says.
Even Cadel Evans  one of Australias most decorated cyclists  has had plenty of those heart-in-mouth moments where a truck has veered far too close to his bike while on a ride.

But a new cyclist-only path rising far above Footscray Road will stop that horrible feeling, which has been a daily occurrence for commuter cyclists in Melbournes west.

Former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and Holly Reynolds, 7, of Footscray, on the newly opened Dixon Veloway. Credit: Chris Hopkins

The Dixon Veloway, a 2.5-kilometre green snake which opened on Sunday, extends from Shepherd Bridge in Footscray to the Moonee Ponds Creek in West Melbourne, saving cyclists from traversing truck-laden streets near the citys port.

The section of Footscray Road that can now be bypassed has previously proved fatal. Cyclist Angus Collins, 22, died in February 2023 after he was hit by a turning truck at the intersection of Dock Link Road.
The court hearing on Friday came after Briggs was sentenced to eight years jail in November for a string of violent crimes he committed while on the run in November and December 2024. At the time, he had been under a series of supervision orders for a decade that were being monitored by state government agencies, including the Post Sentence Authority. Under the Serious Offenders Act, sex offenders and violent criminals can be placed on a special supervision regime by order of a judge, ensuring the PSA can control where they live and how they interact with the community, and require them to wear monitoring devices, undertake drug tests, and obey curfews. Briggs was placed on an order by a County Court judge in 2015 after he had repeatedly committed sex-based and violent crimes that led authorities to fear he would pose a serious risk to the public after he was released from prison, according to court records from prior to 2025. In 2011, Briggs broke into a womans home while she slept and robbed her at knifepoint. He entered the house knowing someone was home and cut the phone line.

The supervision orders required Briggs to live in a special sex offender containment and treatment facility known as Corella Place, where he could be constantly monitored by trained staff and a GPS tracking device. Briggs racked up several dozen convictions for violating the terms of his order and a string of other crimes, including absconding from the facility in 2016, committing an assault, drug possession, accessing violent pornographic websites, making threats to kill, and possessing a firearm. A later attempt to disable his tracking devices led to another jail sentence. Then, in mid-April 2024, he was allowed to move into the community, placed in a high-end substance abuse treatment centre in inner-city Melbourne. He was required to wear a GPS tracker and alcohol use detection device. The decision was approved by the PSA. The rehab centre, which was located in a quiet residential area, offered services such as counselling, yoga and breath work. It lists no specialist services for dealing with sex offenders. Within days, Briggs tested positive for methamphetamine. He would return two more positive drug tests before he was arrested and then bailed to Corella Place. Three more positive tests followed.

The PSA then decided to place Briggs back in the community. On November 30 last year, he removed his electronic tracking devices and disappeared. Over the next 36 hours, Briggs committed two home invasions, stole a car, kidnapped an Uber driver at knifepoint and attacked a woman in a park. County Court judges are yet to rule on a half-dozen other applications by The Age. Credit: Darrian Traynor In the sentence released to The Age, County Court Judge Scott Johns described what happened as a chilling and terrifying ordeal for the attacked woman, who had taken shelter from the rain that night in a park kiosk. You asked [the woman]: Do you want to go with me just five minutes from here? [She] declined, and you grabbed her backpack that was sitting next to her. You said, Youre going to come with me. [She] told you she would no longer walk with you. In response, you said: Shut the f--- up. Youre not going anywhere. Dont think of running or screaming. I dont want to hurt you, so dont run or scream.

The woman ran, screaming for help. Loading You chased [the woman], grabbed her, covered her mouth with your hand and pulled her backwards to the ground. You punched her in the right shoulder. You placed your other hand around [her] neck and pushed hard. You removed your hand from her mouth and placed it around her neck and strangled her with both hands. [The woman] struggled to breathe and used both her hands to try and take your hands from her throat. She managed to loosen your grip. She said: Lets do something. Ill do whatever you want. Just dont hurt me. Briggs forced the woman to walk with him further before encountering a local resident who had heard the screams. Briggs then asked the witness to walk the woman to her car. After releasing her, Briggs took off.

The following day, he was arrested in St Kilda after worried locals saw him knocking on random doors and called Triple Zero. Police had issued a public plea to find Briggs  including releasing his real name and a photograph  the day after he escaped. Following his arrest, there was an information blackout about what Briggs had done while supposedly under the supervision of authorities. He was arrested, charged and vanished into the court system until The Age made a special application to allow public disclosure of his crimes. Johns, the judge, sentenced Briggs to eight years jail, with a non-parole period of 5 years. Briggs received a reduced sentence because he pleaded guilty in late November. It must be said, with a heavy heart, that your prospects of rehabilitation are bleak. They are not extinguished, of course, but they are bleak, Johns said.

Briggs is one of 25 dangerous offenders who have been convicted of committing serious sex crimes and acts of violence while under supervision orders since 2018. Almost nothing is known about the circumstances of these crimes or why the system failed to stop the offenders, because of the secrecy provisions written into the legislation and individual judges discretion to withhold publication of their sentences. County Court judges are yet to rule on a half-dozen other applications by The Age for the release of sentences handed down to offenders convicted of violating supervision orders or committing crimes while under their jurisdiction. The limited court records available show some of these mystery cases involve known sex offenders under supervision being charged with committing assault, entering a private place without permission, and making and transmitting child abuse material. One had been charged with violating his supervision order on 22 occasions. This is counterbalanced by the willingness of some other members of the judiciary to publish judgements, although often redacting the names of the offenders in the hope it will help them obtain treatment.

Loading On a small number of occasions, a judge has chosen to name an offender who was deemed so high risk the community should be informed about his existence. The PSA said it was unable to comment on Briggs case but that every decision made by the Post Sentence Authority has community safety as its highest priority. The Department of Justice and Community Safety is responsible for the day-to-day management of people on supervision orders, a spokesperson said. All facilities are made aware of the history of individuals prior to accepting placements. The post-sentence supervision scheme ensures people who pose an unacceptable risk of reoffending are monitored after completing their sentence, rather than being released into the community with no oversight. A 2023 review of the legislation supporting the scheme found it is operating as intended and has strengthened governments ability to protect the community.

The agencys 2024-25 annual report to parliament made no mention of the incident involving Briggs, which is probably the worst failure of the monitoring system in the PSAs history. The report did note the agency had become more inclusive by changing its official terminology from offenders to people on orders, which reflects a deep and pervasive culture of respect within the Authority for the inherent human dignity of the people for whom we are responsible. PSA figures suggest the recidivism rate for offenders on supervision orders who commit serious sex crimes or violent crimes to be about 2 per cent of the average 130 people on orders at any given time in Victoria. Dr Ahona Guha, a clinical and forensic psychologist and Age columnist, who often works with offenders on supervision orders, said it was a vexed balance when determining the risk someone posed. Recidivism rates for those on these orders are very low, and the system is sensitive and designed to be risk aware and alert. As human nature is impossible to predict and risk can be dynamic, there will always be some error built in, and it is impossible to have zero risk.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has hailed the first year of the $1.65 billion Morley to Ellenbrook line a roaring success, revealing there had been 3.2 million train rides on the network in the first 11 months since it opened on December 8 last year.

The latest available patronage figures reveal October recorded the highest number of boardings at 340,000 compared to 198,000 boardings in its first month of operation. November patronage figures will be available later this week.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti at Ballajura Station. Credit: Hamish Hastie

By October, Ellenbrook Station recorded an average of 2108 boardings each weekday, making it one of the busiest stations on the network.

Reflecting on the first year of its operations, Saffioti told WAtoday and Nine News Perth that not delivering the project was never an option.
Barnaby Joyce has confirmed he is joining One Nation and will run for the Senate in NSW at the next election, appearing on a Tamworth radio station with party leader Pauline Hanson to make the announcement.

Speaking for several minutes, Joyce said he saw Hanson as a fellow traveller and that he was keen to move on from the speculation after months of obfuscation. He will remain the member for the northern NSW seat of New England before aiming to move back to the Senate at an election due by 2028.

Pauline made an offer to me to come to One Nation and I have taken that up, Joyce said on 88.9fm Tamworth Radio. Now Im really going to focus back on the Australian people. There will be some hurt in this decision and I understand that.

Hanson said she was emotional that Joyce had decided to join the party she started in the 1990s, and he had a lot to offer the populist right-wing party.
John Faulkner, Labors respected former Senate leader and keeper of the Whitlam flame, once said to me that one of the biggest differences between Labor and the Liberal Party was their different attitudes to their own history  in particular, to past leaders. Liberals celebrate only their most successful leaders, said Faulkner, whereas Labor celebrates all its leaders  even the second-rate ones. The exception, of course, is the rats (although even Labor leaders who ratted still have their photographs hung in the caucus room).

Forgotten and ignored and, worse, reviled by their own tribe: Liberal leaders Malcolm Turnbull and Malcolm Fraser. Credit: Michael Howard

One of the paradoxes of Australian politics is that the conservative side has so little sense of its own history, while the party of the left celebrates  indeed, shamelessly mythologises  its own. For instance, a prime minister as pedestrian as Ben Chifley has been enlarged into a beloved national icon  a pipe-smoking, cardigan-wearing old sweetheart who preferred the modesty of the Kurrajong Hotel to the stateliness of The Lodge. The catastrophes of his government  its disastrous attempt to nationalise the banks; the worst industrial conflict in our history, which put troops in coalmines  have been airbrushed away.

Chifleys successor as Labor leader, H V Evatt  one of the most unfit national leaders in our history, whose political incompetence failed to avert the split that kept Labor out of office for two decades  is remembered by invariably sympathetic biographers as a passionate, if flawed, idealist. (Always beware that weasel word flawed in political hagiography  its usually a euphemism for a multitude of character defects.)

Labor honours its leaders in death, even if it stabbed them in life. At Simon Creans funeral two years ago, Melbournes St Pauls cathedral was packed to overflowing. Crean may never have been given the chance to fight an election, but his farewell was a vast gathering of the tribes. How many of the Liberal tribes do you imagine would turn out for the two Liberal leaders who never got to fight an election  Brendan Nelson and Alexander Downer?
King Charles and Queen Camilla have unveiled their annual Christmas card.

Photo: Getty Images

The 77-year-old British monarch and his wife have turned a photograph from their official state visit to Rome, Italy earlier this year into a special card for royal fans.

The picture of the pair hand-in-hand was taken in the grounds of the Villa Wolkonsky by Chris Jackson.

The card was posted on the Royal Family's official Instagram page with the caption: "Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

"The King and Queen are pleased to share this years Christmas card, featuring a photograph taken in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky in Rome during Their Majesties State Visit to The Republic of Italy in April."

Charles and Camilla, 78, sharing their Christmas card comes days after his son, Prince Harry, quipped he is looking for a role in a Christmas movie.

The Duke of Sussex interrupted Late Show host Stephen Colbert's opening monologue on Wednesday (03.12.25) while the presenter was complaining about the festive TV films about royalty, such as Crown Prince of Christmas, The Royal We and A Royal Icing Christmas, and claimed he was looking for such a project himself.

Stephen joked to the audience: Now, as a Catholic, I was always taught that the crown prince of Christmas was Jesus Christ.

But apparently now, its TV movie actor Jilon VanOver. Sorry, Jesus. Shoulda booked that walk-on role in NCIS: Los Angeles. Now, folks, as much as I love these holiday movies, and I do, I think theyre problematic because they give people the unrealistic expectation that during the holiday season, theyre going to just bump into some prince at their job.

At that point, Harry stepped on stage to applause.

Stephen exclaimed: Its Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales-Sussex! What are you doing here?

His royal guest replied: Sorry, I genuinely thought this was the audition for The Gingerbread Prince Saves Christmas in Nebraska."

The 41-year-old prince - who lives in California with wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their children Prince Archie, six, and four-year-old Princess Lilibet - then joked about Americans' being "obsessed" with royalty.

Stephen said: "That sounds fantastic, but youre an actual prince. Why would you want to be in one of these movies?

Harry replied: Well, you Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies and youre obsessed with royalty, so why not?

The 61-year-old broadcaster insisted that wasn't the case, but Harry said: Really? I heard you elected a king."

Stephen replied: Thats a fair point.

Harry then continued to commit to the sketch and insisted he had all the skills needed to play a movie hero.

He said: "Listen, whats a real prince got to do to get into a Hallmark movie?  I got skills. I can ride a horse. I can fly a helicopter. I can ride a horse and a helicopter.

In a nod to Harry's wife, former Suits star Meghan, Stephen reminded the prince Hollywood success often relies on connections and asked if he knew "any famous TV actresses".

Harry replied: I mean, I might know one. But listen, Stephen, Ill do anything.

The host suggested Harry practice helping Americans reconnect with what they love about Christmas", and then Christmas trees and a snowman appeared on stage as snow began to fall.

Harry said: Do you see whats happening? Can you hear the sleigh bells?

Stephen replied: "Yeah, its probably one of those Central Park horses having a seizure.

But Harry insisted: Stephen, you just have to believe! Doesnt this prove that anything can happen? I mean, minutes ago, you said it was impossible. But look, isnt there a handsome prince standing in front of you, right now?

Stephen then apologised to his royal guest and said: I know you want this, but Im afraid I have to say  I was testing you: Youve got the role.
An experienced mountaineer has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly leaving his girlfriend to freeze to death on Austrias highest peak.

Thomas Plamberger, 36, is accused of making a series of life-threatening errors while climbing Grossglockner mountain with Kerstin Gurtner, his 33-year-old girlfriend, in January.

Kerstin Gurtner lost her life on the peak in January.

The couple were just 45 metres from the 3797-metre summit when Gurtner collapsed from exhaustion about 8.50pm and said she could not go any further.

Plamberger decided to leave her and descend the mountain to seek help. But he was gone for more than six hours, during which she died from extreme cold.
If there is any relief, it is not for long. The alert sounds again at 2:25am. I walk down to the shelter and observe the same drift of young men and women into the room. Loading When the all-clear comes at 3:03am, I join almost everyone else in leaving the shelter. But the blue doona man remains on his personal piece of concrete. Only now do I notice he has a thin camping mattress beneath him. Smart move. I get a little sleep back in my room, but Im woken by the siren at 4:58am. We do not know the details as we return to the shelter, but Russia has sent Tupolev bombers into the air to prepare to launch missiles. The Kyiv Independent reports that a railway station near the capital has been bombed. One young woman curls up in a tub chair like a cat, while another unrolls a yoga mat on a wooden bench. A third sits on an office chair and reads her phone. Nobody says a word. The loudest sound in the room is the noise of my pen scratching the paper.

Not everyone goes to a shelter. When I waited at the railway station on my way into Ukraine, I spoke to a young psychologist who told me she checked the news on Telegram before deciding whether to get out of bed when the sirens go off. Many rely on social media to judge how bad an attack might be in their area. At a medical clinic, however, I spoke to a mother from the Dnipro region who was walking past a hotel with her husband when the building exploded. She lost her husband and is now recovering from the amputation of her lower left leg. Her eyes welled up, and so did mine. Death is random here. Lviv is in the far west of Ukraine and targeted less often than Kyiv and other cities, but drones and missiles have struck its energy systems, warehouses, universities and apartment buildings. I am a visitor here, leaving soon, and I dont think for a moment about the odds of a direct hit. That would be melodramatic and irrational. But everyone around me will need the water, electricity and transport operating in the morning.

And the students in this residence come from all over Ukraine, so they could have families in cities suffering much worse. The anxiety in a bomb shelter can be about the sheer scale of attack. We all know that someone, somewhere, is being killed or wounded. Loading As I write, highly civilised human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me, wrote George Orwell during the Blitz. This quote is on the bingo card for everyone who writes about a bomb shelter. But things are a bit different now. In this war, human beings are pushing buttons a long way away to deliver death by drone, so it is even more impersonal. And the machines are quickly turning into lethal flying robots.

Some of the students keep coming in, even 30 minutes after the alert. I wonder if their parents were texting them. Are you in the shelter? Go there! That is what I would be doing. Loading My colleague Rob Harris, who was Europe correspondent before me, wrote beautifully of his thoughts in a shelter in Kyiv earlier this year. My thoughts do not add much to what he wrote. But I feel something needs to be said about the people around me because there are so many like them. A psychiatrist and professor at this university, Oleh Romanchuk, tells me about the way people learn to cope with the air alerts. One trick is strategic sleeping because the nights are interrupted. He knows people who gather to sing songs during the air alerts. He tells me of a father with five children who made a thermos of tea and loaded the kids into the car in the garage, their safest place, and told them family stories.

Ukrainians share lessons from what works. Romanchuk tells me of a mother who took her daughter into a dark shelter and switched on some music so they could dance to a flashing light from her mobile phone. When the all-clear sounded, her daughter did not want to stop. Oleh Romanchuk says people learn to cope with the regualr overnight air alerts, with one trick being strategic sleeping. Credit: David Crowe The alert on this morning never seems to end. It is past 7am, then past 8am, and most of Ukraine is still red on the map. But there is more news about the strikes on rail and energy systems. Some of the students shuffle back to their rooms with their pillows and blankets in their arms. After a while, I can see only two left. The blue doona man and the woman on the wooden bench. Then it is suddenly 9am and a voice comes over the loudspeaker to mark the minute of silence for those who have fallen in the war. I stand as a clock ticks and a church bell rings in the distance. The young woman rises from her bench, but the young man appears to sleep on. Im not judging.

Only at 9.45am do we hear the all-clear. It takes several more hours to see confirmation that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles against Ukraine during the night, damaging railways and energy systems in eight regions including Lviv. Three people are wounded. It is incredible the toll is not greater. Loading Im astounded at the calm of these young people. I think of how hard it would be to sustain this routine, week after week. No young student with their life ahead of them deserves this. When I see them at breakfast in the cafeteria, they laugh and gather around long tables to share their meals. Outside the shelter, Ive met several students who tell me of being forced to move because of the war, or being separated from their families, or going abroad and choosing to come back. I see them in the cafeteria and think the world is in good hands. And then I worry again about their nights.
London: Tax the rich activists vandalised the Crown Jewels with crumble and custard in a disgraceful protest at the Tower of London on Saturday.

Police arrested four people after officers rushed to the Tower following reports of an incident shortly before 10am, UK time.

Take Back Power activists pose in front of a dessert-smeared Crown Jewels case at the Tower of London. The State Crown was not damaged during the custard and crumble incident. Credit: Take Back Power

They found that food had been thrown onto a case containing the State Crown, which is used at coronations and state openings of parliament.

A group calling itself Take Back Power staged the attack, with members of the group filmed unfurling a sign reading: Democracy has crumbled  tax the rich.
Washington: An alleged drug boat destroyed in a lethal double-tap US strike in the Caribbean earlier this year was heading to Suriname, a small country east of Venezuela, to rendezvous with a larger vessel, according to two sources familiar with the operation cited by CNN.

According to US intelligence, the boat intended to transfer drugs to the second vessel, the US admiral overseeing the operation said during closed Senate briefings this week, but the military could not locate the second craft.

A US military image shows the craft attacked on September 2 in the Caribbean.

The US military struck the boat four times  the first time splitting it in half, leaving two survivors clinging to a section of the capsized hull, CNN reported on Thursday. The second, third and fourth strikes killed them and sank the vessel.

The September 2 strikes were the first time the US military targeted vessels allegedly carrying drugs.
Washington: US allies that fail to increase defence spending and contribute to collective defence will face consequences, while those that step up will receive special favour, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said as he outlined the Trump administrations approach to the Indo-Pacific.

Speaking at a major defence summit as Australian ministers fly to Washington for talks, Hegseth said the US did not seek confrontation in the region but a balance of power where all countries interests were respected.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth says allies that fail to step up and share the burden of collective defence will face consequences. Credit: AP

That meant respecting Chinas historic military build-up, while also being positioned strongly enough to deny any aggression, including along the First Island Chain.

Were not trying to strangle Chinas growth, were not trying to dominate or humiliate them. Nor are we trying to change the status quo over Taiwan, he told the Ronald Reagan National Defence Forum in California. Our interests in the Indo-Pacific are significant, but also scoped and reasonable.
As soon as he was nominated to be secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth, with his Crusader cross tattoo and his attendance at a hard-edge Calvinist church, became a natural vessel for liberal fears about that dreaded concept Christian nationalism.

This is a term that can be understood in two ways. The first understanding emphasises the Christian part and imagines nationalism as the vehicle through which conservative believers impose their doctrines on a pluralist society. Thats the vision that inspires the strongest liberal paranoia, with images of inquisitions, witch trials, the Republic of Gilead.

Donald Trump holds a Bible outside St Johns Church in Washington during his first term in June 2020. Credit: AP

But theres a second understanding, in which nationalism is the controlling word and the religious modifier is the pinch of incense that makes believers comfortable with worldly deeds and choices.

With this kind of Christian nationalism, the core fault might not be too much religious moralism in politics but too little. And this second understanding often seems closer to the realities of the second Trump administration.
PHILIPSBURG:--- A bombshell investigation into the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT) reveals a deeply rooted system of corruption, nepotism, and blatant disregard for the law in the issuance of taxi and bus licenses. An official moratorium on new permits, in effect from 2014 to 2022, was systematically violated, with dozens of licenses handed out behind closed doors, often to politically connected individuals.

Documents obtained from within the Ministry paint a damning picture of a two-tiered system where rules were ignored for a select few. While law-abiding citizens were told no new licenses were available, a steady stream of permits was being approved, raising serious questions about who benefited from this flagrant breach of policy.

The evidence is undeniable. During the moratorium, numerous licenses were issued, including PT-0107/18, PT-0188/17, and PT-0130/20. These are not isolated incidents but part of a wider pattern of favoritism that mocks the very foundation of transparent governance. The issuance of these licenses during a government-mandated freeze represents a severe breach of public trust and suggests a deliberate effort to circumvent regulations.

The rot runs deeper than just illegal issuances. The data shows multiple instances of duplicate license numbers, such as PT-0022/18 and PT-0349/18, which appear more than once in official records. These duplicates could be exploited for fraudulent activities, allowing multiple vehicles to operate under a single permit. This points to either gross incompetence or calculated deception within the Ministrys licensing department.

Further analysis uncovers another troubling scheme: individuals registered as "helper drivers" for multiple, unrelated permit holders.

This improbable arrangement strongly suggests that these positions are being used as a loophole, potentially to reward cronies or allow permit holders to bypass operational requirements. How can one driver work for several different taxi operations at once? The answer is simple: they can't. It's a clear indicator of a system being manipulated for personal or political gain.

The timing and nature of these issuances demand scrutiny of the political administrations overseeing the Ministry during this period. The public has a right to know if these licenses were handed out as political favors, cementing a culture of quid pro quo that undermines fair competition and rewards loyalty over merit.

This is not just about administrative failures; it is about accountability. The officials who presided over this broken system must answer for their actions. A full-scale, independent investigation is no longer a request but a necessity. Every license issued during the 2014-2022 moratorium must be audited, and any political or familial links must be brought into the light.

The people of St. Maarten deserve a government that operates with integrity. The evidence shows a ministry that has failed its citizens. It is time to dismantle this corrupt framework and hold every individual involved, from the clerks to the Ministers, fully accountable for this betrayal of public office.
PHILIPSBURG:--- As residents and visitors navigate the crater-filled main roads of St. Maarten, a growing chorus of public frustration is aimed squarely at the Ministry of VROMI and its head, Minister Patrice Gumbs Jr. While major arteries from the Airport to the Cruise Port deteriorate into obstacle courses, the ministry has announced a significant "Concrete Hard Resurfacing Project" on Goldfinch Road, a decision that has many questioning the government's priorities.

For weeks, drivers have been swerving to avoid a minefield of potholes, many of which are crudely circled with white paint but left unrepaired. These hazardous conditions create daily traffic dilemmas, risk damage to vehicles, and present a poor image to the thousands of tourists who form the backbone of the island's economy. Yet, official government channels remained silent on a comprehensive plan for these critical routes.

Instead, the focus has shifted to the Goldfinch Road project in Pointe Blanche, set to begin on December 8th. The announcement has sparked public outcry, with many citizens pointing out that this road serves a far smaller share of the population than the island's main thoroughfares. The project's timing and location have fueled allegations of favoritism, particularly as it benefits a secluded area where a new condominium complex was recently completed.

Further scrutiny falls on the opaque nature of other recent infrastructure projects. The repair work at the Pelican Entrance, leading to the Hilton Resort, has raised serious questions about public procurement processes. Critics ask why this public-private partnership project was not put out for public tender, a standard requirement for infrastructure works exceeding a certain value. The fact that the family home of MP Peterson, a key political ally of the Minister from the same PFP party, is located along this very route has only intensified accusations of cronyism.

The quality of the work itself has also come under fire. Citizens have observed that what was promised as a full resurfacing often materializes as mere patchwork. These temporary fixes quickly degrade, suggesting that public funds are being spent on short-term solutions that fail to address the underlying infrastructure decay. This approach leads to an endless cycle of repairs, costing taxpayers more in the long run while providing little relief.

As frustration mounts, the public is left to wonder about how resources are allocated. How can a small residential street take precedence over the island's primary economic corridor? Why are standard tendering processes seemingly bypassed for projects connected to the politically influential? These decisions erode public trust and suggest that infrastructure planning is being driven by personal connections rather than the urgent needs of the wider community.

The people of St. Maarten deserve safe roads and transparent governance. The current situationpotholes for the many, pristine pavement for a select fewis untenable. It is time for Minister Gumbs and the Ministry of VROMI to provide clear answers, justify their priorities, and commit to a fair and transparent process for all future infrastructure projects. Accountability is not just a request; it is a demand from a public tired of navigating a broken system.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Sint Maarten is grappling with a crisis, and its not a storm or a hurricaneit's a relentless wave of violent crime made worse by failed leadership and misguided policies. As armed robbers strike again and again, residents and tourists alike are left asking: What exactly is the Minister of Justice doing to protect us?

The answer so far? Not enough. The facts speak for themselves, and the timeline is damning.

On November 29th, 2025, just after midnight, a hotel in the Oyster Pond area was the first to be hit. Several suspects stormed the premises, held up the staff, and left with the safe. The ink on the police report was barely dry when, later that same day, a jewelry store in a hotel at Oyster Pond was robbed. Three suspects on a scooter entered the property, robbed the store, and fled in an unknown direction. The audacity and frequency of these crimes showed a new level of boldness.

The violence didnt stop there. On Saturday at around 9:00 pm, another dramatic armed robbery unfolded at Island Treasure Jewelry Store in the Maho area. Individuals dressed in black smashed the glass, entered the store, and fled toward Lowlands in a gray vehicle. These arent isolated eventstheyre part of a chilling trend. Criminals are acting with a sense of impunity, emboldened by a justice system that sends the message: there will be no serious consequences.

The core issue is clear. Government policy, specifically the claim that Pointe Blanche prison is at capacity, means too many dangerous criminals are being let back onto the streets. The so-called 80% full policy is nothing short of an open invitation for robbers and gunmen to keep terrorizing our communities. Meanwhile, the prosecutors office seems more interested in making headlines by going after civil servants and politicians than actually locking up violent offenders.

This misguided approach not only puts every citizen at greater risk, but it also delivers a devastating blow to the tourism industrythe very backbone of our economy. How can we expect visitors to come when jewelry stores in hotels are targeted, and criminals can act without fear? The headlines about crime are replacing our Friendly Island image with one of chaos and danger.

We look to our elected officials for leadership and decisive action. Yet what we see is a government that seems detached from the daily realities of the people. Politicians jet off to Europe while the real crises right here at home go unaddressed. Public safety should be the priority, not an afterthought or a talking point at press conferences.

Enough is enough. The people of Sint Maarten are tired of hearing about prison capacity and being handed excuses. We demand action now. The Minister of Justice must direct real energy and authority toward locking up armed and dangerous offenders, not just chasing headlines. The time for lip service is overour safety and future as an island depend on it.

We need real solutions, not empty promises. The current approach puts every resident and tourist at risk, and the citizens of Sint Maarten are paying the price. Its time for the government to act before our paradise is lost for good.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Dr. Luc F.E. Mercelina has formally submitted a request to the Government of the Netherlands seeking support to address longstanding challenges within Sint Maartens police facilities. The request, directed to the State Secretary of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Mr. Eddie van Marum, emphasizes the importance of improving the infrastructure to ensure public safety, effective policing, and adherence to human rights standards across the Kingdom.

In his correspondence, the Prime Minister noted that Sint Maartens police facilities have faced systemic issues for many years, with deficiencies that predate both Hurricane Irma and the countrys constitutional transition in 2010.

Sint Maartens police facilities are not designed or equipped in a manner that allows KPSM to meet its responsibilities under national and International law fully, Prime Minister Dr. Mercelina stated, Addressing these long-standing infrastructural shortcomings is essential to strengthening public safety and ensuring compliance with applicable human rights standards.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the significant support previously provided by the Netherlands, particularly following Hurricane Irma, when repairs and improvements were financed through the Trust Fund and the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations.

Despite these efforts, the progress reports associated with the Plan of Approach for the police and detention sectors continue to highlight substantial challenges.

Fifteen years of monitoring through the Plan of approach process shows that although steps have been taken, key issues persist, PM Dr. Mercelina noted.

The most recent progress report again highlights concerns about KPSMs ability to attract and retain personnel and to operate sustainably under the current conditions.

A critical part of the Governments request concerns the condition of the main police station, which is significantly affected by leaks, mold, and structural deterioration. These issues have also raised compliance concerns under national labor law and European human rights standards.

The temporary holding cells at the stationlinked directly to requirements under the Plan of Approachhave been the subject of repeated concerns by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Ongoing repairs funded by the Netherlands are progressing, but independent engineering assessments have indicated that much larger investments will be required to bring the entire police station to an acceptable standard.

Recent engineering assessments estimate that roughly USD 6.5 million would be needed to address the holding cells and the full building, the Prime Minister explained.

Given these figures, it is reasonable to assess whether constructing a new police station may be a more effective long-term solution.

The Government of Sint Maarten expressed appreciation for the strong cooperation with the Netherlands, particularly the positive developments in the detention sector where construction of a new prison is expected to begin soon.

Our joint work in the detention sector demonstrates that sustained collaboration yields tangible results, PM Dr. Mercelina noted.

We look forward to continuing this constructive approach as we consider solutions for the police facilities.

This is a Kingdom matter, and with shared responsibility comes shared action. Sint Maarten stands ready to work closely with the Netherlands on a sustainable and meaningful solution, he concluded.
~Calls for Justice Minister Nathalie Tacklings Resignation Grow Louder Amid Crime Surge and Government Inaction"~

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maartens crime crisis continues to spiral out of control, with the owner of Lotus Nightclub in Simpson Bay becoming the latest victim of a brazen armed robbery. The incident, which occurred on Friday evening, December 5th, around 9:00 PM, has left residents and business owners outraged and fearful as violent crime reaches unprecedented levels.

According to reports, the nightclub owner was held at gunpoint by a suspect who not only robbed them but also stole their vehicle. This shocking act of violence is just one in a string of recent robberies that have shaken the island. Early Saturday morning, Robbies Lottery main office was targeted in another robbery, and later that day, a jewelry store in the Maho area was attacked by a group of armed individuals dressed in black. The suspects smashed glass displays, looted the store, and fled the scene in a gray vehicle heading toward Lowlands. Adding to the chaos, a KFC restaurant was also smashed and robbed, further underscoring the brazen nature of these crimes.

Despite the alarming rise in crime, the governments response has been marked by silence. Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling, who has faced growing criticism for her inability to address the islands security crisis, has yet to make a public statement. Calls for her resignation are mounting, with residents and business owners accusing her of failing to protect the people of St. Maarten. After one year in office, Tacklings tenure has been defined by a deteriorating justice system, unfulfilled promises to justice workers awaiting their LBs and back payments, and a crime rate that shows no signs of slowing down.

Adding to the publics frustration is the absence of most elected officials, including several members of parliament and the Prime Minister, who are currently in the Netherlands. Their decision to leave the island during such a critical time has been met with widespread condemnation, as citizens feel abandoned by their leaders in the face of escalating violence.

Business owners, already struggling to recover from economic challenges, are now forced to contend with the added burden of protecting their livelihoods from criminals. Residents, too, are living in fear, with many questioning whether the government has any planor even the willto restore safety and order.

The silence from the government is deafening, and the people of St. Maarten are demanding answers. How many more robberies, assaults, and acts of violence must occur before action is taken? Until the government steps up to address this crisis, the island remains gripped by fear, with no end to the chaos in sight.
Pentagon chief non-committal on releasing video of second drug-boat strike



Washington, United States, Dec 6 (AFP) Dec 06, 2025



US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday refused to say whether the Pentagon would release video of the operation that targeted survivors of a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean.

The White House early this week confirmed that a US admiral under Hegseth's authority ordered the deadly "double-tap" strike against the survivors, reports of which have triggered accusations of a possible war crime.

A total of 11 people were killed in the two strikes in early September, the first in a months-long military campaign that has so far left more than 80 dead.

While video of the initial attack has been released, pressure has built on the Trump administration to release any available video of the follow-up strike on the survivors.

"We are reviewing it right now," Hegseth said during a Q&A session after addressing a defense forum hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

The Pentagon chief was asked multiple times whether the video would be released, but Hegseth resisted.

"We're reviewing the process, and we'll see," he said. "Whatever we were to decide to release, we'd have to be very responsible about reviewing that right now."

Hegseth also vehemently denied having issued a kill order on survivors, as was reported by The Washington Post.

"You don't walk in and say 'Kill them all.' It's just patently ridiculous," he said, adding the reporting was "meant to create a cartoon of me and the decisions that we make."

But he acknowledged that he does "fully support that strike. I would have made the same call myself."

During his speech Hegseth fiercely defended US President Donald Trump, claiming the current commander in chief is "the true and rightful heir of Ronald Reagan" and his doctrine of peace through strength.

And he insisted the strikes against the alleged drug-trafficking boats and their "narco-terrorists" will continue.

"We are killing them. We will keep killing them so long as they are poisoning our people with narcotics so lethal they're tantamount to chemical weapons."

US authorities have not provided specific evidence that the boats were ferrying drugs.

Lawmakers have been scrutinizing the second strike. The admiral who apparently oversaw the operation, Frank Bradley, briefed members of Congress in a classified session.

Afterward, Connecticut Democrat Jim Himes called the double-tap video "one of the most troubling things" he'd been shown as a lawmaker.

"Any American who sees the video that I saw will see the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors - bad guys, bad guys, but attacking shipwrecked sailors," he added.

CNN reported Friday that two sources with knowledge of Bradley's remarks said the admiral told lawmakers the boat in question was bound for Suriname, a country east of Venezuela, where the struck boat could have planned to rendezvous with another vessel.
Venezuela swears in 5,600 new troops amid US military build-up



Caracas, Dec 6 (AFP) Dec 06, 2025



The Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 new soldiers on Saturday, as the United States cranks up military pressure on the oil-producing country.

President Nicolas Marudo has called for stepped-up military recruitment as the United States deployed a fleet of warships and the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.

American forces have carried out deadly strikes on at least 22 vessels, killing at least 83.

Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged Cartel of the Suns, which it declared a terrorist organization last month.

Maduro asserts the American deployment aims to overthrow him and seize the country's oil reserves.

"Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force," Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendon Vilchez said Saturday during the ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas.

According to official figures, Venezuela has 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.

Also Saturday, a former opposition governor died in prison where he had detained on charges of terrorism and incitement, a rights group said.

Alfredo Diaz, 55, was at least the sixth opposition member to die in prison since November 2024.

They had been arrested following protests sparked by last July's disputed election, when Maduro claimed a third term despite accusations of fraud.

Diaz, governor of Nueva Esparta from 2017 to 2021, "had been imprisoned and held in isolation for a year; only one visit from his daughter was allowed," said Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners.

The group says there are at least 887 political prisoners in Venezuela.
Trump's Pentagon chief under fire as scandals mount



Washington, United States, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under mounting pressure from scandals surrounding strikes on alleged drug boats and his use of Signal to discuss sensitive military information, sparking growing criticism and calls for him to quit.

Hegseth -- a former Army National Guard major who went from Fox News co-host to leader of the world's most powerful military -- is no stranger to controversy and was only narrowly confirmed by the Senate earlier this year.

The strikes on alleged narcotics smugglers -- especially an incident in which survivors of an initial attack were subsequently killed -- and his use of commercial messaging app Signal to talk about an impending operation in Yemen, have fueled further opposition to Hegseth.

"He's in another difficult position. In fact, his two big problems have now merged," said Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine colonel and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"But he seems to retain (US President Donald) Trump's confidence, even as he's lost support of some Republicans. So I don't think he's in... (a) fatal situation," Cancian said.

Jim Townsend, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy during the Obama administration, said Hegseth is "on thin ice," and that Trump has "a secretary of defense that is giving him lots of headaches."

Townsend agreed that Hegseth is unlikely to be fired immediately, but said if something happens that "really riles up the Republican Party" or embarrasses Trump's Make America Great Again movement, "they'll probably try to move him somewhere else."



- Yemen strikes -



Hegseth came under fire during his confirmation process over alleged financial mismanagement at veterans' nonprofits where he previously worked, reports of excessive drinking, and allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in California.

His time as secretary of defense has also been marred by scandals, including one related to strikes on Yemen that were launched in mid-March.

The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief had been inadvertently included in a Signal chat in which officials, including Hegseth, discussed the upcoming operation.

The Pentagon chief sent messages on the timing of strikes hours before they happened and information on aircraft and missiles involved.

The incident sparked an investigation by the Pentagon's independent inspector general's office, which concluded in a report released Thursday that Hegseth's actions could have resulted in "potential harm to US pilots."



- Targeting alleged drug boats -



Another controversy stemmed from a September 2 attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Pacific. An initial strike left survivors, with a follow-up attack killing those two people.

Hegseth and the White House have repeatedly said the decision for the second strike was made by the operational commander, Admiral Frank Bradley, rather than the defense secretary.

Lawmakers attended a classified briefing on Capitol Hill this week in which they were shown extended video footage of the incident -- only a brief part of which has been publicly released -- but there are conflicting views about whether the follow-up strikes were justified.

The footage showed "the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors -- bad guys, bad guys -- but attacking shipwrecked sailors," said Democratic Representative Jim Himes.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton -- another briefing attendee -- described all four strikes on the boat as "entirely lawful and needful," and said the survivors were attempting to flip the drug-laden vessel back over and "stay in the fight."

Hegseth has faced calls from some Democratic lawmakers for his resignation or firing over the follow-up strikes and the Signal controversy, but his job seems safe for the moment.

Cancian, however, said that another scandal could push the Trump administration to remove him as defense secretary.

"If there's maybe another one after this...the White House might lose its patience," he said, describing the controversies that have already occurred as "very embarrassing."
CORRECTED: Venezuela swears in 5,600 new troops amid US military build-up



Caracas, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



The Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 new soldiers on Saturday, as the United States cranks up military pressure on the oil-producing country.

President Nicolas Maduro has called for stepped-up military recruitment as the United States deployed a fleet of warships and the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.

American forces have carried out deadly strikes on at least 22 vessels, killing at least 83.

Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged Cartel of the Suns, which it declared a terrorist organization last month.

Maduro asserts the American deployment aims to overthrow him and seize the country's oil reserves.

"Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force," Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendon Vilchez said Saturday during the ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas.

According to official figures, Venezuela has 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.

Also Saturday, a former opposition governor died in prison where he had detained on charges of terrorism and incitement, a rights group said.

Alfredo Diaz was at least the sixth opposition member to die in prison since November 2024.

They had been arrested following protests sparked by last July's disputed election, when Maduro claimed a third term despite accusations of fraud.

Diaz, governor of Nueva Esparta from 2017 to 2021, "had been imprisoned and held in isolation for a year; only one visit from his daughter was allowed," said Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners.

The group says there are at least 887 political prisoners in Venezuela.
Venezuela swears in 5,600 troops after US military build-up



Caracas, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



The Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 soldiers on Saturday, as the United States cranks up military pressure on the oil-producing country.

President Nicolas Maduro has called for stepped-up military recruitment after the United States deployed a fleet of warships and the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.

American forces have carried out deadly strikes on more than 20 vessels, killing at least 87.

Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns", which it declared a terrorist organization last month.

Maduro asserts the American deployment aims to overthrow him and seize the country's oil reserves.

"Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force," Colonel Gabriel Rendon said Saturday during a ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas.

According to official figures, Venezuela has around 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.

A former opposition governor died in prison on Saturday where he had been detained on charges of terrorism and incitement, a rights group said.

Alfredo Diaz was at least the sixth opposition member to die in prison since November 2024.

They had been arrested following protests sparked by last July's disputed election, when Maduro claimed a third term despite accusations of fraud.

The protests resulted in 28 deaths and around 2,400 arrests, with nearly 2,000 people released since then.

Diaz, governor of Nueva Esparta from 2017 to 2021, "had been imprisoned and held in isolation for a year; only one visit from his daughter was allowed," said Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners.

The group says there are at least 887 political prisoners in Venezuela.

Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado condemned the deaths of political prisoners in Venezuela during "post-electoral repression."

"The circumstances of these deaths -- which include denial of medical care, inhumane conditions, isolation, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment -- reveal a sustained pattern of state repression," Machado said in a joint statement with Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate she believes won the election.
Drone strikes on Sudan kindergarten, hospital kill dozens: local official



Port Sudan, Sudan, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



A paramilitary drone attack on the army-held town of Kalogi in Sudan's South Kordofan state hit a kindergarten and a hospital, killing dozens of civilians, a local official told AFP on Sunday.

The attack, which took place on Thursday, involved three strikes, "first a kindergarten, then a hospital and a third time as people tried to rescue the children", Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, told AFP using a Starlink connection.

He blamed the assault on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.

Since April 2023, the army and the paramilitary RSF have been locked in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million.

Independent verification of reports from the Kordofan region remains difficult due to spotty communications, restricted access and ongoing insecurity.

The UN children's agency said the attack killed more than 10 children aged between five and seven, while the army-aligned foreign ministry put the overall death toll at 79, including 43 children.

"Killing children in their school is a horrific violation of children's rights," said UNICEF Representative for Sudan Sheldon Yett, urging all sides to halt their attacks and allow humanitarian access.

Following their late-October capture of El-Fasher -- the army's last stronghold in western Sudan -- the RSF has pushed eastward into the oil-rich Kordofan region, which is divided into three states.

More than 40,000 people have fled the region in the past month, according to the UN.

Analysts say the paramilitary offensive aims to break the army's final defensive arc around central Sudan and set the stage for attempts to retake major cities, including the capital Khartoum.
Tokyo says Chinese jets locked radar onto Japan fighters



Tokyo, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese fighter jets southeast of Okinawa's main island, Japan's defence ministry said on Sunday.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have soured following remarks by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

Chinese J-15 fighter jets twice locked radar on Japanese fighter jets on Saturday, without causing damage or injuries, Japan's defence ministry said.

Fighter jets use their radar for fire control to identify targets as well as for search and rescue operations.

Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the incident was "dangerous and extremely regrettable", saying Japan had lodged "a strong protest" with China.

The Chinese navy said Tokyo's claim was "completely inconsistent with the facts" and told Japan to "immediately stop slandering and smearing".

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, locking it into disputes with several Southeast Asian neighbours.

Beijing also claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and summoned Tokyo's ambassador following Takaichi's comments last month.

Tokyo is deepening cooperation with US allies in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, whose Defence Minister Richard Marles is visiting Japan.

Marles said he was "deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours", following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart.

He said Canberra had "stabilised" its relationship with China by "acting in a clear, consistent, calm and sensible way".

"We will seek to work together with China where we can, but we will disagree where we must," he said in response to a question about supply chains.

Marles also visited Mitsubishi's shipyard in Nagasaki, months after Canberra signed a major $6 billion deal to buy 11 advanced warships from the Japanese firm.
IAEA calls for repair work on Chernobyl sarcophagus



Vienna, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



The UN nuclear watchdog has said that the protective structure surrounding the exploded reactor at Chernobyl can no longer perform its main function of blocking radiation, after a Russian drone strike earlier this year.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began a rare visit to Ukraine on December 1, to assess the status of key electrical substations supplying the country's three nuclear sites that are still operational.

As part of the trip, the team also checked the defunct Chernobyl site's New Safe Confinement (NSC), which was put in place to stop the release of radioactive material after the explosion of one of its reactors in 1986.

The roof of the NSC was severely damaged in a drone strike in February, which also caused a major fire in the outer cladding of the steel structure.

"The mission confirmed that the NSC had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems," the IAEA said in a statement on Friday.

IAEA director general Rafael Grossi added: "Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety."

The NSC was installed in 2016 and officially inaugurated in 2019, replacing an original "sarcophagus" built by the Soviets.

The IAEA said further temporary repairs to re-establish the confinement function would take place in 2026, "paving the way for full restoration once the conflict ends" between Ukraine and Russia.
Tokyo says Chinese jets locked radar onto Japan fighters



Tokyo, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese fighter jets southeast of Okinawa's main island, Japan's defence ministry said on Sunday.

China's navy said Tokyo's claim was "completely inconsistent with the facts" and told Japan to "immediately stop slandering and smearing".

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have soured following remarks by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

Chinese J-15 fighter jets twice locked radar on Japanese fighter jets on Saturday, without causing damage or injuries, Japan's defence ministry said.

Fighter jets use their radar for fire control to identify targets as well as for search and rescue operations.

Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the incident was "dangerous and extremely regrettable", adding that Japan had lodged "a strong protest" with China.

Beijing's foreign ministry said it rejected that protest, and had lodged its own counter-protest, according to state news agency Xinhua.

A foreign ministry spokesperson, cited by Xinhua, urged Japan to "immediately stop its dangerous moves of harassing China's normal military exercise and training".



- 'Deeply concerned' -



The two countries have a long-running territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu in China.

The tiny, uninhabited islands lie between Okinawa and Taiwan, the much larger self-ruled island that China also claims.

Beijing summoned Tokyo's ambassador following Takaichi's comments last month.

Tokyo is deepening cooperation with US allies in the Asia-Pacific region, where several countries have territorial disputes with China.

Beijing, for instance, claims nearly all of the South China Sea, and has been asserting control more strongly in parts of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis.

The incident at the weekend came as Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles was visiting Japan.

Marles said he was "deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours", following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart.

He said Canberra had "stabilised" its relationship with China by "acting in a clear, consistent, calm and sensible way".

"We will seek to work together with China where we can, but we will disagree where we must," he said in response to a question about supply chains.

Marles also visited Mitsubishi's shipyard in Nagasaki, months after Canberra signed a major $6 billion deal to buy 11 advanced warships from the Japanese firm.
Benin president says situation 'under control' after coup attempt



Cotonou, Benin, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



Benin's president said Sunday that the "situation is completely under control" in his country after the government thwarted an attempted coup thanks to loyalist soldiers.

A group of soldiers announced earlier in the day on state television that they had ousted President Patrice Talon.

That sparked a swift response from loyal army forces, air strikes from neighbouring Nigeria and the deployment of troops from other countries in the region.

Beninese military and security sources said that around a dozen soldiers had been arrested, including those behind the coup bid.

West Africa has experienced a number of coups in recent years, including in Benin's northern neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and, most recently, Guinea-Bissau.

"I would like to assure you that the situation is completely under control and therefore invite you to calmly go about your activities starting this very evening," Talon said on state broadcaster Benin TV.

Talon is due to hand over power in April next year after 10 years in office marked by solid economic growth but also a surge in jihadist violence.



- Regional support -



Early Sunday, soldiers calling themselves the "Military Committee for Refoundation" (CMR), announced on state television that they had met and decided that "Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic".

Shortly after the announcement however, a source close to Talon told AFP the president was safe, condemning the coup plotters as "a small group of people who only control the television".

"The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure," the source added.

"It's just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well."

Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said that "the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt".

The Nigerian air force struck undisclosed targets Sunday as Beninese forces conducted countercoup operations, a source in the Nigerian presidency told AFP.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS meanwhile said troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast Nigeria and Sierra Leone were being deployed to the country to "support the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order".



- Situation 'under control' -



AFP correspondents had reported hearing gunfire early Sunday on the streets of Cotonou, the economic capital, while soldiers blocked access to the presidential offices and the state television building.

Elsewhere, however, residents went about their business.

"The coup was foiled, thank God. But we have to think about what to do so this kind of thing doesn't happen again," one street vendor in Cotonou, Adam Aminou, told AFP.

"We had a few scary moments," said retired teacher Jennifer Adokpeto.

"We really thought, seeing the statement being repeated on a loop on TV, that it was really a coup d'etat and that our country was going to go the way of some of our neighbours," she added.

A military source confirmed that the situation was "under control" and the coup plotters had not taken Talon's residence nor the presidential offices.

AFP could not immediately verify that, with access to those areas blocked, as were several other points in the city, including the five-star Sofitel hotel and districts housing international institutions.

There was no military presence reported at the airport and in much of the rest of the city.

Several embassies in Benin on Sunday advised their nationals to stay inside if possible.



- Condemnation -



The eight rebel soldiers who appeared on television were carrying assault rifles and wearing berets of various colours.

They proclaimed lieutenant colonel Pascal Tigri as "president" of their "refoundation" committee and justified their action by citing the "continuous deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin".

The "neglect of soldiers killed in action and their families left to fend for themselves" as well as "unjust promotions at the expense of the most deserving" were also motivations, they added.

The African Union said it "unequivocally condemns" the attempted coup and urged soldiers to return to their barracks.

Benin's political history has been marked by several coups and attempted coups since its independence from France in 1960.

Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman dubbed the "cotton king of Cotonou", came to power in 2016.

He is due to reach the end of his second term in 2026, the maximum allowed by the constitution.

The main opposition party has been excluded from the race to succeed him.

Instead, the ruling party will vie for power against a so-called "moderate" opposition.

While Talon has been praised for bringing economic development to Benin, he is regularly accused by his critics of authoritarianism.
TSA warns travelers of the risks of using USB charging stations and free public Wi-Fi. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

As Decembers holiday travel ramps up, heres a reminder of a couple of services the Transportation Safety Administration has previously warned travelers against using.

No, this isnt a bag policy or dress code  it involves technology and privacy concerns. Heres what to look out for before you visit an airport.

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What is 'juice jacking'? Why TSA warns of USB charging stations

It only seems responsible to charge your phone or other devices before boarding a plane, especially if youre on a longer flight. But the TSA has cautioned travelers of juice/port jacking. Juice jacking refers to a cyberattack involving hackers using USB charging stations to infect devices with malware or to steal personal data. This is possible because modern USB ports can transfer data as well as power.

Types of juice jacking attacks include data theft, malware installation, credential harvesting and device hijacking. You likely wont notice any changes to your device when it happens.

Here are some simple tips to avoid falling victim to juice jacking:

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Use AC wall chargers. Plug devices into wall outlets instead of USB charging stations.

Plug devices into wall outlets instead of USB charging stations. Use USB data blockers, or USB condoms. These small adapters disable the data pins so that only power can transfer to and from the device.

These small adapters disable the data pins so that only power can transfer to and from the device. Carry a power bank. These eliminate the need to use any public power sources.

These eliminate the need to use any public power sources. Avoid unknown cables such as those found in USB charging stations.

such as those found in USB charging stations. Use charge only cables. Like USB data blockers, these stop data from transferring. They lack the wires for data transfer.

Like USB data blockers, these stop data from transferring. They lack the wires for data transfer. Keep your operating system (OS) updated. When plugged in, modern devices should prompt Trust this device? Click No when charging in public.

When plugged in, modern devices should prompt Trust this device? Click when charging in public. Turn off your phone before charging. This doesnt always work and shouldnt be relied on, but some devices allow charging while powered off with no data connection.

Here are some tips to help you avoid becoming a #juicejacking victim:

 Avoid using a USB charging station. Use an AC power outlet instead.

 Bring AC, car chargers, and your own USB cables with you when traveling.  FCC (@FCC) April 11, 2023

TSA: Avoid free public Wi-Fi, especially when making online purchases

We know its hard to resist using free public Wi-Fi, particularly when your device lacks an unlimited data plan. But the convenience is one of the least secure ways to get online. Heres a handful of ways public Wi-Fi can be used maliciously.

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No. 1: Because theres no identity verification, attackers can freely connect and monitor or manipulate traffic on the network. Bottom line? Youre sharing a digital room with strangers.

Because theres no identity verification, attackers can freely connect and monitor or manipulate traffic on the network. Bottom line? Youre sharing a digital room with strangers. No. 2: Most public hotspots also dont encrypt your data, which means attackers can intercept information like unencrypted website traffic, search history, login credentials sent over non-HTTPS sites, and emails and messages on unsecured apps. This type of attack is known as a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. This can be especially harmful if you enter financial information into your phone, as you do when making online purchases.

Most public hotspots also dont encrypt your data, which means attackers can intercept information like unencrypted website traffic, search history, login credentials sent over non-HTTPS sites, and emails and messages on unsecured apps. This type of attack is known as a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. This can be especially harmful if you enter financial information into your phone, as you do when making online purchases. No. 3: Attackers can also create their own fake Wi-Fi networks using misleading names like Airport Wi-Fi Free, Starbucks Guest or Hotel_Conference_Wi-Fi. This is called an evil twin attack. Once connected, the hacker controls all traffic going through the fake network.

Attackers can also create their own fake Wi-Fi networks using misleading names like Airport Wi-Fi Free, Starbucks Guest or Hotel_Conference_Wi-Fi. This is called an evil twin attack. Once connected, the hacker controls all traffic going through the fake network. No. 4: Session hijacking relates to websites youre logged into, like email, banking and social media. Attackers can steal your session cookie, impersonate you, or access your accounts without passwords. This is possible even on HTTPS sites if other protections fail.

Session hijacking relates to websites youre logged into, like email, banking and social media. Attackers can steal your session cookie, impersonate you, or access your accounts without passwords. This is possible even on HTTPS sites if other protections fail. No. 5: Using public Wi-Fi also increases the risk of malware and phishing. Networks can redirect to malicious websites, fake login portals, pop-ups prompting app downloads and malicious firmware updates. Malware can also be spread by compromised routers or access points.

Using public Wi-Fi also increases the risk of malware and phishing. Networks can redirect to malicious websites, fake login portals, pop-ups prompting app downloads and malicious firmware updates. Malware can also be spread by compromised routers or access points. No. 6: Some devices may automatically join a network with a known Wi-Fi name (SSID). Knowing this, hackers may spoof a Wi-Fi name to connect without your knowledge. Using Auto-Join increases this risk.

Here are some ways to safely use public Wi-Fi, if you must:

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U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales, left, and Henry Cuellar, right, participate in a discussion on taking politics out of problem solving during the Texas Tribune Festival in 2023. Cuellar, the controversial South Texas lawmaker, might not vote with the national party on every issue, but Democrats will need his help if they want to flip the U.S. House. Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman

When U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries came out with his ringing endorsement of the presidential pardon issued Wednesday to Laredo Congressman Henry Cuellar, the New York Democrat came under social media fire from many on the left who accused him of selling out the cause of progressivism.

After all, Cuellar is considered the House's most conservative Democrat. He's a staunch opponent of abortion rights, a fossil fuels champion, and even though he vocally opposes many of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, he's been far more hawkish on border security matters than most other elected Democrats.

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Trump's pardon wiped away the 2024 indictments against Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, on federal charges of bribery and money laundering. They stood accused of, but stoutly denied, accepting $600,000 in bribes between 2014 and 2021 from a Mexican bank and an oil and gas company in Azerbaijan.

All that aside, here's what Jeffries had to say in the moments after Trump announced the pardon:

"Henry Cuellar is a well-respected member of the House of Representatives. A beloved representative down in Laredo and across South Texas, and in my view, the right outcome has been achieved."

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The New Republic, one of the nation's leading liberal-leaning magazines, went so far as saying the embrace of the Cuellar pardon proves that "Jeffries is simply not cut out to lead the Democratic Party in any kind of serious opposition against Trump."

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But in fact, the argument can be made that by rushing to the defense of Cuellar, Jeffries has actually improved his standing as the Democrats' face for checking any excesses of the Republican president.

READ MORE: Trump pardons Henry Cuellar of bribery charges ahead of 2026 midterm

Here's why: As much as people like to say that politics is a contact sport, it's just as much as a series of transactional exercises. Look no further than October 2023 when a bloc of Republicans forced then-U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, their fellow Republican, to give up his gavel.

What followed was two weeks of confusion, chaos and uncertainty because Republicans could not agree who should be the new speaker. The GOP majority was pretty narrow, just as it is now, and it was conceivable that a coalition of House Democrats in swing districts could come to the Republicans' rescue.

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If anyone suspected that Cuellar might have been part of such a cabal, they'd be proved wrong. In vote after vote in which Republicans were split, Cuellar cast his lot with Jeffries, even though the Democrat had no chance of winning.

Now, let's go back to 2022. Cuellar found himself in a razor-close runoff in the Democratic primary with a young progressive named Jessica Cisneros. Cuellar, over a political career that dates back to the mid-1980s when he was elected to the Texas House, has not hesitated to buck his party on one issue or another, while Cisneros fit the mold of what a national Democrat should be, especially when it comes to abortion. She's pro-choice and never pretended to be anything but.

But when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to involve herself in the runoff between Cuellar and Cisneros, even as the House was considering legislation to protect the very abortion rights that were soon be struck down by the Supreme Court, she made clear her support for the pro-life Cuellar.

Pelosi understood then, as does Jeffries now, that Cuellar represents a district that's inhospitable to the types of Democrats who win in San Francisco or New York  or even in Austin or Houston. It's more rural than urban and more oil-friendly than Green New Deal. Like Cuellar, the Democrats Laredo sends to Austin are also opponents of abortion. So, better to win with the conservative Cuellar than lose to a Republican by nominating a liberal, the Democratic thinking goes.

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If the Democrats are to flip the House next year, they're going to need Cuellar's district to remain blue, even with its purplish tint. Jeffries knows that if he's speaker in 2027 and decides to bring an abortion rights bill, or other measures dear to the hearts of progressive Democrats, to the House floor, he's not going to get Cuellar's vote. And if the Democratic majority is greater than a seat or two, he won't need Cuellar's vote.

The vote Jeffries is most concerned about is the one that would make him speaker, and Cuellar has already demonstrated that he's capable of delivering on that one.

But first, Cuellar needs to keep his seat in Congress.

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Georgetown police American-Statesman

Georgetown police have arrested a person of interest in a double homicide case on unrelated charges, according to authorities.

On Saturday, investigators identified Justice Marquez Washington, 28, as a person of interest in the death of his boyfriend and a roommate, police Chief Cory J. Tchida said in a news release. Around 2 p.m. that day, police arrested Washington for unrelated charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He has not been charged with murder, but his car is being searched for evidence, investigators said.

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The day before Washington's arrest, the Georgetown Fire Department was sent to a home at 300 Pipe Creek Lane in response to a neighbor's call reporting smoke, an alarm sounding and a collapsed man in the front yard, police said. The man in the yard, James William Yost, 76, of Georgetown, was dead by the time firefighters arrived, officials said.

First responders later located a second dead man inside the house, Kenneth Michael Wade Clanton, 33, of Georgetown, according to authorities. Clanton was in a relationship with Washington, and both lived in the house alongside Yost, the homeowner.

Both men suffered from injuries consistent with what police called a "cutting instrument." Investigators belive the incident was a double homicide where the fire was intentionally set.

"The Georgetown Police Department is deeply saddened by the events that occurred last night in the Sun City subdivision," Tchida said. "We recognize the concern this incident has caused in the community and extend our condolences to those affected."

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There is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public, according to police.
Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old college student at Babson College, was detained by ICE while trying to make a surprise trip to see her family in Austin. Within about 48 hours of her arrest, the agency deported her to Honduras. Courtesy of Todd Pomerleau

Late last month when immigration agents detained 19-year-old Any Lucia Lopez Belloza before she could board a flight home to Austin, her family  and her lawyer  were stunned by how quickly the federal government moved to deport her.

Just two days after being arrested at Boston Logan International Airport, the college student was shackled and placed on a flight back to her native Honduras where she remains as she searches for a new university. The deportation unfolded so rapidly that she had already been flown to Texas by the time her lawyer could file an emergency motion to stop it  a stay a federal judge approved within minutes.

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A new court filing obtained by the American-Statesman explains how the U.S. government is justifying the legality of the lightning-fast deportation. Legal experts say the filing, and the case at large, represents one of the increasingly common and troubling tactics the Trump administration is using amid its ongoing immigration crackdown. It's an approach that relies on speed and geography to shield its actions from judicial review.

Government says court lacks jurisdiction, issue is moot

In the Wednesday filing, the federal government argues the court that granted Lopez Bellozas habeas petition lacks jurisdiction because she was not physically in the state of Massachusetts when the petition was filed. It also contends the habeas petition  intended to free someone from unlawful custody  is moot because she is no longer detained.

When the petition was filed on November 21, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., petitioner was in ICE custody in Texas, the filing states. As petitioners arrest and detention were lawful, and petitioner has been released from custody, this court should dismiss the petition rather than transfer it to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

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Todd Pomerleau, Lopez Bellozas attorney, said his team believed she was still in Massachusetts when they filed the habeas petition because ICEs own detainee locator last listed her there. Lopez Belloza also told her parents she was being held in the state during the only phone call she was allowed.

Pomerleau called the governments position a red herring that misuses jurisdictional doctrine and enables the government to evade court oversight simply by outpacing the process.

You cant just ignore a court order, he said, adding that he will continue pushing for Lopez Belloza's return.

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No longer tolerated

Yet Huyen Pham, an immigration law professor at Texas A&M, said the argument falls into a legal gray area because deportations traditionally have not occurred this quickly.

We don't know if the deportation was illegal, Pham said. Thats the problem with a deportation before someones day in court.

What is clearer, Pham said, is that the case reflects the governments willingness to bypass due process protections for a non-criminal immigrant  and reveals the judiciarys limited ability to safeguard those rights when the executive branch refuses to cooperate.

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I don't think it's anybody's idea of a fair legal system, Pham said.

Lopez Bellozas detention was among the first widely reported cases of an immigration arrest inside a domestic airport terminal.

But in a prepared statement, an unnamed Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the Statesman that what happened to the college student was nothing new and suggested the Transportation Security Administration is helping to enforce immigration laws.

"Back in February, Secretary [Kristi] Noem reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country and do so without identification, the statement said. Under President Trump, TSA and DHS will no longer tolerate this. This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.

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The legal implications of a lightning-fast deportation

Lopez Belloza had lived in Austin with her family since 2014 and had no criminal record, her lawyer said. She was returning home for Thanksgiving on Nov. 20 when ICE officers detained her in Boston, citing a years-old deportation order the family says they did not know existed.

Within about 30 hours, she was flown to Texas and held there as Pomerleau sought emergency court intervention in Massachusetts. The Wednesday filing says he secured the order about an hour after Lopez Belloza's plane landed in the Lone Star State  and less than a day before she was removed to Honduras.

By moving so quickly, Pham said, ICE created a gap in procedural protections, using its own speed to avoid judicial oversight in its quest to meet the Trump administrations stated deportation targets.

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Elissa Steglich, an immigration law professor at the University of Texas, said the filing reflects ICE's practice of transferring people to jurisdictions less likely to halt deportations, and away from courts that have granted relief in similar cases.

It has very much become a game in terms of ICE trying to swiftly move people to more friendly jurisdictions, Steglich said.

At the same time, she said, ICE has expanded the circumstances requiring detention for immigrants without legal status. This has pushed attorneys to rely more heavily on habeas petitions and the limits of those petitions are being increasingly tested, Steglich said.

Pham said Lopez Bellozas case underscores those limits. Though the filing was unable to stop her removal, it will now be far harder to undo it.

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With her out of the country it will make it much more difficult, Pham said.

The court of popular opinion

Experts say cases like Lopez Belloza's may be more common than news reports suggest as ICE ramps up enforcement to meet internal targets.

A lot of people, they dont have the resources to file and contest this, so we never hear about it happening," Pham said. "But this is happening multifold across the United States."

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Lopez Belloza, who could not obtain a Real ID-compliant drivers license because of her lack of status, was traveling with a Honduran passport when she was detained. Pomerleau said she had used her Honduran passport for domestic travel several times this year.

In a Thursday interview with MSNow, Lopez Belloza said she hopes to return to the United States to see her parents and younger siblings. Her father told the Statesman the family knows that will be difficult, and that she is preparing to enroll in college in Honduras.

Steglich noted that while the executive branch has the authority to return someone it has deported, doing so typically requires political will or public pressure.

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Pham said courts are unlikely to force such a shift, given what she views as a growing power imbalance between the executive and judicial branches. The only meaningful pressure point, she said, may be the court of popular opinion."
A Kerrville teen wears a World War II-era Navy uniform while listening to the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony in 2016 at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. Robert Scott Kellner writes that each commemoration raises the relentless question: Could that painful morning and those deaths have been avoided? Austin American-Statesman

On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, bringing an end to U.S. neutrality in a war that had already been raging for two years. The well-planned attack came like a lightning bolt from a clear sky. Sailors, Marines and soldiers fought back bravely to save their ships and their wounded comrades. But many lost their lives.

The sinking of the battleship USS Arizona alone killed 1,177 sailors and Marines. Many were teenagers on their first assignment. On that morning which will live in infamy, as President Franklin Roosevelt said, 2,403 Americans died. It is essential that we continue to remember this day.

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Yet remembrance alone is not enough. Each commemoration raises the relentless question: Could that painful morning and those deaths have been avoided?

Japans militarist leaders, along with Germany's Adolf Hitler and Italy's Benito Mussolini, did not hide their lust for power. Why, then, were American leaders so slow to gauge enemy intent? In January 1941, almost a year before the attack, President Franklin Roosevelt acknowledged the danger in a letter to his ambassador to Japan, Joseph Grew: Our strategy of self-defense must be a global strategy which takes account of every front and takes advantage of every opportunity to contribute to our total security. But having campaigned for an unprecedented third term with promises to keep America out of war, Roosevelt did not act decisively enough on that awareness.

This year we marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. As we commemorate the 84th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the world is still in turmoil with challenges from other authoritarian leaders: nuclear ambitions in North Korea and Iran, cyberattacks capable of destroying infrastructure, and wars in Europe and the Middle East that test the resolve of democracies.

The lesson of Pearl Harbor is an ongoing warning about the cost of complacency and must be heeded by our leaders.

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Friedrich Kellner, shown in 1934, wrote a diary while under Gestapo surveillance throughout World War II. Courtesy of Robert Scott Kellner

Ironically, that warning was apparent  even before Pearl Harbor  to a court administrator in Germany who happened to be my grandfather: Friedrich Kellner, who opposed the Nazis from the beginning. His diary, which he wrote while under Gestapo surveillance throughout the six years of war, records Nazi crimes and the failure of the democracies to act soon enough.

In April 1940, he wrote disdainfully of Roosevelts policies: How can a people be so shortsighted and ignore the rest of the world because theyre protected by oceans? Dont they realize Hitler will not stop with Europe? More idealism, you leaders of America!

Kellner had read Hitlers Mein Kampf and was astonished that England, France and the United States dismissed its threats. Japan, Germany and Italy were arming openly with raw material and resources from the very nations they planned to attack. Where were the statesmen, Kellner asked in May 1942, who could recognize the reality?

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His tactical advice in 1940 was prescient: support China fully to keep Japan occupied  and mobilize Americas industrial might to arm England. Instead, Americas neutrality laws and half-measures left it vulnerable. By June 1941, Kellner pleaded: Concentrate all your strength against the destroyers of peace! No deliberations, no resolutions, no rhetoric, no more neutrality.

Six months later, Pearl Harbor proved him right.

In his diary entry from June 20, 1942, Friedrich Kellner writes that U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt "correctly saw through the Fuhrer and his movement from the beginning," but not enough of the American people did until they became involved in the war. Courtesy of Robert Scott Kellner

The names of the 2,403 killed at Pearl Harbor were only the beginning. The following years took the lives of more than 400,000 American servicemen, most of them young, in what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill would call The Unnecessary War.

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Decades later, on Sept. 11, 2001, another lightning bolt from a clear sky struck America, reminding us of our vulnerability and involving us since then  for the past 24 years  in overseas conflict.

As we honor this anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Kellners voice is still sorely needed. His diary is a moral compass urging vigilance, courage and unity against aggressors who exploit democratic hesitation. Pearl Harbor teaches us that oceans do not protect us, neutrality does not shield us and delay can be deadly. The challenge of our time is to heed this lesson before history repeats itself.

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Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Unfortunately, youll likely have to travel far from Central Texas to see snow covering the ground.

In fact, the National Weather Service reports that the average chance of a white Christmas in Texas is extremely low, under 10% for most of the state, except for the Panhandle, which has the highest odds at around 9% to 11%. In Amarillo, a white Christmas has been recorded 12 times since 1892, with the most recent occurrence in 2012.

For reference, the National Centers for Environmental Information defines a white Christmas as having a snow depth of at least 1 inch on Ed. 25. This doesnt mean it has to snow on Christmas Day itself, just that at least an inch of snow must either fall that day or remain on the ground from a previous snowfall.

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According to the National Weather Service, a White Christmas is defined as having at least one inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. NOAA

Where will we see a white Christmas?

While Mother Nature can always surprise us, the overall climate pattern is leaning toward a milder-than-average winter for much of the United States. This is due to La Nina, which is the cooling phase in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean.

During La Nina, the jet stream typically shifts north and becomes more amplified across the Pacific Northwest, the Northern Plains and into the Great Lakes region.

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According to the Old Farmers Almanac, the best chances for a white Christmas this year will be across the Central and Northeastern regions of the continental United States.

Northern Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan, and Wisconsin can practically guarantee a blanket of snow on Christmas Day since snow begins falling earlier in the month and these northern areas have freezing temperatures to avoid snow melt, the Almanac notes.

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In the mountains of northern New Hampshire, the odds are 97%, and northern Vermont has a 75% to 95% chance. Out west, Montana and Idaho have a 94% to 98% chance, according to the Almanac. Colorados chances vary depending on proximity to the mountains. Areas east of Denver are only around 40%, while in the mountains just southwest of Boulder the odds climb to 77%. Of course, Alaska looks to have a white Christmas while the southern regions of the U.S., including Texas, are expected to be milder with rain or sun.

The Old Farmer's Almanac is forecasting snow for the Rockies, the Great Lakes, and the Northeastern states on Christmas Day. Old Farmer's Almanac

Whats the forecast for Christmas Day in Austin?

Weather forecasts lose reliability the farther out they go. Predicting the exact conditions for a specific day three weeks in advance is nearly impossible. However, we can look at climate trends to get a general idea of what to expect.

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The Climate Prediction Centers three- to four-week outlook indicates a warmer and drier than average pattern for Central Texas through Dec. 26. Meanwhile, the latest Global Forecast System long-range model shows temperatures running 2 to 5 degrees above average, along with a rainfall deficit of about 0.20 to 0.50 inches.

Long-range forecast models are hinting at warmer-than-normal temperatures as Santa comes to town. This graphic shows one possible scenario for how much warmer temperatures may be compared to our statistical average for late December. WeatherBell
Lt. Col. Alexander Prevendar, incoming USAFADS Thunderbirds commander, gives remarks at a change of command ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Dec. 5, 2025. (Yendi Borjas/U.S. Air Force)



The Thunderbirds welcomed a new commander for the 2026 and 2027 air show seasons.

Lt. Col. Alexander Prevendar assumed command of the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron from Col. Nathan Malafa at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Friday, according to a service news release.

To the 135 members of this incredible team, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, thank you for the legacy you carry, the mission you live and the trust youve already shown me, Prevendar said in the release. Its the honor of my life to step into this role, and its not something I take lightly.

U.S. Air Force Col. Nathan Malafa, left, outgoing U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Alexander Prevendar, incoming USAFADS Thunderbirds commander, smile during a change of command ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Dec. 5, 2025. (Yendi Borjas/U.S. Air Force)



Prevendar, a command pilot with over 3,300 flight hours will lead the Thunderbirds signature flying formations to showcase the capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. He previously served as the Commanders Action Group Chief for Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central Command).

Malafa served as Thunderbird 1 for the 2024 and 2025 air show seasons. He led the team through 125 aerial demonstrations in 59 locations and performed in high-profile flyovers at Super Bowl LVIII, Daytona 500, Indy 500 and the U.S. Air Force Academys graduation.

Theres no other team Id trust with my life more  in training, airshows or combat, said Malafa in the release. Im so proud of you all and you inspire me for what is to come. Continue representing the very best of what America has to offer.

The change of command comes two days after a Thunderbirds pilot was forced eject from an F-16C Fighting Falcon during a training mission over controlled airspace in California.

The teams 2026 schedule is expected to be released next week and can be found here: https://www.airforce.com/thunderbirds/schedule.
Pallets of seized narcotics are stacked at U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (Nicolina Converso/U.S. Coast Guard)



A law enforcement crew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach seized approximately 3,715 pounds of cocaine last week from a suspected smuggling vessel.

The Tuesday seizure, made 2 miles east of Government Cut  a manmade shipping channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island  is worth an estimated $28 million.

This was the largest USCG small boat station cocaine seizure since 1995, said Lt. Matthew Ross, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Miami Beach in a service news release.

A seized vessel suspected of drug smuggling is moored at Sector Miami on Dec. 2, 2025. (Nicolina Converso/U.S. Coast Guard)



The Coast Guard crew worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and Homeland Security Investigations during the operation.

Protecting our maritime borders from illicit drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations remains one of our highest priorities, said Ross. The Coast Guard and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners remain vigilant in our shared efforts to keep our maritime borders safe by preventing illicit narcotics from reaching our communities.

When the boat reached the pier at Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, search teams discovered more than 1,000 hidden packages of cocaine. Federal agents took the three people on board into custody.

Disrupting maritime narcotics smuggling like this demonstrates the power of teamwork in safeguarding our nation and holding criminals accountable, said Andy Blanco, executive director of CBP Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region. Smugglers should be warned that our whole-of-government team is watching, and they will be caught.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and gymnast Livvy Dunne take a photo with sailors during a USO tour aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Mahan in October 2025. (Mari Villalobos/USO)



The USO brought Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and social media influencer Livvy Dunne aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Mahan, both currently deployed in the Caribbean.

Skenes and Dunne spent time with more than 1,300 sailors across the two ships, learning about their missions, operations and daily life during a two-day tour at sea in October, according to a USO news release on Thursday.

It was an absolute honor to get to spend time on board the USS Ford and USS Mahan, Dunne said in the release. I have such immense gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices they make, along with their families back home, in order to protect our freedoms.

Social media influencer Livvy Dunne signs a photo in the site tv studio during a meet-and-greet aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 17, 2025. (Paige Brown/U.S. Navy)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and social media influencer Livvy Dunne during a USO tour aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Mahan in October 2025. (Livvy Dunne)

Lt. Bradley Bailey, left, teaches Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes how to signal an aircraft to launch from the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford during a USO visit in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 17, 2025. (Gladjimi Balisage/U.S. Navy)



Skenes and Dunne toured key mission areas and daily-life spaces, met with ship leaders, shared meals with sailors, visited the onboard USO centers, helped launch an aircraft and learned how the Navy fights fires at sea, according to the release.

Throughout the visit, the pair spent time engaging with sailors, signed autographs and took photos.

Being able to tour the ships and see the incomparable facilities and equipment onboard was an unparalleled experience, said Skenes in the release. Most importantly, being able to meet and spend time with so many brave and real-life heroes, who have sacrificed so much to protect us, was truly unforgettable and special. We can never thank them enough for all that they do.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes serves as a landing signal officer on the flight deck of the worlds largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during a USO visit in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 17, 2025. (Gladjimi Balisage/U.S. Navy)

Social media influencer Livvy Dunner during a USO tour aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Mahan in October 2025. (Livvy Dunne)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and social media influencer Livvy Dunne take a photo with sailors during a USO tour aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Mahan in October 2025. (Livvy Dunne)



The Ford strike group departed for deployment from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., in June with eight warships, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, an F-35 fighter squadron and more than 6,000 sailors and Marines.

The strike group arrived in the Caribbean in November after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the strike group to join U.S. forces there to disrupt drug trafficking and degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. Officials describe the U.S. military presence as the largest in the Caribbean in decades.

The strike group includes the nine embarked squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Eight, Destroyer Squadron Twos Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers Mahan and the USS Bainbridge and the integrated air and missile defense command ship USS Winston S. Churchill.
In this photo provided by the Philippine coast guard, Filipino fisheries vessel, the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang, is seen in the South China Sea on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Philippine coast guard/AP)



MANILA, Philippines  Chinese forces fired three flares from an island toward a Philippine plane undertaking a routine patrol Saturday in the disputed South China Sea, but the incident did not cause any problem and the aircraft proceeded with its surveillance mission, the Philippine coast guard said.

It was not immediately clear how far the flares that Filipino officials said were fired from the Chinese-occupied Subi Reef were from the Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft of the Philippine fisheries bureau.

Chinese officials did not immediately comment on the incident, Beijing has claimed virtually the entire South China Sea, a key global trade route, and has vowed to staunchly defend its sovereignty. Chinese forces has fired flares from its occupied islands and from its aircraft as a warning for foreign planes to move away from what it calls its airspace in the disputed waters.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft recorded video footage of three flares fired from the reef toward the aircraft during its lawful overflight, said the Philippine coast guard, which carried out Saturdays surveillance flight with the fisheries agency.

These flights aim to monitor the marine environment, assess the status of fisheries resources and ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea, the coast guard said, using the Philippine name for the stretch of the South China Sea that Manila claims.

The Philippine patrol plane spotted a Chinese hospital ship, two Chinese coast guard ships and 29 suspected militia ships anchored in the waters off Subi, the Philippine coast guard said.

Subi is one of seven disputed and mostly submerged reefs which China turned more than a decade ago into what are now island bases in the Spratlys, the most hotly disputed region of the South China Sea. The artificial islands are protected by a missile system and three of them have military-grade runways, according to U.S. and Philippine security officials.

Aside from Subi, the Philippine patrol plane flew near six other disputed islands, reefs and atolls, including Sabina, an uninhabited disputed shoal, where it monitored a Chinese navy ship. This vessel repeatedly issued radio challenges against the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft while it was flying well within Philippine sovereign rights, the Philippine coast guard said.

All safe and mission accomplished, Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said of Saturdays surveillance flight.

The United States has no territorial claims in the sea passage but has patrolled the waters for decades and repeatedly warned its obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also been involved in the long-seething disputes in the resource-rich waters.
The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for a port call to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Chinas army garrison's presence in the semi-autonomous Chinese city and former British colony on July 7, 2017. (Vincent Yu/AP)



TOKYO  Japan said Monday that Chinese military aircraft locked radar on its fighter jets even though there was a safe distance between them, denying Beijings accusation of interference and renewing its protest over the incident.

The Self Defense Force (fighter jets) were maintaining safe distance during their mission, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters. Chinas claim that SDF aircraft severely obstructed their safe flight is untrue.

Japan and Australia urged calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar on the Japanese fighter jets. The incident occurred a month after the Japanese leaders remarks on Taiwan stirred tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan formally protested the incident, calling it an extremely regrettable act and a dangerous one that exceeded the scope necessary for safe aircraft operations.

We have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side and demanded strict preventive measures, Koizumi said.

Japans Defense Ministry said Chinas military aircraft J-15 took off from the Chinese carrier Liaoning near the southern island of Okinawa on Saturday and intermittently latched its radar on Japanese F-15 fighter jets on two occasions Saturday, for about three minutes in the late afternoon and for about 30 minutes in the evening. It was not made clear whether the radar lock incident involved the same Chinese J-15 both times.

Japanese fighter jets had been scrambled to pursue Chinese ones that were conducting aircraft takeoff and landing exercises in the Pacific. They were pursuing the Chinese aircraft at a safe distance and did not take actions that could be interpreted as provocation, Kyodo News agency said, quoting defense officials, when the radar lock happened. There was no breach of Japanese airspace, and no injury or damage was reported from the incident.

Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese navy, defended Chinas flight training near the island of Miyako on Saturday, saying Beijing announced the exercises beforehand and accused Japanese aircraft of harassment.

We solemnly asked the Japanese side to immediately stop slandering and smearing, and strictly restrain its frontline actions. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests, Wang said in a statement posted Sunday on the Chinese Ministry of Defense website.

Kihara on Monday stressed the importance of maintaining communications between the two sides but declined to say whether a hotline launched in 2018 between them was used during the lock-on incident.

At an emergency meeting Monday, senior officials from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expressed concern that the radar incident may signal an elevated security risk from China.

Relations between Japan and China have worsened after Japans Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in early November its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.

Takaichi later Sunday called the radar lock-in extremely disappointing.

We will act calmly and resolutely, she said, vowing to do the utmost in carrying out surveillance operations around Japanese waters and airspace, while closely watching Chinese military activity around Japan.

Japan and Australia, whose defense ministers held their scheduled talks in Tokyo on Sunday, expressed worry over the development.

We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told a joint news conference Sunday after holding talks with Koizumi. We expect those interactions to be safe and professional.

Australia does not want to see any change to the status quo across the Taiwan Straits, Marles said, adding that China is his countrys largest trade partner and he wants to have productive relations with Beijing.

We continue to advocate to China about these issues again, in a very calm, sensible and moderate way, he said.

Japan and Australia, during Sunday talks, agreed to bolster military ties to lead the regions multilateral defense cooperation. The two ministers agreed to form a comprehensive framework for strategic defense coordination and discuss further details.

Tokyo has been accelerating its military buildup while expanding its defense ties beyond its only treaty ally, the United States. It now considers Australia to be a semi-ally.

Marles also visited a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki on Saturday to observe production of the upgraded Mogami-class frigate that his country chose in September as a replacement for its aging fleet.

Saturdays radar lock is believed to be the first involving Japanese and Chinese military aircraft. In 2013, a Chinese warship targeted a radar on a Japanese destroyer, Kyodo said.

Fighter jets use radars for search operations or fire control ahead of a missile launch.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, the Philippine coast guard said China fired three flares toward a fisheries bureau plane on patrol in the South China Sea on Saturday. Chinese forces fire flares to warn planes to move away from what they consider their airspace over the disputed waters.

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.
Emma Heming Willis, wife of Hollywood legend Bruce Willis, provided an update on her husbands health this week.

During an appearance on "Today" on Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie asked Heming Willis how her husband, who was diagnosed in 2023 with frontotemporal dementia, was doing.

"Its such a loaded question. Its hard to answer, Heming Willis, 47, began. But honestly, today, great. He is surrounded by love and care, and he is doing really well with an unkind disease, she said of the Die Hard actor, 70.

In September, Heming Willis told Today.com that Bruces dementia had affected his ability to communicate and understand others. For us, our communication is different now, but our connection remains very much intact, she shared.

Bruce stepped away from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia. His family revealed the following year that he was suffering from frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

Following his diagnosis, Heming Willis became his primary caregiver, though she shared in August at Endwell Health 2025 via the New York Post, that Bruce now lives in a nearby residence where he receives round-the-clock care.

She described the choice as necessary for the familys safety and well-being, saying, This is the best decision for our family. It was the safest one. And our family is now, in essence, thriving.

Following her appearance on Today, Heming Willis also shared a touching post on Instagram on Friday that shed light on how Bruce gave back when he was well.

Bruce did so much for our military and veterans when no one was watching. He never did it for the cameras. But Im putting him on blast because Im a proud wife, and I want people to know just how good his heart is, she wrote on her Stories via Parade.

In September, Heming Willis released The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, in which she discusses her experiences as a caregiver for her husband and offers advice to those on a similar journey. The book quickly became a bestseller.
Update:

State police have located a driver involved in a hit-and-run in Baldwinsville on Sunday morning.

On Sunday night, State Police said that a review of surveillance video with help from the Onondaga County Sheriffs Office had allowed them to find the driver.

Troopers said they are now interviewing the driver.

The victims body was found on Downer Street east of the intersection of Crego Road and Sun Meadows Way, according to Trooper Jennifer Jiron, a spokesperson for State Police.

Original article:

Baldwinsville, N.Y.  A woman was killed in a hit-and-run in Baldwinsville early Sunday morning.

Police are seeking the publics help to identify a car that may have been involved in the fatal crash.

Around 5:50 a.m., a 911 caller reported a woman was down on Downer Street near the intersection of Sun Meadow Way, surrounded by blood, according to Onondaga County 911 Center dispatches.

The woman was found in the eastbound lane of the road and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release from the State Police. Her injuries were consistent with being hit by a vehicle, troopers said.

Troopers have not released the name of the woman as they work to reach her family.

The woman had left a nearby Dunkin Donuts around 5:39 a.m. and walked for about two minutes before troopers believe she was hit by a car.

A video shows a vehicle traveling east on Downer Street around the time of the crash, troopers said.

The images are blurred, but the car appears to be a light-colored sedan, they said.

Troopers ask anyone who recognizes the vehicle or who witnessed the crash to contact State Police at (315) 366-6000.
Skaneateles, N.Y.  The annual Dickens Christmas festival, a popular holiday tradition by Skaneateles Lake, has been going strong for 32 years.

More than 60 characters from 1842, including Dickens characters as well as regular townsfolk, dress up and interact with residents and visitors around town every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dickens Christmas continues this month on Dec. 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 from noon to 4 p.m. and Dec. 24 from 12-2:30 p.m.

Organizers said the event brings more than 20,000 visitors to the village each year.

The cast includes Ebenezer Scrooge, Washington Irving, Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs, Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Jacob Marley, a winter fairy, chimney sweepers, pickpockets and other villagers.

This year, one of the biggest changes is the arrival of a new Queen Victoria.

Tarin Campanella replaces 20-year veteran Maria DeMitchell in the royal role of Queen Victoria at the Dickens Christmas festival that draws 20,000 visitors annually to Skaneateles. Dec. 6, 2025 (Shuyang (Sky) Zhuang | Contributing photographer) Sky Zhuang

Tarin Campanella takes the place of Maria DeMitchell, who had played Queen Victoria for over 20 years.

Maria, the previous queen, has been an inspiration to me for a long time, Campanella said. It really is such an honor to step into this role and try to do it justice while finding my own voice and paying homage to what came before.

Campanella has performed in other roles previously, which helped her understand how the public interacts with royalty during the event.

In earlier years I played lower-class characters, and they operate very differently, she said. When you play royalty and walk into a crowd, you hear the whispers, Oh the Queen is coming, and everyone bows. People have so much fun with it.

Jim Greene portrays Charles Dickens at Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. Sky Zhuang

Campanella described Dickens Christmas as magical because of its inclusivity, noting the cast spans a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

Everyone brings something unique to their character. The directors work really hard to create a positive environment, and the cast carries that energy out onto the street, said Campanella. And its for everyone, theres no entry fee, its free to see Santa, free to get chestnuts. Anyone can come and enjoy it.

Producer director Jim Greene, also portrays Charles Dickens.

I just like walking through the streets and talking to everyone I see. said Greene. If youre paying attention to your surroundings and you hear people talking about something, I just chime in as though Im part of the conversation. Its funny and everyone laughs.

Visitors attend the Dickens Christmas festival in Skaneateles on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. Sky Zhuang

Greene emphasized that while the festival keeps many traditions alive, it also allows for playful audience participation.

We have quite a number of traditional things that people really look forward to coming back for, Greene said, mentioning longstanding events like horse-drawn wagon rides, free eggnog and the midday revels.

Greene said the festival relies on improvisation with visitors, with each interaction feeling fresh and unique since the cast never knows exactly who theyll encounter. He said this keeps traditions in place while making every year feel fresh and exciting.

The holiday season wraps up with Fezziwigs Christmas Ball on Dec. 21, which Greene described as almost like a Bridgerton event, complete with dancers, costumed attendees, and appearances by the Queen and Mr. Fezziwig.

Its lively Its a lot of fun, said Greene.

Volunteers sell newspapers to raise money for the Salvation Army during Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Shuyang (Sky) Zhuang | Contributing photographer) Sky Zhuang

The 31st edition of Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles on Saturday, Dec. 06, 2025. (Shuyang (Sky) Zhuang | Contributing photographer) Sky Zhuang

Dickens Christmas highlights include:

Midday revels and scenes from A Christmas Carol

Horse-drawn wagon and carriage rides

Free refreshments and more

Paid parking is available in the municipal lot between Jordan and State streets. Free parking is available in the Austin Park Pavilion lot at the corner of Jordan and Austin streets, and in the lower gravel lot of Skaneateles High School across from Leitch Avenue.

On the weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., a free shuttle will run between these lots and the village, stopping on Fennell Street in front of Hidden Fish.

On Thursday, Dec. 11, the village hosts a Shop, Sip and Stroll from 5 to 8 p.m. for the public. Each purchase you make at a local participating business will earn you a coupon, which can be redeemed at a local restaurant for a glass of wine or beer, or at the Village Bottle Shop for 15% off a bottle of wine.
Each week, syracuse.com will look back at some of our most important and valuable journalism from the previous week. Here are six stories for the week of Nov. 30, 2025.

Subscribe to get the Syracuse.com Exclusives newsletter delivered to your email inbox every Sunday.

Miriam Andres, cousin of detained Upstate Medical Hospital worker and Cuban immigrant Alex Gonzalez spoke to demonstrators and activists gathered at the Syracuse Federal Building Monday, November 10, 2025 to protest the arrest of Alex Gonzalez and Yan Vasquez when they went to an immigration hearing. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com) N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

Quiet arrests are happening every week at ICE appointments and in houses, farms and neighborhoods all over Onondaga County. ICE does not answer questions about arrests. So far this year, it appears, dozens of people from Onondaga County have been detained. Public records and syracuse.com interviews with more than 20 immigrants, activists and lawyers paint a picture of what President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration enforcement looks like in Onondaga County.

Novelis Inc. says its cash flows will take a hit of up to $650 million just from the first of three fires that hit its massive aluminum plant in Oswego County in the past two months. In addition, the company said the first fire cost it at least $21 million in repair and other costs. And those costs are likely to go even higher when the damage caused by two subsequent fires at the plant is calculated.

A citizen-comprised board responsible for monitoring Syracuse police conduct has had at least 57 cases expire before they could be reviewed. Citizen Review Board officials told Syracuse common councilors Monday the number of cases that it wont be able to review could be even higher. State law requires complaints against police to be addressed within 18 months of the incident. Many of the cases, which were filed in 2023, reached their statute of limitations under the past CRB administration.

The owner of an office building next to a proposed 10-story downtown Syracuse hotel wants a judge to throw out key city board approvals of the $87 million project and require a more detailed environmental review. Putnam Properties LLC and its owner, attorney Fred Davies, filed a lawsuit Friday claiming the Onondaga Hotel would negatively affect the environment for neighboring properties if not altered.

Charlotte Chuckie Holstein, a beloved civic leader whose activism, volunteerism and tenacity helped transform Syracuses civic landscape, died Tuesday at her home. She was 100. Holstein began her career as a teacher, but she soon emerged as one of Central New Yorks most influential citizen trustees, devoting her life to civic engagement, womens leadership and community improvement.

One of Onondaga Countys development agencies on Monday approved a $1 million grant to help the nonprofit Friends of Onondaga County Aquarium begin acquiring animals before the aquariums opening next summer. Stocking the facility is a monumental task that will involve, for example, breeding sea dragons captured off the coast of Australia and flying their offspring to Syracuse in 60-degree seawater.
Nine Mile Point in Oswego County is the logical place for New York state to site a new nuclear plant.

This summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the New York Power Authority to develop at least 1 gigawatt of advanced nuclear capacity to meet Upstates growing energy needs. Thursday, Dec. 11, is the deadline for communities to make a preliminary pitch to the New York Power Authority to host the plant.

The planned Micron Technology semiconductor complex, in Clay, tops the list of industries that are thirsty for power. If all four chip fabs are built, they would consume more electricity than Vermont and New Hampshire combined.

Nine Mile Point, in Scriba, is just 30 miles from the Micron site. That is just one of the advantages that Oswego County has over other potential locations for a new nuke:

Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power does not produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which would help Micron and New York meet their emission goals

Nine Mile already has three nuclear power plants and the infrastructure to support them, including transmission lines, abundant cooling capacity from Lake Ontario and secure nuclear waste storage. A site was chosen 15 years ago to build another plant but financial uncertainty doomed the project.

The nuclear plants have a reliable operator in Constellation Energy and a skilled workforce to build and operate another plant. Earlier this year, Constellation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority began the process of applying for a permit to site an advanced nuclear reactor at Nine Mile.

Local government and community residents want another nuclear plant. The three existing nukes provide good-paying, middle-class jobs and pay taxes to support schools and local communities.

Yet to be determined is what advanced nuclear capacity will look like and who will pay for it. It could be anything from small, modular nuclear reactors placed near their customers to another large one using modern construction, safety and cooling technology. The goal of NYPAs request for information process, the one due Thursday, is to gather information about willing communities and available sites and technologies.

Dont overthink it, New York. Oswego County makes sense to host another nuclear plant to power Upstates surging economy.

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To respond to this editorial: Submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines.

If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion lead, at mmorelli@syracuse.com
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano nears year-long eruption: USGS



Los Angeles, United States, Dec 6 (AFP) Dec 06, 2025



Fresh lava fountains spewed in spectacular fashion from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on Saturday, US vulcanologists said, marking nearly a year since one of the world's most active volcanoes began erupting.

"Sustained lava fountains approximately 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) in height are currently erupting from the north vent," the US Geological Services Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement, adding that "fountain heights are increasing rapidly."

The latest episode in the ongoing eruption -- the 38th such surge of molten rock and gases from deep underground -- began at 8:45 am local time (1845 GMT), USGS said.

Such activity has been intermittent since an eruption began on December 23, 2024, USGS said, and typically continues for "a day or less."

All the eruptive activity is "confined to Halema'uma'u crater within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park," the service said, and local airports are not expected to be affected by volcanic gas or ash.

Officials are on watch for high levels of volcanic gas and a phenomenon called "Pele's hair," in which strands of volcanic glass "often produced by lava fountaining activity" are "carried well over 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the vent."

Hot glassy volcanic fragments "can fall on the ground within 1-2 miles (1-3 kilometers) of the eruptive vents."

Kilauea has been very active since 1983 and erupts relatively regularly.

It is one of six active volcanoes located in the Hawaiian Islands, which also include Mauna Loa, the largest volcano in the world.

Kilauea is much smaller than neighboring Mauna Loa, but is far more active and regularly wows helicopter-riding tourists who come to see its red-hot shows.
Sri Lanka issues landslide warnings as cyclone toll hits 618



Colombo, Dec 7 (AFP) Dec 07, 2025



Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 618.

A chain of tropical storms and monsoonal rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, setting off landslides, flooding vast tracts and cutting off communities from Sumatra island's rainforests to the highland plantations of Sri Lanka.

At least 1,812 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam over the past two weeks.

Indonesia's president on Sunday vowed to step up aid, with demonstrators rallying after the country's death toll surpassed 900.

More than two million people in Sri Lanka -- nearly 10 percent of the population -- have been affected by last week's floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including in the central mountainous region and the north-western midlands.

Helicopters and planes were being used on Sunday to supply communities cut off by landslides in the centre of the country.

The Sri Lanka Air Force said it had received a planeload of relief supplies from Myanmar on Sunday, the latest batch of foreign aid.

The government has confirmed 618 dead -- 464 from the lush tea-growing central region -- while 209 people remain unaccounted for.

The number of people in state-run camps had dropped to 100,000 from a peak of 225,000 as floodwaters receded across the island by Sunday, the DMC said.

More than 75,000 homes were damaged, including close to 5,000 that were completely destroyed, it added.



- 'Disaster tourism' -



In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday flew back to Sumatra's hard-hit Aceh province, with a ministry saying his visit was "to ensure the acceleration of emergency response and recovery in affected areas".

The Indonesian government has so far shrugged off calls to declare a national disaster, which would free up resources and help government agencies coordinate their response. The toll in Indonesia on Sunday remained at 916 dead, with 274 still missing.

Prabowo will also "monitor the distribution of aid, the evacuation process of residents, and measures to reopen road access," the Ministry of the State Secretariat said.

"The government emphasises that the handling of the floods in Aceh is a national priority and all resources are being mobilised to expedite the recovery of community conditions," it added in a statement.

Speaking shortly after arriving in the capital Banda Aceh, Prabowo promised that "we will put all our efforts into this, and later we will repair all the bridges, hopefully within one or two weeks".

Many survivors said their greatest need remained clean drinking water.

Some victims accused the Indonesian leader and other officials of engaging in "disaster tourism" and failing to address the crisis.

"We see that, including Prabowo's visit in Bireuen today, it seems like a disaster tourism trip," said Syahrul, a 35-year-old protester in northern Aceh province.

"We don't need officials to just observe. We need their presence to address the issues faced by the community," Syahrul told AFP.

Protesters carried placards reading: "The Aceh disaster is not a tourist spot; it's not enough for Prabowo to just take a stroll."

In Sri Lanka, the government unveiled a major compensation package on Friday to rebuild homes and revive businesses wiped out by the natural disaster, which hit the island as it was emerging from its 2022 economic meltdown.

A senior official earlier said recovery and reconstruction might cost up to $7 billion.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it was considering Sri Lanka's request for an additional $200 million to help with rebuilding.

The money is on top of the $347 million tranche due later this month, part of a four-year, $2.9 billion IMF bailout loan agreed in 2023.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery, but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock alone.
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Award-winning author Margaret Atwood has stated that the dystopian future depicted in her seminal novel, The Handmaids Tale, is becoming "more and more plausible" in the contemporary world.

The Canadian writer, 86, whose 1985 book and its 2019 Booker Prize-winning sequel, The Testaments, inspired the acclaimed television series, shared her evolving perspective on the storys relevance.

The Handmaids Tale envisions a United States transformed into the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian, theocratic regime where women are subjugated, with many forced into roles as "handmaids"  natal slaves tasked with repopulating a world grappling with widespread infertility.

Atwood revealed that when she first conceived the plot, she considered it "bonkers," recalling a time when "America was the beacon of light."

open image in gallery Margaret Atwood says the dystopia depicted in her novel is now more and more plausible ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Desert Island Discs, she elaborated: "It was the democratic ideal. It was the land of freedom and people in Europe just didnt believe that it could ever go like that."

She noted that initial reactions to the novel were "split," with many asserting, "that would never happen here." However, Atwood maintained her own conviction: "Ive always been somebody who has never believed it cant happen here. It can happen anywhere, given the circumstances."

Reflecting on the book's enduring impact, Atwood observed a significant shift in recent years.

"Well, its (what happens in the book) a perennial possibility, right? Then in 2016, everything changed again, and we are now in that period where The Handmaids Tale has become much closer. Not the outfits. I dont think were going to get the outfits, but the rest of it seems more and more plausible."

The distinctive red cloaks and white bonnets worn by handmaids in the book have become potent symbols, adopted by women across the US protesting against the administration of US President Donald Trump, particularly concerning abortion rights following the overturning of the Roe v Wade ruling.

Despite the grim parallels, Atwood expressed a degree of optimism regarding the longevity of such oppressive systems. "These kinds of regimes dont last, partly because they become unsustainable. This particular one seems quite chaotic," she remarked.

open image in gallery Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaids Tale ( HULU )

She also highlighted the resilience of the American populace: "Also, let us not count America out. Its first of all a lot more diverse than it might appear from a distance. Second, Americans are quite ornery. They do not like people telling them all to line up and do what theyre told. They really dont like that, but they dont like being bossed around by anybody right or left."

Atwood, known for her exploration of technology, identity, and totalitarianism, prefers to categorise her works as speculative fiction rather than science fiction.

As she told The Guardian in 2003, "Science fiction has monsters and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen."

She reiterated this point on Radio 4, explaining her meticulous research: "I wanted to be able to point to the source of whatever idea they were enacting and say, Dont say that I just made this up out of my twisted and weird imagination. Somebody said on Twitter/ X, How does Margaret Atwood come up with this weird s**t? I said, Its not me that comes up with this weird s**t. Its the human race. It has throughout history. So chapter and verse, its all happened."

A recipient of numerous accolades, Atwood won the Booker Prize in 2000 for The Blind Assassin and again in 2019 for The Testaments. Her extensive bibliography also includes The Edible Woman, the Oryx and Crake trilogy, Alias Grace, and Lady Oracle.

The full interview on Desert Island Discs is available on BBC Sounds.
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Actor Matthew Lillard has said it f***ing sucks that director Quentin Tarantino shared a public criticism of him during a controversial podcast appearance.

The Oscar-winning writer and director behind films such as Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight made a number of disparaging remarks about Lillard and fellow actors Paul Dano and Owen Wilson, during an interview on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.

Quentin Tarantino this week said he didnt like me as an actor, a TikTok showed Lillard telling fans at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio, this week, prompting boos from the audience.

The actor, known for roles in the slasher film Scream, as Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies and in hit series such as NBCs Good Girls, added: Eh, whatever. Who gives a s***.

The Five Nights at Freddys star continued: The point is that it hurts your feelings. It f***ing sucks. And you wouldnt say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldnt say that to somebody whos a top-line actor in Hollywood.

Tarantino, 62, reserved particular venom for Dano, while ranking Paul Thomas Andersons There Will Be Blood  in which Dano stars opposite Daniel Day Lewis  among the best films of the 21st century.

open image in gallery Matthew Lillard said criticism from Tarantino f***ing sucks ( Getty Images for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse )

The director said the movie would stand a better chance to be in number one or number two if it didnt have a big giant flaw in it.

And the flaw is Paul Dano, he said. Obviously, its supposed to be a two-hander, and its also so drastically obvious that its not a two-hander He is weak sauce, man. Hes a weak sister.

[Dano] is such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy, he added. The weakest f***ing actor in [the Screen Actors Guild].

He later added Lillard and Wilson to his list of actors he dislikes: Im not saying [Dano is] giving a non-entity performance]. I dont care for him. I dont care for Owen Wilson. I dont care for Matthew Lillard.

open image in gallery Quentin Tarantino (right) recently slammed Paul Dano's (left) performance in 'There Will Be Blood' as 'weak' ( Getty )

Speaking to his audience, Lillard remarked that he was very popular in this room. Im not very popular in Hollywood two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, its humbling and it hurts.

Tarantinos comments sparked widespread criticism among film fans as well as filmmaker Matt Reeves, who directed Dano as the Riddler in The Batman.

Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person, Reeves stated simply on X, shortly after Tarantinos comments.
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Below Deck star Fraser Olender has revealed he suffered a heart attack due to vape poisoning.

The 33-year-old reality star shared an update with his followers on Instagram Friday, sharing a carousel of photos showing him in hospital.

A few weeks ago I was rushed to hospital due to severe chest pains and difficulties breathing, Olender wrote in the posts caption.

Following this, I spent a week in London hospitals seeing specialists to identify the cause and possible damage of the incident. To keep it simple - I had vape poisoning, (an E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)) and I have never experienced fear or pain like it.

EVALI is a serious inflammatory condition that damages your lungs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Healthcare experts still arent sure which components of e-liquids directly lead to inflammation.

Olender joined 'Below Deck' in season nine ( Fred Jagueneau/Bravo )

Whatever was in my vape caused me to have a coronary artery vasospasm. Medically, that means the arteries supplying blood to my heart suddenly clamped down, Olender continued.

That spasm reduced blood flow enough to cause an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), better known as a heart attack - not because of a blockage, but because my heart wasnt getting enough oxygen during the spasm.

Im grateful to still be recovering now, and Im sharing this because I never realised something like this could happen. If this experience can help even one person rethink vaping, its worth telling.

I havent touched a vape since this happened and never will. The pain I endured for 24 hours was inexplicable, 2 rounds of morphine didnt touch the sides and eventually had to be given the strongest pain relief legal to administer in ER - and that only brought my pain from a 10 to a 7.

He concluded: I could have died for the sake of something so ridiculously stupid, so please do yourselves a favour and give it up too - cold turkey. We do not know enough about these horrific things but I can tell you one thing; that was NOT cute, not even for the plot. Love you all, be safe, put your health first and thank you for all of your well wishes.

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In his post, Olender included a short clip of his boyfriend, Las Culturistas podcast host Matt Rogers, by his bedside. His final photo in the carousel showed him on a flight with a thumbs-up, looking healthy and recovered.

He joined Below Deck in season nine as a steward and made history by becoming the first male Chief Steward in season 10. The Bravo series follows the crew of a luxury yacht as they live and work together while catering to demanding charter guests on high-pressure trips.

Below Deck will return to Bravo in 2026 for season 13.
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Kate Winslet has called on her famous peers to keep their looks natural amid the rise of non-surgical cosmetic procedures and weight-loss drugs.

Winslet has spent much of her career pushing back against Hollywoods beauty standards; however, she now feels that nobody cares any more.

No ones listening because theyve become obsessed with chasing an idea of perfection to get more likes on Instagram. It upsets me so much, she told The Sunday Times in a new interview.

It is devastating. If a persons self-esteem is so bound up in how they look, its frightening, the Titanic actor, 50, continued.

And its puzzling because I have moments when I think its better, when I look at actresses at events dressed how they want, whichever shape  but then so many people are on weight-loss drugs. Its so varied. Some are making choices to be themselves, others do everything they can to not be themselves. And do they know what they are putting in? The disregard for ones health is terrifying. It bothers me now more than ever. It is f***ing chaos out there.

open image in gallery No ones listening because theyve become obsessed with chasing an idea of perfection to get more likes on Instagram, Kate Winslet tells The Sunday Times ( Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images )

open image in gallery Kate Winslet (right) stars in her directorial debut, Goodbye June, alongside Helen Mirren ( Netflix )

According to The Times, Winslet singled out actors including Helen Mirren, Toni Collette and Andrea Riseborough  all of whom she stars with in her forthcoming directorial debut, Goodbye June  as well as her Avatar co-star, Sigourney Weaver, for aging naturally in the spotlight.

We have to keep being real, Winslet added.

After starring in Ellen Kuras 2024 biopic about war photojournalist Lee Miller (Lee), Winslet expressed her frustration about people commenting on her appearance.

People say, Oh, you were so brave for this role. You didnt wear any makeup. You know, You had wrinkles, she explained.

Do we say to the men, Oh, you were so brave for this role. You grew a beard? No. We dont.

Winslet, who went topless in Lee, previously criticized viewers who labelled her as brave for filming nude scenes without losing weight. Brave is going to the front line. Brave is being a NHS nurse during Covid, she said.

Its not flipping brave to go topless or have no makeup or no Botox Thats just being a real person.

Non-surgical procedures, such as fillers, are rising in popularity with nearly 10,000 performed by British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) members in 2024.

Winslet is currently promoting Goodbye June, which follows four siblings (Winslet, Collette, Riseborough, and Johnny Flynn) when their mothers (Mirren) health takes an unexpected turn just before Christmas, forcing them to confront messy family dynamics in the face of possible loss.

It is hard to talk about loss and grief, whether it's happened to you or not. It is something that ultimately does happen to us all. What I hope is that it opens up a conversation that people might otherwise struggle with, Winslet told The Independent at the films London premiere this week.

Goodbye June premieres December 24 on Netflix.
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Two Illinois residents were arrested on Friday and will be charged with desecration of a corpse, after police say investigators found the remains of a prematurely born baby buried in a beer box at a suburban Chicago property.

Nicole Pokrzywa, 36, of Wilmington, and William Cosmen, 38, of Manhattan, both made incriminating statements to police about burying Pokrzywas infant at a property in Wilmington, the Will County Sheriffs Office said in a statement.

Nicole and William indicated that the infant was born in a toilet, and William attempted to dispose of the body by forcing the body down the toilet drain with a plunger, the sheriffs office wrote on Facebook.

Nicole and William realized that the infants body would not fit down the drain and left the deceased infant inside of the toilet overnight, police added.

The infant was later removed from the toilet, wrapped in a plastic bag and green shirt, and buried in a shallow hole, the pair said, according to police.

Nicole Pokrzywa, 36, of Wilmington, and William Cosmen, 38, of Manhattan, Illinois, are accused of burying a prematurely born baby in beer box in suburban Chicago ( Will County Sheriff's Office )

Detectives and crime scene investigators found the remains in a hole marked with a makeshift headstone, Fox 32 Chicago reports.

On Saturday, the Will County Coroners Office conducted an examination of the remains of the infant, which was described as weighing between five and seven pounds at the time of delivery.

A forensic pathologist concluded the female child was between 22 and 27 weeks old at the time she was buried.

Additional testing of the remains will be needed as part of the investigation, given the level of decomposition of the deceased, police said.

The pair of suspects were transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility on Saturday and will be given a notice to appear for an upcoming court date, police said.

Officials described the offense as non-detainable.
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What started as a routine traffic stop turned into a multi-agency operation after a Florida man told police he had a dirty bomb in his car, authorities say.

The incident began when officers from the Haines City Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Benjamin Johnsons Chevrolet Silverado. The vehicle was believed to be involved in a crash near the Publix at 39883 Highway 27 in Davenport.

Johnson, 43, allegedly refused to follow commands to exit his vehicle. Police eventually pulled him out of the truck and found multiple guns, ammunition and firearm magazine speed loaders.

They also found thermal scopes, knives, a battering ram, and night-vision goggles, as well as cannabis and THC-infused gummies.

However, things took another strange turn when Johnson, who was being detained in a patrol car, acknowledged the existence of a dirty bomb in the truck. Upon further inspection, police found a yellow plastic container secured with chains and locks with a radioactive warning label.

open image in gallery A box with a radioactive logo on it was recovered from Benjamin Donald Johnson's car ( Haines City Police Department )

open image in gallery Police recovered an array of weapons from Benjamin Donald Johnson's car ( Haines City Police Department )

Officers secured the area, closed nearby roads, and called in the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives. A Florida State Fire investigator confirmed the container was emitting radioactivity before the bomb squad arrived.

Officials determined that the yellow container held a "Moisture Density Gauge," a soil-testing device with less radioactivity than a medical X-ray.

open image in gallery Benjamin Donald Johnson faces multiple charges after the incident. ( Haines City Police Department )

He now faces multiple charges, including hoax weapon of mass destruction, false report concerning a bomb or explosive, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and resisting officers without violence. Haines City police reported that Johnson previously had a marijuana possession arrest in Tennessee.

Johnson told authorities that he lived in the vehicle alongside his dog, who has now been released to Animal Control.

Police took the yellow container for further inspection by the Florida Bureau of Radioactive Materials, while the weapons found also remain under investigation.
Australias airports are struggling under rising numbers of international arrivals, and there are concerns delays could continue to worsen as visitor numbers grow ahead of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus revealed her airports 17 passport-reading kiosks are designed to handle 2000 passengers an hour, but up to 3800 passengers are dealt with during current peak arrival hours.

The SmartGate system has caused airport queues in Sydney and Melbourne. Credit: Nine

Other airports around the country report similar bottlenecks. Passengers arriving in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne may get off 14-hour-flights only to wait 40 minutes or more in queues to scan their passports in kiosks, in a two-part process industry insiders say is damaging the Australian brand.

We are way behind in regards to the international arrivals experience, Argus said.
Feedback to the states deer strategy showed Victorians wanted more emphasis on managing these impacts and less on deer as a hunting resource. Despite this, Premier Jacinta Allan and Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos recently announced in an upbeat Instagram post deer hunting would be allowed in national parks in Victoria, unlocking 130,000 hectares, and driving more jobs and visitors into our regional communities, Allan said. David and Marie Trigg (pictured in their kitchen) are frustrated by the governments handling of the feral deer problem. Credit: Jason South A Victorian government spokesman said the state had allocated $27 million on deer management over the past four years, but did not respond when asked how much of this was for culls. Were taking action to safely control Victorias feral deer population and reduce the significant negative impacts they have on our wildlife and biodiversity, he said.

Deer hunters have an important role to play in curbing the devastating impact of wild deer on our environment. Private landholders can shoot deer without a permit on their own land, he said. But as Marie and David Trigg can attest, it is a different story for anyone wanting to trap deer. Back in Gippsland, the Triggs have spent years locking horns with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change (DEECA) and the Office of the Conservation Regulator (OCR), fighting to have permanent traps installed on their land to catch deer. Their farm is home to about 100 breeding Angus cattle, and Marie fears the sounds of rifles being fired could spook her cattle and their calves. She also doesnt want strangers on her property while she has prize-winning Angus breeding and calving.

Loading Theyre tiny calves, the Angus  I cannot have shooters on the property. I dont want shooters, she said. But letting deer roam is similarly unthinkable. Deer  as cloven-toed animals  could bring in foot and mouth disease, to which cattle are susceptible. They have also tracked hemlock seeds onto the couples farm  another invasive pest, which is deadly to cattle. I see myself as a very proactive farmer, Marie said. I can see deer and keep being told they double every year. And from my 10 or 15 that I could see, I can think, my god, Im going to have 20 or 30. The couple and their friend, Skyline Management Systems executive director Emanuel Vlamis, have spent three years in a bureaucratic tussle with the Environment Department over the right to install large deer traps on the Triggs farm.

Vlamis and his colleague Peter Martin designed a large trap on the farm that included smart cameras and a satellite connection, and an automated trapping door system. Within the trap were hay, feed and water stations. Deer were protected from the elements inside the device. But securing a permit to operate the trap became a three-year battle. First they applied for a permit to trap the deer and release them elsewhere, which was denied. Then they applied for a permit to trap the deer and humanely destroy them. We had to jump through a heap of hoops, Vlamis says. We had to give them the design of the trap, all the configurations, all the surveillance that was used. From start to finish, getting the permit, took 18 months.

Loading The permit, however, allowed the couple to trap only 12 deer over a fixed time period. After the permit expired in August, 15 deer wandered into the trap, which is now open. They were forced to let them go. The Triggs and Vlamis believe  although the government would not confirm for privacy reasons  that theirs is the only trap to win approval to operate in Victoria. The frustrating thing is that I cant believe that they cant look ahead, Marie said. If theyre multiplying so rapidly, why cant we do more about it? While Vlamis and Martin have a commercial interest in the control of deer, their broader concern is for the rampant damage feral deer cause to agricultural land and the natural environment
Im a little embarrassed to admit it, but Ive led a safe life. I havent jumped out of a plane, or off anything with a bungee rope attached to my leg. I only have one tiny tattoo because I grew up being told by adults that if I wrote on my hand too much Id end up with ink poisoning. And the closest Ive come to reckless injury is the time I broke my little toe on an ornamental rock at my yoga studio.

But somehow, I become a little less cautious every time I visit France, a country with a slightly different attitude to rules and safety. As a French teacher and card-carrying Francophile, I have orchestrated my life to spend as much time here as I can. But its not the cheese or the wine that keep me coming back  its the people, who Ive always found to be the perfect blend of sincere, generous and a little bit naughty. You only have to look at the way the Louvre thieves accessed a first-floor window during daylight opening hours to understand how brazen they can be when it comes to breaking the rules.

My first inkling that the French had a different relationship to safety was when I got into a taxi, aged 25. Credit:

If youve spent time in France, you might have noticed a few things. For starters, bicycle helmets are far less common. You might even have witnessed a bare-headed cyclist hurtling towards you at a pedestrian crossing, politely yelling Attention, Madame! without bothering to slow down. In the Paris Metro, you might see some of the more daring locals jump over turnstiles to avoid paying a fare, sometimes with tiny dogs zipped inside their jackets. And until hefty fines were introduced for dejections canines (thats dog poo to you and me), it was common for people to slip on them and injure themselves in spectacular fashion. I once had to throw out a pair of cotton shoes after stepping into a pile of dog faeces the size of a small birthday cake.

My first inkling that the French had a different relationship to safety was when I got into a taxi, aged 25, and noticed the older male driver giving me an odd look. Is there a problem? I asked, wondering what faux pas I could have committed in just 20 seconds. Were not going anywhere near a freeway, you know, he laughed, pointing to my fastened seatbelt. Admittedly, this happened some time ago, but I doubt that taxi drivers in Australia were laughing at their passengers for wearing seatbelts this century.
So we feel confident about staying. Weve been advised if were under real threat, well know very quickly  therell be a dozen fire trucks here to help us out. There were 43 fires burning across the state at 7.30pm on Monday, with 13 not yet under control. There are no evacuation orders in place. The fire at Bulahdelah has been burning since Thursday. Credit: Nine News The 59-year-old firefighter was overseeing preparations for a back-burn on both sides of the Pacific Highway at Nerong about 10.45pm on Sunday when he was struck by the tree. He is believed to have gone into cardiac arrest. The divisional commander and field officer was part of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife firefighting service, which counts more than 1000 firefighters in its ranks. He joined the service in 1996, and worked out of the Lake Munmorah Rural Fire Brigade for the past 25 years.

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said the man was checking in on colleagues and ensuring his teams safety when he was killed. His efforts on the fire ground to make sure that our firefighters were safe, and our firefighters were informed about all the things that needed to happen on the fire ground, are just testimony for the work that he performed, Curtin said. This is a tragic reminder of the sacrifice that our firefighters make. There is something deeply Australian about people who put themselves forward to protect our community in their time of need. WorkSafe has been notified of the death and a report will be prepared for the coroner. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service deputy secretary Alex Graham said the mans death would be subject to an investigation.

The Lake Munmorah Rural Fire Brigade said it was absolutely devastating to our entire team. This tragedy serves as a solemn reminder of the extreme sacrifices and dangers faced by all emergency service personnel during these challenging times, they said online. The NSW premier said he was heartbroken by the firefighters death. Its a very sad day for firefighters and the NSW community, Minns told Nines Today. This is in many ways a dangerous profession, and were deeply indebted to the men and women that devote their time to keeping us safe.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said the firefighter who died paid the ultimate sacrifice. In trying to protect the community, he has lost his own life, Dib said on Monday. Loading Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended his condolences to the loved ones and colleagues of the man, saying that all Australians are thinking of you in your time of grief.

Sixteen houses were destroyed by the Koolewong bushfire. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong Sixteen homes in the Central Coast suburb of Koolewong and four in the Bulahdelah fire zone were destroyed over the weekend. Moderate rainfall has reduced hazard risks over the past 24 hours, though authorities have urged at-risk communities to continue monitoring conditions across the summer. RFS Superintendent Ben Shepherd forecast some reprieve on Monday, but signalled more danger for Tuesday and into the weekend. A man surveys damage at Koolewong. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong

Wednesday, itll start to drop back down again, but towards the weekend, its starting to show signs of some high fire danger, Shepherd told 2GB. We need some really good rain to soak in, take the sting out of the fires that are there  we could continue to have these waves of high fire risk, and we just need everyone to be aware of that. Minns said the bushfires in Koolewong could represent pretty dark harbingers for the summer period after a historically wet August prevented firefighters from conducting hazard reduction burns in winter. He urged people to listen to advice from emergency services and download alert apps. Premier Chris Minns visits areas affected by the Koolewong bushfire on Sunday. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Queenslands health minister says he is still considering the findings of a review into the states publicly funded gender health services, as an open letter signed by more than 400 signatories called on the government to reinstate healthcare for transgender children.

The Crisafulli government commissioned the review, led by Victorias former chief psychiatrist Professor Ruth Vine, in January after issuing an immediate pause on the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapies for children with gender dysphoria.

Vines report was completed and delivered to Queensland Health director-general Dr David Rosengren on November 30, with Nicholls confirming he had received the report the following day.

Trans advocates and supporters addressed media outside Brisbanes Supreme Court after a judge ruled the governments ban on gender-services in January was unlawful. Credit: Courtney Kruk

On Sunday, Nicholls said he was only about 200 pages into the lengthy report, which would be considered by cabinet before any further action.
Police have arrested a teenager and are searching for another alleged offender after a man died in Melbournes inner north on Sunday afternoon.

Authorities were called to the intersection of Maribyrnong and Union roads in Ascot Vale about 3.45pm after reports of a man with stab wounds.

A man has died after he was stabbed in Ascot Vale. Credit: Arsineh Houspian

The man was treated at the scene and transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

The man has yet to be formally identified.
Police and protective services officers will begin patrols on Monday at several major Melbourne shopping centres in a crackdown on rising crime and antisocial behaviour during the festive season.

The 90-day operation, first reported by this masthead last month, will deploy police and PSOs to Northland in Preston, Highpoint in Maribyrnong, Eastland Ringwood and Fountain Gate in Narre Warren. The scheme has the option to shift officers to other retail hubs deemed to be crime hotspots.

PSOs and police will begin a 90-day operation to prevent crime in shopping centres. Credit: Simon Schluter

Police will target antisocial behaviour and weapons offences at the four shopping centres, which are now designated areas for weapons searches. Officers will also be equipped with wands to detect knives and other dangerous items.

Police said officers would join the patrol shifts voluntarily on planned rest days to ensure there was no impact on resources. Police who volunteer for the trial will be paid overtime wages for the shifts.
State and federal governments have been handed a fix to the National Disability Insurance Scheme that wont cost extra money, with a blueprint that says diverting funds from the scheme to a new psychosocial support service would pull 230,000 Australians with severe mental illness out of limbo.

As health ministers this week resume negotiations on a hospital and disability funding deal that has evaded state and federal governments for two years, policy think-tank the Grattan Institute says they could redirect $2 billion from the NDIS each year to a new scheme that would cater to four times as many people.

The Grattan Institute reports there are 130,000 Australians with psychosocial disabilities struggling with little support outside the NDIS. Credit: Marija Ercegovac

It would help solve one key element of the deal: finalising arrangements for a joint new disability system called foundational supports, which the states and Commonwealth agreed to in 2023, to establish services for children and people with psychosocial disabilities outside the NDIS.

The Grattan report singles out the inefficiency of the NDIS spending $6 billion of its $47 billion budget last year to support 66,000 people with psychosocial disabilities  regarded as severe dysfunction caused by mental illness  with an average package of $89,000 per person.
Expanded Victoria Police search powers will be challenged in the Federal Court as a breach of human rights after all of Melbourne CBD and surrounding suburbs were declared a designated area for six months.

Under the Weapons Control Act, officers can randomly search people or their cars without a warrant, or direct them to remove a mask in an area designated by police. Reform by the Allan government this year allows police to make the declarations for six months at a time, up from just 12 hours.

The changes were brought to parliament in March as part of a crackdown on knife crime.

Six-month powers are in force for the first time  covering Melbourne CBD, East Melbourne, the MCG, Shrine of Remembrance, Carlton Gardens, Southbank and South Melbourne  until May 29 next year.
Singapore: Australia has thrown its support behind Japan after a Chinese military plane locked its radar on Japanese fighter jets, with Defence Minister Richard Marles calling the act deeply concerning.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday, marked an escalation in Chinas month-long campaign of reprisals aimed at Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested her country could deploy its armed forces if Beijing made a military move against Taiwan.

We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours, Marles told a joint news conference on Sunday in Tokyo after holding talks with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

Defence Minister Richard Marles in a military vehicle with Japans Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo on Sunday. Credit: AFP

We expect those interactions to be safe and professional. We continue to advocate to China about these issues in a very calm, sensible and moderate way.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have unveiled their official Christmas card after skipping the Princess of Wales annual Christmas carol concert without explanation.

The royal couple chose a photo taken by Chris Jackson at Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassadors residence in Rome, during their state visit to Italy in April.

King Charles and Queen Camilla chose this photo, taken in Italy to mark their 20th wedding anniversary in April, for their 2025 Christmas card. Credit: Getty Images for Buckingham Palace

Its their fourth Christmas card since Charles became King in September 2022, and the image, which shows Camilla wearing a lily of the valley brooch (symbolising enduring love), was captured to mark their 20th wedding anniversary.

Charles and Camilla are usually the first members of the royal family to release their annual Christmas card, in early December. Catherine and Prince William traditionally follow shortly after.
Aitch has become the ninth contestant to leave I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.

Aitch has been voted out of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

The 25-year-old rapper was voted out of the ITV reality show in Saturday's (06.12.25) episode to leave ex-EastEnders star Shona McGarty, YouTuber Angry Ginge and Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson battling it out to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle in Sunday's (07.12.25) final.

Aitch told presenters Ant and Dec in his exit interview: "I'm not going to lie to you, I'm absolutely over the moon, over the moon.

"And I'm not just saying it being cheesy, them three in there are just mega. And this morning I woke up and I didn't care whether I was winning, Ginge was winning, Shona was winning, Tom was winning.

"I can't wait just get home and watch the whole thing."

The star - whose real name is Harrison Armstrong - added: "The beautiful thing about everyone in here is they've just all been a good laugh.

"They've all been real people, they're all kind of just unique in their own way so the fact you just get to spend time with people like that, and also maybe somewhat just like-minded people."

Aitch and his fellow remaining campmates had completed the famous Celebrity Cyclone trial earlier on in the episode that earned them wallaby wings for their dinner.

During the emotional meal, the star revealed that he was "bricking it" before entering the camp in Australia.

Aitch said: "Even though I seem like some mad, super confident, very, very, sure of himself kind of guy, I was absolutely bricking it.

"And then the only thing that kept me in here was my pride telling me: 'What are you on about, you've never given up at anything in your life. You're going to give up now?'

"But overall, I'm buzzing with it, and I'm happy who's here right now."

When asked who he wants to win, Aitch revealed that he is backing his fellow Mancunian Angry Ginge.

He explained: "I love Shona to death, I think she deserves it, same with Tom, but that crown needs to come back to my home town so it's Ginge."
33 yrs after demolition, rollout of new mosque project in Ayodhya





By Manish Chandra Pandey :

LUCKNOW

Its unfair to compare the mosque project with the Ram temple construction, which was a public-driven exercise, Faruqi said, admitting that even after securing the ADA nod, the IICF would require big funds. The mosque and the adjoining complex, may include a 500-bed multispecialty hospital, a community kitchen, and educational institutions, among other things.

THIRTY-three years after the disputed structure in Ayodhya was razed by a mob on this day in 1992, paving the way for the grand Ram temple at the site, the tentative timeline for the new mosque project rollout at Dhannipur, a village some 25 km from the holy city, could be around April 2026, head of the trust tasked with the project said. If all fits in place, and of course, subject to the Ayodhya Development Authoritys (ADA) approval of the revised layout plan of the mosque that we hope to submit by December-end, a tentative timeline of the mosque project rollout could be around April 2026, Zufar Faruqi, chairman of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), the trust tasked with the construction of the mosque-complex project, told PTI.

However, despite the cacophony of claims and counterclaims surrounding the much-awaited project, uncertainties still shroud the original mosque plan, more than five years after the Ayodhya district administration, acting on Supreme Court orders, formally allocated five acres of land for it. Faruqi said the first mosque layout plan was rejected by the ADA, but even before that, the IICF had decided to drop it following objections from the community over its futuristic, modern design and settle for a more conservative, traditional one  one that is near ready. The ADAs approval is obviously the key first step towards the start of the much-delayed mosque construction, but the IICF is staring at other pressing issues, including the lack of enough land at and around the Dhannipur site. These are early days. We do wish to make use of the land allotted to us, but should there be a problem in acquiring additional land for the mosque project, the possibility of the entire project being carried out in a phased manner, but at different locations, is there, Faruqi told PTI.

This seemed to be the first official hint at the mosque project coming up in parts, with the likelihood of some construction of the overall complex being done away from the present Dhannipur site that was formally handed over by the state government in August 2020. After a hotly-contested and prolonged legal battle, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019, handed over 2.77 acres of land, which was at the centre of a long legal scrutiny, to a trust for the construction of a Ram temple at the site and allotted five acres of land at a prominent site in Ayodhya for the mosque. We were allotted five acres of land at Dhannipur, but due to certain technicalities, the effective area is around four acres only, so there is certainly quite a possibility of the project coming at more than one location, Faruqi told PTI. However, he rejected the theory that the Dhannipur site, being far away from the main Ayodhya city, could have also forced a location change for the mosque and the adjoining complex, including a 500-bed multispecialty hospital, a community kitchen, and educational institutions, among other things. Whats the locus standi of those flagging such issues? One could have still understood had the objections come from the Waqf Board, but why should others have a problem with this site, Faruqi, also the chairman of the UP Sunni Wakf Board, asked.
Global Nagpur Summit 2025 kicks off, brings together diehard Nagpurians





Dignitaries lighting the traditional lamp.

Business Reporter :

The two-day Global Nagpur Summit 2025 kicked off at the IIM Campus in MIHAN, on Saturday, bringing together a large gathering of entrepreneurs, bureaucrats, professionals, social workers, and students who all wish to see Nagpur becoming a global city. Adding vitality to the event organised by the Nagpur First Foundation (NFF), the inaugural session witnessed the presence of diehard Nagpurians like Anoop Kumar, retired IAS officer and Professor at IIM, Nagpur; Dinesh Jain, Co-founder of NFF; Tanveer Mirza, India Chair, NFF; Shashank Rao, International Chair, NFF; Ravleen Singh Khurana, Managing Director of Nitika Pharma; Prashant Mishra - CEO and Founder of Click2Cloud; Dr Vivek Nanoti, Director, LTJSS; Dr Rizwan Ahmed, CTO, delaPlex, Yogesh Bhavsar, VP - State Entrepreneurship Mission (Maharashtra); Vikas Hosoor, Deputy CEO, Rainmatter Foundation - Bengaluru; Bhavik Arya, Representative of Kukreja Infrastructures; and others.

At the outset, Dinesh Jain highlighted the idea behind establishing the Nagpur First Foundation and said, Nagpur is on the track of becoming a global city as one can see a lot of things happening here. To further accelerate the pace of development, I appealed to students, social entrepreneurs, and others to join the foundation and contribute to make the city global. In his address, Anoop Kumar called Nagpur a big metro city with the soul of a small village. While Nagpur has good infrastructure facilities, it is also blessed with a unique touch of a village.

This makes the city an ideal place to reside, especially for people like me, he said. Interestingly, after his superannuation, Anoop Kumar chose to settle here in Nagpur. Anoop Kumar further said that he had personally witnessed the recent transformation of Nagpur. As the Nagpur Divisional Commissioner between 2014 and 2018, I have seen the pace of development. Various prestigious institutions were launched and the city took a leap forward, he said. Tanveer Mirza underscored the unwavering support and efforts of various individuals for the welfare of the society. Mirza said there is an ecosystem striving hard to bring in positive change. To take it further, we should not be solely dependent on the Government. It's time for all of us to come forward and take the mission forward, he said, motivating the gathering. Ravleen Singh Khurana spoke about the temperament and lively nature of Nagpurians. Nagpurians are big at heart. They are not just kind and compassionate, but also have great warmth and a willingness to help others, he explained, remembering his unexpected meeting with Dinesh Jain in a foreign country. The inaugural session was followed by a presentation by Yogesh Bhavsar on the Nagpur Entrepreneurship Mission and Vikas Hosoor on Sustainable Enterprises. Dr Richa Sugandh conducted the proceedings while Kshitij Ingle proposed a vote of thanks.
Govt introduces airfare caps amid IndiGo flight disruptions





Delhi Bureau & Agencies :

NEW DELHI

THE Government on Saturday capped the airfares in the range of Rs 7,500 to Rs 18,000 depending on the distance amid soaring air ticket prices due to the IndiGo flight disruptions. The fare limits, excluding applicable charges, are not applicable for business class and UDAN flights, the civil aviation ministry said in an order. However, the order did not provide clarity on whether the caps are applicable for economy class tickets or both economy and premium economy class tickets. Under the limits, for a flight flying up to 500 kilometres, the fares are capped at Rs 7,500 and for 500-1,000 kilometres, the ticket price cap is Rs 12,000. For flights operating 1,000-1,500 kilometres, the fares are limited at Rs 15,000 and for above, 1,500 kilometres, the cap is Rs 18,000.

The cap means that for a Delhi-Mumbai flight, which is covered in a distance of over 1,300 kilometres, the fare for at least the economy class is capped at Rs 18,000. The limits will be in place till the situation stabilises, the ministry said in a statement. It excludes User Development Fee (UDF), Passenger Service Fee (PSF), and taxes on air tickets. For at least five days in a row, IndiGo flight operations have significantly disrupted, with a large number of cancellations and delays causing hardships to thousands of passengers. In many cases, baggages have been misplaced. IndiGo cancels over 800 flights: DOMESTIC carrier IndiGo has said it cancelled over 800 flights on Saturday, much lower than Fridays number of more than 1,000, and it is addressing all customer refund issues on priority.

The airline, which has been granted major relaxations by the DGCA in the second phase of the new flight duty and rest period norms for pilots, after it told the aviation safety regulator that it was facing significant transitional challenges in roster planning and crew availability under Phase-2 FDTL requirements, also said it is working determinedly to bring its operations back on track across the network. Authorities will take appropriate action in the matter of IndiGo flight disruptions depending on the inquiry committee findings, a senior government official said. Normalcy is restored at airports across the country and all necessary facilities are being provided to passengers, the Civil Aviation Ministry said. DGCA issues show cause notice to IndiGo CEO: Aviation watchdog DGCA issued a show cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers seeking an explanation for the massive flight disruptions, according to sources. In the notice, the regulator said the large-scale operational failures indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management, the sources said. ... As the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passengers, the notice read.
India, US trade talks from Dec 10





NEW DELHI ;

9:55:44 AMThis visit of the US officials marks their second trip since the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff and an additional 25 per cent penalty on Indian goods entering the American market due to the purchase of Russian crude oil. On September 16, the US officials last visited India. On September 22, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also led an official delegation to the US for trade talks. Goyal had also visited Washington in May. While the USAs chief negotiator for the pact is Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, the Indian side is led by Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce Darpan Jain. The talks are also important as Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has recently stated that India is hopeful of reaching a framework trade deal with the US this year itself.
Jaishankar disagrees on Putin visit impacting India-US trade deal





NEW DELHI :

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday firmly rejected suggestions that Russian President Vladimir Putins recent two-day state visit to India would complicate the ongoing India-US trade negotiations, asserting that no country can expect to dictate New Delhis relations with other major powers. Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit 2025, the EAM noted Indias autonomy in maintaining its bilateral relationship with major countries, stating that any other nation dictating New Delhis ties with other nations was not a reasonable proposition. I disagree. Everybody knows that India has relations with all the major countries in the world. And for any country to expect to have a say on how we develop our relations with others is not a reasonable proposition, because remember, the other can expect the same, Jaishankar said. He further reaffirmed Indias freedom of choice on the matter, noting that its policy on upholding its strategic autonomy continues.

We have always made it clear already that we have multiple relations, we have a freedom of choice and we talk about strategic autonomy, and that continues, and I cant imagine why anybody would have a reason to expect the contrary, the EAM added. Jaishankar also reiterated New Delhis stance on negotiating hard in the trade deal with the US in order to safeguard the interests of farmers, workers, and small businesses of the country. He further acknowledged the radically different approach of the new administration under US President Donald Trump but expressed confidence that a balanced agreement is achievable. Every Government and every American President has their own way of approaching the world. I can grant you that in the case of President Trump, its radically different from how his predecessor did it, Jaishankar said. We have right now a set of issues because of which the relation is crippled... What you try to do is engage and walk through the issue.

We believe there can be a landing point for our respective trade interests, which will be negotiated hard -- because at the end of the day, the interests of the workers, the farmers, the small businesses and the middle class matter, he stressed. The Minister underlined that New Delhi is being extremely judicious in protecting Indias core economic interests while pursuing the bilateral trade agreements. Last month, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal stated that India is hopeful of signing the first tranche of the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement within the current calendar year, indicating that talks have progressed substantially despite recent shifts in global trade conditions. I think our expectations, we are very optimistic and very hopeful that we should find a solution within this calendar year, the Secretary said while addressing the FICCI Annual General Meeting.
Still Grounded Passengers suffer as aviation fiasco continues





Staff Reporter :

Air travellers, specially those who had opted IndiGo Airlines, continued to suffer as the most-popular airline had to cancel its flights from Nagpurs Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport even on Saturday. The chaos following the inadequate crew and non-compliance of rules set by the Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA) continued on the fourth day leaving over 3,000 air passengers high and dry. Passengers anger erupted at the airport on Saturday morning. Due to continuous cancellation of IndiGo flights, a huge crowd of air travellers gathered at the airlines counters.

On Saturday too, 12 flights were cancelled, after which the frustrated passengers vented their anger on the airline staff. Meanwhile, IndiGo Airlines Bengaluru-Delhi flight was cancelled, and all passengers were flown from Bengaluru to Nagpur, from where a flight to Delhi was arranged. This was the announcement made. Following this, more than 150 passengers arrived at Nagpur airport around 9 am. But after reaching the airport, around 2 pm, the cancellation of the Nagpur-Delhi flight was announced. This caused a huge uproar. Passengers demanded a refund. Meanwhile, it was said that the Delhi flight would take off at 4 pm, but the plane finally took off for Delhi around 6 pm. Due to this entire incident, passengers coming from Bengaluru had to wait for 10 hours at Nagpur airport.
Shares of Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT  Get Free Report) traded up 2.1% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $185.34 and last traded at $182.6460. 4,862,810 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 44% from the average session volume of 8,641,796 shares. The stock had previously closed at $178.88.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on VRT. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Vertiv from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Vertiv from $173.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Vertiv from $165.00 to $198.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $216.00 price objective on shares of Vertiv and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Vertiv to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $178.38.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on VRT

Vertiv Stock Up 3.4%

The firm has a market cap of $72.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 2.03. The firms fifty day moving average is $174.94 and its 200 day moving average is $143.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.83.

Vertiv (NYSE:VRT  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.25. Vertiv had a net margin of 10.67% and a return on equity of 50.82%. The firm had revenue of $2.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.59 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.76 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 29.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Vertiv has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.230-1.290 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 4.070-4.130 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Vertiv Holdings Co. will post 3.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vertiv Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 25th. This is a positive change from Vertivs previous quarterly dividend of $0.04. Vertivs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Stephen Liang sold 5,501 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.48, for a total value of $937,810.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $690,444. The trade was a 57.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Jakki L. Haussler sold 15,680 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $1,943,065.60. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $573,873.52. This represents a 77.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.63% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertiv

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRT. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Vertiv during the second quarter worth $538,132,000. Winslow Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vertiv during the 2nd quarter worth $459,284,000. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Vertiv by 96.8% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 6,951,773 shares of the companys stock worth $469,490,000 after buying an additional 3,420,144 shares during the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in Vertiv by 985.3% in the first quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,301,700 shares of the companys stock valued at $166,183,000 after buying an additional 2,089,612 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in Vertiv by 100.1% in the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,246,769 shares of the companys stock valued at $415,132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,624,456 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.92% of the companys stock.

About Vertiv

(Get Free Report)

Vertiv Holdings Co, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and services critical digital infrastructure technologies and life cycle services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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American Airlines Group, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Air Group, Joby Aviation, and Air Lease are the seven Airline stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Airline stocks are shares of publicly traded companies that operate passenger and cargo air transportation, giving investors ownership in carriers ranging from major legacy airlines to low-cost and regional operators. These stocks tend to be cyclical and relatively volatile, driven by factors like fuel prices, economic growth, travel demand, labor costs, regulation, and seasonality, which can lead to wide swings in profitability and returns. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Airline stocks within the last several days.

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American Airlines Group (AAL)

American Airlines Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a network air carrier. The company provides scheduled air transportation services for passengers and cargo through its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., as well as through partner gateways in London, Doha, Madrid, Seattle/Tacoma, Sydney, and Tokyo.

United Airlines (UAL)

United Airlines Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company transports people and cargo through its mainline and regional fleets. It also offers catering, ground handling, flight academy, and maintenance services for third parties.

Read Our Latest Research Report on UAL

Southwest Airlines (LUV)

Southwest Airlines Co. operates as a passenger airline company that provides scheduled air transportation services in the United States and near-international markets. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated a total fleet of 817 Boeing 737 aircraft; and served 121 destinations in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as ten near-international countries, including Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos.

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Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Delta Air Lines, Inc. provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo.

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Alaska Air Group (ALK)

Alaska Air Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates airlines. It operates through three segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The company offers scheduled air transportation services on Boeing jet aircraft for passengers and cargo in the United States, and in parts of Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, and the Bahamas; and for passengers across a shorter distance network within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Read Our Latest Research Report on ALK

Joby Aviation (JOBY)

Joby Aviation, Inc., a vertically integrated air mobility company, engages in building an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft optimized to deliver air transportation as a service. The company intends to build an aerial ridesharing service, as well as developing an application-based platform that will enable consumers to book rides.

Read Our Latest Research Report on JOBY

Air Lease (AL)

Air Lease Corporation, an aircraft leasing company, engages in the purchase and leasing of commercial jet aircraft to airlines worldwide. It sells aircraft from its fleet to third parties, including other leasing companies, financial services companies, airlines, and other investors. The company provides fleet management services to investors and owners of aircraft portfolios.

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Federated Hermes (NYSE:FHI  Get Free Report) and Pacific Ventures Group (OTCMKTS:PACV  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings and valuation.

Risk & Volatility

Federated Hermes has a beta of 0.76, indicating that its share price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pacific Ventures Group has a beta of 0.99, indicating that its share price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Federated Hermes and Pacific Ventures Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Federated Hermes 0 5 3 1 2.56 Pacific Ventures Group 0 0 0 0 0.00

Profitability

Federated Hermes currently has a consensus price target of $49.67, indicating a potential downside of 2.33%. Given Pacific Ventures Groups higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Pacific Ventures Group is more favorable than Federated Hermes.

This table compares Federated Hermes and Pacific Ventures Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Federated Hermes 21.86% 33.03% 17.55% Pacific Ventures Group N/A N/A N/A

Insider and Institutional Ownership

75.9% of Federated Hermes shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of Federated Hermes shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 26.7% of Pacific Ventures Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Federated Hermes and Pacific Ventures Groups gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Federated Hermes $1.74 billion 2.26 $268.31 million $4.79 10.62 Pacific Ventures Group $39.91 million 0.00 -$7.73 million N/A N/A

Federated Hermes has higher revenue and earnings than Pacific Ventures Group.

Summary

Federated Hermes beats Pacific Ventures Group on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Federated Hermes

(Get Free Report)

Federated Hermes, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, including high net worth individuals, banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, and registered investment advisors. Through its subsidiaries, it manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, balanced and money market mutual funds along with separate client-focused equity, fixed income, money market, and balanced portfolios. Through its subsidiaries, the firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The firm makes its fixed income investments in ultra-short, short-term, and intermediate-term mortgage-backed, U.S. Government, U.S. corporate, high yield, and municipal securities. It employs both fundamental and quantitative analysis to make its equity investments. Federated Hermes, Inc. was founded in 1955 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with additional offices in New York City and London, United Kingdom.

About Pacific Ventures Group

(Get Free Report)

Pacific Ventures Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces, sells, and distributes alcohol-infused ice creams and ice-pops. It sells its alcohol-infused ice-pops and ice creams under the SnoBar brand name. The company is also involved in the sale and lease of freezers, as well as the provision of marketing services; and supply of fresh and specialty produce, meat, and food products to redistributors, hotels, restaurants, schools, and nursing homes. In addition, it manufactures and wholesales custom processed beef, pork, chicken, lamb, veal, and seafood products; and supplies fruits, vegetables, and specialty groceries to retail customers and wholesale restaurants. Pacific Ventures Group, Inc. is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

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Bank of Queensland Limited (OTCMKTS:BKQNY  Get Free Report)s stock price shot up 2.9% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $8.4650 and last traded at $8.4650. 695 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 37% from the average session volume of 1,107 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.2250.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Bank of Queensland in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. They issued a sell rating and a $6.79 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Sell and a consensus target price of $6.79.

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View Our Latest Research Report on BKQNY

Bank of Queensland Stock Up 2.9%

Bank of Queensland Company Profile

The companys fifty day moving average price is $8.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.64.

(Get Free Report)

Bank of Queensland Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Australia and New Zealand. The company operates in Retail Banking, BOQ Business, and Other segments. It offers personal banking services comprises savings and term deposits, and transactional accounts; debit and credit cards; home, personal, and car loans; and travel, home and content, landlord, and car insurance, as well as investment services comprising online share trading services, and self-managed superannuation funds.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Celsius, Canadian Natural Resources, Bank Of Montreal, and Canadian National Railway are the five Canadian stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Canadian stocks are equity shares of companies that are incorporated in or do a substantial portion of their business in Canada and are typically listed on Canadian exchanges such as the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) or TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV), though some also trade on foreign exchanges. For investors, they provide exposure to Canada-specific economic drivers (notably resources and financials), currency (CAD) and domestic regulatory and tax regimes, which affect risk, return and portfolio diversification. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Canadian stocks within the last several days.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP)

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; merchandise freight, such as forest products, energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals, consumer products, and automotive; and intermodal traffic comprising retail goods in overseas containers.

Celsius (CELH)

Celsius Holdings, Inc. develops, processes, markets, distributes, and sells functional energy drinks and liquid supplements in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canadian, European, Middle Eastern, Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company offers CELSIUS, a fitness drink or supplement designed to accelerate metabolism and burn body fat; various flavors and carbonated and non-carbonated functional energy drinks under the CELSIUS Originals and Vibe name, as well as functional energy drink under the CELSIUS Essentials and CELSIUS On-the-Go Powder names; and CELSIUS ready-to drink products.

Read Our Latest Research Report on CELH

Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ)

Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO).

Read Our Latest Research Report on CNQ

Bank Of Montreal (BMO)

Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The companys personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products.

Read Our Latest Research Report on BMO

Canadian National Railway (CNI)

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks.

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BGSF (NYSE:BGSF  Get Free Report) and Black Diamond Group (OTCMKTS:BDIMF  Get Free Report) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, risk and earnings.

Dividends

BGSF pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 13.3%. Black Diamond Group pays an annual dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. BGSF pays out -58.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Black Diamond Group pays out 24.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. BGSF is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

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Volatility & Risk

BGSF has a beta of 0.75, suggesting that its stock price is 25% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Black Diamond Group has a beta of 0.76, suggesting that its stock price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio BGSF $263.69 million 0.19 -$3.34 million ($1.03) -4.37 Black Diamond Group $294.14 million 2.35 $18.72 million $0.41 24.71

This table compares BGSF and Black Diamond Groups revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Black Diamond Group has higher revenue and earnings than BGSF. BGSF is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Black Diamond Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares BGSF and Black Diamond Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets BGSF -6.32% -13.16% -7.20% Black Diamond Group 8.23% 10.76% 4.79%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for BGSF and Black Diamond Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score BGSF 1 1 1 1 2.50 Black Diamond Group 0 0 1 0 3.00

BGSF presently has a consensus target price of $9.00, suggesting a potential upside of 100.00%. Given BGSFs higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe BGSF is more favorable than Black Diamond Group.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

37.2% of BGSF shares are held by institutional investors. 8.0% of BGSF shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 25.2% of Black Diamond Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Black Diamond Group beats BGSF on 11 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BGSF

(Get Free Report)

BGSF, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, managed services, and professional workforce solutions in the United States. It operates in two segments, Property Management and Professional. The Property Management segment offers office and maintenance field talent to various apartment communities and commercial buildings. The Professional segment provides skilled IT professionals in SAP, Workday, Peoplesoft, Hyperion, Oracle, One Stream, cyber, project management, management services, and other IT workforce solutions. This segment also offers finance, accounting, legal, human resource, and related support personnel. It serves its products to fortune 500 companies, and medium and small companies, as well as consulting companies. The company was formerly known as BG Staffing, Inc. and changed its name to BGSF, Inc. in February 2021. BGSF, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Plano, Texas.

About Black Diamond Group

(Get Free Report)

Black Diamond Group Limited rents and sells modular space and workforce accommodation solutions. It operates through two segments, Modular Space Solutions and Workforce Solutions. The Modular Space Solutions segment provides modular space rentals to customers in the construction, real estate development, education, manufacturing, health care, financial, government, and defense industries in North America. Its products include office units, lavatories, storage units, large multi-unit office complexes, classroom facilities, banking and health care facilities, high security modular buildings, custom manufactured modular facilities, blast resistant structures, SmartSpace interchangeable paneled units, and storage containers. This segment also sells new and used space rentals units; and provides delivery, installation, project management, and ancillary rental items, products, and services. The Workforce Solutions segment provides workforce housing solutions, including rental of accommodations and surface equipment, and provision of turnkey lodging and travel management logistics services in Canada, the United States, and Australia. This segment also provides associated services, such as installation, transportation, dismantlement, and sale of used fleet assets. This segment primarily serves the resource, infrastructure, construction, disaster recovery, and education sectors. It also provides specialized field rentals to oil and gas industries. The company markets its rental assets, custom sales, and ancillary products and services through in-house sales personnel, its website, social media, web campaigns, and its digital marketplace. Black Diamond Group Limited was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited (OTCMKTS:BDWBF  Get Free Report) shares rose 3% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $1.1060 and last traded at $1.1060. Approximately 818 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 93% from the average daily volume of 11,162 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.0743.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered Budweiser Brewing Company APAC to a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Budweiser Brewing Company APAC

Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Price Performance

About Budweiser Brewing Company APAC

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.07.

(Get Free Report)

Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited, an investment holding company, produces, imports, markets, distributes, and sells beer and other non-beer beverages primarily in China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, and the other Asia Pacific regions. It offers a portfolio of beer brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, Hoegaarden, Cass, and Harbin.

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Buffalo Coal Corp. (CVE:BUF  Get Free Report) crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$0.01 and traded as low as C$0.01. Buffalo Coal shares last traded at C$0.01, with a volume of 26,000 shares.

Buffalo Coal Trading Up 100.0%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$0.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$0.01. The firm has a market capitalization of C$7.37 million, a P/E ratio of -3.33 and a beta of 0.58.

About Buffalo Coal

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Buffalo Coal Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a coal mining company in South Africa. It primarily focuses on the Aviemore anthracite mine covering an area of approximately 5,513 hectares and Magdalena mine covering an area of approximately 1,844 hectares located in the Kwa-Zulu, Natal Province of South Africa.

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Wall Street Zen cut shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Several other brokerages have also commented on BBW. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Build-A-Bear Workshop from $85.00 to $70.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Northland Securities raised their price target on Build-A-Bear Workshop from $60.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 29th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Build-A-Bear Workshop from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $63.00.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on BBW

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Performance

BBW stock opened at $49.61 on Friday. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a one year low of $32.55 and a one year high of $75.85. The firm has a market cap of $651.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.41 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $55.15.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The specialty retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.07. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.93% and a return on equity of 38.62%. The firm had revenue of $122.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $124.28 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 26th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 26th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Build-A-Bear Workshops payout ratio is currently 19.73%.

Insider Transactions at Build-A-Bear Workshop

In related news, CEO Sharon Price John sold 12,643 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.08, for a total value of $923,950.44. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 248,662 shares in the company, valued at $18,172,218.96. This represents a 4.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Craig Leavitt sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.61, for a total transaction of $242,440.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 64,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,887,646.62. This trade represents a 5.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 61,387 shares of company stock worth $4,417,721 in the last 90 days. 5.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BBW. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 106.1% during the 1st quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 814 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 542 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 444 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the third quarter worth $45,000. 79.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

(Get Free Report)

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc operates as a multi-channel retailer of plush animals and related products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Commercial, and International Franchising. Its merchandise comprises various styles of plush products to be stuffed, pre-stuffed plush products, and sounds and scents that can be added to the stuffed animals, as well as range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and other toy and novelty items, including family sleepwear.

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California First Leasing Corp raised its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM  Free Report) by 7.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 36,550 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,600 shares during the quarter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing comprises 3.4% of California First Leasing Corps portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. California First Leasing Corps holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $8,278,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 174.1% in the 2nd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 159 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 70.5% during the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 225 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 16.51% of the companys stock.

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of TSM stock opened at $294.64 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $291.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $252.96. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 1 year low of $134.25 and a 1 year high of $311.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.53 trillion, a P/E ratio of 30.22, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.31.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( NYSE:TSM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 16th. The semiconductor company reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.59 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $32.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $951.89 billion. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 34.34% and a net margin of 43.72%.The businesss revenue was up 40.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.94 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.9678 dividend. This is an increase from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio is presently 26.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $300.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $360.00 target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Barclays lifted their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $330.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Itau BBA Securities started coverage on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. They set an outperform rating for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $371.67.

View Our Latest Research Report on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Profile

(Free Report)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, packages, tests, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices in Taiwan, China, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, the United States, and internationally. It provides a range of wafer fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture complementary metal- oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency, embedded memory, bipolar CMOS mixed-signal, and others.

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Senator Gary C. Peters (D-Michigan) recently bought shares of Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG). In a filing disclosed on December 04th, the Senator disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Conagra Brands stock on November 14th.

Conagra Brands Stock Up 0.6%

CAG opened at $17.06 on Friday. Conagra Brands has a one year low of $16.60 and a one year high of $28.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.69 and a beta of -0.01. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $17.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.31.

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Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 1st. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.06. Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 11.72% and a net margin of 7.42%.The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.53 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Conagra Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.85 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Conagra Brands will post 2.35 EPS for the current year.

Conagra Brands Announces Dividend

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Conagra Brands

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 30th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 30th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.2%. Conagra Brandss payout ratio is 79.55%.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAG. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Conagra Brands by 69.0% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 12,161 shares of the companys stock worth $223,000 after acquiring an additional 4,966 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Conagra Brands by 32.0% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 209,446 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,869,000 after purchasing an additional 50,776 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 31.5% in the third quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 23,112 shares of the companys stock valued at $423,000 after buying an additional 5,533 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Conagra Brands by 15.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,021,478 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,323,000 after buying an additional 408,597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Conagra Brands by 43.6% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 4,840 shares of the companys stock worth $89,000 after buying an additional 1,470 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.75% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAG has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Conagra Brands from $20.00 to $19.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. Zacks Research raised shares of Conagra Brands from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $22.00 target price on shares of Conagra Brands in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Conagra Brands from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Conagra Brands from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $21.50.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Conagra Brands

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Melissa C. Napier sold 13,011 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.19, for a total value of $223,659.09. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.57% of the companys stock.

About Senator Peters

Gary Peters (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Michigan. He assumed office on January 3, 2015. His current term ends on January 3, 2027. Peters (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Michigan. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020. Peters completed Ballotpedias Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers. Peters was elected to the Senate in 2014. On May 1, 2013, Peters announced he would seek election to the United States Senate seat that was being vacated in 2014 by retiring Michigan Sen. Carl Levin. Peters ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 5, 2014, before he defeated Terri Lynn Land (R), Jim Fulner (Libertarian), Richard Matkin (U.S. Taxpayers), and Chris Wahmhoff (Green) in the general election on November 4, 2014. Peters was previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Michigans 9th Congressional District from 2009 to 2013 and Michigans 14th Congressional District from 2013 to 2015. He also served as Commissioner of the Michigan Lottery from 2003 to 2007. As of a 2014 analysis of multiple outside rankings, Peters is an average Democratic member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Democratic Party on the majority of bills. On January 28, 2021, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) appointed Peters to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2022 campaign cycle. Peters was born in 1958 in Pontiac, Michigan. After graduating from Alma College in 1980, Peters went on to receive his M.B.A. from the University of Detroit and his J.D. from Wayne State University in 1985 and 1989, respectively. Prior to his political career, Peters worked as a professor and investment banker. He also served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1993 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2005.

About Conagra Brands

(Get Free Report)

Conagra Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company primarily in the United States. The company operates through Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice segments. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels.

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Shares of Cordoba Minerals Corp. (CVE:CDB  Get Free Report) fell 5.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as C$0.80 and last traded at C$0.80. 4,000 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 41,251 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.85.

Cordoba Minerals Trading Up 5.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.84, a current ratio of 3.09 and a quick ratio of 0.11. The firms 50 day moving average price is C$0.85 and its 200 day moving average price is C$0.79. The stock has a market capitalization of C$77.83 million, a P/E ratio of -4.20 and a beta of -1.29.

Cordoba Minerals Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Cordoba Minerals Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of base and precious metal properties in Colombia and the United States. The company explores for copper, silver, and gold deposits. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the San Matias project with exploration licenses covering 146.62 square kilometers and has an additional 893.91 square kilometers of mining titles under application located in the municipality of Puerto Libertador, Department of Cordoba, Colombia.

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Per Stirling Capital Management LLC. cut its stake in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL  Free Report) by 45.1% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 14,844 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 12,191 shares during the period. Per Stirling Capital Management LLC.s holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $1,820,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Dell Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $528,279,000. Boston Partners increased its holdings in Dell Technologies by 34.4% in the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,132,877 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $466,418,000 after buying an additional 1,312,600 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Dell Technologies by 4.1% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 29,106,218 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $2,653,032,000 after buying an additional 1,145,658 shares in the last quarter. Alkeon Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Dell Technologies by 41.4% during the first quarter. Alkeon Capital Management LLC now owns 3,177,809 shares of the technology companys stock worth $289,657,000 after purchasing an additional 931,032 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Dell Technologies by 49.4% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,336,661 shares of the technology companys stock worth $212,967,000 after buying an additional 772,465 shares during the last quarter. 76.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Dell Technologies

In related news, Director Iv (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 824,999 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.98, for a total value of $112,183,364.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director V (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 565,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.32, for a total transaction of $74,760,800.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,537,755 shares of company stock worth $642,644,973. 42.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on DELL shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Dell Technologies from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Evercore ISI set a $180.00 price target on shares of Dell Technologies and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Citic Securities upped their price objective on Dell Technologies from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Dell Technologies from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Dell Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $162.84.

Read Our Latest Research Report on DELL

Dell Technologies Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of Dell Technologies stock opened at $138.81 on Friday. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 12 month low of $66.25 and a 12 month high of $168.08. The stock has a market cap of $93.33 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $143.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $131.53.

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The technology company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.12. Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 234.84% and a net margin of 5.01%.The firm had revenue of $27.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.15 earnings per share. Dell Technologiess quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. Dell Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.920-9.920 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.500-3.500 EPS. Analysts expect that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dell Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Dell Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.00%.

Dell Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG).

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DHT Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DHT  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $14.1750.

DHT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BTIG Research reissued a buy rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of DHT in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research raised DHT to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded DHT from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of DHT in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of DHT in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th.

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DHT Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DHT opened at $12.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.41 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The stock has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.28 and a beta of -0.08. The company has a 50 day moving average of $12.65 and a 200-day moving average of $11.94. DHT has a one year low of $8.67 and a one year high of $13.85.

DHT (NYSE:DHT  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The shipping company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.11. DHT had a net margin of 41.17% and a return on equity of 17.05%. The business had revenue of $107.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.83 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.22 earnings per share. DHTs revenue was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that DHT will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

DHT Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. DHTs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.06%.

Institutional Trading of DHT

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Martingale Asset Management L P grew its stake in DHT by 0.6% in the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 165,461 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $1,737,000 after acquiring an additional 970 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of DHT by 0.6% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 177,393 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $1,918,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114 shares during the period. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of DHT by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,129 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 1,129 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of DHT by 101.6% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,714 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the period. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. increased its stake in DHT by 26.7% during the 1st quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 6,637 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.53% of the companys stock.

DHT Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

DHT Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates crude oil tankers primarily in Monaco, Singapore, and Norway. The company also offers technical management services. As of March 15, 2024, it had a fleet of 24 very large crude carriers. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX  Free Report) by 4.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,257,482 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock after buying an additional 53,647 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. owned 0.11% of TJX Companies worth $155,286,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TJX. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in TJX Companies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of TJX Companies in the second quarter valued at $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 121.1% in the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 272 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in TJX Companies by 4,485.7% in the first quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 321 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in TJX Companies during the second quarter valued at $43,000. 91.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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TJX Companies Stock Performance

TJX Companies stock opened at $153.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $169.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.76. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $112.10 and a 1-year high of $154.66. The companys 50-day moving average is $145.26 and its 200 day moving average is $135.53.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

TJX Companies ( NYSE:TJX Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.06. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 58.30% and a net margin of 8.68%.The firm had revenue of $15.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.14 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. TJX Companies has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.330-1.360 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.630-4.660 EPS. Research analysts forecast that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were given a dividend of $0.425 per share. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 13th. TJX Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.53%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TJX has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b+) rating on shares of TJX Companies in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Macquarie reissued a buy rating on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Bank of America raised their price objective on TJX Companies from $150.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on TJX Companies in a report on Friday, September 5th. They issued a buy rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, TJX Companies presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $160.37.

Read Our Latest Research Report on TJX Companies

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other TJX Companies news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 24,363 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.31, for a total value of $3,686,365.53. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 510,780 shares of the companys stock, valued at $77,286,121.80. The trade was a 4.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Amy B. Lane sold 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.40, for a total transaction of $75,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 22,212 shares in the company, valued at $3,362,896.80. This represents a 2.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 54,863 shares of company stock valued at $8,226,366 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

TJX Companies Company Profile

(Free Report)

The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.

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Fisher Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Amcor PLC (NYSE:AMCR  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 65,186 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $599,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Amcor by 61.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 110,228,036 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,012,996,000 after buying an additional 42,122,135 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC lifted its stake in Amcor by 23.4% in the second quarter. M&G PLC now owns 85,596,005 shares of the companys stock valued at $770,364,000 after acquiring an additional 16,212,783 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Amcor by 62.1% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 80,770,303 shares of the companys stock worth $742,279,000 after acquiring an additional 30,938,660 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Amcor by 55.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 58,845,923 shares of the companys stock worth $538,551,000 after purchasing an additional 20,946,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Amcor during the 2nd quarter valued at $328,839,000. 45.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Amcor Stock Performance

Shares of AMCR stock opened at $8.30 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.04. Amcor PLC has a 52 week low of $7.66 and a 52 week high of $10.47. The companys 50 day moving average price is $8.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.75. The company has a market capitalization of $19.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.68.

Amcor Increases Dividend

Amcor ( NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.19. Amcor had a net margin of 3.34% and a return on equity of 17.35%. The company had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.16 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 71.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Amcor PLC will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th will be paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. This is a positive change from Amcors previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Amcors dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 152.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AMCR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Amcor in a research note on Friday, September 19th. They issued an overweight rating and a $10.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c-) rating on shares of Amcor in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Amcor in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Amcor from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Amcor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Amcor has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $10.91.

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Amcor Profile

(Free Report)

Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries.

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Fisher Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:XMHQ  Free Report) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 8,003 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $786,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in XMHQ. Smith Moore & CO. increased its stake in Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF by 3.0% during the second quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 107,028 shares of the companys stock worth $10,514,000 after acquiring an additional 3,086 shares during the last quarter. Trustmark Bank Trust Department boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF by 31.4% in the 2nd quarter. Trustmark Bank Trust Department now owns 6,912 shares of the companys stock worth $679,000 after purchasing an additional 1,650 shares during the period. Denver Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF by 63.7% during the 2nd quarter. Denver Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,557 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,135,000 after purchasing an additional 4,496 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF by 274.6% during the 2nd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 22,658 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,226,000 after buying an additional 16,609 shares during the period. Finally, Spectrum Wealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF by 106.1% in the second quarter. Spectrum Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 206,591 shares of the companys stock worth $20,296,000 after buying an additional 106,332 shares during the last quarter.

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Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF Stock Down 0.5%

XMHQ stock opened at $102.75 on Friday. Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF has a twelve month low of $80.60 and a twelve month high of $108.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29 and a beta of 1.04. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $103.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $101.80.

About Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF

The Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF (XMHQ) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P MidCap 400 Quality index. The fund tracks the S&P mid-cap 400 Quality Index, which screens stocks based on fundamental factors and weights them using a multi-factor approach. XMHQ was launched on Dec 1, 2006 and is managed by Invesco.

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Gabelli Funds LLC decreased its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 54,115 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 6,467 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $38,300,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 28.6% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 524,296 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $286,418,000 after acquiring an additional 116,535 shares during the period. Ignite Planners LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the second quarter worth approximately $239,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 4.9% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,379,900 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $2,392,124,000 after purchasing an additional 157,473 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the first quarter worth approximately $9,596,000. Finally, Wells Trecaso Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.5% during the second quarter. Wells Trecaso Financial Group LLC now owns 21,534 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $15,240,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. 71.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on GS shares. HSBC boosted their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $652.00 to $677.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Daiwa Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $756.00 to $810.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Dbs Bank upped their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $800.00 to $890.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Zacks Research lowered shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $854.00 to $828.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Goldman Sachs Group currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $786.00.

The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE GS opened at $854.06 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $256.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.35, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.36. The stocks fifty day moving average is $790.53 and its 200 day moving average is $734.14. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $439.38 and a 52 week high of $856.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.65.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 14th. The investment management company reported $12.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.27 by $1.98. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.18% and a return on equity of 15.29%. The business had revenue of $15.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $8.40 earnings per share. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 47.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $4.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $16.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.50%.

About The Goldman Sachs Group

(Free Report)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements.

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Gabelli Funds LLC lessened its stake in shares of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE  Free Report) by 1.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 488,050 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 6,800 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC owned approximately 0.18% of Ameren worth $46,872,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ameren by 70.9% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 258 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Ameren by 728.9% in the 2nd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. SouthState Corp bought a new position in Ameren in the first quarter valued at about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 600.0% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 343 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ameren during the second quarter worth about $34,000. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Ameren from $108.00 to $114.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Ameren to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Ameren in a research note on Monday, October 27th. They issued an overweight rating and a $112.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays set a $113.00 target price on Ameren in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on Ameren from $104.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $109.50.

Ameren Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AEE opened at $99.90 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $27.02 billion, a PE ratio of 19.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. Ameren Corporation has a twelve month low of $86.40 and a twelve month high of $106.73. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $103.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $100.32.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The utilities provider reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $2.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.64 billion. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.92% and a net margin of 15.75%.The businesss revenue was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.87 EPS. Ameren has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.250-5.450 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 4.900-5.100 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ameren Corporation will post 4.93 EPS for the current year.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 9th will be paid a $0.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 9th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Amerens payout ratio is 54.62%.

Insider Activity

In other Ameren news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.44, for a total transaction of $659,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 198,973 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,183,821.12. This represents a 3.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock.

Ameren Company Profile

(Free Report)

Ameren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. It engages in the rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution activities; and rate-regulated natural gas distribution business.

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Gabelli Funds LLC lowered its position in shares of GATX Corporation (NYSE:GATX  Free Report) by 2.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 965,300 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 21,500 shares during the period. GATX accounts for approximately 1.1% of Gabelli Funds LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Gabelli Funds LLC owned approximately 2.71% of GATX worth $148,231,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in GATX by 46.8% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 4,965 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $771,000 after purchasing an additional 1,582 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of GATX by 1.0% during the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 13,974 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $2,170,000 after buying an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of GATX by 12.1% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 5,734 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $890,000 after buying an additional 619 shares in the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of GATX by 85.9% in the first quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 4,085 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $634,000 after acquiring an additional 1,888 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its stake in shares of GATX by 19.6% in the first quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 6,301 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $978,000 after acquiring an additional 1,032 shares in the last quarter. 93.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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GATX Price Performance

GATX stock opened at $167.22 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $163.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $160.30. The firm has a market cap of $5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.54 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 3.81, a current ratio of 3.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.26. GATX Corporation has a 12 month low of $139.44 and a 12 month high of $178.26.

GATX Announces Dividend

GATX ( NYSE:GATX Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The transportation company reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.32 by ($0.22). The firm had revenue of $439.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $435.21 million. GATX had a return on equity of 11.62% and a net margin of 18.35%.The businesss revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.43 EPS. GATX has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.500-8.900 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that GATX Corporation will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. GATXs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on GATX. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of GATX in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of GATX from $191.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price target on GATX from $190.00 to $192.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, GATX currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $192.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on GATX

GATX Profile

(Free Report)

GATX Corporation, together its subsidiaries, operates as railcar leasing company in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and India. It operates through three segments: Rail North America, Rail International, and Portfolio Management. The company leases tank and freight railcars, and locomotives for petroleum, chemical, food/agriculture, and transportation industries.

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Gabelli Funds LLC lessened its position in shares of Visa Inc. (NYSE:V  Free Report) by 1.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 193,112 shares of the credit-card processors stock after selling 3,445 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLCs holdings in Visa were worth $68,564,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its position in shares of Visa by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 33,814 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $12,006,000 after acquiring an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Visa by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 7,606 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $2,700,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. Stenger Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Visa during the second quarter worth approximately $3,071,000. Victory Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Visa by 19.8% during the second quarter. Victory Financial Group LLC now owns 4,003 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $1,421,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the period. Finally, Avestar Capital LLC increased its holdings in Visa by 14.6% in the second quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 20,491 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $7,275,000 after purchasing an additional 2,614 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.15% of the companys stock.

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Visa Stock Performance

NYSE V opened at $330.92 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $602.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.41, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $338.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $346.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. Visa Inc. has a 12-month low of $299.00 and a 12-month high of $375.51.

Visa Increases Dividend

Visa ( NYSE:V Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The credit-card processor reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $10.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.60 billion. Visa had a net margin of 50.15% and a return on equity of 60.31%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Visa Inc. will post 11.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 12th were given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 12th. This is a positive change from Visas previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. Visas payout ratio is 26.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Visa

In other news, CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 10,485 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $341.00, for a total value of $3,575,385.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 537 shares in the company, valued at $183,117. This trade represents a 95.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Paul D. Fabara sold 2,172 shares of Visa stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.93, for a total value of $707,919.96. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 26,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,608,789.09. The trade was a 7.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 24,042 shares of company stock worth $8,175,152. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

V has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup upgraded Visa to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Visa in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $398.00 target price on shares of Visa and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Visa from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Visa in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Visa has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $400.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Visa

Visa Company Profile

(Free Report)

Visa Inc operates as a payment technology company in the United States and internationally. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, and click to pay services; Visa Direct, a solution that facilitates the delivery of funds to eligible cards, deposit accounts, and digital wallets; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solution, a cross-border consumer payments solution; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value-added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services.

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Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its position in shares of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG  Free Report) by 1.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,510,907 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after purchasing an additional 15,040 shares during the period. National Fuel Gas makes up 1.3% of Gamco Investors INC. ET ALs portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL owned about 1.67% of National Fuel Gas worth $127,989,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Foster & Motley Inc. lifted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 14.9% during the 2nd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 69,353 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $5,875,000 after acquiring an additional 8,993 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of National Fuel Gas during the second quarter worth $638,000. Fox Run Management L.L.C. boosted its stake in shares of National Fuel Gas by 80.0% during the second quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 15,291 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 6,796 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of National Fuel Gas by 541.5% in the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 168,807 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $13,356,000 after purchasing an additional 142,493 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new position in National Fuel Gas in the 1st quarter worth about $1,623,000. 73.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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National Fuel Gas Stock Down 0.5%

National Fuel Gas stock opened at $81.80 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $7.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.40, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a fifty day moving average of $83.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.84. National Fuel Gas Company has a twelve month low of $59.01 and a twelve month high of $94.13.

National Fuel Gas Announces Dividend

National Fuel Gas ( NYSE:NFG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $466.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.57 million. National Fuel Gas had a return on equity of 21.76% and a net margin of 22.86%.The businesss revenue was up 22.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that National Fuel Gas Company will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.535 per share. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 30th. National Fuel Gass dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on NFG shares. Scotiabank cut shares of National Fuel Gas from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $102.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of National Fuel Gas in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered National Fuel Gas from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, August 10th. Finally, Zacks Research cut National Fuel Gas from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, August 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National Fuel Gas currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $98.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on National Fuel Gas

National Fuel Gas Company Profile

(Free Report)

National Fuel Gas Company operates as a diversified energy company. It operates through four segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and oil. The Pipeline and Storage segment provides interstate natural gas transportation services through an integrated gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New York; and owns and operates underground natural gas storage fields.

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Guggenheim Capital LLC lessened its stake in Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F  Free Report) by 14.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 495,553 shares of the auto manufacturers stock after selling 84,365 shares during the quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLCs holdings in Ford Motor were worth $5,377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in F. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Country Trust Bank acquired a new stake in Ford Motor during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. AlphaQuest LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 1,018.5% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 3,087 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 2,811 shares during the period. Finally, City Holding Co. lifted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 47.8% in the 2nd quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 3,090 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

F has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $13.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $12.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $11.88.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

Ford Motor stock opened at $13.03 on Friday. Ford Motor Company has a 12-month low of $8.44 and a 12-month high of $13.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The company has a market capitalization of $51.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.23 and a beta of 1.60. The firms fifty day moving average price is $12.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.71.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The auto manufacturer reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $50.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $43.08 billion. Ford Motor had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 11.94%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.49 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Ford Motor Company will post 1.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. Ford Motors dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.72%.

Ford Motor Company Profile

(Free Report)

Ford Motor Company develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. It operates through Ford Blue, Ford Model e, and Ford Pro; Ford Next; and Ford Credit segments. The company sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments.

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Guggenheim Capital LLC reduced its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report) by 39.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 32,902 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 21,540 shares during the quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLCs holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $5,736,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of DLR. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Digital Realty Trust by 5.3% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,013 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 15.1% in the 2nd quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 82,020 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $14,299,000 after buying an additional 10,766 shares in the last quarter. Plan Group Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 16.0% in the 2nd quarter. Plan Group Financial LLC now owns 10,263 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,789,000 after buying an additional 1,413 shares during the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $443,000. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Digital Realty Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $233,000. Institutional investors own 99.71% of the companys stock.

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Digital Realty Trust Trading Up 2.3%

DLR opened at $164.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 2.02. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $167.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $170.33. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a one year low of $129.95 and a one year high of $194.22. The stock has a market cap of $56.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.58, a P/E/G ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 1.11.

Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend

Digital Realty Trust ( NYSE:DLR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter. Digital Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.41% and a net margin of 23.67%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Digital Realty Trust, Inc. will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a $1.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently 126.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on DLR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Digital Realty Trust from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Cowen reiterated a hold rating on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a report on Friday, October 24th. Loop Capital set a $205.00 target price on Digital Realty Trust in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. They set a buy rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $198.76.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on DLR

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Andrew Power sold 53,269 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.16, for a total value of $9,330,598.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Mary Hogan Preusse sold 4,166 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.42, for a total transaction of $655,811.72. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 62,166 shares of company stock worth $10,814,808 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Digital Realty Trust Profile

(Free Report)

Digital Realty Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust, which engages in the provision of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. It serves the following industries: artificial intelligence (AI), networks, cloud, digital media, mobile, financial services, healthcare, and gaming.

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Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its position in BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:BFZ  Free Report) by 15.5% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 652,161 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 87,599 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLCs holdings in BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust were worth $7,050,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ieq Capital LLC acquired a new stake in BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter valued at $14,681,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust by 16.3% during the second quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 568,664 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,147,000 after buying an additional 79,735 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust by 472.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 272,999 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,998,000 after buying an additional 225,323 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust by 7.7% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 228,402 shares of the companys stock worth $2,508,000 after acquiring an additional 16,406 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trilogy Capital Inc. lifted its stake in BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust by 13.8% in the 2nd quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc. now owns 138,336 shares of the companys stock worth $1,495,000 after acquiring an additional 16,738 shares in the last quarter.

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BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:BFZ opened at $10.90 on Friday. BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust has a fifty-two week low of $10.17 and a fifty-two week high of $11.89. The stocks 50-day moving average is $10.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.76.

BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust Dividend Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $0.059 per share. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th.

In other BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust news, major shareholder Saba Capital Management, L.P. sold 136,042 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.69, for a total value of $1,454,288.98. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,107,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,218,191.52. This represents a 4.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 245,585 shares of company stock worth $2,647,745 over the last quarter.

BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust Profile

(Free Report)

BlackRock California Municipal Income Trust is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It invests primarily in investment grade municipal bonds that are exempt from regular federal and California income taxes.

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Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC  Get Free Report) and SBI (OTCMKTS:SBHGF  Get Free Report) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, profitability and valuation.

Risk and Volatility

Moelis & Company has a beta of 1.9, meaning that its stock price is 90% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, SBI has a beta of 0.72, meaning that its stock price is 28% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Moelis & Company and SBIs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Moelis & Company 15.98% 45.62% 18.93% SBI 16.99% 15.66% 0.87%

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Moelis & Company $1.19 billion 4.50 $136.02 million $2.99 22.95 SBI $9.48 billion 0.68 $1.07 billion $5.81 3.66

This table compares Moelis & Company and SBIs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

SBI has higher revenue and earnings than Moelis & Company. SBI is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Moelis & Company, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Moelis & Company and SBI, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Moelis & Company 0 7 3 1 2.45 SBI 0 0 0 0 0.00

Moelis & Company presently has a consensus target price of $71.57, indicating a potential upside of 4.29%. Given Moelis & Companys stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Moelis & Company is more favorable than SBI.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

91.5% of Moelis & Company shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.4% of Moelis & Company shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Moelis & Company beats SBI on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Moelis & Company

(Get Free Report)

Moelis & Co. operates as a holding company. It engages in the provision of financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to a client base including corporations, governments, sovereign wealth funds and financial sponsors. The firm focuses on clients including large public multinational corporations, middle market private companies, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs and governments. The company was founded by Kenneth David Moelis, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Jeffrey Raich and Elizabeth Ann Crain in July 2007 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

About SBI

(Get Free Report)

SBI Holdings, Inc. engages in the online securities and investment businesses. It operates through five business segments: Financial Services Business, Asset Management Business, Investment Business, Crypto-Asset Business, and Non-financial Business segments. The Financial Services Business segment consists of a range of finance-related business, including securities brokerage business; banking services business; and life, property, and casualty insurance business. The Asset Management Business segment includes setting, solicitation, and management of investment trust; investment advice; and financial products information. The Investment Business segment includes fund management and investment in Internet technology, fintech, blockchain, finance, and biotechnology-related venture companies; private equity; and funds management businesses. The Crypto-asset Business segment provides crypto-asset exchange and trading services. The Non-Financial Business segment consists of biotechnology; development and distribution of pharmaceutical products, health foods, and cosmetics with 5-aminolevulinic acid; research and development of antibody drugs and nucleic acid medicine in the field of cancer and immunology; the digitization of medical and health information; provision of solutions and services that promote the use of medical big data, medical finance; business working on advanced fields related to Web 3.0; and renewable energy business. The company is also involved in the real estate secured loans, online mobile game, and e-sports related businesses. In addition, it operates and develops cybersecurity systems; exports used cars; offers back-office support services; and develops, operates, manages, and invests in real estate properties. The company was formerly known as Softbank Investment Corporation and changed its name to SBI Holdings, Inc. in July 2005. SBI Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Getinge (OTCMKTS:GNGBY  Get Free Report) and Pediatrix Medical Group (NYSE:MD  Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Getinge and Pediatrix Medical Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Getinge 5.77% 10.64% 5.49% Pediatrix Medical Group 8.44% 20.45% 7.94%

Risk & Volatility

Getinge has a beta of 1.08, indicating that its share price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pediatrix Medical Group has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Analyst Ratings

97.7% of Pediatrix Medical Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.9% of Pediatrix Medical Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Getinge and Pediatrix Medical Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Getinge 0 1 1 0 2.50 Pediatrix Medical Group 0 4 1 1 2.50

Pediatrix Medical Group has a consensus target price of $21.00, indicating a potential downside of 5.13%. Given Pediatrix Medical Groups higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Pediatrix Medical Group is more favorable than Getinge.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Getinge and Pediatrix Medical Groups revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Getinge $3.29 billion 1.85 $154.96 million $0.75 29.81 Pediatrix Medical Group $2.01 billion 0.94 -$99.07 million $1.90 11.65

Getinge has higher revenue and earnings than Pediatrix Medical Group. Pediatrix Medical Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Getinge, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Pediatrix Medical Group beats Getinge on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Getinge

(Get Free Report)

Getinge AB (publ) provides products and solutions for operating rooms, intensive-care units, and sterilization departments. The company operates through Acute Care Therapies, Life Science, and Surgical Workflows segments. It offers extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, mechanical ventilation, mechanical circulatory support, advanced patient monitoring, ICU infrastructure equipment, patient flow management, and drainage solutions. The company also provides surgical perfusion, endoscopic vessel harvesting, intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, and drainage solutions; and operating room infrastructure equipment, anesthesia, advanced patient monitoring, operating room management, and operating room integration solutions. In addition, it offers pre-cleaning, cleaning and disinfection, sterilization, consumables, endoscope reprocessing, and sterile supply management solutions; connected medical devices; bioreactor systems, DPTE systems, Getinge isolators, terminal sterilization products, and sterilizers; and vivarium, biohazardous materials handling solutions, labware cleaning and sterilization, upstream bioprocessing, and bioreactor preparation solutions. It offers its products through a network of sales companies, as well as through agents and distributors in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia and Pacific. Getinge AB (publ) was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.

About Pediatrix Medical Group

(Get Free Report)

Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides newborn, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology, and other pediatric subspecialty care services in the United States. It offers neonatal care services, such as clinical care to babies born prematurely or with complications within specific units at hospitals through neonatal physician subspecialists, neonatal nurse practitioners, and other pediatric clinicians. The company also provides maternal-fetal care services, including inpatient and office-based clinical care to expectant mothers and unborn babies through affiliated maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, as well as obstetricians and other clinicians, including maternal-fetal nurse practitioners, certified nurse mid-wives, sonographers, and genetic counselors. In addition, it offers pediatric cardiology care services comprising inpatient and office-based pediatric cardiology care of the fetus, infant, child, and adolescent patient with congenital heart defects and acquired heart disease, as well as adults with congenital heart defects through affiliated pediatric cardiologist subspecialists and other related clinical professionals, including pediatric nurse practitioners, echocardiographers, other diagnostic technicians, and exercise physiologists; and specialized cardiac care to the fetus, neonatal and pediatric patients. Further, the company provides other pediatric subspecialty care services, such as pediatric intensivists, pediatric hospitalists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric ophthalmologists, as well as pediatric ear, nose, and throat physicians, pediatric gastroenterologists; and support services in the areas of hospitals, primarily in the pediatric emergency rooms, labor and delivery areas, and nursery and pediatric departments. The company was formerly known as MEDNAX, Inc. and changed its name to Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. in July 2022. Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Sunrise, Florida.

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Quantbot Technologies LP trimmed its stake in shares of Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL  Free Report) by 51.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 261,058 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 277,199 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in Hecla Mining were worth $1,564,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of HL. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Hecla Mining by 2.3% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 62,830,935 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $349,340,000 after purchasing an additional 1,437,895 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 28,827,696 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $160,285,000 after acquiring an additional 2,306,239 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 12,124,216 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $67,411,000 after acquiring an additional 1,366,700 shares during the last quarter. Pale Fire Capital SE bought a new stake in shares of Hecla Mining during the 1st quarter worth $41,360,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 62.3% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,442,667 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $24,701,000 after acquiring an additional 1,705,994 shares during the last quarter. 63.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Hecla Mining Price Performance

Shares of HL opened at $16.97 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $13.90 and its 200-day moving average is $9.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The company has a market capitalization of $11.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.74 and a beta of 1.36. Hecla Mining Company has a fifty-two week low of $4.46 and a fifty-two week high of $18.12.

Hecla Mining Dividend Announcement

Hecla Mining ( NYSE:HL Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $409.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $315.60 million. Hecla Mining had a net margin of 16.35% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 67.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.03 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Hecla Mining Company will post 0.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 8th. Investors of record on Monday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.0038 per share. This represents a $0.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 24th. Hecla Minings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Scotiabank assumed coverage on Hecla Mining in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They set a sector perform rating and a $15.00 target price for the company. Roth Capital set a $8.75 price objective on shares of Hecla Mining and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. CIBC raised their target price on shares of Hecla Mining from $15.00 to $16.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on shares of Hecla Mining from $12.50 to $16.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $10.22.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on HL

Insider Transactions at Hecla Mining

In other news, CFO Russell Douglas Lawlar sold 148,372 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $2,225,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 347,402 shares in the company, valued at $5,211,030. The trade was a 29.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Stuart Maurice Absolom sold 14,472 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.29, for a total value of $163,388.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 73,200 shares in the company, valued at $826,428. This represents a 16.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 181,379 shares of company stock worth $2,667,365 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the companys stock.

About Hecla Mining

(Free Report)

Hecla Mining Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides precious and base metal properties in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. The company mines for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates, as well as carbon material containing silver and gold for custom smelters, metal traders, and third-party processors; and dore containing silver and gold.

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HydrogenOne Capital Growth (LON:HGEN  Get Free Report) shares shot up 0.4% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as GBX 14 and last traded at GBX 13.43. 108,739 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 67% from the average session volume of 332,596 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 13.38.

HydrogenOne Capital Growth Stock Performance

The stocks fifty day simple moving average is GBX 22.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 25.61. The company has a market capitalization of 17.78 million, a PE ratio of -0.22 and a beta of -0.08.

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HydrogenOne Capital Growth (LON:HGEN  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported GBX (0.39) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. HydrogenOne Capital Growth had a net margin of 70.61% and a return on equity of 2.22%.

HydrogenOne Capital Growth Company Profile

HydrogenOne is the first London-listed hydrogen fund investing in clean hydrogen for a positive environmental impact. The Company was launched in 2021 with an investment objective to deliver an attractive level of capital growth by investing in a diversified portfolio of hydrogen and complementary hydrogen focussed assets.

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Hyundai Motor (OTCMKTS:HYMTF  Get Free Report) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $52.08 and traded as low as $51.00. Hyundai Motor shares last traded at $51.00, with a volume of 702 shares.

Hyundai Motor Stock Down 7.4%

The companys 50 day simple moving average is $51.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $52.08.

About Hyundai Motor

(Get Free Report)

Hyundai Motor Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes motor vehicles and parts worldwide. It operates through Vehicle, Finance, and Others segments. The company offers cars under the AZERA, SONATA, VELOSTER, i30, ELANTRA, ACCENT, i20, and i10 names; SUVs under the TUCSON, SANTA FE, KONA, PALISADE, CRETA, and VENUE names; commercial vehicles under the STARIA, H-1, and H-100 names; and eco vehicles under the IONIQ 6, IONIQ 5, NEXO, SANTA FE Hybrid, SONATA Hybrid, AZERA Hybrid, KONA Electric, IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid, IONIQ Electric, IONIQ Hybrid, and i30 Hybrid names.

Further Reading

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Walleye Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Iamgold Corporation (NYSE:IAG  Free Report) (TSE:IMG) by 150.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 770,708 shares of the mining companys stock after buying an additional 463,141 shares during the period. Walleye Capital LLCs holdings in Iamgold were worth $5,665,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Iamgold by 1.7% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,594,479 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $134,764,000 after purchasing an additional 361,608 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of Iamgold by 12.4% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 20,917,319 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $154,046,000 after acquiring an additional 2,302,527 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Iamgold by 19.0% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 12,092,101 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $75,489,000 after acquiring an additional 1,929,787 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Iamgold by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 8,536,289 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $53,352,000 after acquiring an additional 1,396,354 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in Iamgold by 183.5% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 7,614,294 shares of the mining companys stock worth $56,118,000 after acquiring an additional 4,928,077 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.08% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on IAG shares. Scotiabank increased their price target on Iamgold from $8.50 to $15.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Iamgold from $9.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Iamgold from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the company from $9.00 to $14.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. CIBC lifted their price target on Iamgold from $10.40 to $19.00 and gave the stock an outperformer rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Stifel Canada upgraded Iamgold from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $15.25.

Iamgold Stock Performance

NYSE IAG opened at $15.29 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.39. Iamgold Corporation has a 52-week low of $4.98 and a 52-week high of $15.80. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $13.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $9.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Iamgold (NYSE:IAG  Get Free Report) (TSE:IMG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The mining company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.09. Iamgold had a return on equity of 10.39% and a net margin of 15.39%.The company had revenue of $714.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $759.45 million. On average, equities research analysts expect that Iamgold Corporation will post 0.67 earnings per share for the current year.

About Iamgold

(Free Report)

IAMGOLD Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as an intermediate gold producer and developer in Canada and Burkina Faso. It owns 100% interest in the Westwood project that covers an area of 1,925 hectare and located in Quebec; a 60% interest in the Cote gold project, which covers an area of 596 square kilometer located in Ontario, Canada; and a 90% interests in the Essakane project that covers an area of 274,000 square kilometer situated in Burkina Faso.

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Mobius Investment Trust plc (LON:MMIT  Get Free Report) insider Diana Dyer Bartlett purchased 20,953 shares of Mobius Investment Trust stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 142 per share, for a total transaction of 29,753.26.

Diana Dyer Bartlett also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Friday, November 21st, Diana Dyer Bartlett acquired 21,469 shares of Mobius Investment Trust stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 138 per share, with a total value of 29,627.22.

Mobius Investment Trust Stock Up 0.2%

MMIT opened at GBX 143 on Friday. Mobius Investment Trust plc has a fifty-two week low of GBX 107.70 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 150.98. The firm has a market cap of 93.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -39.39 and a beta of 0.74. The companys 50-day moving average price is GBX 142.23 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 139.85.

About Mobius Investment Trust

Mobius Investment Trust plc (MMIT) is a closed-ended investment company listed on London Stock Exchange (LSE: MMIT).

MMIT provides investors with access to a high conviction portfolio of 25-30 small to mid-cap companies, across emerging and frontier markets.

The London listed investment trust will be managed by MCP Emerging Markets LLP (MCP), an investment manager launched in May 2018.

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Internet Initiative Japan, Inc. (OTCMKTS:IIJIY  Get Free Report)s share price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $37.09 and traded as low as $35.60. Internet Initiative Japan shares last traded at $35.60, with a volume of 114 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Internet Initiative Japan from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Internet Initiative Japan presently has a consensus rating of Strong Buy.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on IIJIY

Internet Initiative Japan Trading Down 3.8%

The stock has a market capitalization of $3.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.07 and a beta of 1.10. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $35.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.10.

Internet Initiative Japan (OTCMKTS:IIJIY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.08. Internet Initiative Japan had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 15.83%. The business had revenue of $555.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $528.83 million. As a group, analysts expect that Internet Initiative Japan, Inc. will post 0.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Internet Initiative Japan Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Internet Initiative Japan Inc provides Internet connectivity, WAN, outsourcing, systems integration, and network-related equipment sales services in Japan. It operates through two segments, Network Services and Systems Integration Business, and ATM Operation Business. The company offers mobile communication and remote access/telework services; WAN/network services, including SDN, multi-cloud network, closed connection, internet VPN, SEIL, remote access, wireless LAN, and GIGA-school; leased line and broadband services; IIJ DNS platform, and domain name registration and maintenance services; IIJ access ID management, dial-up access, and IIJ IPv6 fiber access services; and security solutions for IIJ managed firewall, DDoS protection, and managed IPS/IDS services.

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Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its position in Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:PWZ  Free Report) by 66.7% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 282,428 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 113,043 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLCs holdings in Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF were worth $6,592,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new position in Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF in the first quarter worth $466,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 8.9% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 61,990 shares of the companys stock worth $1,478,000 after purchasing an additional 5,088 shares during the period. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $817,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $1,755,000. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF by 72.0% in the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 43,751 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,043,000 after buying an additional 18,311 shares during the period.

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Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:PWZ opened at $24.17 on Friday. Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF has a fifty-two week low of $22.23 and a fifty-two week high of $25.26. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $24.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.60.

Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Profile

The Invesco California AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (PWZ) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks an index of insured investment-grade, tax-exempt debt issued by California or any US territory with at least 15 years remaining to maturity. PWZ was launched on Oct 11, 2007 and is managed by Invesco.

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Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:PLNT  Free Report) by 15.0% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,543,501 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 332,362 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd.s holdings in Planet Fitness were worth $277,369,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of PLNT. AMJ Financial Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Planet Fitness by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. AMJ Financial Wealth Management now owns 9,860 shares of the companys stock worth $1,075,000 after acquiring an additional 859 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in Planet Fitness by 3.6% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 4,488 shares of the companys stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Planet Fitness during the second quarter worth $200,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its holdings in Planet Fitness by 5.9% in the second quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 251,152 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,388,000 after purchasing an additional 13,993 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Planet Fitness in the second quarter valued at $116,175,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.53% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Planet Fitness in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Planet Fitness from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Planet Fitness from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Planet Fitness from $108.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Planet Fitness in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $117.23.

Planet Fitness Stock Performance

Shares of PLNT opened at $111.26 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.41, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.28. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $100.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $104.21. Planet Fitness, Inc. has a 1 year low of $87.72 and a 1 year high of $114.47.

Planet Fitness (NYSE:PLNT  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $330.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $323.95 million. Planet Fitness had a net margin of 15.97% and a negative return on equity of 126.58%. Planet Fitnesss revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.64 EPS. Planet Fitness has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.030 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Planet Fitness, Inc. will post 2.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Planet Fitness

(Free Report)

Planet Fitness, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, franchises and operates fitness centers under the Planet Fitness brand. The company operates through three segments: Franchise, Corporate-Owned Stores, and Equipment. The company is involved in franchising business in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, and Australia.

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iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF (NYSEARCA:JPXN  Get Free Report) shares shot up 0% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $88.61 and last traded at $88.38. 16,161 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 57% from the average session volume of 10,282 shares. The stock had previously closed at $88.36.

iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF Stock Up 0.0%

The company has a market cap of $106.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.59 and a beta of 0.65. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $86.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $83.11.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF by 13,832.3% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 521,626 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,068,000 after purchasing an additional 517,882 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF by 32.8% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 91,084 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,647,000 after buying an additional 22,488 shares in the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF by 12.1% in the 3rd quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 84,389 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,193,000 after buying an additional 9,135 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,746,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 13,448 shares of the companys stock worth $1,146,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter.

About iShares JPX-Nikkei 400 ETF

iShares Japan Large-Cap ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P/TOPIX 150 Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P/TOPIX 150 (the Index). The Index is comprised of approximately 70% of the market value of the Japanese equity market.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Skeena Resources Limited (NYSE:SKE  Free Report) by 28.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 985,495 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 220,334 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.86% of Skeena Resources worth $15,689,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Skeena Resources in the 2nd quarter valued at about $634,000. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. acquired a new position in Skeena Resources during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $9,097,000. Helikon Investments Ltd lifted its position in shares of Skeena Resources by 17.7% in the second quarter. Helikon Investments Ltd now owns 14,030,111 shares of the companys stock worth $223,359,000 after purchasing an additional 2,112,796 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Skeena Resources by 4.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,364 shares of the companys stock worth $719,000 after purchasing an additional 1,881 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in Skeena Resources by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,539,488 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,503,000 after buying an additional 15,450 shares during the last quarter. 45.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a strong-buy rating on shares of Skeena Resources in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Skeena Resources from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 15th. TD Securities initiated coverage on Skeena Resources in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Skeena Resources in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Desjardins raised shares of Skeena Resources to a moderate buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Skeena Resources Price Performance

Shares of Skeena Resources stock opened at $22.05 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.51. Skeena Resources Limited has a 1 year low of $8.53 and a 1 year high of $22.34. The company has a market capitalization of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -30.21 and a beta of 1.23.

Skeena Resources (NYSE:SKE  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.03). As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Skeena Resources Limited will post -0.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Skeena Resources Company Profile

(Free Report)

Skeena Resources Limited explores for and develops mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Snip gold mine comprising one mining lease and nine mineral tenures that covers an area of approximately 4,724 hectares; and the Eskay Creek gold mine that consists of eight mineral leases, two surface leases, and various unpatented mining claims comprising 7,666 hectares located in British Columbia, Canada.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its holdings in shares of iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF (BATS:MEAR  Free Report) by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 290,409 shares of the companys stock after selling 17,152 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s holdings in iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF were worth $14,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF by 148.1% during the second quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,018 shares of the companys stock valued at $654,000 after acquiring an additional 7,771 shares in the last quarter. Sykon Capital LLC grew its position in iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sykon Capital LLC now owns 13,497 shares of the companys stock worth $678,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its stake in iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF by 18.9% during the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 66,610 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,348,000 after purchasing an additional 10,600 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF by 141.7% in the second quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 55,609 shares of the companys stock worth $2,795,000 after buying an additional 32,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF by 51.9% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 152,532 shares of the companys stock worth $7,668,000 after buying an additional 52,120 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF Price Performance

Shares of MEAR opened at $50.31 on Friday. iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF has a 1-year low of $49.44 and a 1-year high of $50.51. The companys fifty day moving average price is $50.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.34.

iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF Company Profile

The iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund holds a portfolio of actively managed municipal bonds and targets a weighted average portfolio maturity of 3 years or less. MEAR was launched on Mar 3, 2015 and is managed by BlackRock.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its position in shares of Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA  Free Report) by 19.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 227,864 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 56,175 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.24% of Voya Financial worth $16,178,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VOYA. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Voya Financial by 23.9% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,679,580 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $384,849,000 after acquiring an additional 1,095,190 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Voya Financial by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 5,539,009 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $393,270,000 after purchasing an additional 407,426 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Voya Financial by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,512,176 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $373,505,000 after purchasing an additional 280,316 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Voya Financial by 1.7% in the second quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 3,661,257 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $259,949,000 after buying an additional 62,093 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners grew its position in Voya Financial by 70.4% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,373,520 shares of the asset managers stock worth $239,175,000 after acquiring an additional 1,394,321 shares during the last quarter. 96.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on VOYA shares. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Voya Financial from $84.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Voya Financial from $83.00 to $80.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Voya Financial from $87.00 to $85.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Barclays lifted their target price on Voya Financial from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on Voya Financial from $86.00 to $84.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Voya Financial has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $84.30.

Voya Financial Stock Performance

Shares of VOYA opened at $70.84 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $72.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $71.95. Voya Financial, Inc. has a 12 month low of $52.43 and a 12 month high of $82.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.91.

Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The asset manager reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.97 billion. Voya Financial had a return on equity of 13.89% and a net margin of 7.55%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.12 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Voya Financial, Inc. will post 8.39 EPS for the current year.

Voya Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 26th will be paid a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 26th. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Voya Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Voya Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.30%.

Voya Financial Profile

(Free Report)

Voya Financial, Inc engages in the provision of workplace benefits and savings products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Wealth Solutions, Health Solutions, and Investment Management. The Wealth Solutions segment offers full-service retirement products; recordkeeping services; stable value and fixed general account investment products; non-qualified plan administration services; and tools, guidance, and services to promote the financial well-being and retirement security of employees.

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Savers Value Village (NYSE:SVV  Get Free Report) and Lanvin Group (NYSE:LANV  Get Free Report) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Savers Value Village and Lanvin Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Savers Value Village -0.11% 9.18% 2.01% Lanvin Group N/A N/A N/A

Institutional & Insider Ownership

98.8% of Savers Value Village shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.4% of Lanvin Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.1% of Savers Value Village shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.7% of Lanvin Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Savers Value Village 1 3 4 1 2.56 Lanvin Group 1 0 0 0 1.00

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Savers Value Village and Lanvin Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

Savers Value Village currently has a consensus target price of $13.67, suggesting a potential upside of 52.79%. Given Savers Value Villages stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Savers Value Village is more favorable than Lanvin Group.

Risk and Volatility

Savers Value Village has a beta of 1.01, suggesting that its share price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lanvin Group has a beta of -0.23, suggesting that its share price is 123% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Savers Value Village and Lanvin Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Savers Value Village $1.54 billion 0.91 $29.03 million ($0.01) -894.50 Lanvin Group $355.62 million 0.82 -$178.82 million $0.08 26.00

Savers Value Village has higher revenue and earnings than Lanvin Group. Savers Value Village is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Lanvin Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Savers Value Village beats Lanvin Group on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Savers Value Village

(Get Free Report)

Savers Value Village, Inc. sells second-hand merchandise in retail stores in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It operates stores under the Savers, Value Village, Value Village Boutique, Village des Valeurs, Unique, and 2nd Avenue brands. The company purchases secondhand textiles, including clothing, bedding, and bath items; shoes; accessories; housewares; books; and other goods from non-profit partners and then processes, selects, prices, merchandises, and sells them in its stores. It serves retail and wholesale customers. The company was formerly known as S-Evergreen Holding LLC and changed its name to Savers Value Village, Inc. in January 2022. Savers Value Village, Inc. was founded in 1954 and is based in Bellevue, Washington.

About Lanvin Group

(Get Free Report)

Lanvin Group Holdings Limited operates as a couture house in the Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, China, and other Asian countries. It operates through five segments: Lanvin, Wolford, St. John, Sergio Rossi, and Caruso. The company offers ready-to-wear, made to measure, footwear, leather goods, costume jewelry, accessories, eyewear, and childrenswear under the Lanvin brand name; ready-to-wear, legwear, lingerie and beachwear, athleisure, and accessories under the Wolford brand; footwear under the Sergio Rossi brand name; luxury womenswear, footwear, handbags, jewelry, and leather goods under the St. John brand; and leisurewear and formalwear for men under the Caruso brand name. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China. Lanvin Group Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Fosun International Limited.

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Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE  Free Report) by 15.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,204,620 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 837,187 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLPs holdings in NexGen Energy were worth $43,060,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. L1 Capital Pty Ltd increased its position in NexGen Energy by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. L1 Capital Pty Ltd now owns 30,644,505 shares of the companys stock worth $137,372,000 after purchasing an additional 3,226,055 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in NexGen Energy by 2.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,956,792 shares of the companys stock worth $93,928,000 after buying an additional 520,279 shares during the period. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC grew its stake in NexGen Energy by 18.0% during the second quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 9,219,454 shares of the companys stock worth $63,918,000 after buying an additional 1,407,000 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of NexGen Energy by 1.4% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 7,220,545 shares of the companys stock worth $32,317,000 after acquiring an additional 98,128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Encompass Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of NexGen Energy by 249.5% in the 1st quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,153,080 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,635,000 after acquiring an additional 2,964,900 shares during the period. 42.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on NXE shares. Zacks Research upgraded NexGen Energy from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of NexGen Energy in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating on shares of NexGen Energy in a report on Friday, October 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, NexGen Energy currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

NexGen Energy Price Performance

Shares of NXE stock opened at $9.41 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average price is $8.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.16 billion, a P/E ratio of -22.95 and a beta of 1.54. NexGen Energy has a 12 month low of $3.91 and a 12 month high of $9.99.

NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by ($0.01). On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that NexGen Energy will post -0.05 EPS for the current year.

About NexGen Energy

(Free Report)

NexGen Energy Ltd., an exploration and development stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation and development of uranium properties in Canada. It holds a 100% interest in the Rook I project that consists of 32 contiguous mineral claims totaling an area of 35,065 hectares located in the southwestern Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan.

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Marshall Wace LLP lowered its holdings in Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY  Free Report) by 3.4% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 274,782 shares of the companys stock after selling 9,627 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLPs holdings in Hershey were worth $45,600,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in HSY. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth $224,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the first quarter worth about $55,269,000. Harvest Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Hershey by 39.7% during the first quarter. Harvest Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,859 shares of the companys stock worth $1,857,000 after purchasing an additional 3,087 shares in the last quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA lifted its holdings in shares of Hershey by 106.1% in the 1st quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 145,457 shares of the companys stock valued at $24,745,000 after purchasing an additional 74,894 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Hershey by 694.5% in the 1st quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 16,264 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,782,000 after purchasing an additional 14,217 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Stacy Taffet purchased 200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.56, for a total value of $269,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 55,319 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,933,079.64. The trade was a 2.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,103,640. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Hershey in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Hershey from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Barclays set a $188.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Evercore ISI reissued a positive rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday, October 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $182.79.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on HSY

Hershey Stock Down 0.0%

HSY opened at $182.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 0.83. Hershey Company has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $208.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.26 and a beta of 0.19. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $182.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $178.45.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.34 earnings per share. Hersheys revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Hershey has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.900-6.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th will be paid a $1.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 17th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Hersheys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 81.91%.

About Hershey

(Free Report)

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.

Further Reading

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Marshall Wace LLP decreased its position in shares of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC  Free Report) by 30.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 906,077 shares of the companys stock after selling 398,553 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLPs holdings in Brunswick were worth $50,052,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Brunswick during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,990,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Brunswick by 20.2% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,504,407 shares of the companys stock worth $134,857,000 after buying an additional 420,369 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Brunswick by 194.2% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 574,352 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,727,000 after acquiring an additional 379,155 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Brunswick by 22.7% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,472,467 shares of the companys stock worth $81,339,000 after acquiring an additional 272,815 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brunswick during the 1st quarter worth $12,547,000. 99.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Brunswick Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE BC opened at $69.99 on Friday. Brunswick Corporation has a 12-month low of $41.00 and a 12-month high of $79.04. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market cap of $4.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -19.23 and a beta of 1.37.

Brunswick Announces Dividend

Brunswick ( NYSE:BC Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.13. Brunswick had a positive return on equity of 10.55% and a negative net margin of 4.60%.The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.17 EPS. The firms revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Brunswick has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.250-3.25 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Brunswick Corporation will post 4.19 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 26th will be given a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 26th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Brunswicks dividend payout ratio is currently -47.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on BC shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Brunswick from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Brunswick from $63.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 23rd. B. Riley raised their target price on shares of Brunswick from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Brunswick from $51.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Brunswick from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $73.54.

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Brunswick Company Profile

(Free Report)

Brunswick Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets recreation products in the United States, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Propulsion, Engine P&A, Navico Group, and Boat. The Propulsion segment provides outboard, sterndrive, inboard engines, propulsion-related controls, rigging, and propellers for boat builders through marine retail dealers under the Mercury, Mercury MerCruiser, Mariner, Mercury Racing, Mercury Diesel, Avator, and Fliteboard brands.

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Marshall Wace LLP trimmed its holdings in shares of Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY  Free Report) by 28.3% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,870,345 shares of the companys stock after selling 737,609 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLPs holdings in Warby Parker were worth $41,017,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in Warby Parker by 400.3% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,601 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Warby Parker by 111.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,675 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 881 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Warby Parker during the first quarter valued at about $58,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC grew its position in Warby Parker by 39.0% during the first quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 3,954 shares of the companys stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 1,109 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Warby Parker during the first quarter worth about $157,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.24% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

WRBY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Warby Parker from $27.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Warby Parker from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research upgraded Warby Parker from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Warby Parker in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, BTIG Research lowered their target price on Warby Parker from $28.00 to $25.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $24.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Joel E. Cutler sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.75, for a total transaction of $936,250.00. Following the sale, the director owned 19,932 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $533,181. This represents a 63.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Neil Harris Blumenthal sold 8,416 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.52, for a total value of $231,608.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 32,733 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $900,812.16. This represents a 20.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 85,000 shares of company stock worth $2,312,661. 18.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Warby Parker Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of WRBY stock opened at $18.79 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average is $20.65 and its 200 day moving average is $22.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,879.00 and a beta of 2.06. Warby Parker Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.63 and a 12 month high of $29.73.

Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $221.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $224.49 million. Warby Parker had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 1.96%. The companys revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.03) EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Warby Parker Inc. will post -0.12 EPS for the current year.

About Warby Parker

(Free Report)

Warby Parker Inc provides eyewear products in the United States and Canada. The company offers eyeglasses, sunglasses, light-responsive lenses, blue-light-filtering lenses, non-prescription lenses, and contact lenses. It also provides accessories, such as cases, lenses kit with anti-fog spray, pouches, and anti-fog lens spray through its retail stores, website, and mobile apps.

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National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA  Free Report) had its target price raised by Canaccord Genuity Group from C$160.00 to C$166.00 in a report published on Thursday,BayStreet.CA reports.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on NA. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$153.00 to C$152.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$159.00 to C$166.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$147.00 to C$158.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Raymond James Financial set a C$168.00 price objective on shares of National Bank of Canada and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$149.00 to C$163.00 in a research report on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National Bank of Canada currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$161.50.

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National Bank of Canada Price Performance

Shares of NA opened at C$170.76 on Thursday. National Bank of Canada has a 12 month low of C$106.67 and a 12 month high of C$175.99. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$157.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$147.81. The stock has a market cap of C$66.65 billion, a PE ratio of 16.82, a P/E/G ratio of 7.14 and a beta of 1.13.

National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The financial services provider reported C$2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$3.70 billion during the quarter. National Bank of Canada had a return on equity of 15.43% and a net margin of 19.69%. On average, research analysts anticipate that National Bank of Canada will post 10.8360791 earnings per share for the current year.

National Bank of Canada Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

National Bank of Canada is the sixth-largest Canadian bank. The bank offers integrated financial services, primarily in the province of Quebec as well as the city of Toronto. Operational segments include personal and commercial banking, wealth management, and a financial markets group.

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Norges Bank bought a new stake in First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 1,987,702 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $41,404,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in First BanCorp. during the 1st quarter worth $28,344,000. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First BanCorp. during the first quarter valued at about $15,963,000. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of First BanCorp. by 8.9% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,541,918 shares of the banks stock valued at $157,098,000 after acquiring an additional 616,170 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of First BanCorp. by 61.2% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,528,642 shares of the banks stock worth $29,304,000 after acquiring an additional 580,489 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of First BanCorp. by 1,445.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 430,329 shares of the banks stock worth $8,249,000 after acquiring an additional 402,488 shares in the last quarter. 97.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on FBP. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on First BanCorp. from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of First BanCorp. from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of First BanCorp. in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a market perform rating and issued a $24.00 target price (down previously from $26.00) on shares of First BanCorp. in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, UBS Group set a $25.00 price target on shares of First BanCorp. in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, First BanCorp. presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $24.00.

First BanCorp. Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:FBP opened at $20.07 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average is $20.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.81. First BanCorp. has a 1-year low of $16.40 and a 1-year high of $22.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.91.

First BanCorp. (NYSE:FBP  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The bank reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $248.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $256.25 million. First BanCorp. had a net margin of 26.73% and a return on equity of 17.45%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.45 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that First BanCorp. will post 1.85 EPS for the current year.

First BanCorp. Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 28th. First BanCorp.s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.95%.

First BanCorp. Company Profile

(Free Report)

First BanCorp. operates as a bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico that provides a range of financial products and services to consumers and commercial customers. The company operates through six segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Mortgage Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations.

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Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. lifted its stake in OPENLANE, Inc. (NYSE:KAR  Free Report) by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 10,306,027 shares of the specialty retailers stock after purchasing an additional 380,366 shares during the period. OPENLANE makes up about 2.5% of Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. owned about 0.10% of OPENLANE worth $251,982,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its stake in shares of OPENLANE by 77.6% in the 2nd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 1,575 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 688 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of OPENLANE by 29.0% in the first quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,270 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new stake in OPENLANE during the first quarter worth about $75,000. CWM LLC raised its stake in OPENLANE by 13.3% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,756 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares during the period. Finally, Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. purchased a new position in OPENLANE during the second quarter worth about $156,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.76% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on KAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of OPENLANE from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Zacks Research raised OPENLANE from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded OPENLANE from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Stephens increased their price target on OPENLANE from $32.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of OPENLANE in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an overweight rating and a $32.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $30.20.

OPENLANE Stock Up 1.6%

KAR opened at $26.19 on Friday. OPENLANE, Inc. has a 52 week low of $17.08 and a 52 week high of $30.93. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.02. The firm has a market cap of $2.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.25.

OPENLANE (NYSE:KAR  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The specialty retailer reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.05. OPENLANE had a return on equity of 12.42% and a net margin of 9.00%.The firm had revenue of $498.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $464.40 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.26 EPS. OPENLANEs revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. OPENLANE has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.220-1.26 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that OPENLANE, Inc. will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at OPENLANE

In related news, EVP Charles S. Coleman sold 88,062 shares of OPENLANE stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.00, for a total value of $2,289,612.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 53,474 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,390,324. The trade was a 62.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.51% of the companys stock.

OPENLANE Profile

(Free Report)

OPENLANE, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital marketplace for used vehicles, which connects sellers and buyers in North America, Europe, the Philippines, and Uruguay. The company operates through two segments, Marketplace and Finance. The Marketplace segment offers digital marketplace services for buying and selling used vehicles.

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Panagora Asset Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of MGIC Investment Corporation (NYSE:MTG  Free Report) by 45.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 23,909 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 19,930 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc.s holdings in MGIC Investment were worth $666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. US Bancorp DE grew its position in MGIC Investment by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 10,797 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MGIC Investment by 4.2% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,894 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in shares of MGIC Investment by 1.4% during the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 87,747 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,174,000 after buying an additional 1,217 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC raised its stake in MGIC Investment by 619.2% in the 1st quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 2,280 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,963 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in MGIC Investment by 259.1% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 902,982 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $22,376,000 after acquiring an additional 651,549 shares during the last quarter. 95.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Paula C. Maggio sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.44, for a total transaction of $548,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 117,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,221,318.80. This trade represents a 14.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Salvatore A. Miosi sold 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.15, for a total transaction of $844,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 189,401 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,331,638.15. This trade represents a 13.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 219,203 shares of company stock valued at $5,989,909 in the last three months. 1.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MGIC Investment Stock Performance

NYSE MTG opened at $28.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.00, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $27.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.48. MGIC Investment Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $21.94 and a fifty-two week high of $29.01.

MGIC Investment (NYSE:MTG  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $304.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $308.16 million. MGIC Investment had a return on equity of 14.62% and a net margin of 61.96%.MGIC Investments revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.77 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that MGIC Investment Corporation will post 2.71 earnings per share for the current year.

MGIC Investment Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 6th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 6th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. MGIC Investments dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MTG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (a-) rating on shares of MGIC Investment in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays upped their target price on MGIC Investment from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a cautious rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $26.80.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on MTG

MGIC Investment Company Profile

(Free Report)

MGIC Investment Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides private mortgage insurance, other mortgage credit risk management solutions, and ancillary services to lenders and government sponsored entities in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The company offers primary mortgage insurance that provides mortgage default protection on individual loans, as well as covers unpaid loan principal, delinquent interest, and various expenses associated with the default and subsequent foreclosure.

Further Reading

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PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM  Free Report) had its price objective upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $136.00 to $149.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the construction companys stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on PHM. Zacks Research raised shares of PulteGroup from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Wedbush reiterated an outperform rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on PulteGroup from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $135.83.

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Check Out Our Latest Report on PulteGroup

PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of PulteGroup stock traded down $0.93 on Thursday, hitting $126.96. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,204,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,599,544. The company has a market capitalization of $24.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.31. PulteGroup has a 1 year low of $88.07 and a 1 year high of $142.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $123.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.08.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The construction company reported $2.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 19.58% and a net margin of 14.93%.PulteGroups quarterly revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.35 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. This is a positive change from PulteGroups previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. PulteGroups payout ratio is currently 8.01%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PulteGroup

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in PulteGroup during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in PulteGroup in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 281.7% during the 3rd quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the construction companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Hager Investment Management Services LLC boosted its position in shares of PulteGroup by 33.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 420 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 89.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About PulteGroup

(Get Free Report)

PulteGroup, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, and American West brand names.

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Quantbot Technologies LP increased its holdings in shares of IDT Corporation (NYSE:IDT  Free Report) by 206.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,760 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 16,003 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in IDT were worth $1,623,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of IDT. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of IDT by 59.3% in the first quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 4,486 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 1,670 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in IDT by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,288,634 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $66,120,000 after purchasing an additional 22,819 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in IDT by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 178,265 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $9,147,000 after purchasing an additional 15,600 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its position in IDT by 26.7% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 41,300 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,119,000 after purchasing an additional 8,700 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of IDT by 3.5% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 29,615 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,520,000 after purchasing an additional 988 shares in the last quarter. 59.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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IDT Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE IDT opened at $48.38 on Friday. IDT Corporation has a 1 year low of $44.76 and a 1 year high of $71.12. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $50.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.51. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.02 and a beta of 0.77.

IDT Announces Dividend

IDT ( NYSE:IDT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.06. IDT had a return on equity of 27.92% and a net margin of 6.53%.The firm had revenue of $322.75 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $308.00 million.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. IDTs payout ratio is 7.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IDT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded IDT from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of IDT in a research report on Monday, December 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, IDT has a consensus rating of Hold.

Read Our Latest Research Report on IDT

IDT Profile

(Free Report)

IDT Corporation provides communications and payment services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through Fintech, National Retail Solutions, net2phone, and Traditional Communications segments. The company operates point of sale, a terminal-based platform which provides independent retailers store management software, electronic payment processing, and other ancillary merchant services; and provides marketers with digital out-of-home advertising and transaction data.

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Gabelli Funds LLC lowered its stake in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL  Free Report) by 21.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 977,700 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 269,000 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC owned approximately 0.20% of Rollins worth $55,162,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 2nd quarter worth $218,593,000. AMF Tjanstepension AB grew its position in Rollins by 196.2% during the second quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 3,542,898 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $199,937,000 after acquiring an additional 2,346,592 shares during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its position in Rollins by 1,923.1% during the second quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 1,878,134 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $105,964,000 after acquiring an additional 1,785,300 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Rollins by 41.2% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,657,997 shares of the business services providers stock worth $319,224,000 after acquiring an additional 1,649,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new position in shares of Rollins in the 1st quarter worth about $59,073,000. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ROL. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Rollins in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group set a $66.00 price target on shares of Rollins and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Rollins and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Rollins and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Rollins in a report on Friday, September 26th. They set an overweight rating and a $70.00 target price on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $64.42.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Thomas D. Tesh sold 2,395 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.77, for a total transaction of $138,359.15. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 34,732 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,006,467.64. The trade was a 6.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.47% of the companys stock.

Rollins Trading Up 1.7%

ROL opened at $61.40 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average is $58.34 and its 200-day moving average is $57.37. Rollins, Inc. has a 52-week low of $45.34 and a 52-week high of $61.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.38 and a beta of 0.79.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The business services provider reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.03. Rollins had a net margin of 14.02% and a return on equity of 37.60%. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.29 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Rollins, Inc. will post 1.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.1825 per share. This is a boost from Rollinss previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. This represents a $0.73 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 10th. Rollinss payout ratio is 68.22%.

About Rollins

(Free Report)

Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife.

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Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY  Free Report) (NYSE:RY) had its target price upped by Scotiabank from C$218.00 to C$231.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the financial services providers stock.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. TD Securities upped their price target on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$208.00 to C$215.00 in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Barclays upped their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$221.00 to C$227.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. CIBC lifted their target price on Royal Bank of Canada from C$208.00 to C$220.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Desjardins upped their price target on Royal Bank of Canada from C$193.00 to C$214.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$229.00 to C$239.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$224.23.

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View Our Latest Analysis on RY

Royal Bank of Canada Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of TSE:RY opened at C$224.72 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of C$316.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.00, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.29. The stocks 50-day moving average price is C$207.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$193.03. Royal Bank of Canada has a 12-month low of C$151.25 and a 12-month high of C$225.48.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY  Get Free Report) (NYSE:RY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 3rd. The financial services provider reported C$3.85 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$17.21 billion during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada had a net margin of 28.23% and a return on equity of 13.27%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Royal Bank of Canada will post 12.3454675 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Bank of Canada Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were paid a dividend of $1.54 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 27th. This represents a $6.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Royal Bank of Canadas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.78%.

Royal Bank of Canada Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Royal Bank of Canada is one of the two largest banks in Canada. It is a diversified financial services company, offering personal and commercial banking, wealth-management services, insurance, corporate banking, and capital markets services. The bank is concentrated in Canada, with additional operations in the U.S.

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Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG  Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Saturday morning.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Industrial Alliance Securities set a $37.00 target price on shares of Stag Industrial in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Stag Industrial from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Citigroup upped their target price on Stag Industrial from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Stag Industrial in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. They issued a neutral rating and a $37.00 target price for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Stag Industrial from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Stag Industrial presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $38.89.

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Stag Industrial Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of STAG stock opened at $38.75 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $38.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.57. Stag Industrial has a 1-year low of $28.61 and a 1-year high of $39.73. The company has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.81 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Stag Industrial (NYSE:STAG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.02. Stag Industrial had a return on equity of 6.84% and a net margin of 29.24%.The company had revenue of $211.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $210.26 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.60 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Stag Industrial will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Stag Industrial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.1242 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Stag Industrials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 114.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Michael Chase sold 13,144 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.75, for a total transaction of $509,330.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,422 shares in the company, valued at $365,102.50. This trade represents a 58.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Larry T. Guillemette sold 2,004 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.20, for a total transaction of $70,540.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 38,666 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,361,043.20. The trade was a 4.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of STAG. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Stag Industrial in the 2nd quarter worth about $282,893,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Stag Industrial during the first quarter worth approximately $129,972,000. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC raised its stake in Stag Industrial by 82.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC now owns 3,533,588 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $128,199,000 after purchasing an additional 1,595,238 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in Stag Industrial by 1,818.4% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 570,931 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $20,148,000 after purchasing an additional 541,170 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Stag Industrial by 37.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,671,949 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $60,391,000 after purchasing an additional 451,355 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.67% of the companys stock.

About Stag Industrial

(Get Free Report)

STAG Industrial, Inc is a real estate investment company, which engages in acquiring, owning, and managing single-tenant, industrial real estate assets. It offers industrial real estate operating platform to real estate ownership. The company was founded by Benjamin S. Butcher on July 21, 2010 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

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State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of SiriusPoint Ltd. (NYSE:SPNT  Free Report) by 184.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 74,296 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 48,186 shares during the quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System owned 0.06% of SiriusPoint worth $1,515,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in SiriusPoint during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $270,000. Informed Momentum Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of SiriusPoint during the first quarter valued at approximately $3,792,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in SiriusPoint by 11.3% during the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 441,968 shares of the companys stock worth $9,012,000 after buying an additional 44,705 shares in the last quarter. Atika Capital Management LLC bought a new position in SiriusPoint during the 1st quarter valued at $7,262,000. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC lifted its stake in SiriusPoint by 124.3% during the 2nd quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 46,139 shares of the companys stock valued at $941,000 after acquiring an additional 25,567 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 52.79% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

SPNT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b+) rating on shares of SiriusPoint in a report on Monday, December 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of SiriusPoint from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of SiriusPoint from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $25.00.

SiriusPoint Stock Performance

Shares of SPNT stock opened at $21.50 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.52 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.57. SiriusPoint Ltd. has a 52 week low of $13.26 and a 52 week high of $21.84. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $19.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $19.08.

SiriusPoint (NYSE:SPNT  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.21. SiriusPoint had a net margin of 6.97% and a return on equity of 11.31%. The firm had revenue of $755.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $738.35 million.

SiriusPoint Company Profile

(Free Report)

SiriusPoint Ltd. provides multi-line insurance and reinsurance products and services worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Reinsurance, and Insurance & Services. The Reinsurance segment provides aviation and space, accident and health, casualty, credit, marine and energy, property to insurance and reinsurance companies, government entities, and other risk bearing vehicles.

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Tamarack Valley Energy (TSE:TVE  Free Report) had its price target boosted by Raymond James Financial from C$7.00 to C$9.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

TVE has been the topic of a number of other reports. Acumen Capital upped their price target on Tamarack Valley Energy from C$7.25 to C$7.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. National Bankshares raised their price objective on Tamarack Valley Energy from C$8.00 to C$9.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday. CIBC upped their target price on Tamarack Valley Energy from C$8.00 to C$9.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday. ATB Capital increased their target price on Tamarack Valley Energy from C$7.25 to C$9.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target on shares of Tamarack Valley Energy from C$6.75 to C$8.00 in a research report on Thursday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$8.92.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Tamarack Valley Energy

Tamarack Valley Energy Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of TSE TVE opened at C$8.07 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 34.61. The firm has a market cap of C$3.97 billion, a PE ratio of -47.47 and a beta of 0.95. The companys fifty day simple moving average is C$6.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$5.69. Tamarack Valley Energy has a 12-month low of C$3.10 and a 12-month high of C$8.32.

Tamarack Valley Energy (TSE:TVE  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The company reported C($0.50) earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$406.32 million during the quarter. Tamarack Valley Energy had a net margin of 13.48% and a return on equity of 9.89%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Tamarack Valley Energy will post 0.1386527 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tamarack Valley Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a $0.0127 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Tamarack Valley Energys dividend payout ratio is -89.85%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Shannon Joseph bought 16,129 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$6.32 per share, with a total value of C$101,935.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 38,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$242,232.96. This represents a 72.66% increase in their ownership of the stock. 1.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Tamarack Valley Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin. It primarily holds interests in Cardium light oil plays in Wilson Creek/Alder Flats/Pembina, and Garrington and Lochend areas in Alberta; Viking light oil resource plays in Redwater and Westlock in Alberta, as well as in the Consort area of southeast Alberta and Hoosier area of southwest Saskatchewan; Barons Sands light oil plays located in the Penny area of Southern Alberta; and heavy oil properties located in Hatton area of Saskatchewan.

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Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of TELUS (NYSE:TU  Free Report) (TSE:T) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on TU. Natl Bk Canada raised shares of TELUS from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an underweight rating and issued a $19.00 target price (down previously from $22.00) on shares of TELUS in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of TELUS from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Barclays dropped their price target on TELUS from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of TELUS in a report on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, TELUS currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $18.17.

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Check Out Our Latest Analysis on TU

TELUS Price Performance

TELUS stock opened at $13.53 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.76. TELUS has a 52 week low of $12.80 and a 52 week high of $16.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $14.53 and a 200-day moving average of $15.62.

TELUS (NYSE:TU  Get Free Report) (TSE:T) last released its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $3.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.77 billion. TELUS had a net margin of 5.71% and a return on equity of 8.76%. The businesss revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that TELUS will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

TELUS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.4184 per share. This represents a $1.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.4%. This is a boost from TELUSs previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 11th. TELUSs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 216.36%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of TELUS by 54.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 45,258 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $649,000 after buying an additional 16,046 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of TELUS by 7.6% in the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 300,831 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $4,314,000 after acquiring an additional 21,304 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of TELUS by 49.4% in the first quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 61,181 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $877,000 after acquiring an additional 20,235 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in TELUS by 65.0% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,854 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $199,000 after acquiring an additional 5,456 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in TELUS by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,185,917 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $375,585,000 after purchasing an additional 384,510 shares during the period. 49.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

TELUS Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

TELUS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of telecommunications and information technology products and services in Canada. It operates through Technology Solutions and Digitally-Led Customer Experiences segments. The Technology Solutions segment offers a range of telecommunications products and services; network services; healthcare services; mobile technologies equipment; data services, such as internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology, and cloud-based services; software, data management, and data analytics-driven smart food-chain and consumer goods technologies; home and business security; healthcare software and technology solutions; and voice and other telecommunications services, as well as mobile and fixed voice and data telecommunications services and products.

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Teranga Gold Co. (OTCMKTS:TGCDF  Get Free Report) shares were up 0.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $9.90 and last traded at $9.7496. Approximately 17,000 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 26% from the average daily volume of 22,890 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.70.

Teranga Gold Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $9.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.75.

Teranga Gold Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Teranga Gold Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and sale of gold in West Africa. The company's flagship project is the Sabodala gold mine covering an area of 291 square kilometers mine license and 629 square kilometers exploration land package located in the Republic of Senegal.

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GeoWealth Management LLC decreased its position in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) by 78.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,387 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 4,955 shares during the quarter. GeoWealth Management LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $982,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 28.6% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 524,296 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $286,418,000 after acquiring an additional 116,535 shares in the last quarter. Ignite Planners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $239,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 4.9% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,379,900 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $2,392,124,000 after purchasing an additional 157,473 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the first quarter worth $9,596,000. Finally, Wells Trecaso Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.5% in the second quarter. Wells Trecaso Financial Group LLC now owns 21,534 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $15,240,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 71.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Performance

Shares of GS opened at $854.06 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $790.53 and a 200-day moving average of $734.14. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a one year low of $439.38 and a one year high of $856.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The company has a market cap of $256.16 billion, a PE ratio of 17.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.36.

The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement

The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 14th. The investment management company reported $12.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $10.27 by $1.98. The firm had revenue of $15.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.68 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 15.29% and a net margin of 13.18%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $8.40 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 47.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 2nd will be given a $4.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $16.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $854.00 to $828.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $752.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $762.00 to $805.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $785.00 to $855.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $843.00 target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $786.00.

Read Our Latest Analysis on GS

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

(Free Report)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements.

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United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS  Get Free Report) traded down 3.6% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $94.50 and last traded at $94.71. 9,322,339 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 36% from the average session volume of 6,862,308 shares. The stock had previously closed at $98.21.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on UPS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $96.00 price objective (down from $125.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $83.00 to $81.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $110.00.

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United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The firms 50 day moving average price is $91.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.62. The firm has a market cap of $80.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.30.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $21.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.94 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.15% and a return on equity of 40.07%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.9%. United Parcel Services payout ratio is currently 101.39%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 63.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $1,529,000 after purchasing an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 4,616 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $508,000 after buying an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in United Parcel Service by 17.4% in the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,894,755 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $318,394,000 after acquiring an additional 430,013 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 71.9% during the first quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 15,177 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,669,000 after acquiring an additional 6,347 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 12.2% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,303,797 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $143,405,000 after purchasing an additional 142,249 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the companys stock.

About United Parcel Service

(Get Free Report)

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.

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Vistry Group (LON:VTY  Free Report) had its price target lifted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 570 to GBX 640 in a research report released on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Vistry Group from GBX 475 to GBX 500 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. UBS Group restated a sell rating and set a GBX 450 price target on shares of Vistry Group in a report on Friday, September 5th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a hold rating and set a GBX 650 price objective on shares of Vistry Group in a report on Monday, September 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Vistry Group in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set a buy rating and a GBX 731 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on Vistry Group from GBX 602 to GBX 601 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 608.

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Vistry Group Stock Performance

VTY opened at GBX 640.80 on Thursday. Vistry Group has a 1 year low of GBX 486.70 and a 1 year high of GBX 722.40. The stock has a market cap of 2.05 billion, a PE ratio of 57.21, a P/E/G ratio of -0.20 and a beta of 2.14. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 643.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 628.09. The company has a current ratio of 2.64, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.15.

Vistry Group (LON:VTY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 10th. The company reported GBX 17.60 EPS for the quarter. Vistry Group had a net margin of 6.90% and a return on equity of 7.69%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vistry Group will post 108.4606345 EPS for the current year.

Vistry Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, August 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase 0 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Vistry Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Vistry Group is one of the UKs leading homebuilders with a top tier housebuilder and leading Partnerships business. Our purpose is to develop sustainable new homes and communities across all sectors of the housing market through our leading brands, Bovis Homes, Linden Homes, Vistry Partnerships and Drew Smith.

Our housebuilding division operates across 13 business units, each with a regional office, which are developing hundreds of sites across England.

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Walleye Trading LLC acquired a new position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 32,900 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $2,390,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in Alexandria Real Estate Equities in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in Alexandria Real Estate Equities during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 370.5% during the first quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 414 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 431.5% in the second quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 675 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 548 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.54% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ARE shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $95.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $62.00 price target on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Evercore ISI cut their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $72.00 to $64.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price objective on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $72.43.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of ARE stock opened at $45.57 on Friday. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $45.47 and a fifty-two week high of $107.19. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $63.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.24. The company has a market cap of $7.87 billion, a PE ratio of -18.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 1.32.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $751.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $752.90 million. Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a negative return on equity of 1.89% and a negative net margin of 13.43%.Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess quarterly revenue was down 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.37 earnings per share. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.980-9.040 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. will post 9.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be paid a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -213.77%.

About Alexandria Real Estate Equities

(Free Report)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since our founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology mega campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle.

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Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. (TSE:XTG  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as C$3.48 and last traded at C$3.43, with a volume of 2039 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at C$3.44.

Xtra-Gold Resources Stock Up 0.6%

The firms 50-day moving average price is C$3.22 and its 200 day moving average price is C$2.58. The firm has a market cap of C$159.89 million, a P/E ratio of 57.50 and a beta of 0.48.

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Xtra-Gold Resources (TSE:XTG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported C$0.05 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$2.65 million for the quarter.

Xtra-Gold Resources Company Profile

Xtra-Gold Resources Corp is a gold exploration company with a substantial land position in the Kibi Gold Belt. The Kibi Gold Belt, which exhibits many similar geological features to Ghanas main gold belt, the Ashanti Belt, has been the subject of very limited modern exploration activity targeting lode gold deposits as virtually all past gold mining activity and exploration efforts focused on the extensive alluvial gold occurrences in many river valleys throughout the Kibi area.

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Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yext (NYSE:YEXT  Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Saturday morning.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Yext from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $10.00 price objective on shares of Yext in a report on Monday, August 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d+) rating on shares of Yext in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Yext presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $9.44.

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Yext Price Performance

YEXT opened at $8.90 on Friday. Yext has a 1 year low of $5.51 and a 1 year high of $9.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The company has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -74.12 and a beta of 0.91. The firms fifty day moving average price is $8.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.34.

Yext (NYSE:YEXT  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, September 8th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.09). Yext had a return on equity of 4.90% and a net margin of 1.66%.The business had revenue of $113.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $111.24 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.05 EPS. Yexts quarterly revenue was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Yext will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yext

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yext in the 1st quarter worth approximately $43,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in Yext in the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. Martingale Asset Management L P boosted its position in Yext by 16.4% during the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 14,209 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 2,002 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Yext during the first quarter valued at about $90,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new position in shares of Yext during the third quarter valued at about $90,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the companys stock.

About Yext

(Get Free Report)

Yext, Inc organizes business facts to provide answers to consumer questions in North America and internationally. It operates Yext platform, a cloud-based platform that allows its customers to offer answers to consumer questions, to control the facts about their businesses and the content of their landing pages, and to manage their consumer reviews; and provides customers to update their information and content through its publisher network of maps, apps, search engines, intelligent GPS systems, digital assistants, vertical directories, and social networks, as well as professional services.

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Leitanpokpi protests

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IMPHAL, Dec 7 : A large number of Leitanpokpi villagers staged a protest rally today against what they claim to be illegal construction of a road on Leitanpokpi Hill allegedly by Kuki militants.

The protest rally organised by the Young Sporting Club, VDC and Meira Paibis of Leitanpokpi was participated by a large number of villagers, mostly women.

The rally started from the village ground and the villagers marched with banners and placards through the ring road, and concluded at the starting point.

Speaking to media persons, village secretary Waikhom Naoba said that they have repeatedly raised the issue of the unauthorised construction of road on top of Leitanpokpi Hill by Kuki militants with various State authorities including the Governor, the Chief Secretary and officials of the district administration.

However, there has been no positive response so far, Naoba said. We have urged the authorities several times but our concerns remain unaddressed. Construction of the particular road poses a serious threat to our village. Moreover, the area through which the road is being constructed is a part of reserved forest, he said.

The village secretary said that they would continue their agitation until the Government addresses their concerns and ensures the protection of their village land and surrounding areas. The villagers have also appealed to the State Government to intervene immediately and prevent any encroachment or unauthorised activities on Leitanpokpi Hill.
Jolting MoCA awake with flight fare Indifferent to Manipur

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The irony is not lost on Manipur. For over two years, different airlines operating on the Imphal to Delhi, Imphal to Kolkata, Imphal to Silchar, Imphal to Guwahati sectors have been bleeding the people dry with exorbitant air fares and the one line answer that came from the Ministry of Civil Aviation was dynamic pricing followed by airlines, data driven and some technical terms that would have only added to the sense of confusion in the people. It was with a reason that The Sangai Express entrusted at least three reporters to the air travel beat in the earlier days of November and to draw up a comparative chart of the air pricing of Imphal to Guwahati with other places in North East such as Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur, Itanagar. A comparative study conducted by this newspaper on November 3 this year showed that flight passengers going to Guwahati from Imphal had to pay 700 percent more than people in other North East States. Other than some attempts being made to rationalise the flight fares by way of introducing more flights on the Imphal-Guwahati sector, nothing of substance was heard from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. However the moment, IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights all over the country some days back, the Ministry of Civil Aviation immediately stepped in and put a cap on the price of tickets, so that the people who are already reeling under the sudden cancellation of flights are not burdened more. The step of the Civil Aviation Ministry is noted and appreciated, but yet at the same time, one cannot help but question why it has been sleeping over the matter concerning Manipur for over two years ? If this is not indifference then what is ? To come back to the comparative table The Sangai Express had drawn up on November 3, while a flight from Imphal to Guwahati was pegged at Rs 13,328 on November 6, it was Rs 1903 from Agartala to Guwahati on the same date while in the case of Aizawl to Guwahati it was Rs 2,493. This is but just one example cited here and Manipur has been reeling under this situation for over 2 years now and not once did the Ministry of Civil Aviation say anything to rationalise the fare structure. It was amid this reality that the same Ministry had asked different airlines to rationalise the airfare ahead of the Diwali festival this year. It is this utter indifference, bordering on contempt that has Manipur seething with rage and anger. In a way Manipur ought to give credit to IndiGo for prompting the Ministry of Civil Aviation to jump in and do away with terms like dynamic pricing and put a cap on flight fare at Rs 7500 for places located within 500 Kms and Rs 18,000 on routes exceeding 1500 kilometres. Those with lung power and hosting shows on the television should also not forget that Manipur has been reeling under excessive air fare for over two years now.

IndiGo will most certainly work out a way to deal with the present crisis and the airfare will normalise in a couple of days, but will the Ministry of Civil Aviation continue to hide under the cloak of data driven dynamics in the case of Manipur? Will this line continue to hold water in the face of the fact that it did manage to step in and put a cap on airfares now ? Manipur knows the answer for it lies on the periphery of the understanding of India, an India which has always refused to acknowledge that there are people of the country living to the east of the Brahmaputra. It was only when exorbitant airfare on the Imphal sector began to be highlighted that the State Government under the PR regime tried to reach out to the concerned players and see what can be done. It was along this line that Air India Express announced that a cap of Rs 6 thousand would be enforced on the airfare from Imphal to Guwahati. No such measures were announced by IndiGo and the people continued to be bled dry. It may sound blasphemous, but in a way the massive grounding of IndiGo flights did wake up the Ministry of Aviation to the exorbitant airfare and this has also brought to the limelight the indifference and silence to the suffering of Manipur for over two years. The opportunity to compare cannot be allowed to go waste.
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese Interior Minister, Babiker Samra Mustafa, held talks on Saturday with his Libyan counterpart in the Government of National Unity, Imad Al-Tarabulsi, focusing on the situation of refugees, migration issues, and efforts toward voluntary return, a pro-government news website reported on Sunday
Though blessed by Indra to rule for a thousand years, Vikramaditya is said to have lived for two thousand years. Behind that was a clever trick played on the gods by his sorcerer-brother Bhatti.

Indra gifted Vikramaditya with a magical throne, and blessed him to rule from it for a thousand years. Bhatti, who wanted to be his brothers lifelong companion, prayed to Kaali for a similarly long life. Kaali, to test his devotion, asked him to bring Vikrams severed head. Vikram heard about the gory demand and happily cut off his own head for the sake of his brother. Bhatti took it to Kaali; she gifted him a lifespan of two thousand years.

Now, Bhatti sneered at the goddess saying, he no longer had any faith in the boons given by the immortals. Indra had blessed his brother to rule for a thousand years, and the guy was lying there headless at a ripe young age. Kaali gave an amused smile and brought Vikram back to life.

D.K. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah | PTI

As in Murphy's law, so in Vikram-Betaal storiesevery solution creates a new problem. The siblings wanted to live together and die together, but now one would rule a thousand years, and the other would live two thousand. The resourceful Bhatti found a way out. He asked Vikram to rule from the throne for six months a year, and spend the remaining six months in the forest (where, to kill boredom, hed amuse himself carrying corpses and a Betaal!) while Bhatti would rule from the throne as his regent. To cut a long fable short, the duo lived for two thousand years, and died together.

By now, you might be wondering if this column is turning into a fable corner. Two weeks ago we likened Prashant Kishors fate with that of a soothsayer in a Tenali Rama tale. Now here I am telling you a Vikram-Betaal tale. What next? The Panchatantra? Aesops Fables? Arabian Nights? Or Arthurs knights?

Cant help, good readers! Our politics is increasingly turning as bizarre as the fables. Look at whats happening in Karnataka where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar are playing out a Vikram-Betaal farce.

Two and a half years ago, the two joined hands to defeat the BJP, bringing an otherwise sinking Congress to power in Karnataka. Sidda, the elder of the two and thus the Vikram in our tale, made a claim to the magical throne in Bengaluru, saying he had the support of more people, especially the backward castes which the Congress would need in the days to come.

DK, the schemer, strategist, and the partys fund-raiser, conceded the claim after much haggling, but suggested a fabulous Bhatti scheme for the regime to survive five yearsSidda would rule for half of the regimes five-year term, and leave the throne to DK for the remaining half.

Somewhere along the line, the script varied from the fable. When the time came for Sidda to go for his vanvaas, he refused. Now Bhatti finds himself outwitted by his elder bro. He looked towards the high command heavens, but found the gods and goddesses split into two camps.

Last heard, the crisis is brewing like south Indian filter coffee in the percolators in both leaders homes. They have been inviting each other to power breakfasts in their homes, and sorting out their electoral conundrums over coconut chutney and Mysuru idlis and sambar.

Bon appetit, gentlemen! Stop your squabbles, and count your blessings. You still have a state to rule, unlike your partymen in most of the rest of India. Who knows, the gods may double your blessings in 2028, if you behave well and rule wisely like Vikram and Bhatti.

prasannan@theweek.in
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued showcause notices to IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras over the massive flight disruptions.

The aviation regulator said the large-scale operational failures indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management, and directed the airline officials to provide an explanation within 24 hours.

"... as the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passengers," the regulator said in the notice sent to Elbers.

#WATCH | Long queues of passengers seen at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi amid IndiGo flight cancellations. pic.twitter.com/MVk3T2Deyg  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

The DGCA noted that there was prima facie a non-compliance with the provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937 (Rule 42A) and relevant Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on duty periods, flight time limitations and prescribed rest periods for crew.

The notices also alleged lapses in passenger care, noting that the airline did not provide the mandated information or facilities to affected travellers following cancellations, delays and denied boarding, violating CAR provisions regarding passenger rights.

"You are hereby directed to show cause within 24 hours of receipt of this notice as to why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated against you under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for the above-mentioned violations," the notice read.

#WATCH | Kerala: Visuals from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, amid IndiGo flight cancellations. pic.twitter.com/GC3BGAZHa2  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

On Saturday, a government official told PTI that the authorities will take appropriate action in the matter depending on the inquiry committee's findings.

He said the immediate priority is to restore normalcy in flight operations, and the airline has been asked to ensure prompt refund of tickets.

IndiGo, the country's largest airline that generally operates around 2,300 flights, cancelled over 1000 flights in the last four days, leading to chaos and confusion at airports and prompting protests by passengers.

The massive flight disruptions were caused by IndiGo's failure to plan properly for the new flight duty norms that provide for increased rest periods and fewer night landings.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA issued a show cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers as the airline continued to cancel more flights on Sunday.

The regulating body has asked Elbers to explain the Spiralling delays, cancellations, and operational breakdowns within 24 hours.

The notice was also given to Isidre Porqueras, the company's accountable manager and the chief operating officer.

Pieter Elbers, who is a Dutch national, has been the CEO of IndiGo since 2022. He had had over 30 years of experience in the industry.

The CEO issued apologies over the flight cancellations and controversy.

Before joining IndiGo, he was the president and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for eight years.

In a video message on Friday, Elbers said that it will take some time before the company can return to a full normal situation, given the size, scale and complexity of the operations. He also said they anticipate normalcy between 10 to 15 November. Regrettably, earlier measures of the last few days have proven not to be enough. So we decided today for a reboot of all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest number of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting tomorrow onwards, Elbers said.

Elbers started his career at KLM in 1992 as a Manager of Aircraft loading. During his tenure at KLM, he held various key executive positions in the Netherlands, Japan, Greece, and Italy.

The CEO and the Board of Directors of the Interglobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) had a meeting on Sunday and decided to set up a Crisis Management Group (CMG) comprising the Chairman, Vikram Singh Mehta; Board Directors, Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker and Amitabh Kant, and the CEO, Pieter Elbers. The press release by the company also stated that it has been "meeting regularly to monitor the situation and is being constantly updated by the management on the measures being undertaken to restore normal operations. In addition, there have been multiple telephonic discussions, including with Directors who are not members of the CMG..."

According to the notices by the DGCA, the large-scale operational failures at Indigo indicate that there were significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management. And prima facie show the non-compliance by the airlines on the new Flight Duty Time limitation FDTL rules and the 42A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

The notice states, Whereas, as the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airlines, but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for the conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passengers.

The notice also states that the company failed to provide the affected passengers with proper information and facilities that are mandatory in the case of the flight delays and cancellations, ANI reported.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp has been set up in remote Pallewaya village in Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad region to address the security vacuum and facilitate development works, police said on Saturday. The Pallewaya area, once considered a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), had remained cut off for decades due to dense forests and hostile terrain.

The CRPF camp was jointly set up by Dantewada district police and CRPF's 165th battalion on December 4 in the village, located in a strategically important location in Naxalite-hit Bijapur district along the border of Dantewada district, news agency PTI said, quoting an official. During the process, Maoist memorials in the area were also dismantled. The Bijapur police, 201st battalion of CoBRA (CRPF's elite unit), CRPF's Young Platoons of 231st, 111th and 165th battalions also played a crucial role in establishing the camp.

The camp, set up under the Chhattisgarh government's welfare initiative "Niyad Nella Nar", will be the Forward Operating Base (FOB) of CRPF's 165th battalion, which will help link inaccessible villages of Bijapur and adjoining Narayanpur districts, Dantewada Additional Superintendent of Police RK Barman told PTI.

"The camp was set up despite difficult terrain and adverse weather. Security forces worked at full pace while ensuring their own safety. The establishment of the camp reflects the extraordinary courage, determination and professionalism of the forces, who worked round-the-clock to bring governance to the region," he said.

The establishment of the FOB means residents will now get better roads, electricity, mobile network connectivity, health centres, PDS shops and schools and other essential services available at the camp.

"The Pallewaya FOB will strengthen security, build trust among villagers and pave the way for sustained development. It marks a historic step toward securing the inner regions of Abujhmad and ensuring long-term peace, prosperity and progress for communities living there," Barman told PTI. The Centre has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to completely eradicate Left-wing extremism.
India and the US reaffirm their commitment to strengthening multilateral co-operation in the field of countering terrorism, including in the UN, Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The two countries emphasised that confronting terrorism requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner, according to a joint statement released on Saturday.

The two countries have sought additional punitive measures like asset freeze and arms embargo by the UN against Pakistan-based terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, their proxy groups and backers.

The two sides also called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa'ida affiliates. These terror groups were designated by the UN and they have already been facing various punitive actions under the global body's sanctions regime.

"The two sides called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa'ida affiliates, and LeT and JeM and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers, under the UN 1267 sanctions regime, ensuring their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo," the statement said.

It said the meetings underscored the importance of bilateral co-operation in countering terrorism, reflecting the "spirit and breadth" of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

"Both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They expressed concern over the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and AI for terrorist purposes," the statement added.

India and the US deliberated on boosting co-operation to combat terrorism at a meeting of their joint working group (JWG) on counter-terrorism as well as during deliberations at a 'designations dialogue', held on December 3 in New Delhi.

In the talks, the Indian side thanked the US State Department for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

The TRF had taken responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack.

"The two sides reviewed a wide range of traditional and emerging threats and challenges such as terrorist recruitment, abuse of technology for terrorist purposes, and financing of terrorism."

India and the US also discussed strengthening law enforcement and judicial co-operation, including through information sharing and co-operation on mutual legal assistance requests.

Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (counter-terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Monica Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Counterterrorism in the US Department of State, led their respective delegations at the meetings.
The Principal District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam, will pronounce the verdict in the infamous 2017 actress abduction and sexual assault case in which Malayalam actor Dileep is arrayed as the eighth accusedon December 8. The survivor, a popular film actress at the time, was allegedly sexually assaulted in a moving car, and Dileep is accused of hatching the criminal conspiracy behind the crime.

The Incident

The actor was abducted on February 17, 2017, while travelling to Kochi. She was sexually assaulted in a moving vehicle by a gang led by Pulsar Suni, and the assault was filmed for blackmail. She filed a First Information Report (FIR) the following daya rare act of defiance in an industry where silence had long been normalised.

Just three days after the assault, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) organised a meeting that brought together more than 200 figures from the film industry, including Mammootty, Mohanlal, and Manju Warrier, to publicly condemn the crime and express support for the survivor. While framed as a unified stand against violence against women, the gathering soon became a flashpoint. During the event, Manju WarrierDileeps former wifeopenly alluded to a conspiracy behind the attack. Her remarks, delivered amid emotional appeals, later appeared prescient as the investigation began to point towards Dileeps alleged role in masterminding the crime as an act of revenge.

While in judicial custody, Pulsar Suni allegedly smuggled out a handwritten letter from Aluva Sub-Jail. The letter contained statements suggesting that Dileep had issued a quotation for the attack and promised 1.5 crore for its execution. This letter became the immediate trigger for Dileeps arrest on July 10, 2017.

The prosecution subsequently built its case on the theory that Dileep was the mastermind who planned and financed the abduction and sexual assault as an act of personal vengeance. Long-standing animosity towards the survivor was cited as the motive. According to the prosecution, the survivor played a key role in informing Manju Warrier about Dileeps extra-marital relationship with actor Kavya Madhavan, now Dileeps wife. The prosecution argues that Dileep blamed the survivor for the breakdown of his family and allegedly harboured resentment over several years.

Arrest and trial

Dileep remained 83 days in jail. His first two attempts at getting bail were rejected by the Kerala High Court. But in October 2017, the court finally granted him bail.

Soon after his arrest, Dileep approached the Supreme Court seeking access to the memory card that contained video footage of the assault. Although he was not allowed a copy of the memory card, the Court permitted him to view its contents, subject to certain conditions, to help him prepare his defence.

Later, allegations emerged that the memory card had been illegally accessed while it was in the custody of the trial court.

After Dileep was granted bail, the prosecution then attempted to cancel the same, citing attempts to intimidate and tamper with witnesses and evidence. However, these attempts were dismissed by both the trial court and the Kerala High Court.

As the trial was going on, film director Balachandra Kumar, a former acquaintance of Dileep, came up with the revelation that Dileep had received a copy of the assault visuals.

Later, the Crime Branch registered a fresh case against actor Dileep and five others based on the statement of Kumar that the former had allegedly conspired to kill the officers who probed the abduction and rape incident. Kumar was also named as a witness in the case and examined as a prosecution witness in the trial. However, Kumar died of renal ailments at a private hospital in Chengannur in December 2024.

Notably, at one point, the survivor had to even approach the the Kerala High Court seeking a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged unauthorised access to the memory card that contains the graphic visuals of the assault.

The State Forensic Science Lab had apparently found that the memory card was illegally accessed three times while it was in the custody of the court: twice in 2018 and once in 2021. It was also found that the hash value of the device had changed, which suggested the contents in the memory card may have been altered or downloaded. This led the Kerala High Court to pass a slew of guidelines for law enforcement agencies, courts and other authorities to ensure protection of the digital evidence containing sexually explicit materials.

Notably, in this context, the court openly lamented that the system had failed to protect the survivor and that the emotional and psychological harm being suffered by the victim is beyond imagination.

Demands and counter-demands

In 2018, Dileep moved the High Court seeking a transfer of the investigation to the CBI, but the plea was dismissed by a single judge. He appealed the decision in 2019, and the matter remained pending for six years. In 2025, Dileep renewed his push for a CBI probe. However, in April this year, a division bench of the High Court dismissed the appeal, bringing the issue to a close.

The trial phase also saw many twists and turns. The entire trial was conducted in camera behind closed doors. In 2019, after the survivor requested a female judge, the case was assigned to then Additional Special Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese. A year later, the prosecution sought to transfer the trial to another judge, citing that the conduct of the Additional Sessions Court was highly biased and that the Judge made certain derogatory remarks and allegations against the prosecution. However, the Kerala High Court, and later the Supreme Court, dismissed the petitions to transfer the trial to another judge.

Witnesses and Hostiles

As part of the trial, 261 witnessesmany of them from the film industrywere examined. Twenty-eight witnesses, including actors Siddique, Edavela Babu, Bhama, and Bindu Panicker, turned hostile during the proceedings. Some key witnesses, including Balachandra Kumar, died before the verdict could be delivered.

Another crucial witness to pass away during this period was senior Congress leader and former Thrikkakara MLA P. T. Thomas. He played a pivotal role in the immediate aftermath of the assault. As one of the first outsiders to reach the survivor, Thomas provided emotional support, security, and encouragement, which proved instrumental in her decision to file a First Information Report (FIR) the very next day. His intervention helped her overcome the initial shock and fear, reducing the likelihood of retraction under pressure.

P. T. Thomas died in 2021 before he could be fully cross-examined or complete his testimony. Recently, his widow and Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas stated that there had been attempts to influence him and that he faced intense pressure to refrain from giving evidence. She said he remained firm despite these efforts, telling those who approached him that he would speak nothing more and nothing lessonly the truth in the case.

Impact on the film world and Beyond

The actor abduction and sexual assault case proved to be a seismic shock to the Malayalam film industry. It directly led to the formation and wider visibility of groups such as the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). Conversations about consent, workplace safety, gendered power, and the culture of silence moved from activist spaces into mainstream public discourse.

As a direct outcome of the case, the Kerala government appointed a committee headed by Justice K. Hema on July 1, 2017, to study the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The committee submitted its report on December 31, 2019. More than 1 crore was spent on the committees functioning alone. However, successive Pinarayi Vijayan-led governments faced allegations of withholding the report due to pressure from powerful interests within and beyond the industry.

A redacted version of the report was finally made public in August 2024 following sustained follow-up through Right to Information (RTI) requests. Its release triggered a fresh wave of #MeToo allegations in Malayalam cinema, with women across the industry publicly naming alleged perpetrators.

CPI(M) MLA and actor Mukesh, actor Siddiquewho had turned hostile in the abduction caseand actor Baburaj were among the prominent figures to face allegations during this phase. On August 27, 2024, the entire 20242027 executive committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) resigned en masse on what it termed moral grounds, after several members were accused.

The shocking actor abduction case also jolted Keralas collective consciousness, tearing through several comforting myths the society once held. Kerala prides itself on literacy, progressive politics, strong womens movements, and a morally alert public culture. The crime shattered the belief that this cannot happen here. It demonstrated that violence against women is not confined to private or marginal spaces, but can strike a powerful public figure on a busy road, even in a state that often celebrates its social development.

The case made sexual violence intimate, structural, and impossible to deny. It posed an uncomfortable question: if this can happen to someone famous, protected, and visible, what does safety truly mean for ordinary women?

The shock deepened with the emergence of allegations about the key conspirator behind the crime. When a prominent male superstarlong seen as a boy-next-door figure by Kerala audienceswas accused of masterminding the attack, it forced a reckoning with the power structures of the Malayalam film industry. Long celebrated for its artistic legacy, the industrys feudal underside came sharply into focus, marked by informal hierarchies, loyalty networks, enforced silence, and the ease with which influence can bend justice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently decided to delay the administration of the Hepatitis B vaccine for most newborns in the US. This decision marks a shift from the most advocated recommendations for immediate vaccination within the first 24 hours after birth.

Vaccine makers and medical experts are of the opinion that the implications of this change are profound, affecting both infant health and the broader landscape of vaccination policies across the United States.

Why is the Hepatitis B vaccine taken?

According to the CDC, Hepatitis B is a viral infection from the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) that attacks and inflames the liver, potentially causing serious, long-term damage like cirrhosis (scarring) and liver cancer, or it can be a short-term (acute) illness.

Right now there are thousands of establishment doctors out there, losing sleep because the CDC no longer recommends hepatitis B vaccines to newborns.



This, despite their being almost zero evidence that its actually required for a newborn baby.



Im afraid there is very little  Suneel Dhand MD (@DrSuneelDhand) December 7, 2025

The authorities decided to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, and in cases where the mother was not tested. For other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors to decide if a birth dose is appropriate. The committee also voted to suggest that when a family decides not to get a birth dose, then the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old.

The earlier guideline aimed to protect infants, especially those born to mothers infected with the virus, by administering the vaccine early in life. However, the recent decision by the panel has raised eyebrows among healthcare professionals and parents alike.

Critics express concern that delaying the vaccine could leave vulnerable infants at risk. The CDC's new stance has sparked a heated debate about the implications for public health and infant health changes. With Hepatitis B being a vaccine-preventable disease, the delay could potentially lead to increased rates of infection among newborns.
Tahreek Muslim Shabban president Mushtaq Malik announced that a Babri Masjid memorial, along with a few welfare institutions, would be built in Greater Hyderabad.

The decision was taken at a public meeting held on the 33rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in Hyderabad on Saturday.

We decided that a memorial for the Babri Masjid would be built in Greater Hyderabad, and some welfare institutions would also be built within it. We will soon announce how it will be built and for how long," Malik said, reported ANI.

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana | On announcement of Babri Masjid in Hyderabad, President Tahreek Muslim Shabban Mushtaq Malik says, "In view of the 33rd anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, a routine public meeting was held at the mosque in Hyderabad. At that pic.twitter.com/gRUpBZbfoC  ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2025

He said no one should be bothered by the name Babur and claimed that the BJP and the RSS were creating political propaganda to divide the country. Malik also claimed that there was no mention in the Tulsidas Ramayana, which was written around 60 years after the construction of Babri Masjid, about the demolition of a temple.

"After Babur came Humayun's reign, and after that came Akbar's. There were rituals and prayers in Akbar's palace. Jodha Bai was in Akbar's palace. There were rituals, prayers, and havans... Tulsidas was also alive at that time. During Akbar's period, Tulsidas could have spoken to Akbar. Man Singh was the Chief of the Army at that time. He could have asked him... Such a thing doesn't appear in Tulsi Das's Ramayana," he said.

"So, this is political propaganda to divide the country. The brotherhood that existed between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Dalits has been shattered by this, and the seeds of hatred have been sown, he added.

Meanwhile, in West Bengal, suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir led the foundation-laying ceremony of a Babri Masjid-style mosque in Murshidabad.

The TMC, which distanced itself from the event after suspending Kabir, observed Samhiti Diwas (Unity Day) to symbolise communal harmony, while the BJP hit out at the MLA for encouraging religious polarisation.

Babur, who came to India aiming to wipe out the country's culture, was condemned by Guru Nanak Sahib as a tyrant. He turned the Ganga, Yamuna and Saryu rivers red with Hindu blood. India will never accept any monument or object in his name, said BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh.
The Tamil Nadu Police declined Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) permission to hold a public meeting in Erode on December 16, Tuesday. The request was filed after former minister K A Sengottaiyan, who recently joined the party, submitted a petition on Sunday, sources in the department said.

Erode is the home turf of Sengottaiyan, a nine-time MLA and former minister, who joined the actor-politician Vijay's TVK after being expelled from AIADMK. The former minister also submitted a petition to the District Collector S Kandasamy seeking permission for the meeting. Later, he submitted a copy of the petition to the officials in the District Police Office.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "The TVK chief will visit Erode on December 16 and address a public meeting in a private land near a marriage hall."

A Sujatha, Superintendent of Police, inspected the seven-acre site in the Pavalathampalayam area on Erode-Perundurai Road where TVK wanted to hold the meeting, news agency PTI said.

Later, police officials told the media that TVK's petition stated that they expected a 70-thousand strong crowd. The site proposed by them is quite inadequate to accommodate that many people and their vehicles, and hence permission was declined, they added.

The officials also said that the decision was communicated to Sengottaiyan, and he was asked to choose a different spot.

TVK draws crowds

As many as 41 people died during actor and TVK leader Vijay's rally in Karur on September 27. Over 50 people suffered injuries in the incident. The deceased include 10 children and over 15 women. The Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe on October 13, hearing a plea moved by TVK, demanding an independent probe. The CBI has so far summoned over 300 people in connection with the probe into the stampede.

Political observers blamed poor crowd management by the TVK for the tragedy, while the Opposition targeted the ruling DMK for not providing necessary security for the event.
With a day left for a Kerala court to pronounce the verdict in the Malayalam actor assault case, reports have emerged that the key accused, actor Dileep, had allegedly created a fake WhatsApp group titled Dileepine Pootanam to portray himself as someone being framed.

The group, the title of which translates to Lock up Dileep, also had fake profiles of the actors ex-wife and actress Manju Warrier, and investigating official ADGP B Sandhya, who headed the probe team, according to Manorama News.

Police sources believe this was an attempt to establish that there was a concerted effort to establish that he was innocent and was unjustly implicated as a result of a high-level conspiracy.

The plan was to circulate messages within the WhatsApp group that would suggest a conspiracy was underway against him. To lend credibility to this fabricated conspiracy, a fake profile was created in the name of his ex-wife and actress, Manju Warrier, and added to the group. Dileep's objective was to create the impression that high-profile individuals were conspiring against him and then present this WhatsApp group as evidence.

He even presented the group as evidence when the investigators zeroed in on him. This was also aimed at gaining public trust and sympathy when the news broke out. The probe team also revealed that the actor attempted to sabotage the trial by influencing witnesses.

The investigation team has found that Dileep offered a contract of 1.5 crore to Pulsar Suni, the main accused in the actress assault case. Reports indicate that the police have obtained clear evidence of the financial transactions that took place between the two.

Dileep had offered Pulsar Suni 1.5 crore to abduct the actress and capture her in compromising visuals. However, he had also promised to pay 3.5 crore for legal proceedings and other expenses if the matter became a legal case after the task was completed. The police have concluded that Pulsar Suni and his gang carried out the crime based on this agreement.

The investigation team has recovered records showing that Dileep gave Pulsar Suni an advance of 1,10,000 in 2015. Furthermore, evidence suggests that 30,000 was transferred to Suni through actor and director Nadirshah, one of the key witnesses in the case. These payments are believed to be an advance as part of the contract.

In February 2017, a prominent actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in a vehicle in Kochi by a gang. Actor Dileep was named the eighth accused in the case, charged with criminal conspiracy. However, the prosecution had faced numerous challenges in establishing a direct link between Dileep and Pulsar Suni.
The split of Shiv Sena as a consequence of the revolt by Eknath Shinde in 2022 paved the way for the BJP to return to power in Maharashtra, minister Shambhuraj Desai said on Saturday.

Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction leader Desai's remark came a day after BJPs Mangal Prabhat Lodha, also a minister, said CM Devendra Fadnavis not only helms the BJP, but also influences how other political parties function in Maharashtra.

Desai's assertion about Shinde's key role in state politics comes amid offhand remarks by some BJP leaders, which have not gone down well with the Shiv Sena leadership. The Shinde camp is especially livid with Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan after some members of the Shinde-led party crossed over to the ally. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP, headed by Ajit Pawar, are members of the BJP-led Mahayuti government.

After 2019, when Maha Vikas Aghadi was formed, the BJP had to occupy the opposition space and Uddhav Thackeray formed the government with the NCP (undivided) and Congress, Desai said, adding that attempts were made during the MVA rule to make the NCP and Congress powerful.

"Later, when Eknath Shinde took a strong position in 2022, 50 MLAs backed him," Desai told reporters, referring to the revolt in the undivided Shiv Sena that pulled down the then Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

"After that, the political situation started to change in the country. The BJP, which was in opposition, again came back to power due to Eknath Shinde's decision," Desai, a close aide of Shinde, told reporters.

Notably, Shinde had walked out with loyalist MLAs of the undivided Shiv Sena, leading to the collapse of the then MVA government headed by Uddhav Thackeray.

The revolt led to Shinde becoming the CM, Desai said. No decision was taken without a consensus with the then Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, he added.

"The stand taken by Shinde resulted in the BJP coming to power in 2022. BJP got a good share in power, and Shinde ensured that the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance became strong. Shinde saheb played a role in Mahayuti getting success and the BJP becoming stronger," he added.

He said they (rebel MLAs) were in power in 2019, and there was no reason for them to walk out.

"We did not think about what was going to happen next (when Shinde rebelled), whether we would stay in power or continue to be MLAs," he added.

"Eknath Shinde ensured that Mahayuti became strong. The working style of Shinde, his pace, and ability to take quick decisions led to stupendous success in the polls," Desai said.

After the setback in the Lok Sabha, Shinde worked hard. The Shiv Sena contested 80 seats in the (assembly) polls and won 61. Schemes like Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana and 50 per cent bus fare concessions for women propelled the Mahayuti back to power, he said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin dismissed charges against the state government over lighting a lamp at Thiruparakundram hill during the Karthigai Deepam festival and said those calling the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government 'anti-spiritual' have ulterior motives.

Addressing an event at Madurai on Sunday, Stalin said the lamp was lit at Thiruparankundram hill as per tradition, and the DMK government has done more for temples and Hinduism compared to other governments.

VIDEO | Madurai: Over the Karthigai Deepam row, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin (@mkstalin) says, The lamp was lit at the usual place in Thiruparankundram. Some parties are trying to score political points."#MKStalin #Thiruparankundram #KarthigaiDeepam



(Full video available on PTI pic.twitter.com/En1adz9Sbw  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 7, 2025

"The lamp at Thiruparankundram has been lit exactly where it should be lit, exactly when it should be lit, in the proper place and at the proper time, as per tradition. Since we came to power, we have conducted consecration for more than 3,000 temples," Stalin said. The chief minister added, "If someone calls a government like this an enemy of spirituality, the true devotees will clearly know what the ulterior motive of those who say so is."

Stalin said the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department followed all traditions during Karthigai deepam festival at Thiruparankundram hill. "What is the intention of the group that is stirring up this issue? The people know all this very well. Spirituality should give peace of mind, contentment, and keep people united. Creating divisions and splits for the political gain of a few and conspiring to fragment society is definitely not spirituality! It is politics! And that too, cheap, rotten politics!" slammed the chief minister.

Stalin said while the DMK is focused on development politics, the Opposition is interested in "others". "Out of jealousy and helplessness, they are resorting to unhealthy political conspiracies," he charged. Stalin said the DMK will foil every conspiracy the Opposition hatches against the state government.

Stalin targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party over development projects in Madurai. The chief minister charged that while the state government is working tirelessly to transform Madurai, the BJP is stalling projects.

"What happened to the AIIMS hospital that the Union BJP government announced for Madurai ten years ago? It still hasnt come!"

He charged that the BJP government at the Centre tried to stop the Keezhadi excavation in Madurai. "After we came to power, not only have we taken forward the Keezhadi research in multiple phases, but we have also built a grand Keezhadi Museum with all the antiquities discovered so far! Tamils from all over the world are coming to see the Keezhadi Museum. But this Union BJP government is acting with hatred towards Tamil, even preventing the Keezhadi report from being released," he charged.

"When we ask for a metro rail for Madurai, they say no. They reject it, citing flimsy reasons. Not only that, but BJP leaders arrogantly say 'Madurai doesnt need a metro'. Fine, according to their logic, how did cities like Patna, Agra, and Indore in the BJP-ruled northern states get metro rail approval? Why shouldnt a metro rail run in Madurai? Do you look down on Madurai people?" he asked.

The BJP and Hindu outfits are targeting the state government, demanding the implementation of a Madras High Court direction, which ordered the state government to light a lamp at a deepathoon (lamp pillar) on the hill, present close to a dargah. The state government has refused to implement the directions, and has moved the Supreme Court.
The Gaza truce brokered by US President Donald Trump has reached a critical moment, says Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar, one of the key mediators. Addressing the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum yesterday, he warned that the current lull in fighting was only a temporary pause rather than a genuine cessation of hostilities. He argued that it cannot be viewed as a complete ceasefire until Israeli forces fully withdraw from the territory and conditions of stability return for Gazas population.

Although heavy fighting has stopped and the release of dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners provided a rare common ground, violence has continued to flare. Gaza health officials report that more than 360 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the truce began, with a number of deadly incidents occurring near the yellow line, which serves as the ceasefire demarcation zone. Negotiators are still working to secure the return of the remains of the final Israeli captive believed to remain in Gaza, underscoring how incomplete the process remains.

While the first phase of the Gaza truce focused on stopping fighting and carrying out humanitarian exchanges, the second stage aims at laying the groundwork for a more enduring settlement. Yet none of the key steps required for its launch have been implemented. Mediators, including Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and the United States, have been attempting to bridge differences among the parties and clarify the commitments required.

A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from their positions in Gaza sits at the top of the agenda, although Israel has given no indication that it is prepared to undertake such a move in the immediate term. Another pillar of the next stage is the creation of a transitional governing body known as the Board of Peace, intended to manage civil affairs during the interim period. This proposed authority would be paired with the deployment of an international stabilisation force tasked with helping maintain order and supporting the political transition.

Perhaps the most contentious aspect of the second phase concerns the disarmament of Hamas. The plan envisages members who surrender their weapons being permitted to leave Gaza, a proposal repeatedly rejected by the group. Hamas negotiators have said they might agree to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority only if Israeli forces end their occupation. The gap between these positions remains wide, and few observers believe the issue will be resolved quickly.

Serious questions also surround the feasibility and mandate of the proposed international stabilisation force. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told the Doha Forum that fundamental uncertainties remained over its command structure, its contributors and its primary mission. Arab and Muslim states are wary of joining such a force, fearing potential clashes with Palestinian groups or the perception that they are acting against Palestinian interests. Fidan suggested that the forces initial role should be to separate Palestinians from Israelis, a view echoed by Egypts foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, who argued that it should monitor compliance along the yellow line. Turkey has indicated willingness to send troops, but Israel has firmly opposed any Turkish involvement, citing Ankaras close ties with Hamas.

Tensions have been further inflamed by a dispute over the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Reopening the crossing is a central element of the peace plan and is seen by humanitarian agencies as essential for bringing aid into Gaza. Israels announcement that it would open Rafah in only one direction, allowing residents to leave Gaza for Egypt, triggered a strong backlash from eight Muslim-majority countries--Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Qatar and Indonesia. They issued a joint statement rejecting any attempt to pressure or encourage Palestinians to leave their land. Egypt dismissed suggestions that it had approved the plan and insisted that the crossing must function in both directions. Abdelatty stressed that Rafah would not be used as a gateway for displacement but solely as an entry point for humanitarian supplies.

Amid these diplomatic obstacles, mediators have urged all parties to recognise that the current pause is not an end in itself. According to Sheikh Mohammed, it is important to find a durable solution that guarantees justice to both Israelis and Palestinians. He said all critical issues should be properly addressed, including the worsening situation in the West Bank and the matter of Palestinian statehood. Although the larger peace plan speaks about a future path towards Palestinian statehood, it remains overshadowed by immediate security and humanitarian concerns.
The US-Saudi strategic partnership has endured decades of upheavals in international politics, as well as conflicts and turmoil in the Middle East. Founded on the oil-for-security arrangement at the end of World War II, the partnership sustained the Cold War era despite hiccups, such as the oil embargo, as the Kingdom emerged as one of the main pillars of US foreign policy in the Middle East. The beginning of the post-Cold War era reinforced the significance of the US for Saudi Arabia's security and stability in the Persian Gulf as the US-led international military intervention liberated Kuwait from Iraqi aggression. Although the 9/11 attacks in the US threatened to derail the trust between Washington and Riyadh, the relationship was reinforced through Saudi Arabias proactive participation in the American-led war on terror in the Middle East.

Over the past two and a half decades, the nature of the US-Saudi partnership has undergone a shift, becoming more interdependent and transactional. Two global factors have played a major role in bringing about this gradual shift. Firstly, the US has gradually become self-reliant in energy security due to the shale revolution, which means the oil-for-security arrangement is no longer valid. Secondly, international politics has gradually moved towards multipolarity, allowing Saudi Arabia to diversify its external partnerships. The shifts, such as the US-Saudi strategic partnership, were evident during the Arab Spring-induced upheavals in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia was looking towards the US to ensure the status quo in the region. However, the Obama administration was restrained due to its commitment towards democracy promotion, and the stated policy of pivot to Asia focused on containing a rising China.

Consequently, Saudi Arabia was forced to realign its foreign policy, as evidenced by its military interventions in Bahrain and Yemen, regional competition with Iran and Turkiye, and sustained efforts to improve relations with China and Russia. Under Trump 1.0, the transactional nature of the bilateral ties became clearer, with a focus on business deals that entailed Saudi investments in the US in return for imports of weapons and technology. Under President Biden, the situation became tense due to the growing noise in the US about the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The Khashoggi affair made the situation even worse. This led to a shift in expectations in Riyadh, as it no longer relied on the US as a security provider, despite its continued dependence on the US for defence. Saudi Arabia, therefore, began to seek diplomacy to reduce regional tensions, improve relations with Turkiye, and seek reconciliation with Iran. It also supported the Abraham Accords, signed by the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, to normalize relations with Israel, to promote regional peace and reduce security risks. The Beijing-sponsored March 2023 deal for restoring diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh was a culmination of the same policy.

Under Trump 2.0, the transactional nature of the US-Saudi partnership has been further reinforced. The Trump administration, focused on making America Great Again (read: strengthening the American economy), has looked to the rich Gulf states to bring investments and purchase American weapons, with the hope that they would rejuvenate the manufacturing sector and raise job opportunities for middle-class Americans. MBS, on the other hand, has set his sights on a post-oil future, focusing on resetting the socio-economic basis of the Saudi social contract. The fast-paced economic and societal changes require significant technological imports in addition to capitalising on Saudi Arabia's cultural, religious, strategic and business potentials. This has created a new complementarity in the Saudi-US partnership, with a focus on business, investments, trade, technological exchanges, and arms imports.

The Trump-MBS meeting on 18 November at the White House reinforced transactionality as the new normal in the US-Saudi partnership. The Trump administration views Saudi Arabia primarily through a business lens while recognising its significance as a leading regional actor in the Middle East. MbS, on the other hand, acknowledges the continued pre-eminence of the US in terms of security and regional stability, while also recognising the growing business and economic opportunities elsewhere. That way, there was a continuity in terms of the previous meetings and engagements between the two leaders.

The bulk of the agreements reached during the Trump-MBS meeting focused on realising economic and business opportunities. Hence, MBS announced that Saudi Arabia is ready to invest US$1 trillion in the US market, representing a US$400 billion increase from the US$600 billion announced during the May Trump visit to Riyadh. With this, the Trump administration hopes to strengthen the US economy and generate more jobs for Americans. From the Saudi perspective, it signalled continued confidence in the American economy, showing readiness to commit significant funds to foreign investments. Besides, three critical agreements were signed, namely the Joint Declaration on the Completion of Negotiations on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation, a Critical Minerals Framework agreement and an MoU on AI cooperation. These deals align with MbS's vision for a post-oil future for Saudi Arabia, which aims to capitalise on its business and strategic potential.

Finally, the two sides announced the signing of the US-Saudi Strategic Defence Agreement (SDA), which reinforces Saudi dependence on the US for its defence and security. In addition, President Trump approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, while the two sides also agreed to the sale of nearly 300 American tanks to the Kingdom. This was accompanied by the announcement that the Trump administration would designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA), underlining the continued commitment to the Kingdom's security.

The Trump-MBS meeting underscored the enduring special relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia, which dates back over eight decades. However, it also reinforced the changing nature of the partnership, which has become more transactional and interdependent in the twenty-first century due to several domestic, regional, and international factors.

The author is an Associate Professor of Middle East Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reportedly paid more than $20 million to secure the release of an Emirati prince who was kidnapped by al Qaedas powerful West African branch, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), according to a report.

This comes as the JNIM attempts to besiege Malis capital, Bamako, and is yielding results, putting pressure on the military government in Mali to negotiate with the group.

Not only did the UAE pay them the mammoth amount, but the ransom package also included the release of dozens of Islamist extremists imprisoned in Mali, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report identified the prince as Sheikh Ahmed bin Maktoum bin Juma al-Maktoum, a 78-year-old member of Dubais ruling family. He was abducted in September by the JNIM during a raid that happened at his farm south of Bamako. Footage posted by JNIM shows the militants attacking the hangar where al-Maktoum keeps private aircraft and hang gliders, the report added.

Al-Maktoum is involved in the precious-metals trade out of Mali and is one of the Emirati businessmen who maintains a strong presence in Mali, the worlds fourth-largest gold producer, which exports most of its output to Dubai.

After the prince was kidnapped, Dubais ruling family sent intermediaries to hold talks with Malian officials and Tuareg leader Ahmed ag Bibi, who once fought in an Islamist militant group under Iyad ag Ghali, a former rock n roller who now leads JNIM, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Within a month, the militant group released Al-Maktoum and two associates after paying a total of $23 million in cash. A Gulfstream private jet then arrived in the Malian capital and delivered him to Dubai, they said.

The staggering ransom paid by Abu Dhabito JNIM comes at the worst possible time, said Justyna Gudzowska, executive director of The Sentry, a human-rights watchdog group, told The Wall Street Journal. Such a large injection of resources is a huge boon for the group and will enable its extremist ambitions on the continent.

The actions of the UAE, which fuelled the war chest of the al-Qaeda group, are widely interpreted as contrary to the US interest. Many also interpret this as proof of the ambiguous diplomatic role played by the UAE when it comes to their own interest.
A Florida hostel student was arrested this week after an unloaded AR-15 semi-automatic rifle was found under his bed, for which he had ordered 1,500 rounds of 9mm ammunition online.

Constantine Demetriades' bizarre online order to his hostel room at Rollins College quickly caught the eye of the assistant campus safety director, who then searched the 21-year-old's room, officials said, as per a Fox 35 Orlando report.

The Winter Park police later entered his room and found an AR-15 under the bed, in addition to six magazinesone loaded and five empty, after which he was arrested on Wednesday.

When 25-year-old Luqmaan Khan was asked about the mentions of martyrdom in the notebook, he allegedly told #FBI investigators that martyrdom was 'a goal'. #Terrorism #USNews #CrimeNewshttps://t.co/7CoPKm0aBa  THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) December 4, 2025

They also found a tactical vest, multiple knives, a black security vest, ear protection, and a storage case for pistols.

Demetriades has now been charged with a single count of possession of a weapon on school property.

Admitting that he had bought the ammunition online, he added that he did not know "that it was against the law to possess ammunition on campus". Indeed, though concealed carry is allowed in Florida, Rollins College, however, does not permit "any substance or device identified as a weapon" in its hostel rooms.

Demetriades also pointed out that he always kept the gun safely locked in his room, that he liked to "shoot as a hobby" only, and that he was allegedly unaware his New Jersey carry permit was invalid in Florida.

The 21-year-old college senior also explained that the gun was usually kept at a friend's place (off campus), and that he had only brought it to his hostel room once before.

Meanwhile, Rollins College said that it had "quickly identified and contacted the student", who cooperated fully with its officials and local law enforcement.

"The student was arrested and is not permitted to be on campus while we proceed with the student conduct process," it added, as per the report.
Uniformed soldiers burst in on a live TV network news program in the West African country Benin to declare that their elected president Patrice Talon had been dismissed on Sunday.

Talon had been in power since 2016.

Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri announced himself as the leader of the transitional government in the country and said that he would lead the Military Committee for Refoundation. He declared that Talon was "removed from office."

#Benin : tentative de coup detat en cours depuis laube. La maison du president Patrice Talon situee dans le quartier le Guezo aurait ete attaquee.

Des militaires conduits par le Lt Colonel Pascal Tigri ont pris la television. Tigri se declare president du comite militaire pic.twitter.com/sH05xTT4r3  EmmanuelleSodji (@EmmanuelleSodji) December 7, 2025

Tigri had reportedly attacked the resident of President Talon before deporting him.

On the TV visuals, Tigri is seen reading the announcement while other soldiers stand beside him. "The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail," he said.

The military leader also said that the constitution of November 2025 is suspended and that all institutions were dissolved. They also said that the all political parties and activities were suspended until further notice.

"The constitution is suspended. All institutions are dissolved (and) political party activities suspended until further notice," read one of the soldiers.

The presidential officer later told AFP that Talon was safe and the army was regaining control.

The French Embassy in the country in Benin urged its citizens to stay at home during the coup as gunfire was heard in the capital city, Cotonou.

Benin was previously a French colony.

President Talon served for two terms. He was due to step down next April after the presidential elections. Former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni was Talon's pick to win the election.

Last month the country's legislation had extended the presidential term to seven years instead of five keeping the term limit at two.

During President Talons second term, several opposition figures and politicians were imprisoned for various crimes such as drug trafficking, forgery and fraud, money laundering, terrorism, and undermining state security.

A coup against the president was discovered in September 2024, led by businessman and former Talon ally Oliver Boko. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison along with a co-conspirator.

Benin is not the first West African country to be taken over by a military coup. Last week a military coup took place in Guinea-Bissau. The takeover happened after an election where both former President Umaro Embalo and the opposition, both declared themselves the winner.
Interview/ Maria Tomak, Ukrainian human rights activist

Maria Tomak is a Ukrainian human rights activist, journalist and researcher whose work has been documenting the human impact of Russias aggression against Ukraine. She began her career as deputy editor of the leading daily Den, before joining the Euromaidan SOS initiative during the 20132014 revolution. Since then, she has investigated human rights violations in occupied Crimea and eastern Ukraine, coordinated international advocacy campaigns for political prisoners and co-founded the NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights. In an exclusive interview, she spoke about documenting atrocities and defending human dignity. Excerpts:

Except for North Korea, no country has a bilateral agreement with Russia to send soldiers or fighters. Even Chinese citizens captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were acting as alleged volunteers.

When did human rights become a passion for most civil society groups in Ukraine?

The focus on human rights really began in 2014, after the first attacks on Ukraine by Russia and the occupation of Crimea, followed by the invasion of Donbas. After the full-scale invasion in 2022, there was a significant shift. Many organisations that had previously worked in other areas, such as election monitoring, became active in human rights work.

The geography of these activities also changed, expanding from Donbas and Crimea to the whole of Ukraine. Activists began collecting evidence of mass graves and murders in areas around Kyiv, such as Bucha and Borodyanka, as well as near the Azov Sea coastal city of Mariupol. This evidence has enabled NGOs to submit complaints to the International Criminal Court.

However, we are facing two serious challenges: first, the problem of financing due to shortages and the reduction of US-funded programmes; and second, the issue of institutional credibility. We see countries failing to arrest individuals even after international warrants have been issued.

You are involved in documenting how Russia lures foreign citizens under false promises of employment and then recruits them into the army.

I am working with the NGO Truth Hounds on these issues. Initially, we believed that the most vulnerable were citizens of Central Asian countries, but we have also found people from Nepal, India and Sri Lanka among those recruited. These actions by Russia bear all the hallmarks of human trafficking: deception, coercion, confiscation of documents and the use of these people as cannon fodder.

These activities are not the result of official cooperation between Russia and the countries concerned (except the case with North Korea), but are fully operated by criminal networks through fake employment or visa agencies. The root causes of this recruitment are both poverty and the lack of accurate information about the nature of the Russian state and the real living conditions there.

Another key factor is the false perception of this war. It is not a special military operation, but a full-scale, brutal war with modern weapons, where thousands are killed. Around 80 per cent of the foreign nationals are captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during their first battle. They are not well-trained mercenaries like those in the Wagner Group. According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, captured combatants have included citizens of Egypt, Togo, Morocco, Cameroon, Guinea, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ghana and Cuba.

Under Ukrainian law, these people could be treated as mercenaries although they are treated as prisoners of war. On the other hand, they are also victims of human trafficking.

Except for North Korea, no country has a bilateral agreement with Russia to send soldiers or fighters. Even Chinese citizens captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were acting as alleged volunteers. Russia signs individual contracts with these foreigners, making them part of the Russian army. Therefore, Ukraine must apply the Geneva Conventions and all relevant instruments of international humanitarian law. Their status is that of prisoners of war.

It is worth noting that several countries have anti-mercenary laws, so these individuals may face prosecution upon returning home. Another important point is that no other countrys leadershipexcept Indiashas successfully insisted on the return of its citizens. When Prime Minister Modi intervened, Russia complied. Repeated requests from Nepal, however, have been ignored by Moscow. Unfortunately, the Indian government recently announced that recruitment has resumed. We hope it will soon be stopped through Indias political influence.
Interview/ Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights

Prisoner exchange has become one of the most sensitive and painful aspects of the Russia-Ukraine war. Unlike the treatment of prisoners of war, there is no established procedure for the exchange of civilians. Ukraine insists that civilians should be released unconditionally, not turned into bargaining chips. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, says Russia is turning human lives into political leverage. Excerpts from an interview:

The systematic use of the exchange mechanism may be perceived by Russia as a signal that by detaining more Ukrainians, it could get more Russians released in exchange.

Could you share the latest figures on prisoner exchanges?

Between February 2022 and August 14 this year, 5,941 persons have been released from Russian captivity through 67 exchanges. These include 5,589 servicepersons and 352 civilians. At present, another stage of the implementation of the Istanbul Agreements on the release and return of prisoners of war is ongoing. All data are regularly updated by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and I take part in its work as the Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, along with my colleagues in the security and defence sectors.

How does Russia decide whom to send back? Is there a pattern to who is included on their lists, or is it more about political leverage and pressure on Ukraine?

The issue of list preparation is actively exploited by Russian propaganda to increase tensions within Ukrainian society. Provocative publications, the disclosure of so-called lists and allegations that Ukraine refuses to accept its own citizens are primarily directed at vulnerable groups, namely the relatives of prisoners of war and missing persons. These are aimed at destabilising the situation in Ukraine, especially by undermining public trust in the state. Russias actions with regard to the return of certain servicepersons or civilians are often driven by considerations of escalating tensions among the families of those held in captivity.

Ukraine has criticised Russias practice of unlawfully detaining civilians to build an exchange fund of prisoners.

On the one hand, the humanitarian necessity of returning our citizens from captivity is extremely high. Every released person represents a life and a family affected by Russias armed aggression. All civilians who have been returned under the latest agreements have serious health problems and require urgent medical assistance. Ukraine cannot leave them in Russian captivity, where new instances of torture and human rights violations continue to be documented. Therefore, the authorities involved in the return of civilians are undertaking all possible measures for their release through negotiations, international initiatives and pressure on the International Committee of the Red Cross.

We are also aware of the danger of encouraging abductions. The systematic use of the exchange mechanism may be perceived by Russia as a signal that by detaining more Ukrainians, it could get more Russians released in exchange. Thus, any formal exchange arrangements risk increasing unlawful detentions, as the aggressor may intensify repressive actions to replenish the so-called exchange fund. For this reason, the official position of Ukraine is to seek the unconditional release of civilians and not to allow people to be turned into objects of bargaining.

At the same time, we continue the international information campaign and exert pressure on Russia through the United Nations, the European Union and the Red Cross with the demand to release and return civilians to Ukraine without conditions. I emphasise that enforced disappearances are crimes, and Russia is obliged to release unlawfully detained persons without conditions.
Volodymyr Mykolayenko, mayor of the city of Kherson in south Ukraine from February 2014 till December 2020, was aware of the perils of Russian attacks, because he witnessed the occupation of Crimea in 2014. But he never believed that Russians would attack the south of Ukraine and that too his city, Kherson. Here are excerpts from what he told Mridula Ghosh after he was freed from Russian captivity.

I often felt as if we were in a concentration camp. They beat us simply because we were Ukrainians.

When the war began in 2022, I thought it would mainly affect Donbas. I was 62 and was just a pensioner. Yet I knew I had to fight for my country and my family. As soon as the full-scale invasion started that February, I registered with the territorial defence unit. We had only guns, but we were proud to play even a small role. When Kherson was occupied in those early days, we went underground and began planning guerrilla warfare. Our non-cooperation movement was born that way.

On April 18, 2022, an old acquaintance called me, asking to meet about something urgent. I agreed, but it was a trap. Russian FSB agents arrived, handcuffed me, and took me to the oblast police department. I was held for 16 days in the basement.

The torture and humiliation were constant. They wanted to break us and make us believe the Russians were Gods gift to Ukraine. The first gift from them was my three broken ribs. Their goal was to intimidate and silence us, to force us to tell our people that Russia was here forever.

After my detention in Kherson, I was taken to Sevastopol on May 2 for two days. Those two days felt almost normal. They recorded videos to show that prisoners were treated humanely. We were given food and books. But that illusion ended quickly. On May 4, I was flown deep into Russia, to the Voronezh district. In the city of Borisoglebsk, I was held in a pre-trial detention cell for five months. Everyone was beaten mercilessly with rubber truncheons, regardless of age or condition.

When silence breaks: Law enforcement officers at a damaged residential building following an air attack in Zaporizhzhya on November 25, 2025 | AFP

After those five months, I was transferred to a prison in Pakino, in Vladimir oblast, where I remained for almost three years. The torture continued. They wanted us to admit we had gone the wrong way. They never realised that they were the ones who attacked us. I often felt as if we were in a concentration camp. They beat us simply because we were Ukrainians.

At one point, I lost patience and went on a hunger strike. I complained to the warden about the beatings. After several days, the regional penitentiary chief came, and I told him plainly that if they beat us for no reason, they would be held responsible. For a while, the beatings stopped.

Food was another torment. I lost 25kg. Others lost even more. In the beginning, we were given no bread, only a watery liquid and boiled potato peels. Later, they began giving us bread, which helped us survive. When they saw how thin we had become, they started weighing us, but realised it was meaningless unless they fed us properly. Only around June 2024 did the food improve slightly. There was no real health care. My blood pressure rose from stress and beatings; I begged for tablets, and they gave, fearing consequences.

Our days were monotonous. We were allowed ten minutes in the prison yard, then locked up again. There was constant radio propaganda. We were forced to sing the Russian anthem and propaganda songs. I often thought I was old and had lived my life, but the younger men were tortured so brutally that it broke my heart. Some died from starvation, some committed suicide.

I never cried there. I am not a sentimental person. But after my release, I cried a lot. I was freed on August 24, 2025, Ukraines Independence Day, during a prisoner exchange. Crossing the Belarus-Ukraine border and seeing our blue and yellow flags waving, the people cheering, felt like the pure taste of freedom. Deep inside, I always believed we would win, because truth was on our side.

Now, I am undergoing medical rehabilitation, but I know our roadmap clearly. We must fight and win, regain our lands, and bring back our people still held in captivity. Our best people are there, and they must be free. I have returned to Kherson, but the Russian drone safari on civilians is unbearable. I moved away to another place but continue to serve my city in many ways.
KYIV

Russia ignored every call by all leaders of the world to stop the war. It continues killing civilians in all parts of Ukraine indiscriminately. Especially suffering are those who spoke Russian by habit, in the occupied territories or on the frontline. Russia does not protect them; rather, it poses the greatest danger to them. As a result, many have switched to the use of Ukrainian at home. Speaking emphatically, Victor Pinchuk, a top industrialist and philanthropist of Ukraine, hailing from the city of Dnipro, confirmed this during his annual Yalta European Strategy summit. Pinchuk said how in 2022 the world underestimated Ukraine, while in 2023 Russia was underestimated, and that the moments of truth that emerge on the eve of its 35th year of existence are to achieve an end to this war without betraying the sacrifices of its people and carving a place for Ukraine in the EU.

While the fight goes on at the external front, a shocking internal bombshell cracked after a year and a half of investigation called Operation Midas by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators collected more than a thousand hours of recordings of conversations and made shocking revelations of an alleged money-laundering scheme in the state energy sector. At the centre of the story is the state-owned company Energoatom, which manages all nuclear power plants and whose annual turnover reaches UAH 200 billion (around $4.75 billion). Under the cover of officials, a shadow scheme laundered money and also blocked the protection of energy facilities in the midst of Russian attacks, when their decisions determined whether there would be electricity in the homes of millions of Ukrainians.

Among the suspects were people known to President Volodymyr Zelensky, such as his old friend and business partner Timur Mindich, former minister of energy and justice Herman Galushchenko and Ihor Myroniuk, an ex-adviser to Galushchenko and former deputy head of the State Property Fund, and many others, including retired law-enforcement officers. The office used for the scheme was located in the centre of Kyiv, belonging to the family of the traitor Andriy Derkach, a former Ukrainian MP who fled to Russia and became a senator of the Russian Federation. Especially difficult was the position of Zelensky, who demanded effective anti-corruption actions and accountability in the energy sector. Zelenskys chief of staff and chief peace negotiator Andriy Yermak stepped down following an anti-corruption raid at his residence, although he was not identified as a suspect.

Home after hell: Ukrainian prisoners of war rejoice after their return on July 17, 2024.

Corruption scandals occur in many countries, including Ukraine. It remains to be seen how well this case will be handled by the court. Reportedly, arrests have been made of the suspects who could not flee Ukraine. Most political barometers of the world have recorded marked changes in Ukraine. Despite the war and missile strikes, discussions here are open. So should be the investigations. They also highlight the treachery of the fifth column, the internal enemy. Both former president Viktor Yushchenko and former mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko say how internal collaborators have always destroyed Ukraine from within.

Zelensky underlined the contours of this all-out war more clearly, stating that tolerance of any crime within or without will not enable victory. He stressed forceful answers to all challenges; unchanging conditions are military aid to Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and no change of territory by force, despite his readiness to discuss a 28-point US-Russia peace plan, which was drawn up without Ukraine and Europe participating in it.

Tacit acceptance of Russias war crimes by the democratic world in various platforms and festivals sends ambiguous messages to the cause of peacea painful fact expressed by most Ukrainians and their leaders. The 28-point plan contains proposals that most people consider unacceptable or weird, condoning the aggressor and penaliing the victim: such as the Zaporizhzhya atomic power plant to be managed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, with a 50/50 split of power generation between Russia and Ukraine, Russian control over Crimea and part of Donbas, etc. European leaders have not approved these ideas and called for a start of negotiations along the current frontline with an unconditional ceasefire. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said they are not aware of the peace plan, but demanded Zelensky sign it, failing which he threatened more strikes.

How does Ukraine look today? The moments of truth that will stay forever are the valour and courage of its people. The most significant one is that Ukraine has the worlds best-performing army with optimum use of available resources. That Russia could not take more than one per cent of territory for a thousand days testifies to that. Ukrainians unanimously acknowledge that the most important protection for Ukraine is the Ukrainian army. This is the reason why the 28-point plan proposes quantitative limitation of the Ukrainian army!

Ukrainians are the largest drone producers in the world. With only ten manufacturers in 2022, today there are 500 of them producing four million drones per year, more than all NATO countries combined. The US capacity is only 100,000 military drones a year.

Connected with this comes the issue of security guarantees, which are largely watered down in the 28-point plan. Ukrainians are unanimous that it should not be a repetition of the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, disabling Ukraine from its right to defence. While Ukrainians would not be against the presence of European troops, there are other opinions in Europe. Yet one may say that this issue, along with a viable enforceable guarantee, is repeatedly transpiringsomething never discussed at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Europeans are aware that this war is integrated with their security, and there is an overall awareness that Europe cannot be ignored by any future US-Russia summit on Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, there are reports of Russia advancing along the frontlines. But Russias gains are minuscule against the loss of lives. It is said that Pokrovsk has fallen when it has not. The theory of big lies is more forceful than the feeble voice of truth. There is heavy fighting all along the frontlines. All over the country life goes on amidst severe power cuts of 12 to 16 hours daily in big cities, including the capital Kyiv.

Many are debating that this is almost the end of the war; others say this is just the mid-point of a long war. To examine these nuances, this is the best occasion to read through the words addressed to the readers by all the exclusive interviews. Many worlds reveal themselves before us like a kaleidoscope, both from the top as well as the grassroots.

To recall, when I talked to a soldier close to the Pokrovsk region, he recalled, Remember, Christmas will come. And the whole world will rejoice and sing Carol of the Bells. The world should know that this song, originally called Shchedryk, is a gift of Ukraine by composer Mykola Leontovych. And it was composed in Pokrovsk. Yes, I thought, whether Pokrovsk falls or not, more important for us to know is that it gave us Shchedryk, the eternal Christmas melody, essentially Ukrainian.

Mridula Ghosh, formerly with the UN, is associate professor of international relations in Kyiv.
If youre planning to hire a professional moving company, its essential to select the right one for your specific needs. However, we know that's easier said than done, so weve done the research for you. Our team reviewed and ranked some of the top movers in the Escondido area, evaluating them based on factors like Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation, proper licensing and regulatory compliance, customer feedback and more. Using our proprietary ranking system, weve identified the best moving companies in Escondido, Calif. We even took things a step further by contacting our top featured companies to get more information on their rates, background check policies and more. Here's what we found.

Top Escondido movers

The best moving company in Escondido for YOU

Choosing the right moving company can feel like a big task, and the best option for you will depend on your individual needs and budget. If youll need storage, prioritize companies that offer reliable storage solutions. Have heavy or specialty items that require extra care? Look for movers equipped to handle bulky or oversize items. If keeping costs low is your top priority, gather and compare multiple estimates to find the best value. We suggest reaching out to at least three different movers before making your final choice.

Qshark Moving Company is our top pick for the best mover in Escondido. Operating in California and Florida, Qshark offers moving, packing, storage, heavy item moving and labor-only services. To move our three-bedroom house, we were quoted $1,380. This includes the hourly rate for four movers ($220 per hour with cash or $230 per hour with card), one truck, a $60 travel fee and all the tools necessary for the job. The company has a three-hour minimum charge for labor, and you'll need to pay a $200 deposit to book your move.

Stella Moving & Delivery serves the San Diego area and much of Southern California. They're prepared to handle local and long-distance moving, packing, storage and labor-only jobs. A four-person moving crew costs $227 per hour. Travel and fuel charges are included in the hourly rate. The company has a three-hour minimum for labor. Once the three-hour mark has passed, the rest of the job will be billed in 15-minute increments. Note that you'll need to pay a $75 deposit in advance to schedule your move.

Table of contents

Best moving companies in Escondido, Calif.

Qshark Moving Company is the best overall Escondido mover

A Qshark Moving Company truck parked in a residential parking lot (Qshark Moving Company)

Founded in 2014, Qshark Moving Company has locations across California and Florida. Along with a highly trained and professional moving crew, you should also expect to get your money's worth every time you use their service. The company offers a money-back guarantee, where you can get a partial (or possibly even a full) refund if any issues occur during your move. You can hire them to help with moving, packing, storage, day labor and more.

We called the business to find out how much they would charge to move a three-bedroom, 1,300 square-foot house locally within Escondido. During our phone call, we spoke with Jennifer, a sales representative with the company, who was polite, friendly and eager to hear about our move. Our move would likely cost around $1,380. This price includes the hourly labor cost for four movers, one truck, a $60 travel fee, and all the necessary tools for the job.

It's worth noting that the company offers different hourly rates depending on the payment method. The cash rate for four movers is $220 per hour. If you pay with a credit or debit card, the rate goes up to $230 per hour. We were also told that any move with a distance of more than 15 miles will cost extra, as it'll be subject to California's double drive-time rule. You'll also pay an additional fee for any heavy or specialty items that require special handling during the move.

Services offered

Local and long-distance moving

Packing

Storage

Heavy and specialty item moving

Commercial moving

Labor-only services

The movers will wrap all of your furniture in shrink wrap and moving blankets to help keep your belongings protected during the process. They'll also come prepared with dollies, straps and the tools they need to disassemble and reassemble any pieces of furniture. We were also told that the movers will bring free wardrobe boxes to help transport any clothing you have on hangers.

The company has a three-hour minimum for hour labor, so you should expect to pay at least $720 (cash) or $750 (card) for local moving services (under 15 miles). There's a $200 deposit required to book your move, which is fully refundable as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled move date. Payments can be made with cash, card or Zelle. They don't accept checks, and there's no processing fee attached to credit and debit card payments.

All movers are drug-screened and background-checked upon hiring. The representative we spoke with told us that every mover undergoes six months of training before setting out on their first job. The company only hires full-time employees, and potential candidates need to have at least three years of moving experience to be considered for hire.

Qshark Moving Company is a BBB-accredited business with an A+ rating and only one filed complaint. It has a 4.9-star rating on Google (318 reviews) and a 4.8-star rating on Yelp (698 reviews). The business is located at 9747 Businesspark Ave., Suite #238, San Diego, Calif., 92131. It is open 24/7. To get a quote started, you can call 619-377-1134 or visit the company's website.

Customer testimonial

Diego, Ricardo, Daniel, Cristian, & Ryan were Amazing help! Very professional and experienced, they moved our things efficiently and time effectively. Will definitely use this company for all moving needs! - Chris, Google reviews ()

* See Google reviews * See Yelp reviews

Qshark Moving Company Best overall Escondido moving company Qshark Moving Company Qshark Moving Company operates in both California and Florida, offering moving, packing, storage and day labor services. All of its movers go through six months of training and must have at least three years of moving experience to join the Qshark team. The company has discounted hourly rates for anyone paying with cash, but travel fees can get costly for longer-distance moves. You'll also need to pay a $200 deposit to schedule your move. Pros Local and long-distance moving

Packing and storage

Free wardrobe boxes

Employees are trained, drug-screened and background-checked Cons Doesn't accept checks

Extra cost to move heavy or specialty items

Deposit required

Travel fee for moves further than 15 miles Get estimate

Stella Moving & Delivery is our top alternative Escondido moving company

The Stella Moving & Delivery crew line up for a group picture in front of a company truck (Stella Moving & Delivery)

Stella Moving and Delivery is a young company in the moving industry, having only been around for six years. However, they've grown exponentially within such a short amount of time, with hundreds of positive reviews spanning across Google and Yelp. You can hire them for assistance with moving, packing, storage, specialty item moving and labor-only services.

We called the company to obtain an estimate of the cost to relocate a standard three-bedroom, 1,300-square-foot house locally within Escondido. We spoke with Matthew, a representative for the company. Matthew was kind, professional and happy to answer our questions. We were told that we'd likely need a team of four movers and one truck, which costs $227 per hour. The company has a three-hour minimum charge for labor, and all charges after that are billed in 15-minute increments.

Travel and fuel costs are included in the hourly rate, so you'll technically be paying for driving distance by the hour as well. Keep in mind that these travel costs are subject to California's double drive-time rule. This is a law that requires movers to compensate workers for twice the drive time it takes to travel between two locations. So if it takes about 30 minutes to drive over to your new place, you'll be billed for an hour of driving.

The moving trucks come equipped with shrink wrap, blankets and padding to protect your furniture. Mattress bags and wardrobe boxes will also be provided for your move. You'll need to fill out an inventory sheet ahead of time so that the movers know exactly what to bring (and what to expect) when they arrive at your address.

Services offered

Local and long-distance moving

Packing

Storage

Heavy and specialty item moving

Labor-only services

Since the company has a three-hour minimum, you should expect to spend at least $681 in labor costs. There's also a $75 deposit that you'll need to pay in advance in order to book your move. It's fully refundable as long as you cancel at least 72 hours prior to your scheduled move date. Payments can be made with cash, card or commercial check. They don't accept personal checks. It's worth noting that there's a 2.9% processing fee on all credit and debit card transactions. Seniors and military members will also receive a 5% discount. Additionally, we were told that all the movers undergo background checks.

Stella Moving & Delivery is a BBB-accredited business with an A+ rating and no filed complaints. It has a 4.9-star rating on Google (706 reviews) and a 4.8-star rating on Yelp (336 reviews). The business is located at 2341 Ulric St., B-12, San Diego, Calif., 92111. It is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week. To get an estimate started, you can call 619-393-6426 or visit its website.

Customer testimonial

Alex and Pedro were amazing. They were fast and efficient and took great care of all of my things. I went with Stella Moving after having bad experience with another moving company and I am so glad that I did. They were professional and friendly and stayed in communication with us the whole time. - Amber B., Google reviews ()

* See Google reviews * See Yelp reviews

Stella Moving & Delivery Top alternative mover in Escondido Stella Moving & Delivery Stella Moving and Delivery serves the San Diego area and much of Southern California. They handle local and long-distance moving, packing, storage and labor-only jobs. The moving crew is also prepared to move difficult-to-handle items like hot tubs, pool tables, pianos and large appliances. However, it's worth noting that there's a $75 deposit fee to book your move, and travel fees can add up quickly due to California's double drive-time rule. Pros Local and long-distance moving

Packing and storage

5% discount for seniors and military

Movers are background-checked Cons Young company

Travel can get expensive

Deposit required

2.9% processing fee on card payments Get estimate

BLVD Moving is the best national moving company

The BLVD Moving crew prepares to load a moving truck (BLVD Moving)

At Yahoo Local, we work hard to highlight exceptional local businesses, but we also recognize that national moving companies can sometimes be the better option, especially for long-distance relocations. After evaluating several nationwide providers, we selected BLVD Moving as our top recommendation on our list of the best national movers. If youre deciding between a local or national company, be sure to explore our full comparison guide for additional guidance.

BLVD Moving is run by a team of seasoned professionals with decades of experience in the relocation field. Although the company currently operates four offices in California, it provides both local and long-distance moving services nationwide. Family-owned and independently operated, BLVD manages its own fleet and employees, though its terms note that subcontractors or agents may occasionally assist during busy periods, which is a common practice in the industry but still worth keeping in mind.

We reached out to BLVD for a quote on a 500-mile move involving roughly 1,340 cubic feet of belongings, comparable to the contents of an average three-bedroom home without major appliances. The estimate they provided was around $6,700, which aligns with what other national moving companies typically charge. To reserve your spot, BLVD requires a 33% deposit, with half of the remaining balance due at pickup and the rest payable upon delivery.

Services offered

Local and long-distance moves

Residential, office and commercial moves

Packing services

Storage

Financing

If your plans change, BLVD allows cancellations with a full deposit refund, provided you notify them at least two business days before pickup. Delivery timelines range from two to 21 business days, depending on distance. The delivery window begins on the date you choose, which means longer shipments may take just over a month to arrive.

To ensure availability, especially during peak seasons like summer or at the beginning and end of the month, BLVD recommends booking at least 30 days ahead. Getting a quote is easy: customers can schedule a virtual walkthrough or fill out an online inventory form for a faster estimate. Financing options are also available, with qualifying customers eligible for introductory rates starting at 0%.

BLVD Moving is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with a B rating and has 99 complaints on file, a normal figure for a mover of its size. Customer ratings average 4.5 stars on Google (based on 1,341 reviews) and 2.3 stars on Yelp (376 reviews). All movers are direct employees who undergo background checks, rather than independent contractors.

BLVDs headquarters are located at 21622 Plummer Street, Chatsworth, Calif., 91311. Operating hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. To request a quote, call 844-274-0500 or submit a request online.

Customer testimonial

Excellent company, the guys did a great job, super thorough and made moving experience so much easier. Really appreciate Kevin and Juan - Alexandra P., Google reviews ()

* See Google reviews * See Yelp reviews

BLVD Moving Best national moving company BLVD Moving BLVD Moving is our top pick for a national mover due to its combination of experience, flexibility and relatively strong Google reviews. It has background-checked crews, but it also reserves the right in its terms and conditions to subcontract your move or assign it to agents. The quote process is smooth, in our experience, requiring a simple online inventory, and BLVD's cancellation policy is relatively good. Pros Has its own movers and fleet

Local and long-distance moves

Offers virtual estimates

Background-checked crews Cons No GPS tracking

Mixed Yelp ratings

Can subcontract jobs to other movers

Relatively high deposit Get estimate

More best Escondido movers

Grizzly Moving & Storage Best for local moves Grizzly Moving & Storage Grizzly Moving and Storage offers moving, packing and storage services in San Diego, Miramar and Mira Mesa. While it does offer long-distance and interstate moving services, it specializes in local moving services in the San Diego area. Pros Local and long-distance moving

Packing and storage

Licensed and insured

Unpacking services offered Cons Doesn't accept personal checks

Service area is smaller than other movers on the list Get estimate

24/7 Moving & Storage Best for moving heavy and specialty items 24/7 Moving & Storage 24/7 Moving & Storage offers moving, packing and storage services in and around San Diego County. What's nice about this company in particular is that they don't charge extra for things like climbing stairs or long carries, which can result from having to park the truck further away. You also won't have to pay an extra fee to have any heavy or specialty items moved. Pros Local and long-distance moving

Packing and storage

No fees for stairs and long carries

No extra cost to move heavy or specialty items Cons A few reviews mention missed reservations and broken belongings Get estimate

Hulk Movers Best for senior and military moves Hulk Movers Hulk Movers has two locations in San Diego and services the Bay Area and surrounding counties. You can hire them for moving and packing services, as well as specialized moving services for senior citizens and active military members Pros Local and long-distance moving

Packing services

Heavy item moving

Moving services for seniors and military members Cons No storage offerings Get estimate

You can count on Yahoo Local moving advice, and this is why

At Yahoo, weve spent decades dedicated to delivering reliable, accurate information about local businesses. Our Yahoo Local guides continue that mission, offering the most trustworthy insights into which companies truly deserve your time and money. But we dont expect you to simply take our word for it  were fully transparent about our selection process, outlining exactly how our methodology works and what factors influence our choices. Using a custom ranking system developed by our team, weve created what we believe is the most unbiased way to showcase the top local businesses in your area. We never accept payment for inclusion, and you wont see any sponsored picks in our lists. Want more details? Visit our full methodology page.

Below is everything that went into rankings for our list of the best moving companies in Escondido:

65 movers evaluated

21,890 customer reviews and ratings from five sources

14 ranking criteria incorporated

Interviewed or connected with all three featured movers

Independent price quotes sought from all three featured moving companies

Independently researched and fact-checked by Yahoo

Recommendations are maintained and updated regularly

California moving FAQs

What info should you have when requesting an estimate?

What youll need to provide for a moving estimate differs from one company to another and depends on how detailed their pricing process is. Some movers ask only for the basics, like your homes square footage, number of bedrooms and the pickup and drop-off locations. Others wont offer a firm quote until theyve reviewed a complete inventory of everything you plan to move.

At a minimum, be ready to share the size of your current and new homes, the full addresses and any information about large or specialty items that may require extra care. Many companies charge additional fees for belongings that exceed certain weight limits, so providing this information upfront can help you avoid unexpected costs. Youll also want to note whether either location has stairs or elevators, since movers commonly add extra fees for those factors.

What should you know about packing and storage in California?

Depending on your location in California, temperatures can remain relatively warm to hot for most of the year. In Escondido, for example, average temperatures typically range from 45F to 84F and seldom fall below 38F or rise above 91F, according to Weather Spark.

Items like electronics, art supplies, synthetic fabrics, cosmetics, and medications are particularly vulnerable to heat and should be moved in a climate-controlled vehicle. If you need storage, investing in an indoor or climate-regulated unit is a smart way to ensure these belongings stay protected.

What's different about condo and apartment moving in California?

Moving into or out of an apartment or condo often means dealing with stairs. Many moving companies charge extra for hauling belongings up multiple flights, and some also add fees for elevator use. You may not incur an additional charge for just one flight, but if your unit is located on the third floor or higher, its likely youll face an extra fee.

Do you need moving permits or licenses to move in California?

All moving companies working within California must have a Household Mover Permit  commonly called a Cal-T number  issued by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS). This requirement is strictly enforced to protect customers from unlicensed movers who may not follow proper protocols or carry adequate insurance. Licensed movers in California are also required to display their Cal-T number on all advertisements, websites, vehicles, and contracts.

For more information, check out our comprehensive guide on Californias moving company licensing and regulations.

How much should you tip movers in California?

A common guideline for tipping movers is to offer between 10% and 20% of your total moving bill. This applies to both local and long-distance moves. However, tipping is completely optional, as its simply a way to show appreciation for good service. If the movers dont meet your expectations, youre not required to leave a tip.

More Yahoo Local-approved California providers

Best California movers

Bakersfield / Chula Vista / Escondido / Fremont / Fresno / Irvine / Los Angeles / Sacramento / San Diego / San Francisco / San Jose / Santa Cruz / Santa Rosa

Best California roofers

Bakersfield / Fresno / Los Angeles / Sacramento / San Jose / San Diego / San Francisco
Shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM  Get Free Report) traded up 1.7% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $309.61 and last traded at $307.82. 2,935,644 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 4,852,405 shares. The stock had previously closed at $302.62.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IBM has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on International Business Machines from $256.00 to $252.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $300.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $310.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer began coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Friday, November 21st. They issued an outperform rating and a $360.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $291.08.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on IBM

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $287.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $296.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $276.36.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.45 by $0.20. International Business Machines had a net margin of 12.09% and a return on equity of 37.76%. The business had revenue of $16.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.30 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th will be paid a $1.68 dividend. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 10th. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.38%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Norges Bank bought a new position in International Business Machines in the second quarter worth about $2,011,122,000. GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,040,057,000. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 1st quarter worth approximately $960,386,000. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 13.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,045,156 shares of the technology companys stock worth $4,809,461,000 after purchasing an additional 2,077,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in International Business Machines by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 95,051,475 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $28,019,274,000 after purchasing an additional 1,913,708 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the companys stock.

About International Business Machines

(Get Free Report)

International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.

Further Reading

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Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. (CVE:CEM  Get Free Report)s stock price traded up 4.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$0.37 and last traded at C$0.35. 207,650 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 199% from the average session volume of 69,562 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.33.

Constantine Metal Resources Stock Up 4.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 2.07. The stock has a market capitalization of C$22.52 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.78. The firms fifty day moving average is C$0.35 and its 200-day moving average is C$0.34.

About Constantine Metal Resources

(Get Free Report)

Constantine Metal Resources Ltd., a junior mining company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in North America. The company primarily explores for copper, zinc, gold, and silver deposits. Its principal project is the Palmer project that includes 340 federal mining claims and 63 state mining claims located in Alaska, the United States.

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Zip Co Limited (OTCMKTS:ZIZTF  Get Free Report) rose 2.1% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $1.99 and last traded at $1.99. Approximately 300 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 95% from the average daily volume of 5,935 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.95.

ZIP Stock Performance

The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $2.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.29.

ZIP Company Profile

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Zip Co Limited engages in the provision of digital retail finance and payments solutions to consumers, and small and medium sized merchants (SMEs) in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The company offers Buy Now Pay Later services, which offer line of credit and installment products to consumers through online and in-store.

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Equity Bancshares (NYSE:EQBK  Get Free Report) and Renasant (NYSE:RNST  Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Equity Bancshares and Renasant, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Equity Bancshares 0 1 0 2 3.33 Renasant 0 1 0 1 3.00

Dividends

Equity Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Renasant pays an annual dividend of $0.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%. Equity Bancshares pays out 60.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Renasant pays out 44.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Renasant is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

Earnings and Valuation

71.8% of Equity Bancshares shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 77.3% of Renasant shares are held by institutional investors. 6.6% of Equity Bancshares shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.8% of Renasant shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

This table compares Equity Bancshares and Renasants top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Equity Bancshares $192.21 million 4.45 $62.62 million $1.20 37.36 Renasant $1.09 billion 3.16 $195.46 million $1.99 18.23

Renasant has higher revenue and earnings than Equity Bancshares. Renasant is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Equity Bancshares, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk & Volatility

Equity Bancshares has a beta of 0.88, suggesting that its stock price is 12% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Renasant has a beta of 0.99, suggesting that its stock price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Equity Bancshares and Renasants net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Equity Bancshares 5.01% 11.67% 1.33% Renasant 11.26% 6.99% 1.01%

Summary

Renasant beats Equity Bancshares on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Equity Bancshares

(Get Free Report)

Equity Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Equity Bank that provides a range of banking, mortgage banking, and financial services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts various demand, savings, money market, and time deposits. Its loan products include commercial and industrial, commercial real estate-backed, commercial lines of credit, working capital, term, equipment financing, acquisition, expansion and development, borrowing base, real estate construction, homebuilder, agricultural, government guaranteed, and other loan products to national and regional companies, restaurant franchisees, hoteliers, real estate developers, manufacturing and industrial companies, agribusiness companies, and other businesses. The companys loan products also comprise various consumer loans to individuals and professionals, including residential real estate loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, installment loans, unsecured and secured personal lines of credit, overdraft protection, and letters of credit. It also provides debit cards; online banking solutions, such as access to account balances, online transfers, online bill payment, and electronic delivery of customer statements; mobile banking solutions comprising remote check deposits with mobile bill pay; ATMs; and treasury management, wire transfer, automated clearing house, and stop payment services. In addition, the company offers cash management deposit products, such as lockbox, remote deposit capture, positive pay, reverse positive pay, account reconciliation services, zero balance accounts, and sweep accounts, as well as banking services through telephone, mail, and personal appointments. As of December 31, 2021, it operated a network of 69 branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.

About Renasant

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Renasant Corporation operates as a bank holding company for Renasant Bank that provides a range of financial, wealth management, fiduciary, and insurance services to retail and commercial customers. It operates through three segments: Community Banks, Insurance, and Wealth Management. The Community Banks segment offers checking and savings accounts, business and personal loans, asset-based lending, and equipment leasing services, as well as safe deposit and night depository facilities. It also provides commercial, financial, and agricultural loans; equipment financing and leasing; real estate?1-4 family mortgage; real estate?commercial mortgage; real estate?construction loans for the construction of single family residential properties, multi-family properties, and commercial projects; installment loans to individuals; and interim construction loans, as well as automated teller machine (ATM), online and mobile banking, call center, and treasury management services. The Insurance segment provides insurance agency services, such as commercial and personal insurance products through insurance carriers. The Wealth Management segment offers a range of wealth management and fiduciary services, including administration and management of trust accounts, such as personal and corporate benefit accounts, and custodial accounts, as well as accounting and money management for trust accounts; annuities, mutual funds, and other investment services through a third party broker-dealer; and qualified retirement plans, IRAs, employee benefit plans, personal trusts, and estates. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated a network of 189 banking, lending, and mortgage offices located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; 150 full-service branches and 11 limited-service branches; 173 ATMs; and 38 interactive teller machines. Renasant Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi.

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Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Gorman-Rupp (NYSE:GRC  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Gorman-Rupp in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Gorman-Rupp currently has an average rating of Buy.

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Gorman-Rupp Price Performance

Shares of GRC stock opened at $46.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $45.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.89. Gorman-Rupp has a one year low of $30.87 and a one year high of $49.24. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.29.

Gorman-Rupp (NYSE:GRC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.03). Gorman-Rupp had a net margin of 7.41% and a return on equity of 13.49%. The company had revenue of $172.83 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.61 million. On average, analysts expect that Gorman-Rupp will post 1.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gorman-Rupp Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. This is a positive change from Gorman-Rupps previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. Gorman-Rupps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gorman-Rupp

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Connors Investor Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Gorman-Rupp during the third quarter worth approximately $221,000. Polymer Capital Management US LLC grew its holdings in Gorman-Rupp by 15.6% during the 3rd quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC now owns 8,932 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $415,000 after acquiring an additional 1,206 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Gorman-Rupp by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 753,862 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $34,985,000 after acquiring an additional 15,178 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of Gorman-Rupp by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,779 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $407,000 after purchasing an additional 1,493 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Gorman-Rupp by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 31,706 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,471,000 after purchasing an additional 496 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 59.26% of the companys stock.

About Gorman-Rupp

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The Gorman-Rupp Company designs, manufactures, and sells pumps and pump systems in the United States and internationally. The companys products include self-priming centrifugal, standard centrifugal, magnetic drive centrifugal, axial and mixed flow, vertical turbine line shaft, submersible, high-pressure booster, rotary gear, diaphragm, bellows, and oscillating pumps.

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Salesforce (NYSE:CRM  Free Report) had its price target trimmed by BMO Capital Markets from $280.00 to $275.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the CRM providers stock.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on CRM. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Salesforce from $255.00 to $221.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Salesforce from $360.00 to $340.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Salesforce from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Salesforce from $275.00 to $250.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, Northland Securities cut shares of Salesforce from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $264.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Twenty-nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $326.54.

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Salesforce Price Performance

CRM opened at $260.78 on Thursday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $243.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $252.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 0.98. Salesforce has a 1 year low of $221.96 and a 1 year high of $367.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $248.26 billion, a PE ratio of 34.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.25.

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The CRM provider reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $10.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.27 billion. Salesforce had a net margin of 17.91% and a return on equity of 14.41%. Salesforces revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.41 earnings per share. Salesforce has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.020-3.040 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Salesforce will post 7.46 EPS for the current year.

Salesforce Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th will be issued a $0.416 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 18th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Salesforces payout ratio is currently 22.16%.

Insider Activity

In other Salesforce news, CEO Marc Benioff sold 122 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.00, for a total transaction of $31,598.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 11,911,571 shares in the company, valued at $3,085,096,889. The trade was a 0.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Parker Harris sold 134,662 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.70, for a total transaction of $31,605,171.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 139,767 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,803,314.90. This trade represents a 49.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 184,284 shares of company stock valued at $43,862,999 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 3.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Salesforce during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Salesforce by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 22,914 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $5,432,000 after acquiring an additional 3,404 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Salesforce by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 275,577 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $65,312,000 after purchasing an additional 13,445 shares in the last quarter. Goldentree Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Salesforce in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,784,000. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. grew its stake in shares of Salesforce by 349.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. now owns 24,565 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $5,822,000 after purchasing an additional 19,096 shares during the last quarter. 80.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Salesforce Company Profile

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Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale.

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Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA  Free Report) by 70.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 60,853 shares of the banks stock after acquiring an additional 25,065 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.s holdings in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria were worth $935,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC raised its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 28.1% during the 2nd quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 219,186 shares of the banks stock worth $3,369,000 after acquiring an additional 48,018 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 44.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 72,881 shares of the banks stock worth $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 22,284 shares during the period. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,285 shares of the banks stock valued at $173,000 after buying an additional 1,261 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $363,000. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 65.4% during the 2nd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 64,837 shares of the banks stock valued at $997,000 after buying an additional 25,635 shares during the period. 2.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Trading Down 1.7%

BBVA opened at $21.78 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $20.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.92. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. has a 12-month low of $9.44 and a 12-month high of $22.24. The firm has a market cap of $127.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.40, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.83.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Dividend Announcement

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria ( NYSE:BBVA Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The bank reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $10.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.47 billion. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 28.58%. On average, research analysts forecast that Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 6th were paid a dividend of $0.3736 per share. This represents a yield of 361.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 6th. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentarias dividend payout ratio is presently 31.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on BBVA shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. They issued an equal weight rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (a-) rating on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Zacks Research cut shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

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Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Profile

(Free Report)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, SA provides retail banking, wholesale banking, and asset management services in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and internationally. The company offers savings account, demand deposits, and time deposits; and loan products, such as residential mortgages, other households, credit card loans, loans to enterprises and public sector, as well as consumer finance.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BBVA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA  Free Report).

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Hsbc Holdings PLC trimmed its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU  Free Report) by 17.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,780 shares of the companys stock after selling 13,660 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLCs holdings in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF were worth $2,573,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Founders Financial Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $50,000. Simplex Trading LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $125,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF during the second quarter worth approximately $137,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 13.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,600 shares of the companys stock worth $143,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares during the period. Finally, Everstar Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $173,000. 58.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSEARCA EWU opened at $43.22 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.42 and a beta of 0.71. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF has a 1-year low of $32.76 and a 1-year high of $43.72. The businesss 50 day moving average is $42.55 and its 200-day moving average is $41.25.

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI United Kingdom index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of British companies. It covers the top 85% of British companies by market cap. EWU was launched on Mar 12, 1996 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Telefonica SA (NYSE:TEF  Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 1,998,942 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 177% from the previous sessions volume of 720,788 shares.The stock last traded at $4.2150 and had previously closed at $4.19.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on TEF. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Telefonica from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Bank of America restated an underperform rating and issued a $3.83 target price on shares of Telefonica in a research note on Thursday. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Telefonica in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. They set an underperform rating and a $4.20 price target for the company. Citigroup lowered Telefonica to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d) rating on shares of Telefonica in a report on Monday, December 1st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Strong Sell and a consensus target price of $4.02.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on TEF

Telefonica Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The firms 50-day moving average price is $4.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.08. The stock has a market cap of $23.81 billion, a PE ratio of -10.24, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.27.

Telefonica (NYSE:TEF  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $10.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9 billion. Telefonica had a negative net margin of 5.23% and a positive return on equity of 8.54%. On average, equities analysts expect that Telefonica SA will post 0.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Telefonica Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th will be paid a $0.1731 dividend. This represents a yield of 827.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 17th. Telefonicas payout ratio is -60.98%.

Institutional Trading of Telefonica

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TEF. National Bank of Canada FI raised its stake in shares of Telefonica by 367.7% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 4,897 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 3,850 shares in the last quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. purchased a new position in Telefonica in the second quarter worth $44,000. Momentous Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Telefonica in the third quarter worth $51,000. Wrapmanager Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Telefonica during the second quarter worth $53,000. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Telefonica during the 2nd quarter valued at $55,000. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Telefonica Company Profile

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Telefonica, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Europe and Latin America. The company offers mobile and related services and products, such as mobile voice, value added, mobile data and internet, wholesale, corporate, roaming, fixed wireless, and trunking and paging services.

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Quantbot Technologies LP increased its stake in OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT  Free Report) by 32.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 96,309 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 23,768 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP owned 0.06% of OUTFRONT Media worth $1,572,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in OUTFRONT Media by 26.3% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 585,338 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $9,553,000 after acquiring an additional 121,987 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in OUTFRONT Media by 15.1% in the second quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 41,807 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 5,499 shares during the last quarter. Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC grew its holdings in OUTFRONT Media by 24.0% during the second quarter. Lasalle Investment Management Securities LLC now owns 3,925,402 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $64,063,000 after purchasing an additional 758,952 shares during the period. Waterloo Capital L.P. grew its holdings in OUTFRONT Media by 25.4% during the second quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 36,124 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 7,310 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in OUTFRONT Media by 5.2% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 415,542 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,782,000 after buying an additional 20,508 shares during the last quarter.

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OUTFRONT Media Stock Performance

Shares of OUT stock opened at $23.28 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $19.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $18.29. OUTFRONT Media Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $12.95 and a fifty-two week high of $23.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.75, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $3.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.23, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.57.

OUTFRONT Media Dividend Announcement

OUTFRONT Media ( NYSE:OUT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $467.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $458.32 million. OUTFRONT Media had a return on equity of 21.56% and a net margin of 6.86%.OUTFRONT Medias quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.19 earnings per share. Analysts expect that OUTFRONT Media Inc. will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 5th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.2%. OUTFRONT Medias dividend payout ratio is 176.47%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other OUTFRONT Media news, Director Manuel A. Diaz sold 11,270 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.18, for a total transaction of $249,968.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 58,786 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,303,873.48. The trade was a 16.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.47% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen upgraded OUTFRONT Media from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $24.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of OUTFRONT Media from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their target price for the stock from $19.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Barrington Research reissued an outperform rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Cowen upgraded shares of OUTFRONT Media from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of OUTFRONT Media from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $22.00.

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OUTFRONT Media Company Profile

(Free Report)

OUTFRONT Media, Inc leases advertising space on out-of-home advertising structures and sites. Its inventory consists of billboard displays, which are primarily located on the most heavily traveled highways & roadways, and transit advertising displays operated under exclusive multi-year contracts with municipalities in large cities across the U.S.

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Quantbot Technologies LP increased its stake in Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE:HG  Free Report) by 62.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 86,479 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 33,401 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP owned approximately 0.09% of Hamilton Insurance Group worth $1,870,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Flaharty Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hamilton Insurance Group during the first quarter worth about $62,000. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Hamilton Insurance Group by 167.7% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,545 shares of the companys stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 2,847 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Hamilton Insurance Group by 14.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 4,595 shares of the companys stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 585 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Hamilton Insurance Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $112,000. Finally, Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Hamilton Insurance Group by 41.8% in the second quarter. Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC now owns 7,729 shares of the companys stock valued at $167,000 after acquiring an additional 2,277 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 29.17% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HG shares. Citigroup restated an outperform rating on shares of Hamilton Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Citizens Jmp boosted their price target on Hamilton Insurance Group from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of Hamilton Insurance Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Hamilton Insurance Group from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, JMP Securities set a $32.00 target price on shares of Hamilton Insurance Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $28.63.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Alexander James Baker sold 18,350 shares of Hamilton Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total transaction of $480,586.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 84,136 shares in the company, valued at $2,203,521.84. This trade represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 17.46% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hamilton Insurance Group Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of HG stock opened at $26.45 on Friday. Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. has a twelve month low of $16.80 and a twelve month high of $27.88. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $25.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.30 and a beta of 0.70.

Hamilton Insurance Group (NYSE:HG  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.61. The firm had revenue of $667.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $537.70 million. Hamilton Insurance Group had a return on equity of 15.07% and a net margin of 15.95%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. will post 4.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Hamilton Insurance Group

(Free Report)

Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides underwriting specialty insurance and reinsurance risks in Bermuda and internationally. The company operates Hamilton Global Specialty, Hamilton Select, and Hamilton Re underwriting platforms. The company offers casualty reinsurance products, such as commercial motor, general liability, healthcare, multiline, personal motor, professional liability, umbrella and excess casualty, and worker's compensation and employer's liability reinsurance; property reinsurance and insurance; and specialty reinsurance solutions, including accident and health, aviation and space, crisis management, mortgage, financial lines, marine and energy, and multiline specialty.

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Quantbot Technologies LP increased its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE:LYG  Free Report) by 430.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 479,674 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 389,255 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in Lloyds Banking Group were worth $2,039,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 148,828,623 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $632,522,000 after purchasing an additional 16,705,846 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Lloyds Banking Group by 6.1% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 24,154,117 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $92,269,000 after purchasing an additional 1,397,163 shares in the last quarter. Beck Bode LLC bought a new position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,254,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 147.2% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,028,677 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,622,000 after buying an additional 1,207,960 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 277.7% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,512,313 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $6,427,000 after acquiring an additional 1,111,897 shares in the last quarter. 2.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Lloyds Banking Group Stock Down 1.1%

LYG stock opened at $5.12 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.64 billion, a PE ratio of 14.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. Lloyds Banking Group PLC has a twelve month low of $2.56 and a twelve month high of $5.22. The stocks 50 day moving average is $4.71 and its 200-day moving average is $4.45.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Lloyds Banking Group ( NYSE:LYG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $6.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.02 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 18.04% and a return on equity of 8.38%. Sell-side analysts expect that Lloyds Banking Group PLC will post 0.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on LYG shares. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Zacks Research downgraded Lloyds Banking Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Monday, November 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

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Lloyds Banking Group Profile

(Free Report)

Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal customers.

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California Public Employees Retirement System reduced its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO  Free Report) by 2.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 763,432 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 22,189 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement Systems holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $309,541,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 137.5% in the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 57 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC acquired a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Keystone Global Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 406.7% during the 2nd quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 76 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighMark Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 140.6% during the second quarter. HighMark Wealth Management LLC now owns 77 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. 89.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Redburn Partners set a $580.00 price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $545.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Argus upped their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $580.00 to $610.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $656.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $600.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $602.35.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael D. Shafer sold 10,725 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $600.00, for a total transaction of $6,435,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,238,600. This trade represents a 36.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 17,104 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $573.54, for a total transaction of $9,809,828.16. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 113,762 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,247,057.48. This trade represents a 13.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 149,271 shares of company stock valued at $86,507,282. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:TMO opened at $572.49 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $559.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $485.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 12-month low of $385.46 and a 12-month high of $610.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $215.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.90.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The medical research company reported $5.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.50 by $0.29. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 16.97% and a net margin of 15.02%.The business had revenue of $11.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.90 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.28 earnings per share. Thermo Fisher Scientifics quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Thermo Fisher Scientific has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.600-22.860 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Thermo Fisher Scientifics payout ratio is presently 9.94%.

Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 6th that authorizes the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to buy up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Company Profile

(Free Report)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services in the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment offers reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and medical research, discovery, and production of drugs and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of infections and diseases; and solutions include biosciences, genetic sciences, and bio production to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, clinical, healthcare, academic, and government markets.

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Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HRTG  Get Free Report) CFO Kirk Lusk sold 8,331 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.21, for a total transaction of $235,017.51. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 550,425 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,527,489.25. This represents a 1.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Kirk Lusk also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, November 5th, Kirk Lusk sold 19,929 shares of Heritage Insurance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.18, for a total transaction of $481,883.22.

On Tuesday, November 4th, Kirk Lusk sold 71 shares of Heritage Insurance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.00, for a total value of $1,704.00.

On Friday, October 3rd, Kirk Lusk sold 6,803 shares of Heritage Insurance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.16, for a total value of $164,360.48.

On Wednesday, October 1st, Kirk Lusk sold 13,197 shares of Heritage Insurance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.77, for a total value of $326,889.69.

On Friday, September 12th, Kirk Lusk sold 20,000 shares of Heritage Insurance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.17, for a total value of $483,400.00.

Heritage Insurance Stock Down 5.5%

Shares of NYSE:HRTG opened at $26.75 on Friday. Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $9.89 and a 52-week high of $31.98. The stock has a market cap of $826.84 million, a P/E ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 0.96. The business has a fifty day moving average of $26.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Heritage Insurance ( NYSE:HRTG Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $1.10. Heritage Insurance had a return on equity of 41.44% and a net margin of 17.72%.The business had revenue of $212.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $210.12 million. On average, research analysts expect that Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. will post 1.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Heritage Insurance from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Heritage Insurance from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b-) rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Zacks Research upgraded Heritage Insurance from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Heritage Insurance from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Heritage Insurance presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $32.50.

View Our Latest Stock Report on HRTG

Institutional Trading of Heritage Insurance

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. lifted its stake in Heritage Insurance by 15.9% during the third quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. now owns 12,750 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 1,750 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Heritage Insurance in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC acquired a new position in Heritage Insurance during the 3rd quarter worth about $611,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Heritage Insurance during the 3rd quarter valued at about $88,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC grew its position in Heritage Insurance by 11.5% in the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 40,543 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,021,000 after acquiring an additional 4,194 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.03% of the companys stock.

About Heritage Insurance

(Get Free Report)

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides personal and commercial residential insurance products. The company offers personal residential insurance in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia; commercial residential insurance for properties in Florida, New Jersey, and New York; and licensed in the state of Pennsylvania, as well as personal residential and wind-only property insurance.

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Guggenheim Capital LLC decreased its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP  Free Report) by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,300 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 2,327 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $7,432,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of American Express by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,267,377 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $721,525,000 after buying an additional 49,593 shares during the period. Dempze Nancy E boosted its stake in American Express by 210.2% during the second quarter. Dempze Nancy E now owns 3,459 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $1,103,000 after acquiring an additional 2,344 shares in the last quarter. Reliant Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in American Express by 1.9% during the second quarter. Reliant Investment Management LLC now owns 26,189 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $8,354,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares in the last quarter. SLT Holdings LLC grew its holdings in American Express by 31.3% in the second quarter. SLT Holdings LLC now owns 1,008 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC increased its stake in American Express by 0.9% in the second quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 82,883 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $26,438,000 after purchasing an additional 764 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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American Express Stock Performance

Shares of American Express stock opened at $370.39 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $350.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $325.33. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $377.23. The company has a market cap of $255.14 billion, a PE ratio of 24.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78.

American Express Announces Dividend

American Express ( NYSE:AXP Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 17th. The payment services company reported $4.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.98 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $17.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.03 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 14.97%.American Expresss quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.49 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2025 guidance at 15.200-15.500 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 10th. Investors of record on Friday, October 10th were given a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 10th. American Expresss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Express news, CMO Elizabeth Rutledge sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.21, for a total value of $18,010,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 85,577 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,825,691.17. This represents a 36.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Douglas Tabish sold 2,515 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.61, for a total transaction of $894,359.15. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,515 shares in the company, valued at approximately $894,359.15. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 57,515 shares of company stock worth $20,658,509. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AXP. DZ Bank upgraded shares of American Express from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $340.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Truist Financial boosted their target price on American Express from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on American Express from $375.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on American Express from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $332.65.

Read Our Latest Report on AXP

American Express Profile

(Free Report)

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services.

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Kennedy Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IWS  Free Report) by 44.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,395 shares of the companys stock after selling 21,657 shares during the period. Kennedy Capital Management LLCs holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF were worth $3,620,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF by 108.3% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 200 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF in the second quarter valued at $33,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC bought a new stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF in the first quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH bought a new stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF in the second quarter worth $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.17% of the companys stock.

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iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF Stock Up 0.1%

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF stock opened at $142.07 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $138.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $135.92. The company has a market cap of $14.16 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 1.02. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has a twelve month low of $108.85 and a twelve month high of $142.72.

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF Profile

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell Midcap Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell Midcap Value Index (the Value Index). The Value Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market.

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Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,326,353 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $51,661,000. Marshall Wace LLP owned about 0.43% of Ally Financial as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ALLY. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in shares of Ally Financial in the 1st quarter worth $253,881,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ally Financial by 234.7% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,752,066 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $136,838,000 after buying an additional 2,630,981 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ally Financial in the 2nd quarter worth about $95,897,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Ally Financial by 39.3% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,400,560 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $210,352,000 after buying an additional 1,523,425 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in Ally Financial by 6,675.1% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,243,773 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $48,445,000 after acquiring an additional 1,225,415 shares during the period. 88.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Ally Financial Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of ALLY stock opened at $42.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The company has a market cap of $13.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.54, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.22. Ally Financial Inc. has a 1 year low of $29.52 and a 1 year high of $44.83. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $39.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.21.

Ally Financial Dividend Announcement

Ally Financial ( NYSE:ALLY Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter. Ally Financial had a return on equity of 9.96% and a net margin of 8.10%.The company had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ally Financial Inc. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Ally Financials payout ratio is 72.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ALLY. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Ally Financial from $56.00 to $51.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Ally Financial in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Ally Financial from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Ally Financial from $47.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ally Financial from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $45.67.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ALLY

Insider Transactions at Ally Financial

In other Ally Financial news, insider Kathleen L. Patterson sold 29,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.86, for a total transaction of $1,184,940.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 100,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,094,294.58. This trade represents a 22.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.67% of the companys stock.

Ally Financial Company Profile

(Free Report)

Ally Financial Inc, a digital financial-services company, provides various digital financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. The company operates through Automotive Finance Operations, Insurance Operations, Mortgage Finance Operations, and Corporate Finance Operations segments.

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Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE:EGP  Free Report) by 25.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 317,323 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 64,018 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.60% of EastGroup Properties worth $53,031,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of EastGroup Properties by 16.8% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 3,600 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $634,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of EastGroup Properties by 19.5% in the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 15,890 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,799,000 after buying an additional 2,596 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of EastGroup Properties by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,161 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $557,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in EastGroup Properties by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,198,279 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,267,977,000 after acquiring an additional 207,329 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in EastGroup Properties by 6.1% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 690,510 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $121,633,000 after acquiring an additional 39,898 shares in the last quarter. 92.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upgraded shares of EastGroup Properties from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of EastGroup Properties from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $207.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Mizuho reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $172.00 target price (down from $180.00) on shares of EastGroup Properties in a report on Thursday. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on EastGroup Properties from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of EastGroup Properties in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $190.89.

Insider Transactions at EastGroup Properties

In other EastGroup Properties news, EVP Richard Reid Dunbar sold 2,000 shares of EastGroup Properties stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total transaction of $350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,630 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,610,250. The trade was a 8.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

EastGroup Properties Stock Down 0.4%

EGP stock opened at $179.81 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.77, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. EastGroup Properties, Inc. has a twelve month low of $137.67 and a twelve month high of $188.89. The companys 50 day moving average is $176.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.34.

EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.28 by ($0.01). EastGroup Properties had a return on equity of 7.28% and a net margin of 35.58%.The company had revenue of $182.14 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $181.88 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. EastGroup Propertiess revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. EastGroup Properties has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.940-8.980 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.300-2.340 EPS. Research analysts expect that EastGroup Properties, Inc. will post 8.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EastGroup Properties Company Profile

(Free Report)

EastGroup Properties, Inc (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina.

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Marshall Wace LLP cut its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Free Report) by 39.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 147,138 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 97,559 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned about 0.06% of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. worth $47,102,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Factory Mutual Insurance Co. boosted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 107.1% in the 2nd quarter. Factory Mutual Insurance Co. now owns 14,500 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,642,000 after buying an additional 7,500 shares during the last quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 21.4% in the second quarter. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD now owns 9,961 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,189,000 after acquiring an additional 1,758 shares in the last quarter. Petra Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the second quarter worth approximately $812,000. Boston Partners increased its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 0.4% during the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 735,759 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $234,226,000 after purchasing an additional 2,806 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,381,835 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $762,473,000 after purchasing an additional 94,940 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.53% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, VP Scott R. Hudson sold 12,855 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.60, for a total value of $3,825,648.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 85,920 shares of the companys stock, valued at $25,569,792. The trade was a 13.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Christopher E. Mead sold 1,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.74, for a total value of $313,425.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 17,327 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,344,571.98. This represents a 6.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 37,105 shares of company stock valued at $10,796,353. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Trading Down 2.3%

AJG opened at $239.71 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.56 billion, a PE ratio of 35.83 and a beta of 0.69. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a one year low of $238.65 and a one year high of $351.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.06. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $269.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $295.77.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.51 by ($0.19). Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 13.58% and a return on equity of 11.98%. The business had revenue of $3.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s revenue for the quarter was up 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 11.54 EPS for the current year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.65 per share. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 5th. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AJG shares. Cowen reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays cut shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $328.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. They issued an outperform rating and a $291.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $330.00 to $277.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $314.87.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

(Free Report)

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.

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The Bombay High Court recently upheld a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) order directing Reliance General Insurance to pay Rs 35.92 lakh as compensation to the mother of a 13-year-old boy who died in an accident near Ghodbunder Road in 2019.

Reliance appealed the award as excessive, but the court refused to interfere, stressing that compensation for minors must account for future prospects and the shrinking value of money. It noted that the insurer failed to prove any breach of policy or contributory negligence. With the ruling, the MACTs award  including Rs 30.92 lakh towards medical expenses and interest at 7.5 per cent  stands intact.

The judgment, delivered on December 2, by Justice Aarti Sathe, dismissed Reliances General Insurances challenge and affirmed the tribunals December 2024 findings. The MACT concluded that the accident robbed the family of a young life, leaving behind permanent emotional and financial consequences, and ordered compensation accordingly.

Case records show that the minor, Neil Pramanik Sable, was riding pillion with his father on November 8, 2019, when a speeding truck allegedly rammed their motorcycle from behind near Ghodbunder Road. The boy suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries, undergoing prolonged treatment at a private hospital before being shifted to a government facility. Despite nearly two months of medical intervention, Neil died on January 6, 2020.

In its appeal, Reliance argued that the compensation was inflated without legal basis, objecting to the tribunals application of notional income and future prospects in the absence of earnings proof. The insurer also questioned the medical bills as exorbitant and inadequately corroborated.

The HC rejected the arguments, noting that established precedent  including the Supreme Courts ruling in Kishan Gopal & Anr vs Lala & Ors  recognises higher notional income for minors considering their likely future contribution and the rupees depreciating value. Justice Sathe observed that the MACTs computation adhered to these principles and could not be termed arbitrary or legally unsound.

The court also underlined that Reliance failed to produce any evidence to suggest contributory negligence by the child or his father, nor did it show any breach of licence norms or insurance policy conditions. The medical expenses, the court noted, were fully supported by bills, hospital documents, and testimony from treating doctors.


Torrid (NYSE:CURV  Get Free Report) and Capri (NYSE:CPRI  Get Free Report) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

81.8% of Torrid shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.3% of Capri shares are held by institutional investors. 5.9% of Torrid shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.3% of Capri shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Volatility & Risk

Torrid has a beta of 1.47, suggesting that its stock price is 47% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Capri has a beta of 1.48, suggesting that its stock price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Torrid 3 4 1 0 1.75 Capri 1 5 8 1 2.60

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Torrid and Capri, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Torrid currently has a consensus target price of $1.44, indicating a potential upside of 24.68%. Capri has a consensus target price of $26.08, indicating a potential downside of 3.63%. Given Torrids higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Torrid is more favorable than Capri.

Profitability

This table compares Torrid and Capris net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Torrid -0.18% -1.69% -0.42% Capri -29.55% -138.53% -8.48%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Torrid and Capris revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Torrid $1.10 billion 0.10 $16.32 million $0.04 28.88 Capri $4.37 billion 0.74 -$1.18 billion ($9.83) -2.75

Torrid has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Capri. Capri is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Torrid, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Capri beats Torrid on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Torrid

(Get Free Report)

Torrid Holdings Inc. operates in womens plus-size apparel and intimates market in North America. The company designs, develops, and merchandises its products under the Torrid, Torrid Curve, CURV, and Lovesick brand names. It is involved in the sale of tops, bottoms, dresses, denims, activewear, intimates, sleep wear, swim wear, and outerwear products; and non-apparel products comprising accessories, footwear, and beauty products. The company sells its products directly to consumers through its e-commerce platform and its physical stores. Torrid Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in City Of Industry, California.

About Capri

(Get Free Report)

Capri Holdings Limited designs, markets, distributes, and retails branded women's and men's apparel, footwear, and accessories in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through three segments: Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors. The company offers ready-to-wear, accessories, footwear, handbags, scarves and belts, small leather goods, eyewear, watches, jewelry, fragrances, and home furnishings through a distribution network, including boutiques, department, and specialty stores, as well as through e-commerce sites. It also engages in licensing agreements to the manufacture and sale of watches, jewelry, eyewear, and fragrances. The company was formerly known as Michael Kors Holdings Limited and changed its name to Capri Holdings Limited in December 2018. Capri Holdings Limited was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Shares of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H  Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the eighteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $158.9333.

A number of research firms have weighed in on H. Wall Street Zen lowered Hyatt Hotels from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Sunday, August 17th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $159.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a report on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an equal weight rating and a $154.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $155.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, November 10th.

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Hyatt Hotels Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE H opened at $155.97 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $14.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -167.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 1.29. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $150.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $143.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. Hyatt Hotels has a 52-week low of $102.43 and a 52-week high of $168.20.

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.30) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.79). The business had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Hyatt Hotels had a positive return on equity of 3.22% and a negative net margin of 1.27%.The businesss revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.94 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Hyatt Hotels will post 3.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hyatt Hotels Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 24th will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Hyatt Hotelss payout ratio is currently -64.52%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hyatt Hotels news, insider Peter Sears sold 12,394 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.51, for a total value of $1,927,390.94. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,594 shares of the companys stock, valued at $869,922.94. This represents a 68.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider David Udell sold 4,300 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.00, for a total transaction of $713,800.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 13,746 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,281,836. This represents a 23.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 23,835 shares of company stock valued at $3,737,955. Company insiders own 23.70% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Hyatt Hotels

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Long Pond Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Hyatt Hotels during the first quarter worth $191,922,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Hyatt Hotels by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,715,085 shares of the companys stock worth $669,221,000 after acquiring an additional 843,121 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 84.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,228,396 shares of the companys stock valued at $171,545,000 after acquiring an additional 562,611 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Hyatt Hotels by 24.5% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,765,785 shares of the companys stock valued at $392,548,000 after acquiring an additional 545,003 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GRS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Hyatt Hotels during the second quarter worth about $74,264,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.54% of the companys stock.

Hyatt Hotels Company Profile

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Hyatt Hotels Corporation operates as a hospitality company in the United States and internationally. It operates through Owned and Leased Hotels, Americas Management and Franchising, ASPAC Management and Franchising, EAME Management and Franchising, and Apple Leisure Group segments. The company manages, franchises, licenses, owns, and leases portfolio of properties, consisting of full-service hotels and resorts, select service hotels, and other properties, including timeshare, fractional, residential, vacation, and condominium units.

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Flow Traders U.S. LLC lowered its position in SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:SPEU  Free Report) by 83.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,300 shares of the companys stock after selling 249,631 shares during the quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC owned 0.34% of SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF worth $2,389,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of SPEU. HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,336,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF during the first quarter worth $782,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC bought a new stake in SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $1,146,000. Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,122 shares of the companys stock valued at $754,000 after buying an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,325 shares of the companys stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 437 shares during the period.

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SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF Stock Performance

Shares of SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF stock opened at $51.07 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $720.09 million, a P/E ratio of 16.86 and a beta of 0.94. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $50.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.21. SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF has a twelve month low of $38.99 and a twelve month high of $51.36.

About SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF

The SPDR Portfolio Europe ETF (SPEU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the STOXX Europe TMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of Western European companies across the market-cap spectrum. SPEU was launched on Oct 15, 2002 and is managed by State Street.

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Jump Financial LLC raised its position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI  Free Report) by 69.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 59,473 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after purchasing an additional 24,362 shares during the quarter. Jump Financial LLCs holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $25,006,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Motorola Solutions by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,885,593 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $9,202,016,000 after buying an additional 384,479 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Motorola Solutions by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,386,899 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $1,839,569,000 after acquiring an additional 51,474 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,374,532 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $1,477,404,000 after acquiring an additional 66,766 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,921,004 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $1,278,845,000 after acquiring an additional 47,368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the second quarter valued at approximately $872,307,000. 84.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity at Motorola Solutions

In related news, CEO Gregory Q. Brown sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $483.50, for a total value of $24,175,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 46,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,693,556. This represents a 51.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP James A. Niewiara sold 1,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $485.43, for a total value of $825,231.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 14,542 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,059,123.06. This represents a 10.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 77,600 shares of company stock worth $37,476,175 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.44% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $500.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Piper Sandler restated a neutral rating and set a $465.00 price objective (down from $495.00) on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Northcoast Research upgraded Motorola Solutions from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $450.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Motorola Solutions from $509.00 to $495.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $495.00.

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Motorola Solutions Stock Performance

NYSE MSI opened at $374.23 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.59. The firms fifty day moving average price is $413.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $430.26. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $365.40 and a 1 year high of $495.00.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The communications equipment provider reported $4.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.85 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $3.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 18.71% and a return on equity of 118.48%. Motorola Solutionss revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.74 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 13.55 EPS for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $1.21 per share. This represents a $4.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from Motorola Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.99%.

About Motorola Solutions

(Free Report)

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.

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Gabelli Funds LLC lessened its stake in Crane (NYSE:CR  Free Report) by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 776,114 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 7,184 shares during the quarter. Crane accounts for approximately 1.0% of Gabelli Funds LLCs holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Gabelli Funds LLCs holdings in Crane were worth $147,376,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Jump Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Crane by 31.8% during the first quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 27,622 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $4,231,000 after buying an additional 6,664 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Crane by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 99,856 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $15,296,000 after acquiring an additional 14,914 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Crane in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $655,000. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its stake in Crane by 35.7% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 809 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in shares of Crane by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 294,703 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $45,144,000 after purchasing an additional 3,012 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research set a $215.00 price target on Crane and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Crane from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. DA Davidson set a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Crane in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Crane from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $222.17.

Crane Price Performance

NYSE CR opened at $187.68 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $184.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $185.26. Crane has a 52 week low of $127.04 and a 52 week high of $203.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.86, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.24.

Crane (NYSE:CR  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.18. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The company had revenue of $589.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $578.54 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.38 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Crane has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.950 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Crane Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th will be issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 28th. Cranes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.74%.

Crane Profile

(Free Report)

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.

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Gamco Investors INC. ET AL reduced its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA  Free Report) by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,699,457 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 101,647 shares during the period. Mueller Water Products comprises 0.6% of Gamco Investors INC. ET ALs investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Gamco Investors INC. ET ALs holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $64,895,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Amundi boosted its position in Mueller Water Products by 11.7% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,068,539 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $26,339,000 after purchasing an additional 112,197 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Mueller Water Products by 66.1% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,535,000 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $133,061,000 after purchasing an additional 2,203,088 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 677.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,204 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 2,792 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 19.4% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,825,366 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $140,042,000 after buying an additional 945,258 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Mueller Water Products in the second quarter worth about $300,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.68% of the companys stock.

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Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

NYSE:MWA opened at $24.58 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 3.54 and a quick ratio of 2.41. The stock has a market cap of $3.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.31, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.17. Mueller Water Products has a 1-year low of $21.35 and a 1-year high of $28.58.

Mueller Water Products Increases Dividend

Mueller Water Products ( NYSE:MWA Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 24th. The industrial products company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $237.40 million for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.75% and a net margin of 13.41%. On average, research analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. This is an increase from Mueller Water Productss previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Mueller Water Productss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 15,094 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.62, for a total transaction of $371,614.28. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 85,917 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,115,276.54. This trade represents a 14.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Brian C. Healy purchased 1,070 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $25.78 per share, with a total value of $27,584.60. Following the purchase, the director owned 16,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $433,104. The trade was a 6.80% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $29.00.

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Mueller Water Products Profile

(Free Report)

Mueller Water Products, Inc manufactures and markets products and services for the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water used by municipalities, and the residential and non-residential construction industries in the United States, Israel, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions.

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ESG Planning DBA Harper Investing acquired a new position in Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 14,601 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $676,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.8% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 194,925,206 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $9,023,088,000 after acquiring an additional 3,522,202 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 70,802,680 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,277,456,000 after purchasing an additional 10,195,775 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 46,176,690 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $2,132,976,000 after purchasing an additional 723,459 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,554,154,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 5.3% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 25,974,504 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,584,185,000 after buying an additional 1,316,144 shares during the period. 76.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BMY has been the topic of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Dbs Bank upgraded Bristol Myers Squibb to a moderate buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Bristol Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $55.25.

Bristol Myers Squibb Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:BMY opened at $52.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.78. Bristol Myers Squibb Company has a 12-month low of $42.52 and a 12-month high of $63.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $106.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.62, a PEG ratio of 7.98 and a beta of 0.29.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.75 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 76.53% and a net margin of 12.57%.The companys revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.80 earnings per share. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.400-6.600 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Bristol Myers Squibb Company will post 6.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristol Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 3rd were paid a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 3rd. Bristol Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is currently 83.78%.

Bristol Myers Squibb Profile

(Free Report)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

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Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO  Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2025 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 2.400-2.650 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 2.080. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.5 billion-$6.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.4 billion. Victorias Secret & Co. also updated its Q4 2025 guidance to 2.200-2.45 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on VSCO. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. from $29.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research raised shares of Victorias Secret & Co. to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. UBS Group restated a buy rating on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Victorias Secret & Co. in a report on Monday, December 1st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $39.09.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on VSCO

Victorias Secret & Co. Trading Up 17.9%

Shares of Victorias Secret & Co. stock opened at $49.01 on Friday. Victorias Secret & Co. has a 12-month low of $13.76 and a 12-month high of $50.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.91 and a beta of 2.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48.

Victorias Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 5th. The company reported ($0.27) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.60) by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.41 billion. Victorias Secret & Co. had a net margin of 2.42% and a return on equity of 33.77%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.50) earnings per share. Victorias Secret & Co. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.400-2.650 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.200-2.45 EPS. Research analysts expect that Victorias Secret & Co. will post 2.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Victorias Secret & Co.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Victorias Secret & Co. in the first quarter worth $233,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Victorias Secret & Co. by 279.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,839 shares of the companys stock valued at $888,000 after buying an additional 35,220 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in Victorias Secret & Co. by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 62,949 shares of the companys stock worth $1,170,000 after buying an additional 1,797 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Victorias Secret & Co. by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 772,884 shares of the companys stock worth $14,314,000 after acquiring an additional 57,048 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Victorias Secret & Co. by 194.4% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 152,625 shares of the companys stock worth $2,827,000 after acquiring an additional 100,787 shares during the last quarter. 90.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Victorias Secret & Co.

(Get Free Report)

Victorias Secret & Co operates as a lingerie, clothing and beauty retailer. It offers bras, panties, lingerie, pajamas, sleep, sport and swim apparel, and beauty products. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Reynoldsburg, OH.

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Federated Hermes Inc. lowered its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 25.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 221,781 shares of the companys stock after selling 76,672 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc.s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $172,885,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 78,621.2% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,552,336 shares of the companys stock worth $9,005,392,000 after buying an additional 11,537,661 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $8,827,714,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 1st quarter valued at about $4,613,912,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 80,407,430 shares of the companys stock valued at $62,680,004,000 after acquiring an additional 1,183,038 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 106.8% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,481,031 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,154,508,000 after acquiring an additional 765,010 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $895.00 to $1,080.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,010.00 to $900.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $876.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Scotiabank initiated coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a sector outperform rating and a $1,165.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $830.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,087.32.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

NYSE LLY opened at $1,009.26 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $918.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $809.74. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $623.78 and a 12-month high of $1,111.99. The firm has a market cap of $954.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.38, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $17.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.09 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 109.52% and a net margin of 30.99%.The businesss revenue was up 53.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.18 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 23.000-23.700 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 14th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is 29.35%.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity.

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Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI  Free Report) by 2,066.9% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 3,476,001 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 3,315,589 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.s holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $164,519,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BTI. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of British American Tobacco in the 2nd quarter worth $205,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in British American Tobacco in the second quarter worth about $406,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC increased its stake in British American Tobacco by 1,172.2% during the second quarter. Cheviot Value Management LLC now owns 5,725 shares of the companys stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 5,275 shares during the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in British American Tobacco by 5.4% during the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 15,967 shares of the companys stock valued at $756,000 after purchasing an additional 816 shares during the period. Finally, Mirabella Financial Services LLP bought a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,960,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.16% of the companys stock.

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British American Tobacco Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE BTI opened at $57.03 on Friday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 12 month low of $34.82 and a 12 month high of $59.29. The companys 50-day moving average price is $53.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.87.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, August 15th. Argus upgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $62.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, September 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of British American Tobacco from a sector perform rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $51.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on BTI

About British American Tobacco

(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.

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For a 134-year-old institution, the Peoples Free Reading Room in Dhobi Talao doesnt make a show of its legacy. Only recently, the exterior of the Framjee Cowasjee Institute, where it is housed, started undergoing renovations, with biscuit-coloured paint for the building and gold detailing on its ornate neoclassical columns. Its the kind of coat that immediately draws your attention. Not to the reading room, says Gulshan Cooper, the librarian who has been working here for the last 49 years. From the 4050 people who walked in daily to borrow books in the 1970s, the place, she says, now barely has about 100 subscribers monthly. During peak months, which is the examination period, it reaches 500. Students come here to study because its quiet and peaceful, says Cooper. Most people prefer the monthly membership of Rs 500. The lifetime membership of Rs 10,000, which allows access to the 10,000-odd books and use of the space for reading and working (there are charging points for laptops), feels too steep for many, she says ruefully.

In 2021, the library sent out an appeal for financial aid to prevent it from shutting down permanently. Four years later, help has arrived miraculously  members of the trust were recently told that the late Harshaben Parekh, the iconic librarian of SNDT Womens University, had donated Rs 35 lakh to the institution in her will.

Author Jerry Pinto, who is chairman of the board of trustees at the library, says this is a much-needed boost for the institution. For months now, Pinto has been deliberating ideas to engage the community in ways only a library can. The challenges and cost of running a public library in the city, he says, are infinite, but without the readers, it all amounts to nothing.

The next chapter

On a Friday afternoon, Pinto walks us into the library, which, he says, started as a working mans institute, where young men could come read, discuss and listen to lectures. A merchant named Damodardas Sukhadwala, who had a sukhad (sandalwood) business, opened the library here in 1891. At one point, the space also served as a hall for dramas. When [historian] Ramachandra Guha visited, he said it might have been the place where Mahatma Gandhi gave his first speech, because Gandhiji is said to have given that speech in Bombay inside a small hall, set in a library, says Pinto.

At present, the many wooden bookshelves on the floors above and below lie empty. Pinto says that a little after the pandemic they were forced to weed out tens of thousands of books. Books are costly to maintain, he explains. He points to the librarys star collectionPersian poet Abu al-Qasim Ferdowsis long epic poem Shahnameh, which is kept inside a cabinet. This edition was made around the time that Shakespeare was still alive I wanted to get this book looked at for conservation purposes, and just for that, I was quoted Rs 2 lakh. The fact that there are empty shelves means its probably the only library that has room to grow. Pinto is encouraging book donations.

A well-bound legacy

In suburban Vile Parle, the Shreedhar Vasudev Phatak Library inside the Lokmanya Seva Sangh (LSS) building has survived the test of time. The library, which turned a hundred this year, was conceived as part of a holistic social project inspired by Lokmanya Tilaks philosophy: to build informed communities through shared spaces for learning. What began modestly with 70-80 members and around 500 donated titles today houses 85,000 books and serves 3,000 active members. Of the total collection, Atul Gokhale, secretary of LSS, says around 2,500 are reference books (in Marathi, Sanskrit, Hindi and English) and 10,000 form the childrens section. Footfall averages 150 people a day.

Gokhale says the library offers eight to 10 membership schemes with fees beginning as low as Rs 90. They no longer offer lifetime memberships, as a fixed fee cant sustain the library amid rising expenses. I believe thats one of the reasons why we survived so long.

The library has also received a lot of community support. A donor funded an air-conditioning upgrade in 2010-12, which helped protect books from moisture, he says. The library regularly recycles old and worn-out books, ensuring that they dont just have books, but books that are readable.

Readers matter

Among the citys younger public libraries is MCubed in Bandra West. Co-founded by Vibha Kamat, Vaishali Shinde and Sonal Bimal in 2011, its seed was sown when Kamat realised she didnt have space for books at home. The discovery of a space at the Maharashtra Mitra Mandal library led the trio to consider carving out a book lending and reading space. Today, it holds around 24,000 books across English, Marathi, Hindi, many of them for children. The childrens reading patterns are telling. The most enthusiastic group is between six and 10 years old. Many continue through ages 1112, but the library loses most of them once they enter Class 8, 9 and 10, says Kamat. Weve tried everything to keep them, including adding new titles, but somehow for them, life takes over.

This reflects a larger challenge that most libraries continually face, which is of retaining readers. While Pinto has been exploring workable models for the Dhobi Talao library with plans to host a series of book-related eventsPoetry Circle 2.0 meets here once a month, Kamat and her team have already developed several successful programmes. These include movie screenings, workshops, reading clubs, and quiz nights for both children and seniors, for which they charge a basic fee of Rs 500. The priority, say Kamat and Pinto, is to raise funds so they can pay their staff, including eventually hiring a full-time librarian. This will only be possible if more people see value in public reading rooms.

Every few years, a library in Mumbai shutters, taking away not just the books, but the conversations it nurtured. As more of these disappear, we may have to deal with a greater costthe erosion of intellectual life and concomitant burden of ignorance. We need our libraries more than ever, says Kamat.


Consolidated Edison Inc (NYSE:ED  Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Reduce from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $104.5833.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on ED. New Street Research set a $106.00 price objective on Consolidated Edison in a report on Monday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Consolidated Edison in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Consolidated Edison in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. They set an in-line rating and a $106.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Bank of America lowered shares of Consolidated Edison from a buy rating to an underperform rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $112.00 to $101.00 in a research report on Friday, August 15th.

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Consolidated Edison Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ED opened at $96.53 on Friday. Consolidated Edison has a 52 week low of $87.28 and a 52 week high of $114.87. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $99.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.41. The company has a market cap of $34.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.88, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.14. Consolidated Edison had a return on equity of 8.79% and a net margin of 12.27%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. Consolidated Edison has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.600-5.700 EPS. Research analysts predict that Consolidated Edison will post 5.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Consolidated Edison Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 19th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 19th. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.44%.

Institutional Trading of Consolidated Edison

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its stake in shares of Consolidated Edison by 46.7% in the second quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 3,714 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 1,183 shares in the last quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs acquired a new position in Consolidated Edison during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,631,000. Texas Yale Capital Corp. boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 41.8% in the 2nd quarter. Texas Yale Capital Corp. now owns 16,627 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,669,000 after acquiring an additional 4,900 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 18.8% in the 2nd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 6,960 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $698,000 after acquiring an additional 1,102 shares during the period. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd grew its position in Consolidated Edison by 65.5% in the second quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 14,502 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,423,000 after acquiring an additional 5,742 shares in the last quarter. 66.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Consolidated Edison Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan.

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Minera Alamos Inc. (CVE:MAI  Get Free Report) fell 1.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.43 and last traded at C$0.43. 959,110 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 5% from the average session volume of 1,011,942 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.44.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on MAI. Desjardins lowered their price target on shares of Minera Alamos from C$1.00 to C$0.90 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 18th. National Bankshares decreased their price objective on Minera Alamos from C$0.65 to C$0.55 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of C$0.73.

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Minera Alamos Trading Down 1.1%

Minera Alamos Company Profile

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$0.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of C$460.32 million, a P/E ratio of -6.23 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 4.26, a quick ratio of 3.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 21.24.

(Get Free Report)

Minera Alamos Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of mineral properties in Mexico. The company explores for gold, silver, molybdenum, and copper deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Santana project consists of 9 mining claims covering an area of approximately 3,100 hectares located in the east-southeast of Hermosillo, Sonora; the Cerro de Oro project that includes an area of 6,500 hectares situated in Zacatecas, Mexico; and the La Fortuna project covering an area of approximately 6,100 hectares located in Durango State, Mexico, as well as the Los Verdes property located in the State of Sonora, Mexico.

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DP Poland Plc (LON:DPP  Get Free Report) crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 8 and traded as low as GBX 7.25. DP Poland shares last traded at GBX 7.25, with a volume of 630,702 shares trading hands.

DP Poland Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.43. The firm has a market capitalization of 68.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 362.50 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 8 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 9.

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DP Poland (LON:DPP  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, September 15th. The company reported GBX (0.05) EPS for the quarter. DP Poland had a negative net margin of 4.89% and a negative return on equity of 9.58%. On average, equities research analysts expect that DP Poland Plc will post -1.5326316 EPS for the current fiscal year.

DP Poland Company Profile

DP Poland Plc develops, operates, and sub-franchises Domino's Pizza stores in Poland. The company operates through two segments: Corporate Store Sales and Commissary Operations. It operates pizza delivery and dine-in restaurants. DP Poland Plc was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, will arrive in Azerbaijan on an official visit, Trend reports.

During the visit the Iranian minister will hold meetings with Azerbaijani officials and discuss the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

The visit is taking place at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is part of the regular consultations held between the foreign ministries of the two countries at various levels.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva, together with the head of Baku Media Center Arzu Aliyeva, visited Dhaka, the capital of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, Trend reports.

On December 7, as part of the visit, Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva met with Chief Adviser of Bangladeshs Interim Government, world-renowned economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

During the meeting, the sincere greetings of President Ilham Aliyev were conveyed to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. It was emphasized that he has made numerous visits to Azerbaijan over the years, including his participation in COP29 in November 2024, has met several times with the President of Azerbaijan, and has always been warmly welcomed in the country.

It was noted that Azerbaijan has always maintained friendly relations with Bangladesh and has successfully cooperated in various formats.

Professor Muhammad Yunus was informed that Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva visited an institution in Dhaka for orphaned and homeless children.

It was highlighted that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and IDEA Public Union are interested in cooperating with relevant organizations in Bangladesh in humanitarian, social, youth and volunteer work, environmental protection, and other fields, as well as in implementing joint projects.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said that he fondly remembers his meetings with the President of Azerbaijan during his numerous visits to the country and asked that his greetings be conveyed to the head of state. Referring to his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev during COP29, he noted the great potential for effective cooperation between the two countries and stressed the importance of carrying out practical activities.

Yunus emphasized that he personally witnessed Azerbaijans significant achievements in various areas and expressed deep gratitude for the efforts to strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh and implement practical support programs.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Azerbaijan on a visit, the minister says on his official Telegram page, Trend reports.

It is reported that the minister, who leads the Iranian delegation, will meet and hold consultations with the Azerbaijani officials in Baku.

19:06 (GMT+4) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed for a visit to Azerbaijan, the minister says on his official Telegram page, Trend reports.

Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani officials as part of the visit.

The visit is being carried out at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is part of regular consultations that take place between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries at various levels.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. NARGIS Magazine opened its magical seasonal project, Winter in Azerbaijan, a festive Gingerbread City exhibition that brings together craftsmanship, imagination and holiday spirit. Hosted at Port Baku Mall, the exhibition invites visitors into a miniature gingerbread world.

The grand opening welcomed guests into an atmosphere of warmth and celebration. Throughout the evening, beloved mascots such as the Grinch, Olaf, Santa Claus, and a magician entertained visitors, while the childrens choir of the IMEC filled the space with cheerful melodies. Live music by Merry Band added to the festive ambiance. Guests were served hot chocolate, and gluten-free cookies. In addition, visitors received exclusive Winter in Azerbaijan postcards and gingerbread cookies as a gift.

The NARGIS team also extends heartfelt thanks to all sponsors whose contributions made the exhibition possible, including Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC, Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Azerpost LLC, Baku Metro CJSC, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku City Circuit Operations Company, Wolt delivery service, MasterCard, Push30 LLC, Miniboss Business School training centre, Medsol LLC, Kidsberry store, Glodemia training centre, iTicket LLC, The Attack cafe, and aNanas cafe-bakery.

NARGIS Magazine expresses its sincere gratitude to Port Baku Mall for providing the venue for the exhibition.

We also thank our media partners for their invaluable support in bringing attention to this project. Among them are television channels AzTV, Mdniyyt TV, Ictimai TV, Xzr TV, ARB24 TV, Space TV and Naxcvan TV; radio stations 90 FM Ictimai Radio, Xzr Radio, Araz Radio, Asan Radio, Avto FM, Dalga FM and Planet FM; as well as online platforms Global Media Group, 1news.az, Day.az, Trend.az, Azernews.az, Milli.az, Azertac and 7news.az.

The exhibition will remain open to the public to January 15. Entrance is free.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, together with the head of Baku Media Center, Arzu Aliyeva, visited an institution for orphaned and homeless girls in Dhaka, the capital of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, on December 6 as part of their visit to the country, Trend reports.

The management and teaching staff of Shorkari Shishu Poribar (Government Orphanage) provided detailed information about the institutions activities. It was noted that the facility, operating under the Department of Social Services and financed through voluntary donations from various sources, permanently houses more than 130 children. In addition to education, the children receive vocational training and are taught various work skills to prepare them for future life.

Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva then familiarized themselves with the conditions and needs of the orphanage, including the dormitories and classrooms, and held a heartfelt conversation with the teaching staff and children. They were informed that, guided by the principle of humanism consistently upheld by the Azerbaijani state on a global scale, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation implements various social projects in different countries. In this context, the possibility of implementing an assistance program for the institution was discussed.

At the end of the visit, the pupils of the orphanage performed a program featuring Bangladeshi folk songs and dances for the guests from Azerbaijan.
I waited almost two hours for the stars to align in order for me to take the photograph that accompanies this column, where the grandchildren of three illustrious Progressive artists  Francis Newton Souza, Krishen Khanna and Tyeb Mehta  are juxtaposed alongside Khannas wry, nostalgic The Last Bite (2005) a la The Last Supper, which depicts their grandfathers and other key figures in their seminal post-WWII artistic efflorescence. This charming generation next has established their own significant creative careers: Solomon Souza is a world-renowned British-Israeli muralist (with a Mumbai gallery debut in the works), Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi is an acclaimed Director of Photography in the Los Angeles film industry, and Kajoli Khanna is a London-based gallery director who co-curated the marvellous landmark retrospective Krishen Khanna at 100: The Last Progressive, now in its last few days at the NGMA.

If you have not yet visited the historic Khanna exhibition, please hasten to do so, and for additional good measure I also highly recommend crossing the MG Road to take in Resonant Histories: India and the Arab World at the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation, where one of the greatest Souza works Death of a Pope (1961) will be on display until February. Viewed back-to-back in this way, theyre an emphatic reminder of the lasting power and impact of the Progressive Artists Group, that unlikely band of misfits and outsiders who burst out of Bombay after independence in 1947, and still continue to dominate our auction records almost eight decades later.

Last month, however, there was an even more uniquely impactful treat available during Art Mumbai, because you could take in both the NGMA and JNAF exhibitions, then head directly to Tyeb Mehta - Bearing Weight (with the lightness of being), yet another canonical retrospective studded with some of the most iconic modernist paintings in Indian art history. It was my good luck to do exactly that, and I was absolutely blown away.

How is it these paintings from decades past have retained so much potency for new generations of Indians right into the 21st century? Part of the reason must lie in what Zehra Jumabhoy  the powerhouse UK-based art historian and co-curator of the Krishen Khanna retrospective  told me were her own motivations. The Progressives allow us to revisit the issues that haunt all my shows: where did it all begin for Indian art and the Indian nation? For me, the answer is clear: the moderns in Mumbai, the home of a syncretic, multi-religious, cosmopolitan identity. What are the lessons we can learn from that heady moment? Is there anything left of that cosmopolitan spirit that formed the bedrock of Indias cultural consciousness as a new nation in 1947?

This is an ironic twist to our times: on the one hand sweeping majoritarianism appears to be the political order of the day, but the Indian art marketplace continues to be single-mindedly fixated on the wildly heterogeneous Progressives, to the extent of sustaining a thriving industry of fakes. In this regard, it is painful to report the NGMA itself had blatantly fraudulent Souzas and Gaitondes on its top floor during the Khanna exhibition opening, with a gallery name attached for purchase (they were later removed).

The work of the Progressives continues to resonate because it posed questions we are still grappling with, says Farhad Dehlvi, questions of identity, belonging, empathy, and our place in a world that is constantly in flux. Each time I return to their paintings, it feels like an ongoing conversation  shaped as much by my own changing perspectives as by the ideas and lived experiences they once committed to canvas.

I had emailed Dehlvi in the US to enquire whether he was surprised that his grandfathers works were being seized upon and championed by young Indians just like him, and also asked him what he might like to share with people his own age about them. He responded most usefully: Id encourage them to take their time with a painting rather than rush to any conclusion about its meaning. He worked in a deliberate, deeply considered way, and each line and brushstroke plays a meaning in what the work ultimately evokes.


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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. Iran saves over $1.5 billion annually through its railway transport network, Mir Hossein Mousavi, deputy director of Iranian Railways (RAI), told reporters, Trend reports.

Mousavi pointed out that the nations railways haul over 43 million tons of freight and carry 31 million passengers annually, keeping the wheels of commerce turning and the people on the move.

He added that in addition to these figures, the railway plays a crucial role in reducing road accidents and limiting environmental pollution. Musavi also noted that freight transport via rail has increased by 12 percent over the past year.

At present, the Iranian railway infrastructure encompasses a total of 14,984 kilometers, functioning with a fleet of 993 locomotives, 29,950 freight wagons, and 2,178 passenger carriages.

---

Follow the author on X: @BaghishovElnur
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 7. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed on a set of coordinated measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of grain cargo through the Saryagash Interstate Junction Point, Trend reports via Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

The agreements were finalized during a multilateral meeting held in Saryagash and Tashkent, attended by the Kazakh delegation led by Chairman of JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and First Vice Minister of Agriculture Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, as well as senior Uzbek officials including Transport Minister Ilkhom Makkamov, Deputy Agriculture Minister Khasanboy Yuldashev, and Chairman of Uzbekistan Railways Zhasurbek Narzullaev.

The parties approved joint steps to manage rising grain volumes along the corridor to Central Asia and Afghanistan - flows that have increased significantly in 2025. In the first 11 months of the year, grain shipments to Central Asian countries rose by 32% to 5.6 million tons, contributing to congestion at Uzbek receiving terminals.

Under the new arrangements, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will raise the daily train exchange rate to 35 pairs and ensure that Uzbekistan receives at least 10 grain trains in hopper wagons and five food trains in covered wagons each day. Both sides also committed to maintaining round-the-clock unloading operations, including on weekends and public holidays, to accelerate wagon turnover.

To maintain balance in loading and unloading, the two countries will coordinate export schedules based on available capacity at Uzbek grain receivers and jointly manage the circulation of empty wagons.

For reference, total rail cargo exchange between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan reached 28.5 million tons in JanuaryNovember 2025, up 16% year-on-year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. The average prices of Azeri LT CIF, Azeri Light FOB Ceyhan, and Urals (EX NOVO) crude oil brands fell, while the average price of Dated Brent crude oil increased this week, Trend reports.

The average price of Azeri Light CIF oil produced at Azerbaijan's Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field increased by $0.59, or 0.9%, compared to last week, to $66.49 per barrel.

The highest price for this grade of oil during the reporting period came in at $66.95 per barrel, while the lowest dropped down to $66.22 per barrel.

This week, the average price of Azeri Light crude oil on FOB terms at the Turkish port of Ceyhan was $64.5 per barrel, which is $0.69, or 1.1%, more than a week before.

During the reporting period, the maximum price for this grade of oil was $65.05 per barrel, and the minimum price was $64.19 per barrel.

URALS oil averaged $40.75 per barrel, down $3.9, or 8.7%, from last week. The highest price for URALS oil during the week was $42.10 per barrel, and the lowest was $39.30 per barrel.

Dated Brent crude oil averaged $64.36 per barrel for the week, up $0.6, or 0.9%, from last week. The highest price for Dated Brent crude oil for the week was $64.64 per barrel, and the lowest was $64.18 per barrel.

Oil type/date 01.12.2025 02.12.2025 03.12.2025 04.12.2025 05.12.2025 Average price Azeri LT CIF $66.22 $66.22 $66.54 $66.50 $66.95 $66.49 Azeri Light FOB Ceyhan $64.19 $64.21 $64.54 $64.51 $65.05 $64.5 Urals (EX NOVO) $42.10 $41.58 $40.90 $39.86 $39.30 $40.75 Dated Brent $64.22 $64.18 $64.41 $64.36 $64.64 $64.36

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. Iran's relations with Azerbaijan are of great importance, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference held today in Tehran, Trend reports.

According to him, Iran and Azerbaijan share ties of neighborhood, culture, and common history. Iran seeks to develop relations between the two countries through diplomatic visits.

"Iran is committed to helping strengthen peace and stability in the very important Caucasus region," he noted.

A ministry spokesperson announced that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will visit Baku today. A number of meetings are planned for tomorrow.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 7. There is no need for an intermediary in Iran's contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghai said at a press conference in Tehran, Trend reports.

According to him, it is not strange that various parties discuss the Iran issue during their talks with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi. It is natural that different issues are in the spotlight in each conversation. It is natural for different issues to be the focus of attention in every conversation.

Bagai said, however, that there is no question of bringing forward mediation or regular discussions during these talks, because Iran's contacts with the IAEA continue normally through traditional channels.

To note, Iran has minimized its relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency following Israeli and US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. In this regard, the Iranian parliament has adopted a law on cooperation with the IAEA. According to the law, any cooperation with the IAEA can take place only with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  The Trump administration is making good on a promise to send more water to California farmers in the states crop-rich Central Valley.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday announced a new plan for operating the Central Valley Project, a vast system of pumps, dams and canals that direct water southward from the states wetter north. It follows an executive order President Donald Trump signed in January calling for more water to flow to farmers, arguing the state was wasting the precious resource in the name of protecting endangered fish species.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the plan will help the federal government strengthen Californias water resilience. It takes effect Friday.

But California officials and environmental groups blasted the move, saying sending significantly more water to farmlands could threaten water delivery to the rest of the state and would harm salmon and other fish.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsoms office said the plan was an example of the Trump administration putting politics over people.

As per usual, the emperor is left with no clothes, pushing for an outcome that disregards science and undermines our ability to protect the water supply for people, farms, and the environment, spokesperson Tara Gallegos said in a statement.

Most of the states water is in the north, but most of its people are in the south. The federally managed Central Valley Project works in tandem with the state-managed State Water Project, which sends water to cities that supply 27 million Californians. The systems transport water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an estuary that provides critical habitat to fish and wildlife including salmon and the delta smelt.

It is important for the two systems to work together, Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, said in a statement. She warned the Trump administrations plan could limit the states ability to send water to cities and farmers. That is because the state could be required to devote more water to species protection if the federal project sends more to farms.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director at Restore the Delta, said pumping more water out would result in more Delta smelt and juvenile salmon dying from getting stuck in the pumping system, and once the temperature warms, harmful algae blooms will develop that are dangerous to fish, wildlife, pets and people. That could have economic impacts, she said.

When you destroy water quality and divorce it from land, you are also destroying property values, she said. Nobody wants to live near a fetid, polluted backwater swamp.

The Bureau of Reclamation denied the changes would harm the environment or endangered species.

The plan is a forward-looking approach to water management that balances the needs of Californias communities, agriculture, and ecosystems, said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek.

The Central Valley Project primarily sends water to farms, with a much smaller amount going to cities and industrial use. Water from the Central Valley Project irrigates roughly one-third of California agriculture, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The Westlands Water District, one of the largest uses of Central Valley Project water, cheered the decision. It will help ensure that our growers have the water they need to support local communities and the nations food supply, while also protecting Californias wildlife, general manager Allison Febbo said in a statement.

But Vance Staplin, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, said in a statement that protections for salmon are already weak and some runs that rely on the water are close to being wiped out. He called for Newsom to file a lawsuit to challenge this unlawful federal move.

During Trumps first term, he allowed more water to be directed to the Central Valley, a move that Newsom fought in court, saying it would push endangered delta smelt, chinook salmon and steelhead trout populations to extinction. The Biden administration changed course, adopting its own water plan in 2024 that environmental groups said was a modest improvement.

Trump renewed his criticism of the states water policies after the Los Angeles-area fires broke out in January and some fire hydrants ran dry. The Central Valley Project does not supply water to Los Angeles.

The president dubbed his January executive order Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California.

___

Golden reported from Seattle.

By SOPHIE AUSTIN and HALLIE GOLDEN

Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  Police in North Carolina have charged a 33-year-old man with critically injuring another person in a stabbing on a Charlotte commuter train, just a few months after a Ukrainian refugee riding one of the citys trains was killed in an unrelated knife attack.

Oscar Solarzano, 33, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon and other crimes stemming from the Friday afternoon attack in which he wielded a large knife, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said in a news release.

Police said the victim suffered a stab wound and was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Solarzano was being held in jail Saturday without bond. A magistrate judge said in a court filing that the suspect was in the U.S. illegally and had previously been deported. He faced a hearing Monday morning in Mecklenburg County District Court.

An arrest warrant filed in a North Carolina court says Solarzano appeared to be intoxicated and was slurring his words when he challenged the victim to a fight.

Online court and jail records did not list an attorney for Solarzano.

The attack comes less than four months after a 23-year-old woman from Ukraine was killed on a Charlotte commuter train in an apparently random assault captured on video. The victim, Iryna Zarutska, had been living in a bomb shelter in Ukraine before coming to to the U.S. to escape the war, her relatives said.

A suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., has been charged first-degree murder for Zarutskas killing in a North Carolina state court, and was also indicted in federal court on a charge of causing death on a mass transportation system.

The death of the Ukrainian woman sparked anger among allies of President Donald Trump and figures in his Make America Great Again movement. Many pointed to the case as evidence that federal intervention was needed because leaders of large cities and state governors are failing to protect their residents from crime and rampant illegal immigration.

In November, the Trump administration increased immigration enforcement in Charlotte. City officials said the surge in enforcement caused unnecessary fear and uncertainty.

Trump commented Saturday about the latest stabbing on his Truth Social site. Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whats going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!! President DJT
Alexi Indris-Santana wasnt really Alexi Indris-Santana. Instead, the Princeton athlete was born James Hogue, not a self-educated orphan from Utah but a wily opportunist from Kansas. A natural runner by either name, the student was the focus of a Chameleon podcast I caught last week. The story revealed how hed conned the system to create a new identity, stealing bicycles and status wherever he went.

The year was 1988, back when impostors had it easier, spared the pesky evidence of digital footprints. Of course, scammers will scam regardless the era, but this audio yarn teemed with good old-fashioned chutzpah. As host Josh Dean put it, Hogue was his own talented Mr Ripley.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors. The films title has entered our general vocabulary.

The reference caught my ear, as lately Ive been hunting film nods. You know the kind, where a speaker only needs to utter Groundhog Day, say, to put you in the picture, that endless loop of existence. Just as The Truman Show will summon the covert surveillance we endure without consent or clue, all thanks to the nightmare awakening of Jim Carrey (as Truman Burbank) in 1998.

Only last month, the Macquarie panel seeking Word of the Year assessed two new film allusions, proof the trend is climbing. Clanker was the first, a caustic nickname for any chatbot or artificial communicator, stealing the slur from Star Wars.
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MoneyPlanning & budgetingChristmas Opinion One quick conversation could save your relationship this Christmas Victoria Devine Money columnist December 7, 2025  2:01am

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Its true that the holiday season is a time of celebrating the end of another year with loved ones and eating your body weight in shortbread. For many people, its also a time of financial strain and relationship pressure. After all, its not a coincidence that lawyers have long referred to January as divorce month. December all too often proves the final straw for a relationship. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found the most common month for divorce filings is March, but its in January that people tend to get the ball rolling. Excess spending on Christmas presents can put relationships to the test during the holidays. Rhett Wyman In 2024, law firm Slater and Gordon researched the main reasons for divorce in the UK and among the most common reasons  right after adultery and falling out of love  were lack of communication and financial issues. Both issues can crop up in a relationship at any time, but they can quickly go into overdrive and become a major problem when external factors test you  factors like the month of December. Youre busy with school and social events, buying presents, travelling or having visitors and trying to get everything done at work before wrapping up for the year.

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With so much already on our plates, its understandable that communicating effectively and managing the household budget can quickly fall by the wayside. Yet keeping those things in check is one of the best Christmas presents you can give yourself and your partner. If youre feeling stressed about the weeks ahead and are keen to avoid pushing your relationship to breaking point, you absolutely need to have a proactive conversation. Sure, this is not something most of us look forward to, but it doesnt have to end in an argument, either. Going into the conversation, consider how you could do things differently this year to avoid history repeating itself. The prime consideration before you sit down to talk is to spend some time on your own. Think clearly about what is making you feel stressed, anxious or uneasy, then imagine potential remedies. Once you know what the specific stressors are, addressing them  and making your partner aware of them  becomes that little bit easier. And importantly, it stops the conversation from turning into a blame game, instead framing a discussion with room for negotiation to come up with a joint plan to benefit both.

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The next step is one that every couple should follow when they need to discuss money, and I cannot stress this point enough: set a time to have the conversation. Editor's pick Opinion

Gender pay gap Working parents are in an impossible position. But what can we do? Victoria Devine Money columnist There is nothing worse than coming home from a long day at work and being met with a serious chat where big feelings were involved that you didnt know that it was coming. You dont have to make it a romantic, candle-lit affair (youre certainly welcome to if that floats your boat), but you do need a heads-up. With that, you can both think about what you want to say and prepare yourself emotionally (see above). Without that, the chance of it turning into an argument becomes pretty high. And not only will that make you both unhappy, it will also leave the issue unresolved. When youre ready to have the conversation, its important to remember how youve prepared and talk about how youre feeling, but also the possible solutions.

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Lets say, for example, that your major stress is how much youre going to spend on presents because in years past youve gone over budget, then spent months paying off your credit card or dipping into your emergency fund. Going into the conversation, consider how you could do things differently to avoid history repeating itself. Perhaps this looks like putting a spending cap on presents, or suggesting a Kris Kringle to cut down from many gifts to only one or two. Australians will spend an average of $560 on presents this year. iStock Maybe you set a maximum total amount for all presents and set that aside in a specific account to be used as a pool from which to withdraw. Another critical aspect to this initial conversation is to listen to the other person and their perspective. Sure, this sounds obvious, but many times Ive heard divorced people say their partner never understood the issues because they either didnt listen or didnt consider where they were coming from.

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This initial conversation is also a great time to set some rules  the dos and donts that will help ease your worries. This could look like: dont spend more than $500 on presents for the kids or dont spend more than $200 on a single item without checking in with each other first, but do look online to see if theres a cheaper version elsewhere to price-match. Editor's pick Opinion

Jobs Do mingle, dont gossip: Six rules for your work Christmas party Tim Duggan Work columnist Another important agenda item for this initial conversation is organising check-ins. Couples usually have financial check-ins every month or quarter, but unintentional runaway spending most often happens when times are really busy and theres a lot going on. Thats why, in December, its worth having weekly check-ins to track your budget and also to see how youre both going. These check-ins dont have to be a grand affair and can take as little as 10 minutes, but having them in your diary from the outset will help with your anxiety. Importantly, theyre likely to keep you both that little bit more accountable. Finally, go into the conversation with an end goal. This should be something you mutually agree to work towards, and that the regular check-ins and dos and donts will help you work towards.

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The end goal could be to not take on any debt this festive season. Perhaps its to spend within the agreed budget only, or it might even be more serious than that  to get to the end of the year without incurring resentment or hurt. Whatever the goal, make sure you have one. Without one, not only are you putting yourself at risk of having a budget blow-out, but youre also putting yourself at risk of becoming a January statistic. Victoria Devine is an award-winning retired financial adviser, a bestselling author and host of Australias No.1 finance podcast, Shes on the Money. She is also founder and director of Zella Money. Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their personal circumstances before making any financial decisions. Expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money delivered to your inbox every Sunday. Sign up for our Real Money newsletter.

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Opinion Victoria Devine is an award-winning retired financial adviser, best-selling author, and host of Australias number one finance podcast, Shes on the Money. Victoria is also the founder and managing director of Zella Money.
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Every year when December 1 rolls around, the same few thoughts pop into my brain. First: Wow, its still pretty cold for summer (I try not to dwell on that one too much) and second: What the hell am I going to get everyone for Christmas?

Im hardly unique in thinking the latter, as almost everyone has people in their lives that are difficult to buy for. And there are only so many times you can purchase scented candles, Gold Class gift cards and nice soap before it starts to get a bit old.

Set your kids up for success with a money-related Christmas present. Michael Howard

Whats the problem?
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NationalRare earths Opinion When will the Australia/US critical minerals deal bear fruit? Lets ask a player Peter FitzSimons Columnist and author December 7, 2025  2:00am

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In a week when PwC Australia released a report saying just seven of 124 investment-ready critical mineral projects have received the green light for funding in Australia in the past financial year, I talked to my friend, Michelle Wood, the CEO of Gippsland Critical Minerals. Fitz: Hi Michelle, but enough chit-chat. Two months ago, we had brass bands and balloons because Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump had done a deal whereby  I think  America would buy our critical minerals, and Australia would get squillions! Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump signed the critical minerals deal at the White House. Aresna Villanueva MW: Yes, it was a great breakthrough. And all about recognising that China has become dominant in critical minerals and Australia and America both need to have a secure supply of them to make so much modern technology work. Fitz: But this week, I read, PwC has come out with a report saying that while Australia has 124 investment-ready critical mineral projects  as the need has been so widely recognised for years now  only seven actually got started in the last financial year. As you are close to being on the list to carry my coffin in 30 years, I know I can trust you to give me the good oil, as I want to understand this issue. Are you ready to play?

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MW: Indeed. It is complicated, difficult and slow to get new projects up and going in Australia. A lot of it plays back to this stuff that actually happened last month with the federal government passing the legislative reform on the EPBC . . . Fitz: EPBC!? I actually thought we could start on a simpler level, like, What are critical minerals? MW: [Laughing] OK, lets do it like that. Governments came up with the term critical minerals to describe certain important materials  such as copper and nickel. And if you remember the periodic table at school, at the bottom are 17 little boxes, and theyre the rare earth elements, a subset of critical minerals. Fitz: And what are they critical of? Those snooty elements at the top of the table, in shape to contest the Elementary Grand Final, who think theyre sooooo good? MW: Maybe they are critical because its only recently that we have recognised their brilliance and done something about it! Basically, they are critical because of how important they are to modern technology, renewable energy and so many defence systems. It is not because theyre scarce, per se.

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Fitz: And I gather they have been mined for years, but only this century or so have they really become desperately critical? Related Article Opinion

Rare earths Rinehart hates renewables, but her green metals bets are booming Colin Kruger Senior business reporter MW: Yes. Driven in large part by renewable energy, but also our demand for modern technologies such as mobile phones and robotics. Just prior to that realisation, though, lots of critical mineral mines around the world closed in the 1990s because the margins were so small. Fitz: And thats where the trouble started. MW: Thats where Chinas sheer dominance started. From the late 1990s and early 2000s China realised how important they were going to be to everything in the modern age, and so started buying mines and increasing processing capacity  helped by very low labour costs, government support and little regulation  and started finding, processing and stockpiling huge quantities of them.

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Fitz: And so racing forward, when Trump became president the second time, his first move was to whack tariffs on everything that moved and most things that didnt, to which Chinas response was, No more soup for you today, and no more critical minerals? MW: Yes, China went all-in on critical minerals. In Australia, we do iron ore, and they buy our iron ore. China controls more than 90 per cent of processing, and almost all the processing for the heavy rare earths the West relies on for defence and high-end magnets. The Chinese know how to do it: theyve got the skills, the intellectual property, the machinery, theyve come up with faster and faster ways to do it, not always the most environmentally sensitive, while the rest of the world was left behind. Fitz: So the Chinese have Trump over a barrel of processed lithium, which he cant have. And suddenly, because Australia has a lot of critical minerals, we are Americas new Best Friend Forever, again. Cue the bugles and balloons, this big deal is signed to much fanfare. What was the essence of the deal? MW: America will commit billions of dollars to Australia, to secure rare earths and critical minerals, that can then go to America from a source that they can trust and rely upon  independently of China. Fitz: OK, so from that moment, even Albaneses most bitter critics say, Actually, this is a good deal for Australia. Thunderbirds Are Go! But then the PwC report comes out, saying Thunderbirds are actually flying like sick ducks into a headwind. Why are investors so slow to back these projects?

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MW: Largely because of our regulations  which are important and necessary and which protect us and the environment. Related Article Opinion

Electric vehicles Chinas electric car dominance is starting to falter Fitz: Which is where that new law that was passed a fortnight ago comes in, championed by Environment Minister Murray Watt, with the support of the Greens. Remind me? The guts of it? MW: Its called the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). Some are now calling it the nature positive bill. And its not there to weaken the environment regulations, but to give clearer rules and timeframes, so projects get a faster yes or a faster no, providing clarity to companies that want to invest, and better certainty as to how long things are going to take, from inception to production. Fitz: Is it the feds taking over from the states or not?

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MW: State governments still make the decisions, but it does also allow the federal and state ministers to prioritise projects deemed of particular importance and make regulators give much quicker approvals or refusals. Otherwise, companies end up spending millions of dollars just trying to get approval. For a lot of modern mines, it can now take nearly 20 years from discovery to production once you add exploration, studies, approvals and financing. Its not really feasible for small companies to sustain that, but I think these new laws look good. Fitz: OK, so in your case, I cant help but notice that in the past three years, youve been constantly disappearing to Victoria to do something, something, mineral sands, something, something, heavy metals, something, dysprosium, terbium, something, something. If we can fit in a tight gratuitous plug  at least by way of using your own experience as an example of the issues  what is that all about? MW: Our project is called the Fingerboards project in East Gippsland, and it seeks to mine zircon, titanium and light and heavy rare earths. Fitz: OK. But as a serious question, how do your locals in beautiful East Gippsland know that youre not going to ravage the earth and leave a huge and unsightly gash on Mother Natures shapely left breast? MW: We are heavily regulated. The approval process is exacting and is reviewed by the public, by government, by community, by independent experts. But they wont approve the project if we dont put in place assurances about how we manage local impacts, how we work with First Nations peoples and ensuring we approach the project with transparency and strong levels of local engagement. I suspect thats why a humble non-engineer like me got a job like this  because community is as much a part of it as the technical aspects.

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Fitz: And what sort of money are you claiming your mine will bring? MW: We think we can contribute about $100 million a year to the local economy over 22 years, and thats just from that one mine. Victoria is filled with projects like ours. Fitz: This is the other thing. I did a book on the Eureka Stockade, and I remember a line from a miner from the 1850s, who said, In the Sierra Nevada, we measured gold in ounces. At Ballarat, we measured in pounds. And as we go on, it is becoming apparent that Victoria  the most debt-ridden state in Australia  is actually sitting on something much more valuable than a gold mine, which might be dozens, if not hundreds, of critical mineral mines? MW: Exactly. Theyre sitting on critical minerals all through the Murray Basin and in Gippsland. And I was in the room when the government just approved a new mine for the critical mineral, antimony, at Sunday Creek, an hour north of Melbourne. It will bring in billions of dollars to the Australian economy. Fitz: And your own chances of such approval?

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MW: We are going well. And we are one of only two projects in Victoria with no Chinese offtake or ownership. Fitz: Offtake? MW: Were one of only two to be wholly Australian-owned, and if we get approval, we are totally free to sell to whoever  we are not committed to sell a portion to China. Fitz: All right, on the assumption the Chinese are listening to our phone call, I should just like to place on the record that I love the Chinese, and the horse they rode in on. But, thank you, Michelle, for helping me to understand the complexities of this. Still, if your project gets up, the next lunch is on you. The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.
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Reviews & adviceTripologist Opinion How can I avoid Japans tourist crowds? Key questions in travel for 2026 Michael Gebicki The Tripologist December 8, 2025  2:09am

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Travellers advice expert on the five major issues he expects to see in his inbox in 2026. Ive visited Japan previously and want to go again, but where to go where I wont see too many other tourists? Iya Valley. Japan continues to fascinate, amaze and attract an ever increasing number of Australian visitors, to the swelling annoyance of the Japanese. Many travellers become addicted, notching up two, three or five visits, and now look for fresh pastures far from the tourist hordes. Iya Valley, on the island of Shikoku, is one for the outdoor lover, a deep fissure in the mountain range that takes its name from the island, where kazurabashi (suspension bridges made out of mountain vines), cross the surging Iya River and nights are spent in rural guesthouses. Another Shikoku gem, are the backroads beyond Takamatsu, where rural roads wind through green farmlands and tiny villages with ryokans and onsen, but a car is essential. Another brilliant drive is the Noto Peninsula, extending a long finger into the Sea of Japan and known for its sea salt farms and lost-in-time fishing towns. How can I make sure Im not hit with any unexpected charges when I rent a car overseas?

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The Tripologist is seeing a growing number of complaints relating to car rentals. Suspicious damage claims, disputed fines, charges for an extra day when a vehicle is returned within the rental period but after the rental office is closed: there are plenty of ways that some rental agencies have found to squeeze a few extra dollars out of your pocket. Rent direct from the car-hire agency and youre in a strong position if anything goes amiss. When you take delivery of your vehicle, walk around it with your phones camera and make a video, noting any scratches, dents and other signs of wear and tear. If theres any subsequent dispute over damages, youve got proof. How can I spend six months in Europe on an Australian passport? Remember the days when you could show up at the airport, slap down your passport and head off to Europe without a second thought? True, the rule that allows you to spend a total of just 90 days in any 180-day period in Schengen Areas countries has been in force for more than two decades, but the introduction of the electronic travel authorisation (ETIAS) system which will apply to Australians in the last quarter of 2026 adds another complication. However, staying in Europe for six months or even longer is feasible. Australia still has agreements with some European countries such as Germany and the Netherlands that allow Aussies to stay in those countries outside the 90 days theyre allowed to spend in the other Schengen zone countries, but the rules for each country are very specific and care is needed to avoid transgression. An easier way to extend a European holiday is to spend time in another country outside the Schengen zone, and that includes the UK, Ireland, Albania and Cyprus. Were a family with two kids looking for a holiday in Asia that has plenty of cultural interest, great food, a mix of relaxation and family-friendly activities and mid-range budget. Is Vietnam a good choice?

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Vietnam is emerging as a family favourite, and with a line-up that includes scenery, shopping, great food, cultural diversity, built-in charm and serenity in a compact package, Vietnam scores big. Although the gateway cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are compelling, theyre also exhausting whirlpools of entrepreneurial energy. Head out into the countryside to discover a tapestry of jade-green rice paddies and villages against a backdrop of blue hills that rise in a distant echo of the Himalayas. Dont rush it. Northern and southern Vietnam are distinctly different experiences, and youll need at least 10 days to experience either. December is the beginning of the dry season in the south, and prime time for exploring the liquid landscape of the Mekong Delta. Along with the floating markets, the fecund bird life and the water meadows, dont miss the staggeringly beautiful region to the south-west of Chau Doc, close to the Cambodian border. Even more persuasive for a family getaway, its also extraordinary value. Rooms in a four-star luxury hotel in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City or a beach resort can be had for $200 a night in peak period. Restaurant meals, spa treatments and activities cost about half the price of the same in Thailand. Were picking up a hire car in Split, Croatia. Can we drive into Albania? Theres been a slow and steady southwards march as travellers discover the hothouse charms of the eastern Adriatic coastline. First came Croatia, then Montenegro and now Albania, one of Europes final frontiers. The drawcard is the Albanian Riviera, a 130-kilometre strip of coast from Vlora to Saranda that includes the 1027- metre Llogara Pass, rivalling the journey along Italys Amalfi coast, although local driving habits make even Italian journeys seem pale. Its worth it for Drymades Beach which has yet to experience the full force of overtourism. Behind the coast is a raw and untamed landscape of mountains, lakes and expanses of grassland, a paradise for walkers. Finding a bed is no problem, and you can expect to pay about half what you would for accommodation, food and drinks in neighbouring Corfu. The Albanians themselves are an asset for the tourism cause, both friendly and flattered that foreigners find something in their country worth seeing. But driving a car into Albania is a maybe. Some operators allow it, but only with express permission and usually a cross-border fee. Many major fleets prohibit drivers from taking their cars into Albania.

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Opinion Michael Gebicki is a Sydney-based travel writer, best known for his Tripologist column published for more than 15 years in Traveller. With four decades of experience, his specialty is practical advice, destination insights and problem-solving for travellers. He also designs and leads slow, immersive tours to some of his favourite places. Connect via Instagram @michael_gebicki Connect via email
El Fasher, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Suport Forces (RSF) has accused its rival in the counry's bloody civil war, the Sudaese Armed Forces (SAF), of being responsible for the drone attack on one of the trucks the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) near the town of Hamra El Sheikh in North Darfur at the weekend
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Abboid holds deep significance in Gaelic culture as it bridges the pre-Christian and Christian eras of Celtic history. Originating from the Gaelic word for 'abbey father,' it represents the transition from ancient druidic traditions to the establishment of monastic Christianity in Ireland and Scotland. During the early medieval period, names like Abboid were particularly important as they symbolized the integration of Christian leadership within traditional Gaelic clan structures, often given to sons destined for religious leadership or those born into families with strong monastic connections.



Throughout Gaelic history, bearers of this name were typically associated with learning, spirituality, and community leadership. The name reflects the unique Celtic Christian tradition where monasteries served not just as religious centers but also as repositories of knowledge, art, and culture. In a society where oral tradition and written learning coexisted, those named Abboid were often expected to uphold both spiritual guidance and cultural preservation, making the name synonymous with wisdom-keeping and community stewardship in Gaelic-speaking regions.
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The Celts believed that all trees were sacred; each had a special curative property or spiritual significance. Among our native trees, few were held in higher esteem than the hazel  the Celtic Tree of Knowledge.

It is difficult to walk along an Ox Mountain river or climb an Ox Mountain slope without encountering a hazel tree. At this time of year, when their leaves turn and their fruit falls, it is not hard to imagine why the Celts found them to be both magical and useful.

The hazel is associated with mystical wisdom, poetic inspiration, and prophecy. In ancient Ireland, the hazel was considered a noble tree, one of the seven "noble trees of the woodland". This is likely due to i ts symbolic and practical importance which included its use for dowsing and its wholesome nuts as a food source. The Tree Council of Ireland gives a simple yet informative introduction to the hazel by pointing out its many uses.

A native species with many uses and an ancient history. Hazel nuts are one of the foods associated with the very earliest human settlements in Ireland of Mesolithic man, who also used hazel as the strong flexible timber for his huts. Hazel bushes may be coppiced i.e. cut right back to a stump, and will re-grow.

The slender timber poles that result from coppicing were used in the construction of wattle and daub, and fences. Hazel is also a traditional material in the construction of eel and lobster traps. Hazel grows as an under storey in oak and ash woodlands or as pure hazel woods.

Versatile wood

Hazels are plants of the genus Corylus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family. Hazels have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins. The flowers are produced very early in spring before the leaves. The fruits, or nuts, are topped with a husk, or hat, which partly encloses the shell. The English name for the tree and its nut is derived from the Anglo-Saxon haesel knut, haesel meaning cap or hat.

Hazel has long been a favourite wood from which to make staffs, whether for ritual use, for medieval self-defence, as staffs favoured by pilgrims, or to make shepherds crooks and everyday walking sticks. In the case of the latter two, the pliable nature of the hazel was used to bend the stems into the required shape. It was also customary to bend the hazel shoots when still on the tree to grow the bend into a crook or walking stick. The wood readily splits lengthways and bends easily, which makes it ideal for weaving wattle hurdles for use as fencing or as medieval house walls when plastered with mud and lime. Hazel stakes bent to a U-shape were also used to hold down thatch on roofs. Like willow, young hazel shoots were used to weave a variety of baskets and other containers.

Wisdom and inspiration

The Celts believed hazelnuts imparted wisdom and inspiration. There are numerous variations on an ancient tale that nine hazel trees grew around a sacred pool, dropping into the water nuts that were eaten by salmon (a fish sacred to Druids), which absorbed the wisdom. The number of bright spots on the salmon were said to indicate how many nuts a salmon had eaten. A Druid teacher, in his bid to become all-knowing, caught one of these special salmon and asked a student to cook it, but not eat it. While he was cooking, a blister formed and the pupil used his thumb to burst it. The student naturally sucked the burn to cool it, thereby absorbing the fish's wisdom. This boy was none other than Fionn Mac Cumhail and went on to become one of the most heroic leaders in Irish mythology.

Trees of Life provide information on the hazel, ranging from the supernatural power to the practical. They say that archaeological evidence from pollen analysis has shown there was a rapid expansion in the range of hazel between 11,000 to 6,000 years ago.

Because the large nuts are not dispersed over great distances by small mammals, this has led to speculation that Mesolithic peoples may have transported the nuts with them as a food source, and thereby aided the expansion of the trees range.

The Coillin

The Irish word for hazel is Coll. When I discovered this word, it presented me with a light bulb moment because where I live in south Sligo, hazel groves, of which there are many, are commonly known as coillin or culeen. Coillin doesnt just mean small wood it means hazel wood.

I remember two local culleens in particular; one along the banks of the river Moy and the other on the slopes of Knocknashee. The one along the Moy was positioned with the river on one side and a collection of ancient field monuments on the other. It was easy to see the fabled connection between the river and the salmon and the hazel in that situation. Maybe the Salmon of Knowledge was a Moy salmon.

The other Culeen, on Knochnashee, had an even more spectacular location, positioned as it was on the face of the Hill of the Fairies. Now that I know the connection between the Celts and the hazel, I imagine that this grove was cultivated by the ancient people who once lived on top of Knocknashee. My National School was at the foot of Knocknashee and while there, we had a teacher who had a fondness for taking the pupils on regular nature walks. These walks often took the form of a cross-country trek to the hazel wood on the face of Knocknashee. As children, we viewed these ventures as time-killing exercises but strangely enough, I remember them much better than some of the things I learned indoors. Those little hazel trees, grouped as they were on the slopes of the fairy hill, were indeed trees of knowledge.

The slender timber poles that result from coppicing were used in the construction of wattle and daub, and fences.

While arriving home with a bag of nuts was an added bonus but, cracking open the shells was another days work. The assortment of tools required, if you didnt want to risk cracking your back teeth, were many and varied. Generally, a pliers, a small hammer and a flat stone did the trick but even at that, little fingers often got pinched and hammered in the process. Squirrelling ones way to the tasty hazel kernel took time and patience but was always worth the trouble.

Hazel wand Even the word hazel is inspirational. It conjures up thoughts of ancient woodland, wisdom, strength, and nourishment. The name of a girl, the name of a place; all magical. Hazelwood is an area of ancient woodland located just a few miles outside the town of Sligo on the shores of Lough Gill. It is a beautiful place to spend time and is the place that inspired the W B Yeats poem, The Song of Wandering Aengus. Was Aengus fishing with a rod or a magic wand? Using hazel, both options were open to him.

I went out to the hazel wood / Because a fire was in my head / And cut and peeled a hazel wand / And hooked a berry to a thread / And when white moths were on the wing / And moth-like stars were flickering out / I dropped the berry in a stream / And caught a little silver trout.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Cloudy, chilly, and brisk with a little snow in the Poconos with a coating to an inch or two possible, a light mix of rain and snow along the I-78 corridor with little to no accumulation, and a little light rain south of I-78. .

Tonight

A few rain and snow showers lingering early, then some clearing late.
Individuals named Addisen typically exhibit a blend of traditional reliability and modern innovation that makes them well-suited for leadership roles in evolving fields. They often demonstrate strong analytical capabilities combined with creative problem-solving approaches, allowing them to excel in environments that require both structure and flexibility. Their personality tends to be characterized by a balanced temperamentthey're neither overly conservative nor recklessly progressive, but rather thoughtful adapters who respect tradition while embracing necessary change. This makes them particularly effective as mediators, innovators, and bridge-builders in both personal and professional contexts.



Socially, Addisens are often perceived as approachable and empathetic, with a natural ability to understand diverse perspectives. They typically possess strong communication skills and emotional intelligence, enabling them to build meaningful relationships across different social groups. Their inherent adaptability allows them to navigate various social situations with grace, while their core values provide a stable foundation for lasting connections. In professional settings, they're often valued for their ability to implement new ideas while maintaining organizational continuity, making them assets in companies undergoing transformation or growth. Their combination of intellectual curiosity and practical application frequently leads them to careers that balance innovation with real-world impact.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Adrastus occupies a crucial position in Greek cultural heritage as the mythological king of Argos who organized the legendary expedition of the Seven Against Thebes. This story forms part of the larger Theban cycle that profoundly influenced Greek literature, drama, and philosophical thought about fate, honor, and the consequences of human ambition. The character of Adrastus represents the complex Greek understanding of leadershipshowing both noble qualities in his loyalty to his sons-in-law and tragic flaws in his inability to prevent disaster. His survival as the only leader of the seven made him a symbol of both resilience and the heavy burden of witnessing catastrophe. The mythological narrative surrounding Adrastus explored themes that would resonate throughout Western culture: the conflict between personal loyalty and political duty, the limits of human agency against divine will, and the psychological impact of military failure on leaders. His story was treated by multiple ancient authors including Homer, Aeschylus, and Euripides, ensuring his cultural legacy endured through centuries of classical education and literary tradition.
Under the cover of the ethnic cleansing of 2.3 million Palestinians from Gaza, Israel has tightened its grip on the West Bank aimed at incorporating the whole of Palestine into a greater Israel that now encompasses parts of Syria and Lebanon.

Last week, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) mounted its largest military deployment in the West Bank since the supposed ceasefire in Gaza in October, sending in hundreds of soldiers, along with armoured vehicles, to storm the town of Tubas, near Nablus. A military spokesperson said that a broad counter-terrorism operation would continue for several days. The military imposed a curfew on the town and some neighbouring communities, closed roads and forced some residents to leave their homes to make way for Israeli soldiers.

Palestinians and activists run away from tear gas shot by Israeli security forces during a protest against what Palestinians say is a land confiscation in the area, in the West Bank village of Tarkumiya, November 28, 2025 [AP Photo/Mahmoud illean]

The IDF claimed that Tubas had become a haven for terrorism, and distributed leaflets threatening, If you do not change this, we will act as we did in Jenin and Tulkarm. This was a reference to the IDFs assaults on the two cities earlier this year that caused widespread damage and permanently displaced 40,000 Palestinians The Israeli authorities provided them with no alternative accommodation, nor did they offer any humanitarian assistance, while denying them the right of return to their homes.

According to an IDF statement on X, it aims to reinforce control over the area and prevent the reformation of armed resistance groups. Its real purpose is to enable the construction of a new security road and military checkpoint thatas past experience has shownforeshadow a new Zionist settlement, by forcing the residents out of the area.

In another move, the IDF is constructing a new 22 kilometre, 50-metre-wide separation wall inside the Jordan Valleyat least 12km west of the border with Jordan. This involves demolishing homes, greenhouses, water systems and grazing infrastructure. Another site that has come under attack from both settlers and the military is Josephs Tomb, near Nablus, nominally under Palestinian Authority control, with settlers mounting ever larger and more frequent incursions.

In October, the KnessetIsraels parliamentvoted to advance a bill declaring that the laws, judicial system, administration, and sovereignty of the State of Israel shall apply to all areas of settlement in Judea and Samaria. Israel has carved up the West Bank to such an extent that movement between the towns and cities is becoming increasingly difficult if not impossible, while a significant and growing number of West Bank Palestinians already live under Israeli sovereignty, albeit without any of the rights of Israeli citizens.

In September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank that would effectively cut the Palestinian territory in half. The E1 plan, which includes building 7,600 homes in Maale Adumim, at a cost of nearly $900 million, would be built over a strategic tract of land separating the northern half of the West Bank from the south.

The plan aims to link Jerusalem to the Maale Adumim settlement east of the city on land confiscated from the towns of Anata, al-Tour, Issawiyya, Aizariyeh and Abu Dis. The E1 settlements, in the centre of the West Bank, would link Jerusalem with the settlements in the Jordan Valley all the way to the border with Jordan. They would encircle the central hills of Ramallah and Nablus and the southern regions that include Bethlehem and Hebron.

Last August, Israels far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who controls the West Banks civil administration, said the project would bury the idea of a Palestinian state, calling it Zionism at its best. He added, The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions. Every settlement, every neighbourhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.

Netanyahu, speaking at the approval ceremony in September, said, There will be more cities like Maale Adumim. He then gave notice that he intends to implement the Allon Plan, drawn up shortly after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, saying, Israels eastern front is not Maale Adumim, but the Jordan Valley. This means that Israel intends to annex the entire north-south strip of the West Bank that runs alongside the Jordan Valley as the ultimate guarantor of what the Israeli military intelligence describes as the states strategic depth.

Together, the Allon Plan and the E1 project will squeeze out the Palestinians.

While successive governments have approved the expansion of settlements that are now home to more than 700,000 Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Netanyahu has vastly expanded the settlements since returning to power in December 2022. At the head of Israels most far-right, pro-settler coalition, he launched his final solution of the Palestinian issue in October 2023.

The timing of Netanyahus approval of the E1 settlements, whose construction had been frozen for more than two decades amid fierce international opposition because it would end any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian statelet, was no accident. It followed declarations by a growing number of countries of their intention to recognise a Palestinian state, an empty gesture which Israel has denounced.

Netanyahu can green-light the settlements because the US and the major European powers have supported him to the hilt as part of their broader efforts to gain control of the resource-rich Middle East and prepare for war against China.

The United Nations and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have ruled that Israels settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. Last year, the ICJ found that the expansion of the settlements was such that Israel had crossed the line into annexation in significant parts of the West Bank, leading it to issue an advisory opinion that Israel had unlawfully annexed parts of the West Bank. But neither the UN or the ICJ have done anything to ensure the dismantling of the settlements or to prevent their expansion.

Israels tightening grip on the West Bank has been accompanied by a wave of settler violence against the Palestinians. They have gone on the rampage, burning cars, desecrating mosques, wrecking industrial plants and destroying farmland. According to the UNs humanitarian office, the number of attacks has surged, with settlers launching around eight attacks daily on the olive harvest during October, with attacks continuing last month.

Settlers have injured more than 1,000 Palestinians so far this year, double the rate of last year, and killed 21 people. This is in addition to at least 1,000 Palestinians killed by the military. According to the UN, settlers have forced at least 2,200 Palestinians from their homes, while the Israeli authorities have demolished the homes of more than 6,000 people.

They have done all this under the protection of the IDF and the police, and with the active encouragement of Israels far-right coalition government. According to a TV Channel 12 report citing police data, the number of police investigations into settler violence has plummeted since Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right Jewish Power leader, took office as National Security Minister at the start of 2023falling from 235 cases in 2022 to 150 in 2023 and 60 in 2024.

These few police investigations rarely lead to an indictment or conviction. According to Israeli rights group Yesh Din, fewer than 6 percent of all investigations into settler violence led to an indictment during the entire 20-year period to 2024. Just 3 percent of those investigations led to convictions.

President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA), both widely despised by the Palestinians, has not lifted a finger to oppose any of Israels expansionist actions. Functioning in his role as Israels subcontractor in policing the Palestinians, Abbas has increased his collaboration with Israel and subservience to the US in a bid to consolidate his own and Fatahs grip on power.

Abbas condemned the October 7, 2023 attacks and insists he wants an unarmed Palestinian state. His security forces targeted Palestinian fighters resisting Israel, killing more than a dozen Palestinians and arresting hundreds of others, paving the way for the IDF to launch its mass raids on the West Banks northern cities earlier this year. He shut down Al Jazeera, which was reporting on the siege of Jenin, suspending its operations and accusing it of incitement, just months after Israel did so.

In February, to appease Tel Aviv and Washington, Abbas cancelled benefit payments to the families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed or wounded in Israeli attacks. This action followed a 2018 decision by the US to withdraw financial aid from the PA until such payments ceased.

In April, the 90-year-old Abbas named Hussein al-Sheikh, a Fatah time-server notorious for his close ties with Israel and widely seen as Israels choice, as vice president of the PA and his successor. Last month, al-Sheikh met former UK Prime Minister Tony Blairwhom US President Donald Trump has indicated will run Gaza on his behalfand a US official in Ramallah to discuss Turmps plan for Gaza.

Abbas recently met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to present a draft of a new constitution and institutional framework for a State of Palestine, signalling efforts to establish a reformed PA thatunder U.S. President Donald Trumps peace plancould eventually qualify to administer Gaza. Abbas has not released the draft.

Abbas insisted during a meeting in Ramallah with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in August that any elections in Palestine will not include political factions or individuals who do not adhere to the programme and commitments made by the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the PA. A few weeks ago, he issued a decree-law imposing these regulations for local elections that will prevent Hamas, the most popular party, from taking part. Hamas for its part has said it will relinquish its rule in Gaza and it will support an interim administration of Gaza under the PA.
Women named Alpina are typically perceived as possessing a strong, resilient character combined with natural grace and independence. They often demonstrate remarkable perseverance in facing challenges, much like the enduring Scottish mountains that inspire their name. This resilience is balanced with a deep appreciation for beauty and tradition, making them both practical and artistic in their approach to life. Their connection to the name's mountainous origins often manifests as a love for nature, outdoor activities, and environmental conservation.



Socially, Alpinas are known for their loyalty and steadfastness in relationships, valuing deep connections over superficial interactions. They tend to be thoughtful observers who speak with purpose rather than engaging in idle chatter. Their blond namesake suggests a sunny disposition that can brighten difficult situations, while their Scottish heritage lends them a dry wit and practical wisdom. These women often become pillars of their communities, combining traditional values with modern adaptability, and are frequently admired for their ability to remain grounded while pursuing ambitious goals with quiet determination.
While we adore the fashionable side of the royal family, theres something so majestic about when one of the women of the British Royal family walks out in a tiara. Tiaras are such a gorgeous, fun medium to stare at, because they can tell so much of a story.

Now whats the difference between a tiara and a crown? Well, according to Jewelry Shopping Guide, a crown is more unisex, while a tiara was made for more feminine users. Per TikToker Queen Astrea, tiaras are more reflective of the nation that the wearer is ruling over. As status symbols go, Mental Floss says that sovereigns opt for crowns, while other royal members go for smaller headpieces like tiaras!

So history lesson aside, why are we talking about tiaras? Because we dont know if you noticed, but the British Royal family is stacked with tiaras, and theyre always popping out a new one, or one we havent seen in literal years, and its about time we start keeping track.

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Specifically, were talking about the details and reported price of the most expensive (and most outrageous) tiaras from the Windsor family. Check out the most expensive tiaras, and their stories, below:

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York Tiara: ~$248K

York Tiara: ~$248K

Not only was the York Tiara the tiara Sarah Ferguson wore on her wedding day, but it was the tiara her daughter Princess Beatrice wowed in at the 2023 wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif. Fun fact: this tiara was specifically made for Ferguson, and its still in her possession to this day, according to InStyle.

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The crown has a 5-carat diamond set on top, and is worth around $248,000.

Cubitt-Shand Tiara: $267K

Cubitt-Shand Tiara: $267K

The Cubitt-Shand Tiara is most well-known for being Queen Consort Camillas favorite, especially since it was obtained by her own family (specifically first acquired by her grandmother, Sonia Keppel, per Court Jeweller!) She wore it to her wedding to Andrew Parker Bowles, and even her daughter Laura wore it to her wedding.

According to Hello, the diamond floral tiara is worth about $267,000.

The Spencer Family Tiara: ~$440K

The Spencer Family Tiara: ~$440K

Unlike 99 percent of the Royal jewels that come from the Royal Vault, the Spencer Family Tiara comes solely from the Spencer family. Diana donned this on her wedding day, and it has a long history with the family (in fact, it was originally obtained by her grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton, back in 1919, according to InStyle!)

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With the array of diamonds and the detailing, its estimated to be around $440,000 today, per Express.

Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara: ~$460K

Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara: ~$460K

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara was arguably Queen Elizabeth IIs all-time favorite tiara. The tiara was originally smuggled out of Russia by Grand Duchess Vladimir, who later had to sell it to support her children. Per Tatler, she sold the tiara to Queen Mary. Fun fact: the tiara was damaged after decades of wear and tear, so Elizabeth had it repaired and added a feature that made it easy for her to switch the pearl settings out for emeralds and vice versa.

It is said to be around ~$460,000..

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara: $498K

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara: $498K

One you may not know about is The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which was most well-known as one of Queen Elizabeth IIs favorites. So this tiara was one of Queen Marys wedding gifts from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland committee (hence the name), but she later gifted it to her daughter Elizabeth, who later switched out the pearls for diamonds, per InStyle.

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Its said to be almost worth $500,000.

Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara: ~$1.1 million

Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara: ~$1.1 million

The Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara was originally a gift from King George VI to the Queen Mother, which was later given to Queen Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday. Its a staple in the Royal Vault, and was the tiara Kate Middleton wore on her wedding day! Its said to be around $1.1 million.

Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara: $1.1 million

Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara: $1.1 million

When you think of the Lovers Knot Tiara, chances are, you think about Princess Diana. Originally made in 1914 for Queen Mary, the diamonds and pearls were made from the Royal Vault. Per Instyle, Mary had it made based off of a tiara worn by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. And it was said to give Diana headaches from how heavy it was!

In recent years, Kate Middleton has opted to wear it in public events, and its said to be upward of $1.1 million, according to Yahoo.

Queen Marys Diamond Bandeau: ~$2.2 million

Queen Marys Diamond Bandeau: ~$2.2 million

The tiara was first owned by Queen Mary, which she received as a gift from the County of Lincoln, per Town and Country Mag. Now the cool thing about this tiara is that the center stone is a brooch worn by the Queen in 1893. While its been worn multiple times over the decades, its most well-known as Meghan Markles wedding tiara.

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Its believed to be around $2.2 million.

The Strathmore Rose Tiara: ~$2 million

The Strathmore Rose Tiara: ~$2 million

Probably the least well-known tiara is the Strathmore Rose Tiara, because, besides The Queen Mother wearing it once, it hasnt seen the light of day. According to InStyle,it was a gift from her parents, and the flowers are actually removable and can become brooches.

We love the floral design on this, and its one of their pricier tiaras at around $2 million.

The Meander Tiara: ~$2$4 million

The Meander Tiara: ~$2$4 million

The Meander Tiara used to be Princess Annes favorite tiara, especially since it was given to her by the Duke of Edinburgh (also known as Prince Philip!) However, its most well-known by being Zara Phillips wedding tiara. It is believed to have been a gift to Princess Alice, and has been a staple in the family for generations, per Vogue. The Greek-inspired tiara is believed to be around 2,000,0004,000,000 (or $2,204,300$4,408,600!)

The Greville Tiara $2.4-3.7 million

The Greville Tiara $2.4-3.7 million

Another tiara Camilla often opts for is the elaborate Greville Tiara. Originally created in 1921 with diamonds and platinum, it was known as a favorite of the late Queen Mother, per Court Jeweller. According to InStyle, Camilla added a few more rows of diamonds, making the price of the tiara around $2.4-3.7 million today.

Lotus Flower Tiara: ~$4 million

Lotus Flower Tiara: ~$4 million

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Another tiara Kate Middleton opts for is the ver-so popular Lotus Flower Tiara. Originally made from a mixture of diamonds and pearls, the jewels actually came from a necklace King George VI gave to the Queen Mother on their wedding day, per Court Jeweller.

Its said to be around $4 million!

Belgian Sapphire Tiara: $6.8 million

Belgian Sapphire Tiara: $6.8 million

Lets face it: the British Royal family loves their sapphires. Sometimes called the Victorian Sapphire Tiara, the Belgian Sapphire Tiara was a staple tiara in Queen Elizabeth IIs rotation. Per Buzzfeed, the original owner of the crown was Princess Louise of Belgium, who reportedly was forced to sell her jewelry. Because of this, it was bought by Elizabeth from Van Cleef & Arpels.

Its said to be around $6.8 million.

Queen Marys Fringe Tiara: ~$6.8-9 million

Queen Marys Fringe Tiara: ~$6.8-9 million

Another iconic wedding tiara is, of course, the Queen Marys Fringe Tiara that Princess Beatrice donned in 2020 for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Worn by Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, the tiara was originally worn as a necklace before being known as one of the most recognizable tiaras in the Royal Vault, per Court Jeweller. (In fact, it was the tiara Elizabeth and Princess Anne wore on their wedding days!)

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It is said to be around $6.8 million to $9 million.

The Burmese Ruby Tiara  $6.5-13 Million

The Burmese Ruby Tiara  $6.5-13 Million

While we see quite a few sapphires in the royal family, rubies are a bit rarer to come by. But the Burmese Ruby Tiara is a bit controversial because it was originally made from a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II: the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara. She dismantled it in the 1970s and used the diamonds to create the ruby tiara, per Court Jeweller, and Elizabeth actually used the 96 rubies she received from the people of Burma.

Many jewelers place the tiara at $6.5 million, but many say it can be as much as $13 million

Queen Victorias Oriental Circlet Tiara: $8 Million

Queen Victorias Oriental Circlet Tiara: $8 Million

In case you missed it, Catherine, Princess of Wales arrived at the state banquet for the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender in a truly jaw-dropping look; which included the rarely-seen Oriental Circlet Tiara.

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The Oriental Circlet Tiara was a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria in 1853, and it features over 2,600 diamonds. It hasnt been worn since the late Queen Elizabeth wore it in 2005! And yes, its one of the most expensive tiaras at a whopping estimated $8 million!

Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara: ~$11 million

Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara: ~$11 million

Probably the most expensive tiara in the Royal Vault (that we know of) is the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. While its most well-known for being the tiara Princess Eugenie wore to her 2018 wedding, it has a long history. Originally given to the Queen Mother in 1943 from a trunk of jewels by the late Dame Margaret Greville, the tiara was the Queen Mothers favorite, but it never saw the light of day until 2018.

Not only does it have a 1920s Art Deco design, but it is over 90 carats and has a total of 13 emerald pieces, per the Court Jeweller. While there has been many speculation about the price of the tiara, ranging from $6 million to $13 million, Yahoo articles claim the tiara is around 10,000,000 (or $11,021,500).
NEED TO KNOW

The Bachelor alum Cassie Randolph has married musician Brighton Reinhardt

The couple tied the knot in an "intimate" destination wedding in Costa Rica on Friday, Dec. 5

Making the occasion even more special, their brothers officiated the ceremony

Cassie Randolph is married!

The Bachelor alum, 30, tied the knot with musician Brighton Reinhardt in an "intimate" wedding at The Point Luxury Villa in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, on Friday, Dec. 5, joined by 70 loved ones. The couple tells PEOPLE they always loved the idea of having a destination wedding, seeing it as an opportunity to gather all their "favorite people" together and turn a whole weekend into an incredible "core memory."

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"It feels so rare to get everyone to pause their lives, travel somewhere beautiful, and just be together," Randolph says. "I couldn't wait to look around and see our closest friends and family all in Costa Rica, celebrating with us and making memories well talk about forever."

Lucas Weddings Brighton Reinhardt and Cassie Randolph Brighton Reinhardt and Cassie Randolph

As for how they chose their venue, she and Reinhardt, 28, previously stayed at The Point Villa during a vacation with the groom's family several years ago and "completely fell in love with it." Randolph says the couple are also captivated by the country's "relaxed, go-with-the-flow Pura Vida spirit."

"Pura Vida means 'pure life' or 'simple life,' and its more than a phrase  its a whole Costa Rican philosophy. Its such a positive and contagious way of approaching life, and it just felt right for our wedding," she explains.

The pair worked with wedding planner Nicole Fernandez to help execute their vision for the big day. Randolph's manager, Danielle DeGregory, co-founder of AMIBA Consulting, also helped coordinate the weekend festivities.

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt's wedding ceremony setup in Costa Rica Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt's wedding ceremony setup in Costa Rica

Inspired by the lush jungle surrounding the villa, they kept the decor simple and classic, allowing the natural setting to shine. ArtFlower, a local floral and design company, set the tone with a palette emphasizing whites and soft pastels. Twinkle lights were strung throughout the entire venue to create "a warm, magical glow."

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The couple also incorporated small details that honored Costa Rican culture. In a nod to the tradition of coconut drinks, ArtFlower created a coconut boat setup, and each guest was handed a fresh coconut when they arrived.



"We even brought in the local man who walks around Tamarindo with his coconut cart to open and serve them. Guests could keep them as is  or spike them with rum," notes Randolph, who runs a speech therapy business.

Reinhardt says the two were very intentional about making sure the wedding felt "like us." He explains, "Nothing over-the-top, nothing distracting or taking away from the actual moment. We wanted it to feel personal and full of memories well cherish forever."

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph with friends Cassie Randolph with friends

In a particularly special detail, Randolph and Reinhardt asked their brothers to officiate the ceremony. "Brightons brother, Cole, and my brother, Landon, married us," Randolph says, recalling, "They were both nervous but excited. It was such a meaningful, personal touch. Definitely something well be adding to the memory box."

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph with her father Cassie Randolph with her father

The bride was escorted down the aisle by her father to Kenny G's Stranger on the Shore," performed by the live-looping music duo Nablo. She wore Pronovias' Old Hollywood-inspired Ribelia satin gown, which features an open low back with a draped cowl, delicate structured straps and a dramatic long train.

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph with her father Cassie Randolph with her father

She wore two other Pronovias looks during the weekend festivities: the Judy A-line dress with an embellished sheer skirt for the welcome party, and the Sting strapless minidress for the reception. She says of the latter, "[It has] details that almost remind me of a seashell. It feels fun and flirty but still elegant."

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Randolph topped off her ceremony and reception dresses with Betsey Johnson slingback heels adorned with pearls and glitter. She swapped the heels for a pair of the brand's sneakers for the dance floor.

Lucas Weddings Brighton Reinhardt and Cassie Randolph Brighton Reinhardt and Cassie Randolph

Joseph Michael styled her hair, and Rachael Owens did her makeup. "We went for a natural, clean-girl look. something that still feels like me, just a little more elevated for the wedding," Randolph notes of her bridal glam.

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt

She and Reinhardt exchanged both traditional and heartfelt personal vows. "I love getting in my feels. I love the romance. So Ive always known I wanted to do personal vows," the bride says, adding, "Brighton, on the other hand, was terrified, but I knew he was going to do great."

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.

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt's reception Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt's reception

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests gathered at a cocktail hour, followed by a celebratory dinner featuring stations. The food was handled by Catering Costa, and Randolph recalls flying to the country with Reinhardt for a tasting in September and having "the hardest time narrowing things down  it was all incredible."

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The menu included shrimp cocktail served in a coconut, palm heart ceviche, edible flower rolls, yuca croquettes, avocado mousse, sea bass and grilled beef tenderloin. Dessert was mini passion fruit panna cotta and chocolate mousse. Randolph and Reinhardt also had a small wedding cake "for a fun photo moment."

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph with guests Cassie Randolph with guests

After dinner, the couple "turned things up" with the help of Hinestra, a music production company that put together a full band featuring keys, drums, guitar, saxophone, bass and two vocalists, Voshawn and Katherine Prado. "Brighton is an artist, so having music woven throughout the entire day is essential to us," Randolph notes.



The newlyweds chose Etta James' "At Last" for their first dance. "It's classic and romantic and we both love it," Reinhardt says. In a special moment, Reinhardt surprised his bride by performing an original song  called Wherever We Are," which he wrote and released earlier this year  during the reception. Randolph came onstage to sing along with him.

Lucas Weddings Brighton Reinhardt sings for wife Cassie Randolph Brighton Reinhardt sings for wife Cassie Randolph

The couple first met 10 years ago, and struck up a friendship that eventually turned romantic. They began dating in 2020, and four years later, Reinhardt popped the question to Randolph at one of her favorite spots: Crystal Cove in Newport Beach, Calif.

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Randolph thought she was taking a pre-dinner walk with her family, and was then surprised to find Reinhardt waiting for her in the last cottage nestled against the cliff. After she said "yes," Reinhardt's family jumped out of hiding, and the group celebrated at a dinner at a local restaurant, A Crystal Cove.

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt

Now, as they step into this new chapter as husband and wife, Randolph tells PEOPLE she is excited to have her "best friend" by her side for all that life brings. "I cant wait to start a family, create traditions of our own, and grow into the next versions of ourselves together," she says.

Reinhardt is also eager to build a family and make new memories with his wife, whom he says "leads with so much kindness and gentleness, but also this unexpected little spark of feistiness."

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

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"Shes stubborn in all the right ways, especially about the things and people she cares about," he adds. "I love how deeply she loves, how loyal she is, and how she makes everyone around her feel seen. Being loved by her is one of the best feelings in the world."

Lucas Weddings Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt Cassie Randolph and Brighton Reinhardt

Reflecting on her love for Reinhardt, Randolph gushes, "He is incredibly loyal, kind and passionate, and were so alike in some ways yet completely different in others. I love how artistic and bold Brighton is. He inspires me every single day. Hes my best friend and my rock, and I already know hes going to be the best father to our kids."

"I cant wait to spend the rest of our lives together," she adds.



Read the original article on People
The family of a treasured former Disney star is navigating heartbreak again. The grandmother of Descendants star Cameron Boyce, Jo Ann Allen Boyce, has died at the age of 84.

According to the Los Angeles Times on December 6, Jo Ann Boyce died on December 3 at her home in Wilshire Vista, California, surrounded by loved ones. Her death was attributed to pancreatic cancer.

Her son, Victor Boyce, was Cameron Boyce's father. On December 3, after her death, he posted a photo of her on his Instagram page. "We lost a great one today," he wrote.

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She was far more than the Disney star's grandmother, of course. In fact, she was a civil rights trailblazer. As the Los Angeles Times detailed, she was one of the "Clinton 12" in 1956.

As she began ninth grade, Boyce and 11 other students faced violent protestors as they tried to attend Clinton High School in Tennessee. The students were the first Black students to attend a predominantly white Southern public school after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.

In an interview in 1956, the Los Angeles Times shared, she noted that the first day at Clinton High School was fairly quiet.

The second day, Boyce shared, was different as the Ku Klux Klan showed up. "I began to think, 'Maybe they aren't going to accept us like I thought they were. They looked so mean...I could just see the hate in their hearts."

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The chaos prompted then-Governor Frank Clement to call in the National Guard. Soon, her family decided to leave Tennessee and relocate to California. At the time, her father, Herbert Allen, told a journalist, "We're not leaving here with hatred in our hearts against anyone."

Boyce became a pediatric nurse and performed with her sister and cousin in a vocal trio named The Debs. Over the years, she survived a major stroke as well as breast cancer.

Even with the numerous challenges she overcame, her daughter-in-law, Libby Boyce, Cameron Boyce's mother, told the Los Angeles Times, "She would come in and just light up the room. She had a sparkle like nobody's business."

In an October 2018 Instagram post, Cameron Boyce shared several photos of his grandmother. He wrote, "When your Nana is a civil rights legend, you tag along to important events where she's recognized, and take 8,000 pictures of her."

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He added, "She changed the WORLD. I love her and you should too."

Cameron Boyce died suddenly at the age of 20 in July 2019. The Descendants, Jessie, and Bunk'd star had epilepsy and experienced a fatal seizure while he was sleeping.

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Individuals named Altheda typically exhibit a distinctive blend of compassion, intuition, and practical wisdom that makes them natural healers and caregivers. Their personality is characterized by deep empathy and an innate ability to understand emotional and physical suffering in others. This emotional intelligence is complemented by remarkable patience and the capacity to remain calm under pressure, making them excellent in crisis situations. Althedas often possess a quiet strength that inspires confidence in those they help.



These individuals tend to be excellent listeners who create environments where people feel safe to be vulnerable. Their problem-solving skills are enhanced by their ability to see multiple perspectives and find creative solutions to complex human problems. While gentle in demeanor, Althedas demonstrate considerable inner resilience and determination when advocating for those in their care. They often have a strong sense of purpose and find deep fulfillment in service-oriented careers and volunteer work. Their presence typically has a calming, restorative effect on their surroundings, and they frequently become the 'go-to' person in their communities for advice, comfort, and practical help.
After her resounding victory at a jury trial three months ago, Cardi B prevailed again Friday over the security guard who claimed the Grammy-winning rapper scratched her face with an acrylic fingernail outside a Beverly Hills doctors office in 2018.

Los Angeles County Judge Ian Fusselman denied plaintiff Emani Elliss bid for a new trial, finding no basis to overturn the unanimous verdict. He rejected Ellis claim that two eyewitnesses should have been barred for late disclosure and dismissed the argument that jurors were intimidated by Cardi, born Belcalis Almanzar, after she threw a pen outside the courthouse shortly before the Sept. 2 verdict in her favor.

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Video shows Almanzar throwing the pen to the ground after YouTube vlogger Donat Ricketts shouted questions at her about her rumored pregnancy with partner Stefon Diggs. Almanzar was secretly pregnant during the trial and did not announce she was expecting until two weeks later, on Sept. 17. In the video, Almanzar tells Ricketts, Stop disrespecting me.

On Friday, Judge Fusselman read a sworn declaration in which Ricketts claimed the pen bounced off the ground and struck him. Ricketts also claimed a juror saw the incident and approached him afterward with a group of people who asked if he planned to sue. I advised them that I was not planning to sue, Ricketts wrote. In filings opposing the motion for a new trial, Almanzars lawyers said the pen hit no one, and any suggestion jurors might have been intimidated was hearsay. The judge agreed, noting Elliss lawyer had sought a jury instruction about the incident that would have ensured jurors learned of it. If anything, he said, jurors might have viewed the incident as supporting Elliss claims rather than frightening them.

Were speculating about how it impacted them, the judge said. Wouldnt that tend to help your case, rather than hurt it? Isnt that why you wanted the jury to find out about it? You came into court and said, I want jury to know this just happened.

Judge Fusselman said the jurors paid close attention to the trial and returned a verdict based on the evidence. They were free to ask any questions or make any comments, and they didnt. I dont find anything outside the courtroom had any impact on the jurys deliberations, he said.

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Jurors needed only an hour of deliberation to side with Almanzar on Sept. 2. They said Ellis failed to prove the rapper physically assaulted her on Feb. 24, 2018, after the women got into a heated confrontation because Almanzar believed Ellis was filming her outside the obstetricians office while she was secretly pregnant with her first child with Migos rapper Offset. Almanzar hadnt yet told her parents she was expecting, and she considered Ellis actions to be a violation of her privacy surrounding something sacred, her lawyer argued at trial.

During her two days on the witness stand. Almanzar was adamant she never touched Ellis. She claimed Ellis was the one who stalked her down the hallway and backed her up against a wall. In colorful testimony that spawned several viral one-liners, Almanzar said she and Ellis engaged in a verbal altercation only. She didnt hit me. I didnt hit her. There was no touch, she testified.

ICYMI: Cardi B's civil trial testimony produced some viral one-liners



I was in the CA courtroom, can confirm multiple jurors smiled or laughed at these:



"They're wigs & We're having  a debate"



Cardi denies assaulting security guard



Closing arguments today pic.twitter.com/6X1pz1WMYI  Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) September 2, 2025

In his failed motion for a new trial, Ellis lawyer Ron Rosen Janfaza claimed Almanzar intentionally hid the identity of the obstetrician and medical office assistant who became the rappers star witnesses. On the stand, Dr. David Finke and receptionist Tierra Malcolm told jurors they ran to the hallway when they heard the women yelling. They said Ellis had a phone in her hand and appeared to be the aggressor. Malcolm testified that a few months after the incident, Ellis called and asked if she would assist with an employment claim related to the incident. Malcolm said she declined. I didnt think if I told my truth [that] it would help her, she told jurors. In her own testimony, Almanzar said she only visited Dr. Finke that one time, randomly, as a precaution while traveling in Los Angeles for work. For that reason, she wasnt sure of his name in the early stages of the lawsuit, she said.

[It] is undisputed that defendants counsel learned of the doctors name by repeatedly going office-to-office in his building, Almanzars lawyers wrote in their filing explaining why it took them so long to identify Finke and Malcolm. Importantly, plaintiff knew all along the identity of the doctor and his receptionist who intervened. Plaintiff was working as a security guard at the building, and shortly after the incident, plaintiff tried to enlist Ms. Malcolm in plaintiffs scheme to sue defendant.

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On Friday, Judge Fusselman said that while it was true that he allowed the defense to add Finke and Malcolm after an initial cut-off, Ellis was allowed to add two names to her own proposed witness list even later. The judge also made it clear he planned to sanction Rosen Janfaza for his conduct during the trial. The judge said Rosen Janfaza repeatedly claimed to jurors that Ellis was treated by a psychologist, even though the doctor was barred as a witness, and jurors heard no evidence Ellis ever met the doctor face-to-face.

I have trouble believing it was an innocent mistake when you did it over and over again, the judge said Friday, adding that he planned to issue an order that would require Rosen Janfaza pay attorneys fees to defense lawyers Lisa F. Moore, Peter Anderson, and Eric Lamm related to the defense request that he be held in contempt.

Shortly after winning the case in September, Almanzar released special Courtroom Edition CD covers for her sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, which showcased her viral moments and hairstyles during the trial. The civil court victory wasnt her first. She previously scored a $4 million jury verdict against celebrity gossip vlogger Latasha Kebe, professionally known as Tasha K. A New York judge also sided with Almanzar and dismissed a libel lawsuit that named her as a defendant alongside her sister, Hennessy. Almanzar further won at a California-based federal trial where she was accused of using a portion of a mans back tattoo on the cover of her early mixtape Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1.

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Joe Manganiello and his fiancee, Caitlin OConnor, have moved away from Los Angeles. The television star shared a glimpse into the couples new home during a recent interview. She also detailed the transition and the travel arrangements for their work.

Caitlin OConnor confirms that she and Joe Manganiello have moved to their hometown

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Joe Manganiellos fiancee, Caitlin OConnor, confirmed that they are leaving Los Angeles. The couple has decided to move back to their hometown, and have now settled in Mount Lebanon, a suburb in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. OConnor has discussed the relocation, calling it a recent move.

I mean, L.A. has been both of our homes for over 20 years, OConnor shares about her and Manganiello. I was born in L.A., but raised in Pittsburgh, so were both from the same hometown, she continued. OConnor further reflected on how the couple bonded over their shared connection of growing up in the same town.

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Thats what we really connect on, you know, we share the same upbringing, the same hometown knowledge. And thats what really connects us as a couple, the television star mused. So its beautiful to be back home together, she added.

OConnor also revealed that their decision to leave LA was not a sudden one, saying, We were thinking about it for a while. She also gushed about their new home, sharing how safe she feels in the neighbourhood.

The television host further explained that although work often takes her and Manganiello to Los Angeles and New York City, Pittsburgh will remain their primary home. She shared her excitement for a big family celebration in the holidays as they enjoy the snow in their new home.

The relocation comes a month after Manganiello and OConnor announced their engagement in October 2025. The couple had first sparked romance rumors in September 2023, shortly after Manganiellos separation from Sofia Vergara. The couple confirmed their relationship later that year, making their red carpet debut at the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) Gala in December 2023.

The post Joe Manganiello Leaves LA With Fiancee Caitlin OConnor appeared first on Mandatory.
Kate Middleton will always be a paragon of timeless fashion. If I'm not asking myself "What would a French girl do?," then the question is probably "What would Princess Catherine do?" The royal has a distinct sense of style and easy uniform that make her easy to emulate. So even when she does switch things up, everything still feels effortless. A prime example is her recent appearance while welcoming Germany's president to the United Kingdom.

German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender touched down at Heathrow airport, where they were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales. For the occasion, Kate donned a smart coat and hat in sapphire-blue, but it was her hair that caught my eye.

Normally, the princess styles her tresses in bouncy waves, but this time around, it was sleek, shiny and straight, hitting her mid-back. The subtle switch still felt polished, and as someone who always wrestles with blow-outs and hair curling apparatuses, it was nice to see an example of how straight and simple can still be formal and glam.

The German embassy in the U.K. also shared snaps from the visit, which lasted until December 5.

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Following the reception at Heathrow, the president and his wife were escorted to Windsor, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla greeted them and gave a tour of some royal artifacts. President Steinmeier admired a hand-written score by Mendelssohn, composed in 1847 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

President Steinmeier capped his day with an audience with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street, and the evening culminated in a state banquet, hosted by the king and queen and attended by Prince William and Princess Catherine.

"When it comes down to it, the British and the Germans are much more alike than some would think," President Steinmeier said. "And I am convinced that our partnership draws its strength from this very factor."

In honor of their guests, the royals served a special drink: the Schwarzwald Martini. The dark chocolate martini was given a brandy twist to evoke the iconic German black forest cake.

Cheers to that!

Kate Middleton Wears Biggest Tiara Yet to German State Banquet & Marks a Poignant Royal First
Meghan Markles father, Thomas Markle, made a desperate plea to his daughter from the hospital after he got his leg amputated in the Philippines.

Thomas, 81, begged the Duchess of Sussex, 44, to see him one more time before I die, according to his interview with the Daily Mail published Saturday.

He also said he wants to meet with Meghans husband, Prince Harry, and their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, before its too late.

Thomas Markle during an interview with ITVs Good Morning Britain. REUTERS

Meghan Markle attends the 3rd Annual Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Gala on October 9, 2025. Lev Radin/ZUMA / SplashNews.com

Of course I want to speak to her [Meghan] but I am not sure if these are the right circumstances, Thomas told the outlet. Ive always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her.

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I dont want to die estranged from Meghan, the retired lighting director added. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the 2025 World Series on October 28. Getty Images

Thomas also said he was confused to hear that Meghan reached out to him, after her reps confirmed to Page Six that the Suits alum contacted her father.

I can confirm she has reached out to her father, Meghans spokesperson said Friday.

Meghans rep has since clarified to the Daily Mail that she sent her dad an email, though the outlet reported that Thomas no longer uses that email account.

Thomas Markle at the airport in Los Angeles on March 22, 2023. LionsShareNews / BACKGRID

Mr Markle is a VIP patient. Of course, we all know who he is, a hospital source told the outlet. If Meghan or anyone connected with her had called here, we would have known. It is a big hospital by Filipino standards but we all know each other and we all talk.

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We were all confused when we saw the story that the duchess had reached out to her dad, the source continued. As far as we are aware it didnt happen. We would love to see the duchess here in the Philippines!

Meghan Markle and her father. News Licensing / MEGA

Old footage of Thomas Markle and Meghan Markle from the documentary Thomas Markle: My Story. Thomas Markle: My Story

Meghans sister, Samantha Markle, blasted the claims that Meghan reached out to their father.

Youre also gullible, Samantha, 61, wrote on X on Friday. Believe it if hes put on a private jet and put into one of the best hospitals in the United States for care. Until then dont hold your breath. Its likely a PR stunt because of public scrutiny.

Houston theres been no contact Time to stop the PR b******* Medusa, she added in another tweet.

Samantha Markle. Fox

The Post has reached out to Markles rep for comment.

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Thomas underwent a life-saving three-hour surgery at a Cebu hospital that ended with the bottom half of his left leg amputated.

My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly, Thomas Markle Jr. told the Daily Mail over the weekend. I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated.

Thomas Markle talking to reporters. BACKGRID / BACKGRID

Meghan Markle speaks onstage during Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit 2025. Getty Images for Fortune Media

There was no option. I was told the leg had to be removed and it was a case of life or death, Thomas Jr., 59, added.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since she married Prince Harry in 2018, when he suffered two heart attacks that prevented him from traveling from Los Angeles to London to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Meghan and Thomas Markle. Channel 5

We were always so close, Thomas, who split from Meghans mother Doria when Meghan was 3, told Daily Mail in 2018. Being shut out of her life is the biggest tragedy of my life.

I dont understand what I did so wrong that she never talked to me again, he added. I have been upset at my daughter, I have been angry at her at times  but I have never stopped loving her.
Meghan Markles father, Thomas Markle, has expressed hope of reconciling with his estranged daughter in the wake of his recent leg amputation.

Of course I want to speak to [Meghan] but I am not sure if these are the right circumstances, Thomas, 81, told the Daily Mail in an interview published on Saturday, December 6. I've always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her. I don't want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.

Thomas said he was confused to hear that Meghan attempted to contact him. A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex confirmed to Us Weekly on Friday, December 5, that she has reached out to her father in the wake of his surgery.

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Meghans rep subsequently clarified to the Daily Mail that she sent her father an email, though other members of his family told the publication that Thomas no longer uses the account that the duchess messaged.

Meghan Markles Family Guide: Meet the Duchess of Sussexs Parents and Siblings

Us Weekly has reached out to Meghans representative for clarification.

Thomas was hospitalized earlier this week in Cebu in the Philippines after a blood clot cut off circulation to his left leg and the limb turned black. Doctors ultimately had to remove Thomas leg as a life-saving measure.

In his latest interview, Thomas admitted that he was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his leg.

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They say you can feel a phantom limb when you lose a leg and I can feel it. I don't know if I will be able to cope with this, he explained. I have always been a very independent man. I don't like the idea of spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair.

He went on, I have been waking up in the middle of the night and worrying about it. I'm grateful to be alive. But living without a leg is a tough prospect. I'm worried.

Thomas recovery is likely to take months, as he will need to be moved to a rehabilitation center once hes out of intensive care. The duchess father will then have to learn to walk again.

I'm grateful to still be alive, he told the Daily Mail. But I wanted to say a big thank you to the well-wishers and also to the fantastic medical staff. I really want to say 'thank you' to the people of the UK who have been so kind to me.

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He continued, I'm an old man now but my life has been saved and I'm grateful for that. I have a long road ahead.

His son, Thomas Markle Jr., broke the news on Friday that his father had undergone the life-changing medical procedure.

My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly. I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated, Thomas Jr., 59, told the Daily Mail. There was no option. I was told the leg had to be removed and it was a case of life or death.

His sister, Samantha Markle, expressed concern for her fathers future while speaking to the outlet, describing him as a strong man who has been through so much.

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I am praying that he is strong enough to survive this, she said. My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke and an earthquake. I hope he can pull through this.

Thomas Sr. has been estranged from Meghan since before her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018. The two had a falling out when Thomas Sr. admitted to staging photos of a suit fitting  though Samantha, 61, later told U.K. talk show Loose Women that she was entirely the culprit in setting up the photo opp in order to show her father in a positive light.

Everything Meghan Markles Dad Thomas Markle and Half-Sister Samantha Markle Have Said About Her: A Timeline

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday in May 2018, Thomas Sr. admitted hed lied to Prince Harry about the paparazzi photo during a heated phone conversation where he allegedly hung up on the prince.

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Harry told me that I should never go to the press. That it would end in tears. He said, They will eat you alive. He was right, Thomas Sr. admitted.

Thomas Sr. ultimately missed Meghan and Harrys wedding because he suffered two heart attacks. He had to learn to walk again after suffering a stroke in 2022 and, earlier this year, he was in the Philippines when a massive 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck. (Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail that he moved to the Philippines to escape media coverage over his rift with the duchess.)
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Meghan Markle reached out to dad Thomas Markle following his emergency leg amputation, despite a report from the Duchess of Sussex's father that claims he has not heard from his daughter, PEOPLE understands

The outreach between the estranged pair was not initially disclosed publicly in an effort to keep the matter private

Thomas recently had the procedure done in the Philippines

Meghan Markle reached out to her father, Thomas Markle, following his emergency leg amputation, PEOPLE understands, as a new report claims he has not heard from her.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, emailed her father, 81, late Friday morning Pacific time after learning he had undergone the procedure. The outreach was not initially disclosed publicly in an effort to keep the matter private.

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A spokesperson for Meghan said she reached out the same day she learned about the health ordeal surrounding her father, from whom she has been estranged since 2018, following his involvement in staging paparazzi photographs ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry.

However, The Mail on Sunday reported on Saturday, Dec. 6, that Thomas was confused by the statement and claimed he had not heard from Meghan.

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BACKGRID Thomas Markle in March 2024. Thomas Markle in March 2024.

PEOPLE understands that the email did not generate an error or bounce-back notification, and efforts to obtain updated contact information for Thomas are ongoing.

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The Duchess of Sussex has also made attempts to contact her father in the past, PEOPLE has learned.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

PEOPLE also understands that Meghans team has sought clarification from those close to Thomas regarding the best method of contacting him as he recovers in intensive care in the Philippines.

A hospital source, who spoke with The Mail on Sunday, said, "If Meghan or anyone connected with her had called here, we would have known. ... As far as we are aware, it didn't happen."

LionsShareNews / BACKGRID; Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle. Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle.

Speaking of his estrangement from Meghan, Thomas told The Mail on Sunday, "Of course I want to speak to her, but I am not sure if these are the right circumstances."

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"I've always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her. I don't want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband, too," he continued, referring to Prince Harry, 41, and the couple's two children: Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.

Thomas also said he hasn't changed his phone number in the time he's been estranged from the Duchess of Sussex, explaining that he has "always wanted Meg to be able to call me."

Thomas and his son, Thomas Markle Jr., have not responded to PEOPLE's requests for comment.

Read the original article on People
Rosie ODonnell has opened up about an attempted social media cleanse that went wrong amid her ongoing feud with President Donald Trump.

The comedian, 63, said she was urged to detach from firing off her anti-Trump social media posts around Thanksgiving.

However, ODonnell, who moved to Ireland five days before Trump was inaugurated in January, told The Washington Post in a new interview that she gave up on the plan just hours later.

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She said her longtime friend told her: Roseann, youve got to detach. Youve got to disconnect.

However, ODonnell could not stay silent when she saw that Trump had recently scolded Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey and told her to be quiet, piggy when she pressed him about the Epstein files.

Rosie O'Donnell moved to Ireland with her youngest child in January (Getty Images for Tinderbox Produ)

Donald Trump and Rosie ODonnell have been in a feud since 2006 (Getty)

After posting myriad criticisms of Trump and unflattering pictures of him, ODonnell then made a plan to stay off social media for three days, which also ended early.

Despite her toxic relationship with Trump and social media, ODonnell said her move abroad has been the healthiest and best decision for herself and her youngest child, Clay.

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She said earlier this year that she was feeling healthier and sleeping better since living in Dublin.

Its not easy to move to another country, and we really felt as a family this was the safest and best thing for us to do, she said in March. I feel healthier, Im sleeping better without the stress and anxiety over what was happening politically in the country.

Meanwhile, Trump said earlier this year that he wanted to revoke ODonnells citizenship, calling the actor a threat to humanity.

As previously mentioned, we are giving serious thought to taking away Rosie ODonnells Citizenship. She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so! the president wrote on Truth Social in September.

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The White House then issued a joyful statement in October when ODonnell announced that she was applying for Irish citizenship.

ODonnell and Trump have been in a feud for nearly two decades. The war of words started when she was a host on The View in 2006, and now mostly continues with insults exchanged on social media.

She said in her TikTok post in March that she never thought she would move to another country.

You know, I'm happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home and I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country, ODonnell said at the time.

And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in American, thats when we will consider coming back.
Rosie ODonnell is sounding the alarm about her ongoing fixation with President Donald Trump.

The 63-year-old, along with some of her friends and family, spoke to The Washington Post about her move to Ireland after Trump's re-election last November, and one thing was made clear from the article.

She "can't resist" speaking about Trump.

ODonnell told the outlet she promised her therapist the Wednesday before Thanksgiving she would refrain from posting about Trump for two days.

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Rosie O'donnell Fires Back After Trump Renews Threat To Revoke Her Us Citizenship

Rosie O'Donnell and President Donald Trump have feuded for years.

It fell apart within hours.

Read On The Fox News App

A longtime friend, Jennifer Kopetic, was described as "annoyed" when she told O'Donnell during a recent visit, "Roseann, youve got to detach. Youve got to disconnect."

She made another vow  three days this time  telling her 1.2 million Instagram followers she was "gonna try again to not give him a minute of me." However, she failed that attempt, too.

ODonnells recent comments came after she said the political stress she carries is spilling onto her family, especially her daughter, who she said blames Trump for uprooting their lives.

ODonnell has said her emotional spiral began the moment Trump was elected.

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"I felt on the verge of crying  when he got elected," she previously told an Irish TV audience in March, explaining she feared a second term.

The former talk show host said her concerns were personal. A lesbian mother of five  with her youngest, 12-year-old Clay, identifying as nonbinary and diagnosed with autism  ODonnell feared what she saw as Trump-era hostility toward LGBTQ Americans and the potential gutting of federal support for special education programs.

Rosie Odonnell Says Daughter Blames Trump For Forcing Their Family's Move Out Of America

The Washington Post reported that, during Trumps first term, she channeled her anxiety into more than 200 angry digital portraits of the former president on her iPad, labeling him "Moron," "Loser" and "Liar."

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That kind of "obsessed" focus on Trump is exactly what convinced ODonnell she had no choice but to leave the U.S.

ODonnell moved to Ireland after claiming Trump threatened to strip her of U.S. citizenship.

Her brother Eddie, who is helping with her Irish citizenship application, called her move abroad "the best decision shes made  honestly."

ODonnell made her recent remarks after she said the political stress she carries is spilling into her family  especially her daughter, who she said blames Trump for uprooting their lives.

"My daughter is now saying, Damn him. Damn Trump," ODonnell said during an appearance on "The Jim Acosta Show."

According to ODonnell, her daughter hit their table in frustration, shouting, "He made us move for our own safety  and now hes destroying the country."

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The White House wasted no time responding to ODonnells renewed attacks.

ODonnell acknowledged the difficulty of trying to keep her daughter shielded from the chaos while still being honest about why they left.

"She hears everything. She recognizes whats going on," she said.

The comedian added shes ready to step back from political combat.

"Somebody can tap me out.  I did 22 years. I dont need to do anymore."

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O'Donnell plans to stay in Ireland.

The White House wasted no time responding to ODonnells renewed attacks.

"Rosie ODonnell clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and its better for the entire country that she decided to move away," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital earlier this week.

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ODonnell moved to Ireland after claiming Trump threatened to strip her of U.S. citizenship.

In October, she announced she was pursuing Irish citizenship, citing her grandparents roots and her desire for distance from American politics.





Original article source: Rosie O'Donnell's Trump obsession continues unabated from Ireland as friends beg her to 'disconnect'
Originally appeared on E! Online

As Sister Wives star Christine Brown once famously declared, she didn't just want the man, she wanted the family.

These days she has bothmarking her second anniversary with husband David Woolley in October, some four years after she announced her separation from former spouse Kody Brown.

Though she and Kody aren't exactly close, Christine has retained much of their sprawling family as well, with the 53-year-old musing in a 2024 episode of the long-running TLC series that her and former sister wife Janelle Brown's respective kids make up the core group that gathers for holidays and other family celebrations.

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Not on the guest list: Brown patriarch Kody or his now sole wife Robyn Brown.

As the father of 18 sees it, his remaining bride is the reason he remains persona non grata amongst his fam.

"The situation sucks," he grumbled in an episode that aired last December, griping that he wasn't invited to daughter Savanah Brown's high school graduation party. "I've got this whole other side of the family that have decided that they're still a family and we're out. Now, they'll let me in that club as long as I leave Robyn behind. I cant do that."

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But they're, uh, not asking him to.

"So Kody has this idea that somehow if he leaves Robyn home, he's going to be able to come to these family gatherings," Janelle noted in the same episode. "And that's so far from the truth."

And that's not the only time Kody's reality hasn't aligned with the facts of the situation.

Days after he claimed on the Nov. 23 Sister Wives episode that he's "reached out to every one of my children, and multiple times," Leon Brown broke their social media hiatus to respond.

"Let me be so f--king clear," stated the 30-year-old, Kody's only child with first wife Meri Brown, before insisting they have "not heard" from Kody since the March 2024 death of brother Garrison Brown. Added Leon, "kody blatantly blew me off at garrison's funeral. he is a liar. he is a joke of a father."

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And the Denver resident is just the latest of Kody's kids to plunge that metaphorical knife in his kidneys.

As his estrangement with the majority of his adult kids drags on (while he remains close to Robyn's eldest Dayton, 25, Aurora, 23, and Breanna, 21, Janelle has said Kody is "alienated from 90 to 95 percent" of his children) we're digging into everything the Brown offspring have said about the ongoing rift.

Gabriel Brown

For Gabriel Brown, it was far too late for dad Kody Brown to say sorry. Initially at odds over Kody's intense COVID restrictions, they continued to keep their distance even as stay home orders began to lift. Kody's issue, recounted Janelle Brown, who shares sons Logan Brown, Hunter Brown, Garrison Brown and Gabriel as well as daughters Madison Brush and Savanah Brown, with the patriarch, was that he felt his kids hadn't been loyal to him and his rules. "He kept phrasing it like I owed him an apology," Gabriel detailed to Janelle in an October 2024 episode of Sister Wives. "Eventually I was just like, 'Hey, unless you're, like, actually ready to have a relationship and fix things, then we're not going to talk anymore.' He came back a couple of days later and texted me. He's like, 'Hey, I've been, like, thinking about what you've been saying. I forgive you, Please forgive me.' I was like, 'Forgive me for what?'" So tight with his dad he used to accompany him on business trips, he remains confused about what he did. But, he noted to Janelle, "I told Dad that if he doesn't change and he can't take accountability, then I just won't ever see him again. And I'm perfectly OK with that."





Ysabel Brown

Kody may have meant for his love to be multiplied, but his time with his 18 kids has definitely been divided. Which is why Ysabel Brown feared that when David Woolley married mom Christine Brown in 2023, he might fully take over the role her father once played in her life. "I worry," a tearful Ysabel shared in a confessional on a November 2024 episode, "that my dad and the chance of having a really close relationship with my dad is slowly going away." Not that she didn't appreciate David as a stepdad. "He comes off as a very present dad with his children, so I mean, how lovely would that be, right?" she noted. "So I would love to have a relationship that is as amazing with my own father." And she's still holding out hope, admitting in a November 2025 episode, "My dad and I aren't like, close, close, close, close, close, close." Still, why she thought of Christine as both mom and dad, she wouldn't call her relationship with Kodywho refused to fly cross-country when she had back surgery mid-pandemicnonexistent. "I mean, he's still my dad," she insisted, "and I love him."





Paedon Brown

If Kody had his way, Paedon Brownone of Christine's six kidswouldn't say much of anything about him. Speaking with YouTuber John Yates in January 2023, Paedon recalled receiving an "out of the blue" phone call from his dad. "It's like an hour-long conversation and it goes really, really well," he recounted. "And I'm like, 'OK, I might be getting my father back. This is wonderful.'" Then he called his mom. Talking to Christinealso mom to Aspyn Thompson, Mykelti Padron, Gwendlyn Queiroz, Ysabel and Truely BrownPaedon learned that Kody had been working to convince producers not to let his children trash him, "trying to put it in our contracts that we are not allowed to say anything negative about him on our platforms." But it was a deal he couldn't close. "My mom was like, 'No, you're not allowed to tell our children what they can and can't say about you. You have to earn their love back,'" explained Paedon. "And I realized he didn't call me because he wanted to talk to me. He called me because he doesn't want me talking negatively."





Gwendlyn Queiroz

Admittedly, Gwendlyn doesn't fully recognize the Kody that parents his five kids with wife Robyn Brown. "It hurts so much to see him be a good father to others when I didn't really get that much," she acknowledged in a February 2023 YouTube video of watching him with youngest children Solomon Brown and Ariella Brown. And while she's happy they get "an active father," she noted, "I dont remember coming home from kindergarten or anything and seeing my dad being happy that I ate all my lunch, or that I made a friend at school." That being said, she was still willing to play nice. In a January 2023 YouTube video she labeled their relationship as "very flip-floppy." In person, "My dad's sweet to me now," noted Gwendlyn, who invited Kody and Robyn to her and Beatriz Queiroz's July 2023 wedding. "We had our differences in the past, but we're getting better. And since we're not around each other as much, we can't really be angry with each other as much." But when she tunes into the Sunday night episodes, she added, "I do tend to dislike him a little bit. And I just have to remind myself that he's going through a difficult time and it's just hard on everybody and, you know, he's still my dad and he's still kind to me."

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Mykelti Padron

One of the few Brown kids who was still close to both Robyn and Kody and Christine and Janelle, Mykelti took on the role of peacekeeper during Kody's three divorces. But in the years since, she seems to have resigned from Team Kody, giving her take on the rift months after she and husband Tony Padron made the move to North Carolina with their three children. "I think that if he took more accountability in any of his actions, his kidsmaybe not all of them, but at least some of themwould reach out," she noted during an October 2024 fan Q&A shared on the Instagram account @withoutacrystalball. "Instead of blaming the children, or blaming how they feel about his relationship with his other wife or blaming the parents or blaming gossip or whatever, if he just said, 'Look, I understand I did blank wrong. Im sorry. Can we talk about it?' I feel like that would go such a long way." As for his stance that he shouldn't need to beg his children to repair their relationship, she wasn't having it. No matter what happens between myself and my kids, I would always sit outside that door, knock, apologize and ask, and ask, and ask, and just continue to try to do whatever I could to make that relationship stronger," the mom of three insisted, before referencing Kody's claim that his former wives had metaphorically stabbed him in the back. "I feel like thats what you do as a parent. Sometimes you just have to take the knife in the kidney, get over it, and apologize."





Leon Brown

A message worth interrupting their peace. Leon Brown has largely avoided the spotlight since their Sister Wives days. But Meri Brown's only child felt compelled to break their social media hiatus to address Kody's recent claim that he'd reached out to all of his kids "multiple times" and that if they don't have a relationship with him "it's because they're not reciprocating." But Leon insisted there's no missed calls on their cell. "There's a ridiculous video of my father circulating where he says he reaches out to his children," they wrote on their Instagram Stories in November 2025. Noting they hadn't heard from Kody since brother Garrison's March 2024 death by suicide, Leon added, "kody blatantly blew me off at garrison's funeral. he is a liar. he is a joke of a father. that's all."





Madison Brush

When it comes to her complicated relationship with her dad, Maddie isn't solely concerned with protecting her heart. "I am open to reconciliation and forgiveness and closure," she shared on the Nov. 30, 2025, episode of the TLC series after welcoming fourth child Emilia in March 2025. But if her father wanted to fully be let into the life she shares with husband Caleb Brush and kids Axel, Evie, Josephine and Emilia "there would need to be a pattern of consistency." And judging by her scathing October 2025 social media rebuke, she's still waiting. Sharing an inspirational quote to her Instagram Stories about carefully deciding what is worth your energy," Maddie explained how she was able to reach that point. As she wrote in a DM to one follower looking for tips, "Your dad saying lies about you for the entire world to hear teaches it to you REAL QUICK." Her main issue, she noted on a 2024 episode of her The Authentic Society podcast was that "he doesn't have any respect for boundaries. And you have to play by his rules, and I just don't care to do that."




In Thomas Markles hospital-bed interview with the Mail on Sunday, one detail jumped out: he told a journalist that he was having his lower leg amputated before telling either his daughter Samantha or his son, Thomas Markle Jr.

The Mails Caroline Graham writes that she got a text message from Meghans estranged dad reading, Going to lose the leg today.

Graham said that when she contacted Tom Jr. (his fathers primary carer who lives with him in the Philippines) and his other daughter, Samantha, with the news, Both were flabbergasted. He had chosen to break the news of the amputation to me before his own family.

Thomas Markle and Meghan Markle. Meghan claims she has tried to reach out to her father since learning of his health problems. / Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/ITV/Getty

Here at the Daily Beast, The Royalist has always believed that this story was complex, and that Thomas and his other children are compromised individuals who have relentlessly sought to monetize their connection to Meghan.

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The fact that Thomas Markle was calling journalists before he called his own kidsalong with a rant on YouTube by Thomas Jr. in which he encouraged people to throw excrement at Meghanmakes the case pretty eloquently, I think.

That doesnt mean that Meghan hasnt opened herself up to allegations of gross hypocrisy, preaching compassion while refusing to reconcile with her father.

Late on Friday, she finally said she had tried to reach out to Thomas. Now, predictably, her father is saying he hasnt heard from her, and nor has anyone at the hospital, and he wants to see her one more time before I die.

Thomas Markle Jr. has delivered an exasperated rant about his siblings on his YouTube channel. / Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Astute observers of this quarrelsome family may be getting flashbacks to Thomas Markle saying in a 2020 documentary that he had a phone call with Prince Harry in which he told the royal, Its a shame I didnt die because you both could pretend that youre sad, and then hung up.

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He also said in the same interview, The last time they might see me is being lowered into the ground.

Thomas has shown before that he isnt above using his health situation to try to inflame public opinion against Meghan.

But that doesnt change the fact that Meghan has handled the estrangement from her father appallingly, if only from the perspective of reputation management.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was said to be so concerned about the impact on the royals of the situation that she urged Meghan to get on a plane and reconcile with him publicly. Meghan ignored the advice, the situation deteriorated further, and, five years later, here we are.

The late Queen Elizabeth II (right) was said to be so concerned that the Markles family problems might reflect on the royals that she urged Meghan (left) to reconcile with her father. / Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty Images

Meghans disjointed communications have made a bad situation worse. On Sunday, Meghans team sent out a mailshot to publicize her ideal family brand, As Ever, urging customers to make Sundays a cosy day.

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Astonishingly, one of her team appears to have briefed the London Times that they thought the leg amputation might have been a hoax. The Times reported on Friday that a spokesperson had told them Meghan had instructed aides to find out if her father is unwell.

Meghans office subsequently denied any such order had been given.

Thomass friends have reacted with outrage. Lady Colin Campbell, a friend of Markle Sr., told The Royalist it was disgraceful for Meghans team to accuse Thomas of inventing health problems to victimize Meghan, adding, When he hops out of the hospital, will she say his foot is strapped up behind him?

On the record statements in the Mail on Sunday from named surgeons saying that they had to remove the foot would appear to put to bed any suggestions of an elaborate hoax.

Thomas Markle Sr. has a history of dealing with his children through the press. / Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images Images

Markle said he was confused by widespread reports that his daughter had reached out to him, while a hospital source told the Mail: Mr Markle is a VIP patient. Of course we all know who he is. If Meghan or anyone connected with her had called here we would have known. It is a big hospital by Filipino standards, but we all know each other, and we all talk.

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We were all confused when we saw the story that the duchess had reached out to her dad. As far as we are aware it didnt happen. We would love to see the duchess here in the Philippines!

The Sussexes said Meghan sent her father an email at 11:53 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, but the Mail said that it was to an address that hasnt been active for at least five years.

A source in Meghans camp said they have asked the Mail to provide a current, active email address for Thomas or any means of contacting him.

They confirmed Meghan had not contacted the hospital where Markle is a patient, but said that was because they do not know which hospital he is in. They said they had asked the Mail to request those details from Markle but had received no response.

Want more royal gossip, scoops and scandal? Head over to The Royalist on Substack
Individuals named Anaba are typically characterized by remarkable resilience and inner strength, reflecting the name's meaning of returning from conflict. They often possess a quiet courage that enables them to face challenges with determination and grace, combined with a deep sense of loyalty to family and community. These individuals tend to be protective and nurturing, with a strong sense of responsibility toward preserving traditions and supporting those around them. Their journey through difficulties often gives them wisdom beyond their years and an ability to guide others through their own struggles.



Anaba's personality often includes a balanced combination of warrior spirit and peacemaker qualities. They demonstrate emotional intelligence and the capacity to transform difficult experiences into sources of strength and insight. While they can be fiercely determined when protecting what they value, they also exhibit compassion and understanding born from their own experiences with adversity. This creates individuals who are both strong and empathetic, capable of leadership while maintaining deep connections to their cultural roots and community values. Their presence often brings a sense of stability and hope to those around them.
Donald Trump presented this years Kennedy Center honorees with their medals in an Oval Office ceremony on Saturday, but he also made some predictions of how the ceremony will do in the ratings and how he will do in hosting the event.

Namely, Trump said he would do better than Jimmy Kimmel, the late night host who has emceed multiple Oscar broadcasts.

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We have never had a president hosting the awards before. This is the first, Trump told reporters.

Im sure theyll give me great reviews, right? You know, theyll say he was horrible. He was terrible. It was a horrible situation. No, well do fine, Trump said.

Trump then went on to say that he has watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people. If I cant beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I dont think I should be president.

Kimmel has long directed his biting humor at Trump, and the president has taken to social media to slam the ABC host and call for his firing. In September, after Kimmel made a joke referencing the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Trumps FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, warned stations that carried the late-night show. Two major station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, pulled the show, and ABC then took it off the schedule. But the network reinstated Kimmel the next week, after a backlash.

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At the Oval Office ceremony, Trump also predicted that Sundays show, which will be taped to air later in the month on CBS, will be the highest rated show theyve ever done.

Theyve gotten some pretty good ratings, but theres nothing like whats going to happen tomorrow night.

Trump skipped the Kennedy Center Honors during his first term, after some of the honorees in 2017 said that they would boycott a White House reception that typically precedes the ceremony.

But just weeks after returning to office this year, Trump fired all of Joe Bidens appointees to the Kennedy Center board, ensuring that his own loyalists would dominate the arts institutions governance. That also ensured that Trump would be elected chair of the board. The previous president, Deborah Rutter, was ousted, replaced by Ric Grenell, who served as acting director of national intelligence in the first Trump term.

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Trump has said that he was 98% involved in the selection of this years slate of honorees: Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, KISS and Michael Crawford. In August, Trump said that he turned down plenty. They were too woke. I had a couple of wokesters, he said. He blasted previous selections as including too many radical left lunatics.

Later on Saturday, the honorees will be feted by Trump and others at a State Department ceremony.

The ceremony has previously been hosted by figures ranging from Queen Latifah to Walter Cronkite, with the president remaining in the Kennedy Center Opera Houses presidential box.

In August, when Trump announced that he would host, he said, Ive been asked to host. I said, Im the president of the United States. Are you folks asking me to do that. Sir, youll get much higher ratings. I said, I dont care. Im the president of the United States. I wont do it. They said, Please. And then [chief of staff] Susie Wiles said, Sir. I would like you to host. I said, OK, Ill do it.

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NEED TO KNOW

Audrey Hepburn was married twice, to Mel Ferrer and Dr. Andrea Dotti

She welcomed her older son, Sean, with Ferrer, and her younger son, Luca, with Dotti

The Breakfast at Tiffany's actress remained in a relationship with businessman Robert Wolders until her 1993 death

One of Hollywoods most enduring symbols of glamour, Audrey Hepburn was married twice in her life: to actor Mel Ferrer and to Dr. Andrea Dotti.

The Breakfast at Tiffanys star married Ferrer, an actor and director, in 1954, welcoming her older son, Sean, in June 1960. After her 1968 divorce, she met Dotti, an Italian psychiatrist, whom she would wed in 1969. In February 1970, she and Dotti added her younger son, Luca, to the family.

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After her second divorce in 1982, Hepburn was in a long-term relationship with businessman Robert Wolders, but they never married. Hepburn died of cancer on Jan. 20, 1993.

After she had such a tumultuous childhood, her dream in life was to have a happy home life and children, Audrey Style author Pamela Keogh told PEOPLE in May 2019. Her goal was not to be famous but to have a happy private life. And to be a present and loving mom to her two children.

Heres everything to know about Audrey Hepburns two husbands, Mel Ferrer and Andrea Dotti.

Mel Ferrer

Bettmann/Getty Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer. Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer.

Ferrer was an actor, director and producer who was born in New Jersey on Aug. 25, 1917, per the Los Angeles Times. He and Hepburn met in New York, when they were co-starring on Broadway in Ondine.

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The couple wed in Switzerland on Sept. 25, 1954, after only knowing each other for eight months. The ceremony was kept a secret to avoid the press, but Hepburns tea-length wedding gown has since became one of the most iconic bridal styles of all time.

We lived in a fairyland on top of a mountain, Ferrer told PEOPLE in May 1984. We stayed for 10 years.

The two welcomed son Sean Ferrer on June 17, 1960.

With my first child, I always took him with me in his formative years. His father was always working and moving too. We moved together," Hepburn told PEOPLE in April 1976. I dont think hell go into acting. Hes interested in writing and in medicine right now.

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Talking to PEOPLE in October 1994, Sean recalled learning his parents were separating when he was 8 years old, which he described as a deep wound.

She said, Were not happy together, and its not going to affect you right now, but weve chosen not to live together anymore,  Sean said.

In 1971, Ferrer married for a fifth time to editor Elizabeth "Lisa" Soukotine. Over the course of his career, he had roles in over 100 films, directed nine films and produced nine others. He also had a starring role on Falcon Crest and in films like Lili and The Sun Also Rises.

Ferrer died on June 2, 2008, in Santa Barbara, Calif., per the Los Angeles Times.

Andrea Dotti

Henry Clarke/Conde Nast via Getty Audrey Hepburn and Dr. Andrea Mario Dotti Audrey Hepburn and Dr. Andrea Mario Dotti

Dotti was an accomplished psychiatrist who published extensively, especially in the psychology of eating disorders. Hepburn met the Italian native on a Mediterranean cruise in 1968.

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They married on Jan. 18, 1969, in a town hall ceremony in Switzerland. Hepburn wore a blush-colored mini dress by Givenchy for the wedding.

The couple welcomed son Luca on Feb. 8, 1970. Speaking to PEOPLE in April 1976, Hepburn speculated that the then-6 year old Luca would be a sea captain or something like that when he grew up.

Talking to PEOPLE in June 2015 ahead of his book Audrey at Home, Luca said his childhood was relatively peaceful.

To me, my mother was Audrey Dotti, he said. I never realized she was Audrey Hepburn. I didnt know she was a movie star. She always looked at my father like he was the center of attention.

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However, Dotti and Hepburn faced a number of issues during their marriage, including infidelity rumors and threat of kidnapping for ransom in Rome. In her 1976 PEOPLE story, Hepburn said that Dotti had evaded an attempt to push him into a car earlier that year. As a safety precaution, Hepburn wouldnt reveal her address to anyone except trusted friends.

Rome is such a beautiful city, but it is so sad too, she said at the time. This violence thats been unleashed gives me great anguish.

During her marriage to Dotti, Hepburn didnt work as much as she had in the past.

I never said I was quittingGoodbye, thats it!and I wont make any promises about continuing, she told PEOPLE. I love doing pictures, but I enjoy the luxury of a married life more.

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Ultimately, the couple divorced in 1982. In October 1994, Dotti candidly told PEOPLE that he had been unfaithful in the marriage.

I was no angel  Italian husbands have never been famous for being faithful, he said. But she was jealous of other women even from the beginning.

Dotti died in Rome on Sept. 30, 2007, per The Times.

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NEED TO KNOW

Olivia Yace was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania at the 2025 pageant on Nov. 21

She was representing Cote d'Ivoire at the 74th pageant and placed in the top five

Just a few days after the pageant, Yace announced that she was renouncing her Miss Universe Africa and Oceania title, while remaining Miss Cote d'Ivoire

Olivia Yace placed in the top five at Miss Universe 2025 before she renounced her title.

The philanthropist had been representing Cote d'Ivoire at the international competition in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 21, when she was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania. However, after receiving the crown and accepting the title, she resigned a few days later.

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Yace announced that she was relinquishing her title as Miss Universe Africa and Oceania via Instagram on Nov. 24.

"With a heart full of gratitude and profound respect, I hereby announce my resignation from the title of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania as well as from any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee," she shared.

Yace's decision came after Brigitta Schaback also resigned from her role as Miss Universe Estonia, saying her "values and work ethics do not align with those of the National Director, Natalie Korneitsik." Shortly afterward, the Miss Estonia organization told PEOPLE that it found some of Schaback's recent comments "inappropriate."

The 2025 Miss Universe pageant faced several controversies, including allegations that the results were rigged and three judges stepping down from their posts just days before the competition. The Miss Universe Organization has since denied the tampering rumors.

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Here's everything to know about why Olivia Yace resigned from Miss Universe and renounced her position as Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.



Yace represented Cote d'Ivoire at Miss Universe

LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Miss Ivory Coast Olivia Yace takes part in the final competition of the 2025 Miss Universe pageant on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Miss Ivory Coast Olivia Yace takes part in the final competition of the 2025 Miss Universe pageant on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Yace was elected Miss Cote d'Ivoire in 2021 and went on to be crowned Miss World Africa and 2nd runner-up of Miss World 2022, per her website. She represented Cote d'Ivoire at the 74th Miss Universe pageant on Nov. 21 in Thailand.

"This announcement marks a new chapter in Olivia's exceptional journey, as she prepares to once again represent the national colors on the world stage," Yace's website reads, while she added in a statement, "Miss Universe is not just a competition. It's a platform, a symbol, a mirror of the world. And I am honored to inhabit it with the Ivorian soul that has shaped me."

In addition to holding her various titles, Yace also became an ambassador for tourism in Cote d'Ivoire, which she described as "a call to serve again, with even more humility, maturity and responsibility." She received her bachelor's degree in marketing at Widener University and her master's degree at Richmond American University London, per her LinkedIn.



She placed fourth runner-up and won Miss Universe Africa and Oceania at Miss Universe 2025

LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Top five contestants during the final competition of the 2025 Miss Universe pageant on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Top five contestants during the final competition of the 2025 Miss Universe pageant on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Yace was among the over 100 contestants who participated in the 74th Miss Universe pageant that took place in Thailand on Nov. 21. She was also among the 30 semifinalists who were chosen through a preliminary competition.

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Yace continued making it through the semifinal swimsuit segment, final 12 evening gown competition and final five question and answer round. However, she was cut ahead of the final question and answer segment and placed fourth runner-up.

Although Yace did not win Miss Universe, she was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, which is one of the four Continental Queen titles given to contestants. As a Continental Queen, she received an automatic entry to the semifinals and was slated to serve as a global ambassador alongside Miss Universe.

After becoming a Continental Queen, Yace expressed her gratitude on Instagram and thanked her country for "all their love and support."

At the end of the competition, Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, was crowned the winner, while Praveenar Singh of Thailand was the first runner-up.



She renounced her title as Miss Universe Africa and Oceania but maintained her Miss Cote d'Ivoire title

Mohan Raj/Getty Miss Universe Cote d'Ivoire Olivia Yace during the 74th Miss Universe final competition on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Miss Universe Cote d'Ivoire Olivia Yace during the 74th Miss Universe final competition on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Just days after she was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, Yace announced that she was resigning. She shared the news in a lengthy Instagram statement on Nov. 24.

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While Yace clarified that she was resigning from "any future affiliation with the Miss Universe Committee," she said that she will remain Miss Cote d'Ivoire.

The Miss Cote dIvoire Committee (COMICI) later shared their own Facebook statement and confirmed Yace's "withdrawal" from the organization.

"Consequently, COMICI officially informs the Miss Universe organization of the withdrawal of the Ivorian candidate from all titles and mandates issued by this organization," they wrote. "Olivia therefore relinquishes her title of Miss Universe Africa & Oceania, effective immediately."

The post concluded, "Miss Olivia, Miss Universe Africa & Oceania 2025, will formally return her Africa & Oceania sash to the organization to ensure that no one is unaware of this and to attest to this joint decision."

Yace wrote that she stepped down to remain true to my values

Mohan Raj/Getty Top 12 delegate Miss Universe Cote d'Ivoire, Olivia Yace during the 74th Miss Universe final competition on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Top 12 delegate Miss Universe Cote d'Ivoire, Olivia Yace during the 74th Miss Universe final competition on November 21, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand.

In Yace's resignation announcement, she explained that she was leaving for personal reasons and to ensure her values remained intact.

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"As the representative of Cote d'Ivoire at the Miss Universe 2025 competition in Bangkok, I witnessed firsthand that I was capable of accomplishing great things despite adversity," she began in her statement. "But to continue on this path, I must remain true to my values: respect, dignity, excellence, and equal opportunity the strongest pillars that guide me."

Yace expressed that her "greatest wish is to be a role model for the new generation" and to encourage women to "push their limits" and "walk confidently into rooms where they believe they do not belong."

"Stepping away from this diminished role of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania will allow me to dedicate myself fully to defending the values I hold dear, she continued. I call upon Black, African, Caribbean, American, and Afro-descendant communities: continue entering spaces where you are not expected. Let us open the way for the brothers and sisters who will follow us. Never let anyone define who we are or limit our potential. Our presence matters, and our voices must be heard."

Yace concluded her statement by writing how "deeply grateful" she is for the "support I have received and for the unforgettable experiences that have shaped me."

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"Thank you to all those who have been part of this exceptional adventure. Let us continue to defend our values and strive for greatness together," she concluded.



The Miss Universe Organization owner later insinuated Yace didn't win because of visa issues

Hector Vivas/Getty President of Miss Universe, Raul Rocha speaks in the The 73rd Miss Universe Competition on November 16, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. President of Miss Universe, Raul Rocha speaks in the The 73rd Miss Universe Competition on November 16, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Shortly after Yace publicly resigned from Miss Universe, the organization's owner, Raul Rocha, shared his opinion on why Yace had not won the pageant.

In a livestream that has been reposted by several pageantry social media pages, Rocha pointed out that "there are many things that are evaluated" by the selection committee  including visa restrictions. He claimed that citizens of Cote d'Ivoire require visas to enter 175 countries.

"She's going to be the Miss Universe who spent a whole year in an apartment because of the cost of the visa process with lawyers," Rocha said, as translated from Spanish. "Some of them require six months notice. The year's already gone, right?"



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Credit: Netflix

Netflix has revealed its slate of everything new in December 2025, and that means plenty of movies have just been added to the streaming service, and more are on their way. But not all of these movies are created equal, and a select few rise above the rest and are must-adds to your watchlist.

But to know what movies are the must-watch films, you need to scour the entire list. Lucky for you, I've already done the work. I've gone through the movies coming this month and turned to Rotten Tomatoes to see which clear the high mark of a 90% fresh rating or higher from critics. Of course, a high score on the review aggregate site is not a guarantee that a movie will appeal to your personal tastes, but it tends to guarantee you're at least watching a quality film.

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So without further ado, lets dive into the five new to Netflix movies in December 2025 that are 90% fresh or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. For more recommendations, check out my review of this Oscar contender Netflix added over the Thanksgiving break.

'Little Women' (2019)

"Little Women" stars Saoirse Ronan as Josephine "Jo" March, Emma Watson as Margaret "Meg" March, Florence Pugh as Amy March and Eliza Scanlen as Elizabeth "Beth" March. This coming-of-age period drama follows the March sisters through the 1860s, hopping from one storyline in the past to another in the "present" of 1868.

This story is beloved by many, whether in this form or the original novel by Louisa May Alcott. It runs the gamut emotionally, love, loss, anger and joy. At the core, though, are the performances of the March sisters, all played by phenomenal actors. Don't sleep on the supporting cast; Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep and Tracy Letts are all worthy of your attention as well.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Stream it on Netflix

'Pulp Fiction' (1994)

"Pulp Fiction" is a crime movie classic set in Los Angeles. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta as Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, a pair of hitmen who work for local gangster Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Their mission? To retrieve a briefcase for their boss, even if it means killing anyone in their way. Told in a non-linear fashion, we also see when Vincent's path crosses with the prizefighter Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), and an iconic scene where Vincent takes out Wallace's wife, Mia (Uma Thurman).

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This movie set the standard for Tarantino's filmmaking style, combining sharp writing with an incredible cast of actors and plenty of violence. If you only had one movie to see what Tarantino is all about, this is the one to pick. Don't just take my word for it, either: "Pulp Fiction" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and was nominated for seven awards at the 67th Academy Awards, winning Best Original Screenplay.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

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'The Northman' (2022)

"The Northman" finally answers the question: "What if we made 'Hamlet' more violent?" It stars Alexander Skarsgard as Prince Amleth, a Viking prince who would later become the direct inspiration for Shakespeare's iconic Prince of Denmark.

Amleth is set to ascend the throne of his father, King Aurvandill "War-Raven" (Ethan Hawke). But before he can, his uncle Fjolnir (Claes Bang) stages a coup, taking the throne, killing Aurvandill and taking his dead brother's wife, Gudrun (Nicole Kidman), for his own. Amleth manages to escape, but swears one day to return for vengeance.

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And return he does. After fighting for years as a berserker, he meets the seeress Olga of the Birch Forest (Anya Taylor-Joy), who reminds him of his oath of revenge. So Amleth returns to settle this family feud once and for all. If you like director Robert Eggers' penchant for gorgeous, dark, twisted storytelling, then "The Northman" is for you.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

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'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' (2025)

In "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," Rian John's fictional detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back for another seemingly unsolvable mystery. This time, he's been called to a small church in upstate New York, where the Msgr. Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) has just died in seemingly impossible circumstances.

The prime suspect? Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor). He's another priest at the church who was the last to be with the late priest. To solve the case, Blanc will need to work with local police chief Geraldine Scott to discover who is really behind this murder most foul.

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If you haven't watched the previous two Knives Out movies, you should. You don't need to, as they tell separate stories, but it'll give you an appreciation for these whodunits with incredible casts. "Wake Up Dead Man" is no exception on that front, by the way. It features a deep ensemble cast that also includes Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Jeffrey Wright and more.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Stream it on Netflix

'Zero Dark Thirty' (2012)

"Zero Dark Thirty" stars Jessica Chastain as Maya, a CIA intelligence analyst tasked with hunting down al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. It's a movie based on real people and real events. While a composite character not entirely based on historical fact, she's partially inspired by Alfreda Frances Bikowsky, who allegedly ran Alec Station, a CIA unit tasked with hunting down the notorious terrorist. In this hybrid war movie/action thriller, we follow Maya as she moves from the U.S. embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 2003, all the way up until the 2011 raid that resulted in the death of bin Laden.

But Maya isn't the only character to watch in "Zero Dark Thirty." Sure, it's literally an Oscar-nominated performance from Chastain, but she is just one cog in several factions involved in the hunt for al-Qaeda's leader. There's a large ensemble cast loaded with acting talent that includes Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, James Gandolfini, Mark Duplass and Jeremy Strong as CIA personnel, as well as Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt as members of SEAL Team 6. Trust me, this movie is one you won't want to miss.

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Stream it on Netflix

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In May 2019, the UN Special Rapporteur for Torture examined Julian Assange in a UK prison, where the WikiLeaks founder was incarcerated after Ecuador forced him out of its embassy in London. Rapporteur Nils Nelzer concluded Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture.

Melzer wrote, In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law.

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The nature of the alleged campaign against Assange by the U.S., UK and other countries gets detailed analysis in Eugene Jareckis Oscar-contending documentary The Six Billion Dollar Man, winner of a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Jarecki says he embarked on the project with a degree of skepticism about Assange.

I fell prey, I think like anyone else did, to a lot of the besmirching, smearing propaganda that the United States deliberately spread about Julian Assange and that the mainstream media worked hand-in-glove with those in power to do, Jarecki said during a discussion of his film for Deadlines Contenders Documentary virtual event. Remember that WikiLeaks released war crimes evidence against the United States. They showed that the United States was engaged in war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. And this is not what U.S. policymakers want the world to know about us.

Jarecki came to see Assange as having been railroaded by the U.S., which wanted him on espionage and conspiracy charges.

The government of Ecuador [which originally granted Assange asylum before canceling it] and the United Nations ultimately determined that Assange was a political prisoner, he noted. [A] working group within the United Nations [concluded] that he was a victim of arbitrary detention; that yes, indeed, the way the British and the Americans and the Swedes ultimately conspired to sort of stonewall Julian Assange into a place of asylum and hiding in England where he could not get out without being arrested  he was not being afforded the legal protections that asylees do, that that was a form of  political persecution, full stop.

RELATED: The Six Billion Dollar Man Review: Timely Documentary Shows Julian Assange As Truth Teller Fighting Against Authoritarian Drift  Cannes Film Festival

The Six Billion Dollar Man features interviews with journalists Chris Hedges, Naomi Klein and others with expertise in Assanges case and Wikileaks. The filmmaker also traveled to Moscow to speak with Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor for the National Security Agency who exposed the NSAs secret surveillance program on U.S. citizens (Wikileaks helped Snowden get to Russia to avoid prosecution in the U.S.).

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Interviewing Edward Snowden about Julian Assange felt kind of like interviewing Superman about Batman, Jarecki observed. It was fascinating.  Hes an extraordinary person, also much smeared and assaulted by U.S. authorities for sharing with the public what we deserve [to know] Those in power profit from our stupidity. So, this is a game being played at our expense.

Watermelon Pictures will release The Six Billion Dollar Man theatrically in the new year. Jarecki says other big distributors passed, as he had suspected would happen.

RELATED: Contenders Documentary  Deadlines Complete Coverage

It became true that no one would touch this at the higher levels of the major streamers, the major outlets, he commented. We are thrilled that a company like Watermelon Pictures is going to be taking the film out in North America.

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Whats the meaning of the films title, The Six Billion Dollar Man? Jarecki explains that and more in the full conversation.

Check out the panel video above.

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David Freyne attends a screening of A24's "Eternity" on November 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Credit - Monica SchipperWireImage

Here are two things about me: I recently directed and co-wrote a film starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner. Its called Eternity and its set in the afterlife. I also recently had an apple-sized tumor removed from my head.

Back in July, my partner, Stephen, and I were about to go on a long-overdue holiday before the premiere of my film in Toronto that September. From script to screen, Eternity had consumed four years of our life, so we needed to celebrate it. In the weeks leading up to this, however, I had been beset by migraines. I suffered with severe vomit-inducing headaches for years, which doctors always dismissed as stress. But this new migraine was accompanied by terrible double vision. So the day before our flight, my partner took me to the eye emergency clinic in Whipps Cross Hospital.

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Within an hour of arriving I could tell it was serious. As I was rushed from exam to exam, this weird sense of doom came over me. I began to cry before I even got a result. I told Stephen that he could have everything I owned, that I wanted him to be looked after. He gently took my hand and, to his credit, did not remind me that he makes more money than I do and being lumbered with my negative equity wasnt that appealing. By the end of the day, 11:39 p.m. to be exact, a doctor brought us into a private room. She adopted the softest speaking voice I had ever heard and showed me a CT scan.

I could see a large white area. I asked if this very large mass was my brain. She said that it was a tumor. They did not know if it was operable or malignant. It was both surreal and devastating. The validation of knowing my years of debilitating pain were, in fact, rather serious was a hollow victory. The impending idea of death was hard to take inso my anxiety decided to take over.

I told Stephen to see if he could refund our flights. He said that wasnt important right now. I worried about being buried in the UK and not at home in Ireland, where the funeral turnout would invariably be better. My thoughts then went to my film. After four years, I might not get to see Eternity being released. This time he did not say that was unimportant. He knew how important it was to me.

I spent the following weeks in hospital, transferring from Whipps Cross to a neurosurgical ward in The Royal London. Over time, things became clearer. They suspected it was an aggressively benign tumor, an oxymoron that meant it was probably not cancerous but so large as to be very dangerous. First estimates deemed it to be the size of a lime but that soon graduated to the aforementioned apple.

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The tumor had broken through the lining of my brain and surrounded my optic nerves. My pituitary gland had been crushed and it was sidling up to my carotid arteries. The doctors told me they would try to operatebut it was risky. The risks included: stroke, brain damage, blindness, meningitis, and death. I dealt with this by treating it like a pick n mix to choose from. I decided Id prefer the stroke or meningitis to the others. Not ideal but, at least I stood a chance at recovery. I definitely didnt want to be blind. Film is too important to me. I could tell Stephen was most worried about the risk of death.

My parents came from Ireland to stay in our house so they could visit daily. My brother and sister tag-teamed visits from Ireland too. I have never been the most gregarious person, but I very quickly discovered how many friends I had, some of them choosing to question my doctors based on ChatGPT results. They also brought me snacks and books and made me laugh. They even took Stephen for a much needed pint.

If you want to see the best in people, go to a hospital. I mean, you shouldnt unless you need to because thats creepy but, still, people are incredible there. Not just the extraordinary staff but patients and visitors. From the woman who asked for her mute husband to have a pillow to cuddle because hes a cuddle-er to the man who spent his days dabbing his impaired wifes lips with a moist sponge. There was a day that the nurses played Steps on repeat for an elderly lady because it was her favorite band and they thought it would help her regain her mental faculties following surgery. I now quite like Steps.

I befriended the young man, Nabil, in the bed beside me who also had a brain tumor. When I suffered visual hallucinations, he told me about the time he first had them. Then we laughed while comparing hallucinations for a while. People pay good money for those. He was gone one morning. I dont know what happened to him. I hope he is OK.

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I remember telling my aghast U.S. colleagues that I was in a ward and not in a private room. I explained that wards are the best. There is a weird camaraderie that forms there. This was my first major run in with the NHS and I am now convinced that it is the 8th wonder of the world.

I was allowed home (on a cocktail of drugs) while my doctors planned the exact surgical route; via the nose or the side of the head. Its odd going about your day knowing there is a tumor in there. Youre walking the dogs and going, "Oh yeah, there is a giant tumor in my head." Or buying a coffee and wondering if the barista knows you have a giant tumor. Would the coffee be free if they did?

Weirdly, having spent years on a film set in the afterlife made me a little less scared of death. In fact, I felt a sort of contentment. After years of thinking about every possible eternity, I decided death was something to treat with curiosity and not fear.

Eternity is a film about happiness and love and what that is to you. So for years, with my wonderful cast and crew, we spoke about what love is to us. We spoke about our relationships, our parents and our grandparents. We also spoke about our losses. The films main character, Joan, says, The beauty in life is that things end. Even a long life is a painfully short thing. Its what you do with that time, the people you love and love you, that counts. I had loved and been loved. Id made a difference to some people. If that was to be it, then that was OK.

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And I was so proud of my career in filma career Ive wanted since I wore out a VHS of Terminator 2 at the age of 10. Working in film can be a hard path with more downs than ups. You often struggle financially to make films that may never get released. But I had done it and I loved it.

"After this, I could die happy," I often joked while making Eternity. To then actually face death felt almost prophetic. Through this film, got to create my own afterlife, something I had dreamt about doing since I was that 10-year-old boy who was terrified of his own damnation. And, in doing so, I got to say so much of what I wanted to say about what it is to be alive. It didnt feel like a bad one to go out on.

Callum Turner, Miles Teller, David Freyne, Elizabeth Olsen, John Early, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph attend the premiere of "Eternity" during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 07, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. Robin MarchantWireImage

My wonderful doctors enabled me to make my premiere in Toronto, which was just a week before my surgery. I was not well enough to speak to the press, but I did get to introduce the film to a room of 1,700 people in the Roy Thompson Theatre. I sat in the audience and listened to them laugh and cry. I got to celebrate with my cast and crew that I dearly love. I left Canada in 2024, after shooting Eternity there, filled with happiness. I left in September 2025, after premiering it there, again filled with happiness.

The night before my surgery I had a meal with my family. It was lovely. Admittedly, my burger was drybut having what felt like could be my last meal with my loved ones was very nice. At 5 a.m. the next morning I prepared to go back into the hospital. I dont think my parents had ever hugged me that tightly. I wanted to say that if the worst happens its OK and that Id been very happy. I didnt because it made me teary and I thought them seeing me cry in that moment would be worse.

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The surgery was 10 hours in which they broke my nose and drilled into my skull in order to remove most of the tumor, leaving the edges that were in the brain and by my ocular nerves and arteries. It was simply too dangerous to remove in full. The space was replaced with swelling and cranial packing. For the first week, no amount of morphine could dull the pain. Eventually the machines that prevented me from moving were subtracted. Wires were taken away. First the femoral artery line, next the catheter, then the many cannulas, and finally the spinal tap.

After six excruciating weeks of recovery, I miraculously began to feel like myself again. The weird sensation of having a tumor in my head replaced with the odd knowledge that I now have an apple-shaped cavity.

Four of my surgeons came to the London premiere of our film. I gave them a shout out from the stage. They did save my life. It was the very least I could do.

I have more treatment ahead, another surgery and radiotherapy, but I am feeling optimistic. Through my treatment, I learned how important the people in my life arebut I already knew that pre-tumor. I also discovered I have an incredibly high pain thresholdbut I think we all do. Human resilience is an extraordinary thing.

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And I got to witness so many acts of kindness. That has been deeply moving. Our capacity for caring is pretty staggering. It has made me want to be a better person. And it has made me want to make more films.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Movie violence has been a controversial topic since the very dawn of cinema. Some audience members panicked during the iconic sequence in "The Great Train Robbery" when an outlaw fires his pistol directly at the camera, thinking they were really under fire. Three decades later, Howard Hughes was forced to make numerous cuts to the violent scenes in "Scarface," earning it the reputation as "one of the most highly censored films in Hollywood history." Both movies look rather tame today, however, and we can trace the roots of more visceral and realistic screen violence to the late 1960s with Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" and Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch." Despite all the hand-wringing that the films caused at the time with their gory shootouts, both are regarded as groundbreaking classics, and the latter even holds a very impressive 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But the Western icon John Wayne who wasn't so impressed by Peckinpah's bloodbath, and he had an understandable reason for hating the movie.

During his notorious interview with Playboy magazine in 1971, the Duke bemoaned the state of motion pictures and expressed relief that he wouldn't be around much longer to see the future of American cinema, taking aim at New Hollywood game-changers like "Easy Rider," "Midnight Cowboy," and Sam Peckinpah's elegiac masterpiece. Almost 60 years on, it's still easy to see why "The Wild Bunch" was so shocking. Set at the tail end of the Old West, it's the story of a gang of aging outlaws led by Pike Bishop (William Holden), desperate men trying to make a living in a changing world by the only way they know: violence. With Pike's former partner Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan) on their trail with his posse of equally brutal bounty hunters, the gang march out to meet their doom facing impossible odds against a corrupt Mexican general and his bloodthirsty troops.

Even by today's standards, the gruesome finale of "The Wild Bunch" is breathtakingly violent. Outnumbered and outgunned, Pike cuts loose with a Browning machine gun in a rhapsody of carnage, mowing down dozens of enemies before he and his cohorts die in a hail of bullets. The sequence took 12 days to film, using around 10,000 blood squibs and 300 edits to convey the sense of chaos. It was a true tour de force from Peckinpah, but it certainly wasn't to the Duke's taste.

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Read more: The 12 Best Navy SEAL Movies, Ranked

John Wayne hated New Hollywood cinema as a whole towards the end of his career

William Holden as Pike Bishop standing among his compatriots in The Wild Bunch - Warner Bros.

John Wayne was approaching the final curtain when he sat down with the Playboy interviewer in 1971. His last movie, the Western "The Shootist," was released in 1976, and it provided a perfect send-off before Wayne passed away in 1979. From that standpoint, nearing the end of his life and career, it's understandable why a deeply conservative figure like Wayne would feel alienated by the harder edges of New Hollywood.

Emboldened by the collapse of the old studio system, filmmakers of the American New Wave no longer had to hold back in terms of sex, violence, profanity, and darker themes. It was a world away from the 1940s and '50s when Wayne rose to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, and he naturally viewed the new era unfavorably compared to the good old days. He lamented the "hairy, sweaty bodies" in more explicit sex scenes and lambasted "Midnight Cowboy" as "disgusting," describing the central relationship with a particularly offensive homophobic slur. He also labeled "Easy Rider" as "perverted" and felt the blood and gore of "The Wild Bunch" was distasteful, claiming Peckinpah had gone too far. For Wayne, you didn't need to show graphic blood and guts to get a point across, harking back to the kind of violence in his own pictures. As he told Playboy:

"The violence in my pictures, for example, is lusty and a little bit humorous, because I believe humor nullifies violence. Like in one picture, directed by Henry Hathaway, this heavy was sticking a guy's head in a barrel of water. I'm watching this, and I don't like it one bit, so I pick up this pick handle and I yell, "Hey!" and cock him across the head. Down he went  with no spurting blood. Well, that got a hell of a laugh because of the way I did it. That's my kind of violence."

Wayne believed that the job of actors and filmmakers was to provide escapist illusion, not to show things how things truly are. I can sympathize with that to a certain extent, even if it is a bit naive and unrealistic  art doesn't exist in a vacuum and films will always reflect real life, especially in troubled times. On its own, a yearning for pure movie magic is a fair enough reason, but Wayne's interview also revealed his hypocrisy.

Is this the real reason John Wayne hated The Wild Bunch?

John Wayne as Col. Mike Kirby wearing a beret in The Green Berets - Warner Bros.

John Wayne was only 18 years older than Sam Peckinpah, but their contributions to the Western genre couldn't be much different. Peckinpah made his directorial debut with "The Deadly Companions," released the year before Wayne's final Western with John Ford, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." The latter served as the passing of the torch from classic Hollywood horse operas to more cynical revisionist Westerns that interrogated the myth-making of the Old West  lore that the Duke and Ford had a big hand in popularizing in the first place.

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"The Wild Bunch" obviously wasn't a Vietnam movie, but it was made as a direct response to the casualties in the Vietnam War. With young Americans dying on a daily basis, Peckinpah refused to show violence the old-fashioned way; when people died in battle, they didn't just clutch their stomach and bloodlessly fall to the ground. As such, Wayne calling "The Wild Bunch" distasteful was missing the point. Peckinpah intended the film to be as distasteful as possible, aiming to shake audiences from their apathy towards screen violence. Indeed, he later admitted that he went a little too far.

Wayne, on the other hand, supported a full-scale war in Vietnam, telling Playboy in the same interview, "I figure if we're going to send even one man to die, we ought to be in an all-out conflict. If you fight, you fight to win." Perhaps that was easy for him to say: Wayne never saw active duty, filing for draft deferral while other Hollywood stars like James Stewart, Clark Gable, and Henry Fonda all risked their lives in World War II. Furthermore, he did his bit to make sure the conflict in Southeast Asia continued. Dismayed by the wave of anti-war sentiment in the United States, he sought to bolster support for military action in Vietnam by co-directing the pro-war "The Green Berets."

The film hit theaters a year before "The Wild Bunch" and was a financial success. Critics savaged it, however, calling it an old-fashioned fantasy that did disservice to the troops laying their lives on the line thousands of miles away. Maybe that's the real reason Wayne hated Peckinpah's film  not only was it better received by critics, but it also shunned the myth of glorious sacrifice in battle and presented an inconvenient truth for pro-war figures like himself: Death in wartime is often ugly and brutal and final.

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North Macedonia is known for its rich cultural heritage, mountainous topography, stunning lakes and for a wonder of the avian world  white storks that have made the Eastern European country a preferred spot to raise their young.

The majestic birds are so woven into the life of North Macedonia that they factor in the countrys mythology, including one folk tale told of a father who put a curse on his son Silyan, turning him into a stork. That story informs The Tale of Silyan, the Oscar-contending documentary directed by Tamara Kotevska, a North Macedonia native.

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Theyre the national bird of Macedonia. And since I was growing up, this is the first tale I ever heard from my grandparents, Kotevska said as she and producer-director of photography Jean Dakar appeared at Deadlines Contenders Film: Documentary event. Its just something deep-rooted in my heart.

RELATED: The Tale Of Silyan, Apocalypse In The Tropics Earn Top Prizes At IDA Documentary Awards, Boosting Oscar Chances  Full Winners List

The National Geographic film centers on Nikola, a farmer who has tilled land his whole life. When he plows fields, white storks follow him, scooping up treats from the furrows like frogs and snakes. Dakar captured stunning imagery of the birds as they nested atop chimneys and other structures; he also photographed them in flight with the aid of drones.

The drone itself, its quite an unnatural thing, especially for wild birds. Its flying in an unnatural way, its making a lot of noise and in itself it can be quite intrusive, Dakar explained. By spending so much time with the birds, the filmmakers witnessed new stork chicks being born; the youngsters did not view the drone as alien because they grew up with it, which ultimately made it possible for a drone to accompany them in the air.

Weve been present in their lives since the moment they hatched from their eggs, Dakar said. They got used to this equipment and to our way of working to the extent where they were completely unfazed by us being there. And thats how we managed to achieve stork material, shots of them being comfortable and natural rather than being aware of us.

RELATED: Doc Talk Podcast With Trio Of Top Oscar Contenders The Tale Of Silyan, Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk & Cover-Up

As the film progresses, changes in government policy make it economically untenable for farmers like Nikola to pursue their traditional calling. Needing employment, Nikola goes to work driving heavy equipment in an unglamorous setting.

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Thousands of people like him end up working on the landfill, Kotevska commented. Its a really common thing.

With fields laying untilled and food sources no longer available there, storks resort to picking through scraps on landfills. It was there that Nikola came across an injured stork and decided to try to nurse him back to health.

RELATED: Contenders Documentary  Deadlines Complete Coverage

Its not  a rare situation to happen that people in Macedonia in these villages where theres storks would rescue a stork, Kotevska said. But we didnt expect this would happen on the landfill, and that Nikola will actually have the will and the decision to take care of this hurt animal. So that naturally prolonged the shooting for another year.  It [became] the third act of the film that brought a lot of hope to all of us.

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The Marrakech Film Festival has grown alongside Moroccos flourishing film industry. When the festival debuted in 2001, the local scene produced just five films a year. Today, that number has surged to around 40, reflecting a variety of initiatives aimed at nurturing and sustaining new generations of talent.

Programs like the Atlas Workshops have been instrumental in connecting emerging auteurs onto the international stage, while initiatives such as the female-focused Tamayouz Foundation  founded by three Moroccan filmmakers and two producers  work to remove barriers to entry. The foundation provides entry-level training for women interested in the industry, along with financial support and mentorship in directing, screenwriting, production and post-production, and has also experienced significant growth in recent years.

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Here are four filmmakers from four very different backgrounds who are making waves in Marrakech.

Meriame Essadak  Producer

Meriame Essadak has worn many hats throughout her career, moving from education to foreign services to marketing before breaking into film through incubator programs with the Tamayouz Cinema Foundation and the Atlas Workshops. She currently has three features in development, including Mohcine Nadifis psychological thriller La Piste. The project won the Tangier Film Festival pitch competition in 2024 and was one of five titles selected for a Franco-Moroccan co-production session in Cannes  meetings that sparked serious interest from several French companies.

Mohcine initially approached me to co-write the film, which I did, she explains. But when we started looking for a producer, I took the bull by the horns. I told him, You have me. Im your warrior, and Ill defend this project body and soul. As a producer, I only take on projects that hit me hard, because they demand sleepless nights and immense mental energy. If it doesnt make me vibrate, its not worth it  the connection has to be physical.

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Essadak is also developing Potes, directed by Hamza Atifi, and Rajol, from Adnane Rami, both of which have gone through the Tamayouz professional lab.

Potes is about Moroccan students who go abroad to study and struggle to reconnect with home, she says. Its the voice of a young generation that sees itself as resolutely modern, only to discover abroad that certain expectations and gazes remain unchanged. Meanwhile, Rajol explores what it means to be a man in Morocco today, in a society where womens voices are increasingly heard.

Driss Ramdi  Actor

Born in Morocco and based in France, Driss Ramdi first broke out with a supporting role in Mehdi Ben Attias Berlin-selected Je Ne Suis Pas Mort, earning a spot on the Cesar shortlist for Most Promising Newcomer. Since then, he has built a steady career with roles in Rachel Langs Baden Baden, Emmanuel Hamons Escape from Raqqa, Emmanuel Finkiels A Decent Man, and the popular Canal Plus rap series All the Way Up.

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This year, Ramdi steps into the spotlight for the first time as the tortured protagonist of Meryem BenmBareks Behind the Palm Trees, which premiered in competition in Marrakech. Looking ahead, he is determined to build on the emotional intensity and authenticity he tapped into for BenmBareks film.

Now I want to work as deeply as I did on this role, he says. I want to do more and more interesting films. Im very particular: I refuse cliche roles  the terrorist, the meaningless thug. I choose carefully. I want leading roles. I want to meet directors, dive into projects where you really invest yourself.

Ramdi is also exploring a lighter, more playful side through stand-up comedy. That actually scares me the most, he admits. Ive been writing a lot  with notebooks scattered all over my home  but direct contact with an audience still gives me chills. I can stand in front of Brad Pitt and be super focused, super calm. But on stage thats my next challenge.

Youssef Michraf  Director

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Born into a self-described lower-middle-class family, Youssef Michraf left his native Casablanca at 18 to train as an engineer in France. But once he arrived, he felt compelled to follow his true calling. He studied film at La Sorbonne before earning a directing spot at the prestigious national film school La Femis, and soon set out to launch his debut feature, Sweet Disposition.

The film blends body-horror with a coming-of-age narrative, centering on a young boy so ashamed of his modest origins that he invents an elaborate ruse  one that soon spirals into a literal corporeal transformation. Michraf presented the project at the Atlas Workshops in 2021, winning the Artekino International Prize, and has since sought to reposition the film outside the French system after moving to Los Angeles.

American friends are launching a production company, he says. They have financiers ready, and things are going well. Theyre much more open than the French  genuinely enthusiastic about the complexity and specificity of the film. In France, films set in Morocco have to fit certain expectations, and I found that suffocating. Theres not enough openness to nuance or complexity, whereas the Americans I met really valued the films identity and felt it was worth protecting.

Leyna Tahiri  Director

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Leyna Tahiri began in politics, driven to understand the world. She soon realized she needed another language: the language of emotions, of cinema.

After working as a development executive for In Therapy writers David Elkaim and Vincent Poymiro, Tahiri turned to Moroccan television, contributing to serialized dramas while developing her own personal projects.

Preparing her next short, she also brought her feature, Earth and Ashes, to this years Atlas Workshops. The film follows a tense judicial process after the death of a France-born architect, leaving his Moroccan family  and the Gallic courts  to decide whether he should be buried according to secular or Islamic traditions. Nabil Ayouch and Calle Malaga producers Amine Benjelloun and Jean-Remi Ducourtioux are on board.

I realized this situation happens often, Tahiri says. It also raises the question: is a funeral for the dead, or for the living?

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Like many children of immigrants, I ask myself a lot of questions, she adds. I was raised in France, built my career in Morocco, and want to explore those cultural dynamics. Nabil also comes from a dual culture, so it resonated with him immediately. So many people share similar stories from their own lives  what happened to my aunt, my grandmother. Everyone has a story that echoes this film, which makes it feel universal.

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An independent film inspired by an Iowa true-crime case will screen at The Last Picture House in Davenportbirthplace of Susan Glaspell, Pulitzer Prizewinning author of the source material, a news release says.

The makers of Jury of Her Peers, a new independent feature film, will hit the road immediately after its World Premiere Weekend in Des Moines. The first stop on the films Roadshow Tour will be Davenport, Iowa, where YWCA Quad Cities will sponsor a special screening at The Last Picture House.

The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased here. A question-and-answer session with the filmmakers will follow the screening.

About the film

Jury of Her Peers revisits one of Iowas most haunting early 20th-Century true-crime cases: The still-unsolved axe murder of farmer John Hossack. The crime, and the complex social tensions surrounding it, first entered the public imagination through the reporting of Susan Glaspell, a Davenport-born journalist who later became a Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright and a central figure in modern American drama.

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Glaspells short play Trifles and subsequent short story A Jury of Her Peers, both inspired by the Hossack case, remain among her most enduring works. The new film marks the first feature-length adaptation of the material.

Production and creative team

The film is the flagship project of Des Moinesbased Will Do Films, LLC, led by WriterDirector William Rock. It is produced by Amy Nigg and shot by cinematographer John Hansen, known for his work in the 48-Hour Film Festival circuit.

The cast includes several well-known regional actors, such as Stephanie Schneider, Cheyenne Goode, and Brianne Magel, each highlighting the storys enduring emotional power and its exploration of female resilience, relationships, and community.

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According to producer Amy Nigg: Things have changed greatlyand yet sometimes not at allbetween then and now. Relationships, marriages, familiestheyre complicated. But at its heart, this story centers on women trying to make it work.

Bringing a slice of Iowa history to life with an award-winning cast and crew was an absolute dream, Rock added. If you like true crime, Iowa history, indie filmor just the smell of popcornthis movie is for you.

YWCA Quad Cities Partnership

Julie Larson, CEO of YWCA Quad Cities, notes Glaspells significance: Glaspell is one of this countrys earliest feminist literary voices. She co-founded the Provincetown Players, a crucial force in the movement for modern American theater. She made it her mission to elevate womens perspectivessomething that strongly resonates with YWCA Quad Cities.

Writer and Davenport native Susan Glaspell (1876-1948) is the only Pulitzer Prize winner from the Quad Cities.

About The Last Picture House

The Last Picture House, at 325 East 2nd St., Davenport, is a boutique independent cinema created by Iowa native filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, creators of A Quiet Place and Heretic. It has quickly become a cultural hub for film lovers and independent productions.

(Linda Cook, OurQuadCities.com)

Roadshow tour and additional screenings

Will Do Films is scheduling additional Roadshow screenings at independent cinemas across Iowa and the Midwest, as well as appearances at colleges, universities, bookstores, and libraries. More details will be announced soon, and venues interested in bookings are encouraged to reach out.

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For more information about the film, visit 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
Women named Angelyn are often perceived as compassionate, intuitive, and spiritually inclined individuals who possess a natural grace and empathy toward others. They tend to be excellent communicators who bring comfort and guidance to those around them, much like the heavenly messengers their name evokes. Their presence often creates a calming atmosphere, and they have a knack for understanding unspoken emotions and needs.



Angelyns typically demonstrate strong emotional intelligence and are often drawn to helping professions or creative pursuits where they can express their innate sensitivity and caring nature. Their combination of practical wisdom and spiritual awareness makes them valued friends and confidantes who approach life with both optimism and depth. While they may appear gentle, they often possess inner strength and resilience that enables them to navigate challenges with grace and determination, inspiring others through their example of faith and perseverance.
NEED TO KNOW

Jeremy Allen White told PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation about the methods he used to transform into Bruce Springsteen to portray him in Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

The biopic tells the story of a young Springsteen as he records and releases his emotional 1982 album, Nebraska

If I was feeling lost or unsure, I would return to that song, White, 34, explained of the song from the Nebraska album

When Jeremy Allen Whites mind was dancing in the dark while filming Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, the actor had a particular go-to Bruce Springsteen song to get himself back on the right track.

Speaking with PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation at the Gotham Awards in New York City on Dec. 1, the two-time Emmy winner revealed the name of that harmonica-laden Springsteen track: Mansion on the Hill.

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That made me feel very close to what the core of the film was about, so if I was feeling lost or unsure, I would return to that song, White, 34, said.



Jason Mendez/Getty Jeremy Allen White at the Gotham Awards on Nov. 1, 2025 Jeremy Allen White at the Gotham Awards on Nov. 1, 2025

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere  a biopic in which White portrays the titular character in his younger years  tells the story of Springsteen as he records and releases his emotional 1982 album, Nebraska.

Mansion on the Hill is a track from the 80s folk album.

White covered Mansion on the Hill for the biopic, which released in theaters on Oct. 24, helping him earn praise for his portrayal of The Boss.

In addition to that song, White told PEOPLE at the Dec. 1 event about the other methods he used to transform into the 20-time Grammy winner.

There was a particular sort of seven-minute video, an interview that I would watch almost every morning, he explained. But I think it was really just the way that he held his guitar.

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.

White continued, I watched a lot of footage of him recording the way he laid his head down, lifts on the harmonica. That was all stuff I was really focused on, and if I was feeling lost, I would rely on those things.

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is out now in theaters.

Read the original article on People
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Missouri anchor Carissa Codel reads rude comments in her news voice in a popular "Reading Viewer Comments" social media series

Codel has made 14 installments in the series so far, including a Halloween edition, which saw her read comments comparing her to Sabrina Carpenter

The anchor said she started the series because people in her line of work "have to be really, really big on social media"

If you leave a comment about Carissa Codel's appearance, you'd better be prepared for her to read it. No, seriously: the Missouri news anchor will read it out loud, on-camera, and share it online.

After receiving lots of rude comments about her appearance, Codel, a news anchor for CBS affiliate KOLR (also known as Ozarks First), decided to give a masterclass on how to take criticism in stride. She started a series showcasing the comments  and it has since become a viral sensation.

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Codel first kicked off the series  which sees her reading comments like shawty obese and no oink oink oink in her news voice while standing in front of a screen displaying them  back in August.

She shares them across platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, where she has amassed more than 1 million likes.

Honest opinion, touch up the bangs, lose 15 to 20 lbs. Go get em, Codel began in the very first installment, which she shared on Aug. 17. Now that fills a frame, she continued, reading the next comment.

Poking fun at the low jab she read next, Codel then said, As you guys can see from this graphic here, pig emoji.

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Built for breeding, Codel said, quoting the final comment before adding her own touch: Tonight at 5. The latter comment inspired about 10 seconds of laughter from both the news anchor and someone else off-camera.

The anchor has since continued the series, which she now calls Reading Viewer Comments, for 14 installments, with the latest arriving on Dec. 1. It received more than 2 million views and 200,000 likes on TikTok alone.

She even did a special edition of the series for Halloween, which saw her dressing up as a celebrity whom she frequently draws comparisons to: Sabrina Carpenter. For the holiday video, Codel also kept the theme going with the comments, only reading jabs or compliments relating to Carpenter.

Guys, when did Sabrina Carpenter eat Sabrina Carpenter? Codel read in the video, her popstar outfit on and, appropriately, an espresso martini in hand.

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"If Sabrina Carpenter had a bakery, she later read before joking, My mom is going to be like, Carissa, you cannot post this. 

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Codel explained what led to her starting the now-viral video series.

"I started making those videos after I got a few comments on one of my reports. I personally thought they were hilarious and showed how often women in this field are scrutinized for their appearance. I wanted my video reading the comments to stand out, so that's where the newscaster voice came in," she said.

"I feel like we can all hear how silly troll comments sound when they're read out loud," Codel continued, adding, "I never thought that they would go as viral as they have, but I'm so thankful for the support. I truly feel grateful for the little community that's been built."

Codel also opened up about why she started the popular comment-reading series on Attention Addiction, a podcast co-hosted by her mom, Codie, in the Nov. 2 episode.

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The news anchor said that she was thinking Okay, well. For my job, we have to be really, really big on social media, cause thats where news is going, right, its all going digital. 

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.

Her mother, meanwhile, said that upon seeing the comments, she was in mom fight mode like, Ah, Im coming at you. Dont talk about my kid like that. 

So fight mode was happening inside of me, added the proud mom, and I called her up, and she was like, Oh no. This is great. This is great, because people just keep wanting to comment cause they want to get mentioned. 

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The internet-famous journalist has also received support from her coworkers. Her fellow morning anchor, Angela Luna, shared a video holding Codel while lip-syncing along to a viral audio clip: Scram! Leave her alone! She doesn't want to talk to you.

When people leave weird comments for your co-anchor, Luna captioned the clip.

Read the original article on People
Colin Jost doesnt get the opportunity to step out from behind the Weekend Update desk too often. The Saturday Night Live head writer made the most of his time on two legs, playing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as a swaggering, pro wrestling-esque maniac.

Jost walked out to a press conference about Operation Kill Everybody to entrance music, slamming an energy drink while telling the assembled reporters to shut the hell up.

As you probably read in some gay newspaper, we are now at war with Venezuela, Jost said before throwing up the Dane Cook superfinger. You got questions for me? Fine. Pretend Im a random fishing boat and fire away.

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The first reporter, played by Mikey Day, asked if Hegseth authorized a second strike on the survivors of an attack on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in September. Josts Hegseth said he wasnt even in the room.

I was so jacked up after the first strike, I had to make an emergency call to my sponsor  sorry, a guy I met at an anonymous meeting so I dont drink something that I like and I want but I cant have but I want it and I need it and I want it right now, he said.

When Jost was asked about Mark Kellys criticisms (the senator from Arizona compared him to a 12-year-old playing Army), his Hegseth lashed out.

First of all, Kelly? Thats a girls name, he said. If I was just playing Army, would there be 80 dead fisherm- I mean, narcoterrorists in Venezuela right now?

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Sarah Sherman reprised her role as former Congressman Matt Gaetz to ask about the scope of Hegseths anti-trafficking operations.

Youre only killing people who are trafficking drugs, right? she asked. So, hypothetically, if someone were trafficking something else, theyd be OK?

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Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.

The cold open then pivoted, as they almost always do, to Donald Trump. The president was shown sleeping side-stage, mumbling sweet nothings to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. He defended Hegseths recent comments about the fog of war, saying he would stick by his Cabinet official unless, of course, it could hurt me in any way.

Watch the clip below via YouTube:

The post Pretend Im a fishing boat and fire away: Jost plays Hegseth in SNL cold open appeared first on Salon.com.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was put on the hot seat by Saturday Night Live  with Colin Jost portraying the embattled secretary as a complete maniac.

In an absolutely scathing cold open Saturday, Jost made a WWE-style entrance complete with entrance music  slamming an energy drink to the floor after chugging it a la Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Yeah! Hegseth said. All right shut the hell up! Shut it! Cut the music!

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Josts Hegseth proceeded to rage at the press for grilling him about the strikes on a suspected narco-boat.

Is there any truth to the allegations that after an initial strike on a drug-smuggling boat you ordered a second strike to kill the survivors? A reporter asked Hegseth.

First of all, that kind of cruel, heartless act has no place in Operation: Kill Everybody,' Hegseth said  before the sketch made light of his past battles with alcohol. I was so jacked up after the first strike, I had to make an emergency call to my sponsor. Sorry, a guy I met at an anonymous meeting so I dont drink something that I like and I want, but I cant have, but I want it and I need it!

He added, Lets just say if I had a drink for every Venezuelan weve killed, Id really like that number of drinks.

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Former congressman Matt Gaetz (portrayed by Sarah Sherman) jumped in to ask, youre only killing people who are trafficking drugs, right? So, hypothetically, if someone were trafficking something else, theyd be OK?

Were targeting drug smugglers exclusively, Hegseth said.

Giggity! Gaetz replied.

And President Donald Trump was not spared in the blistering open. When the camera cut to James Austin Johnson  playing the president, as per usual  he was shown to be catching some Zs, as many critics believed was the case during Tuesdays cabinet meeting. The sketch showed Trump having a dream fantasizing about incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

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Stop, Mamdani! You can freeze my rent anytime! Trump said.

The president went on to issue a statement of support for his beleaguered Defense Secretary  with one pretty big qualifier.

I stand by Pete, Trump said. And nothing can change my mind. Unless, of course, it could hurt me in any way. In which case, Ill throw him under one of Mamdanis free buses.

Watch above, via NBC.

The post SHUT THE HELL UP! Pete Hegseth Depicted as Raging Lunatic in Absolutely Unmerciful SNL Cold Open first appeared on Mediaite.
Japanese cars dominate reliability rankings for good reason. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles often last hundreds of thousands of miles with basic maintenance. But mechanic Chris Pyle, who advises vehicle owners on JustAnswer, warns that not all Japanese brands deserve equal trust from retirees on fixed incomes.

For the most part, though, these cars are pretty good and last a long time with few failures when they are treated and maintained well, Pyle said.

The catch is knowing which specific brands and features create expensive problems down the road.

Check Out: 4 Car Brands That Are Likely To Last 250K Miles  and 4 That Arent

Read Next: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster

The Big Problem: CVT Transmissions

Pyles strongest warning focuses on one technology thats spreading across Japanese brands: continuously variable transmissions.

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I would stay away from any vehicle that uses a CVT transmission, he said. Nissan uses them the most in their cars and SUVs. They are great until they are not. Then you get shocked by an outrageous repair bill, which normally means transmission replacement, not repair.

CVT transmissions promise better fuel economy by eliminating traditional gears. They work smoothly for years, giving owners no warning that problems are coming. Then, they sometimes fail catastrophically.

Transmission replacement be costly; the repair bill can represent three to four months of Social Security payments for the average retiree. And unlike traditional transmissions that can sometimes be rebuilt affordably, failed CVTs typically require complete replacement.

Nissan uses CVTs across most of their lineup, which immediately makes many Nissan vehicles problematic for retirees.

See More: Auto Experts Say Stop Buying These 6 Luxury Cars Immediately

Cars To Avoid: Infiniti Vehicles

Infiniti is Nissans luxury brand, and Pyle warns retirees away from the entire lineup.

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I would stay away from most Infiniti vehicles; they are known for electrical issues, Pyle explained. They are basically Nissan copycats with far more gadgets and appeal.

The problem isnt just reliability. Infiniti adds complexity that retirees dont need and cant afford to fix.

You are paying top-end price for features, not a better driveline and powertrain, Pyle said. There comes a point where too much is added to a vehicle. A retired person is not going to be in their car enough to use, enjoy or need all of these perks.

For retirees, Infiniti represents the worst combination: luxury repair costs on vehicles that arent significantly more reliable than their cheaper Nissan counterparts.

Cars To Avoid: CVT-Equipped Nissans

This category includes most modern Nissan sedans and SUVs. The Nissan Armada and Frontier appear on Pyles specific avoid list, though the CVT transmission warning extends across the brand.

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Nissan uses them the most in their cars and SUVs, said Pyle. They are great until they are not. Then you get shocked by an outrageous repair bill, which normally means transmission replacement, not repair.

Smart Buying Strategy: Unpopular Models

Pyle offered retirees a money-saving strategy: Target Japanese vehicles that dont sell in huge numbers.

Below is a list of cars that do not sell great, which often means they will have reduced price tags or more incentives to purchase them new, he explained.

His list includes:

Toyota Tundra and 4Runner

Honda Passport, Ridgeline and Odyssey

Mazda Miata

These vehicles dont sell as well as competitors, but that doesnt reflect reliability problems. Lower sales volumes mean dealers offer better pricing to move inventory. For retirees, this creates opportunities to buy reliable Japanese vehicles at discounts.

Best Bets: Toyota and Honda

I would say most Toyota and Honda brands end up being great vehicles to own, with good resale and fewer repairs needed, Pyle said.

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Both brands also maintain extensive dealer and service networks, which matters for retirees who need accessible, affordable maintenance. Independent mechanics happily work on Toyotas and Hondas because parts are readily available and procedures are well-documented.

The strong resale value Pyle mentioned protects retirees investments. If you need to sell a 10-year-old Toyota, it holds value far better than most brands. That matters for people on fixed incomes who may need to downsize or access equity.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 2 Japanese Car Brands Retirees Should Avoid, Plus the Best Japanese Cars To Own on Social Security
The holidays are notoriously stressful. From cooking elaborate feasts to buying personalized gifts for the whole family, theres only one antidote to the pressure: a vacation.

Dont worry, weve taken one more thing off your to-do list by speaking to travel experts about their go-to getaway for the holidays. According to them, you cant beat the Caribbean. Theyve given us the rundown of which islands they recommend to relieve holiday season stress.

St. Barts

Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure Colorful homes along the turquoise waters of St. Barts. Colorful homes along the turquoise waters of St. Barts.

This uber-posh French-Caribbean island came up again and again among our travel experts.

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The Caribbean truly comes alive during the holiday season, and for me, St Barts is unmatched this time of year, said David Zipkin, co-founder and CCO of Tradewind Aviation. Its the perfect balance of festive spirit and laid-back luxury. The island has a celebratory energy thats elegant yet effortlessyoull see yachts lined up in Gustavia, beachside restaurants hosting joyous dinners, and a community that feels like family. Its where tradition meets tropical ease.

Edita Sgovio, VP of Yachts and Villas for Kensington Tours, agreed that St. Barts is a luxury hot spot. St. Barts has also become one of the destinations we recommend most often to our top clients, simply because it delivers a level of luxury and ease thats hard to match anywhere in the Caribbean, she explained. The island blends that unmistakable French Riviera feel with a relaxed tropical setting, beautiful beaches, incredible food, and an overall atmosphere that feels both exclusive and effortless.

For Carolita Urrestarazu Dyrssen of NUBA, it offers the best of both worlds. The island has an incredible mix of sophistication and natural beauty. You can spend your mornings hiking along rugged coastal trails with breathtaking views, your afternoons relaxing on one of its pristine beaches, and your evenings dining at some of the best restaurants in the Caribbean, she said. Ive explored almost the entire Caribbean, but St. Barts is truly one of a kind. The service, the food, the nightlife, the beaches, and that effortlessly chic atmosphere make it completely unique. It feels so European, so distinctly French, yet with the warmth and ease of the Caribbean.

Turks and Caicos

Heather Durham/Travel + Leisure Lounge chairs lay along the white sandy shores of Turks & Caicos. Lounge chairs lay along the white sandy shores of Turks & Caicos.

The pristine waters of this tropical island chain are among the best in the Caribbean. Plus, the destination pulls out all the stops during the festive season.

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I always recommend Turks and Caicos to clients looking for a sunshine-filled, easy-to-reach holiday escape, said Veronica Kastukevich, owner of Custom Travel. Its calm, turquoise waters and powdery, white-sand beaches are truly some of the best in the Caribbean, and the abundance of nonstop flights from major U.S. gateways makes getting there a breeze. She added, For families, Beaches Turks & Caicos is my go-to. It sits right on the award-winning Grace Bay Beach and takes all the stress out of vacation planning with its all-inclusive experience. Their annual partnership with The Elf on the Shelf adds a little extra holiday magic, with festive fun like themed parties and movie nights under the stars.

Barbados

Lauren Breedlove/Travel + Leisure A white sandy beach in Barbados. A white sandy beach in Barbados.

Looking for something more budget-friendly? Barbados delivers with affordable accommodations, natural beauty, and accessibility.

CEO and founder of Point.me, Adam Morvitz, told Travel + Leisure, I love Barbados, especially in the winter season when the weather is perfect with low humidity and lots of dry, sunny, and warm days. The Caribbean coast on the west side of the island has some of my favorite beaches in the worldthey are so beautiful and peaceful. The Atlantic coast is also stunning and has a more lively, fun vibe, and so many sea turtles, including leatherback sea turtles, the largest turtle species in the world.

Dominican Republic

Alessandra Amodio/Travel + Leisure Villas at Eden Rock Cap Cana line the shore. Villas at Eden Rock Cap Cana line the shore.

Another favorite for our travel experts is a destination that caters to all-inclusive lovers and outdoor adventurers.

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For Jenn Lee, president and CMO of Travel Planners International, its all about the all-inclusives. My favorite Caribbean island is the Dominican Republic because it's so relaxing. Most properties are all-inclusive and full-service, with so many levels of luxury to go all in on relaxation and slower travel. A few of my favorites, which we also recommend to our clients, are Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana and Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, she said.

According to Andrea Lamperini, COO of WeRoad, The Dominican Republic is a favorite for millennial travelers. It combines wild landscapes, world-class beaches, dense rain forests, top-tier diving spots, and a lively Afro-Caribbean culture. He added, You get real variety in one trip. Hike to hidden waterfalls in Samana. Explore Los Haitises National Park by boat. Surf on the north coast in Cabarete. Dive or snorkel around Bayahibes reefs. Then, wrap your days with merengue, bachata, and local street food.

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
Credit card points and miles remain some of the most misunderstood aspects of the travel world. Built to be complicated, those who know how to wield them effectively seem to be on a never-ending carousel of business class flights and luxury hotels, while others remain convinced they're almost a scam.

The hard truth for those in the latter group is that they just don't know how they work. Credit cards promise the world, but hide the best redemptions behind a slew of complex transfers and a paywall-like learning curve. I've experienced this first-hand, and have spent the last six years battling my way to the top of that hill as I traveled the world full-time.

Since my first few misfired redemptions, I've managed to take control of my points strategy, saving upwards of $10,000 a year on travel, writing about points and miles extensively, and even launching a course on the subject. If you're unsure if air miles are actually worth the hassle, I'm here to show you they are, and these are some of the best ways to earn and use them to travel the world essentially for free.

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Read more: Rick Steves Says To Always Do These Things Before Traveling

The difference between airline/hotel points and credit card points

Airline credit cards in a stack - Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock

Before getting into the nitty-gritty, it's important to distinguish between the types of points. This is a constant source of confusion and one of the biggest pitfalls hopeful travelers are susceptible to. Grasping the difference is vital.

Airline and hotel points are redeemable currencies attached to the loyalty program of any given carrier or accommodation brand. They can (generally) only be used within that ecosystem. For example, Delta SkyMiles can only be used on Delta's booking portal, and Hilton Honors Points can only be used on Hilton's. You can earn these by using the associated brand or opening a co-branded credit card.

General credit cards, on the other hand, like American Express, Citi, Capital One, and Chase, earn their own points. These, unlike airline miles, can be transferred to a range of designated transfer partners. For example, Amex points can be transferred to KLM, British Airways, Air Canada, Hilton, and a number of other airlines. This makes them immensely valuable, and I'll explain why in the next few sections. Some airlines, like Alaska Airlines, the best domestic frequent flyer program in the U.S., are harder to transfer to and can be worth saving separately. It's also worth highlighting that while frequent flyer status can make or break your in-flight experience, it's your points that get you free flights.

Earning points: Analyze your spending with a clear goal

Business class flyer looking out the airplane window - Rudi_suardi/Getty Images

Before you do anything else, it's imperative that you take inventory and build a clear goal. Many people open a card without any real thought, and find themselves frustrated or feeling conned when the free travel they hoped to cover just isn't possible. When setting a goal, start with identifying whether you want to fly business class once a year, cover multiple trips for as little as possible, or supplement some travel you're already paying for. This sets the standard for the volume of points you'll need and how soon you'll need them. Without knowing this information, you can't open the right cards. This isn't an exciting part of the process, but it's one that'll pay dividends in the long run.

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For example, while traveling full-time, my goal wasn't business class flights. I was set on paying as little as possible for as long as possible. This meant I was less focused on having enormous volumes of points and more focused on steady earning.

You'll also need to analyze your spending habits to ensure you open cards that work with you, not against you. Note how much you spend on average each month, and where. Do you eat out a lot? Is gas a huge bill? Maybe travel expenses are high? This will dictate your next move.

Earning: Open cards that complement your lifestyle

Person paying for dinner at restaurant with card - Jovanmandic/Getty Images

Credit cards are your principal tool when it comes to earning points and miles. Unless you're flying regularly, there's simply no way to earn as much, but your card choice can make or break your success. The right arsenal of products can help you earn on autopilot. Remember, credit card points are, at their core, marketing tactics for the banks. They want you to open the one that sounds the best, even just the one that looks shiny and impressive, so fighting that impulse and selecting one based on your own situation is a win in itself. Just remember, the best credit card for you often isn't the one you'd expect.

Use the information you've gathered about yourself to pick a card (or cards). Finding products with high earning rates in your big-spend categories sets you up for day-to-day success, while opting for introductory offers with spending thresholds well within your monthly budget constraints can gift huge volumes of points.

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If two cards have similar rates, but one offers more perks, then go for that one. Just don't be lured in by things like lounge access if the fee is too high and the card doesn't offer anything beyond that. In even a year's time, you'll be happier knowing your flight is paid for rather than getting into a lounge.

Earning: Earn a variety of points

Many credit cards in a stack in someone's hand - Golden Shrimp/Shutterstock

As mentioned before, there's a difference between general credit card points and airline or hotel points. It's natural for people to lean towards an airline they like. For example, you may opt for Delta whenever you fly and assume it makes the most sense to open a Delta credit card. However, the reality is that Delta Skymiles are some of the hardest miles to gain value from. It's actually better value to book a Delta flight using another airline like Virgin or KLM, which is considered the world's best airline points program for 2025.

Instead, make general credit cards the core of your strategy and supplement with specific brand points. This allows you the maximum scope in any situation, whether you're looking for a cheap domestic flight or heading on a round-the-world jaunt.

Opting to earn transferable points like Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt is the best way to have the most power in your wallet. It provides flexibility and maximum value in almost every scenario. It doesn't hurt to have the extra specific points on hand, but they shouldn't be the focal point.

Earning: Open cards for the intro bonuses

Woman online shopping with a credit card - Dorde Krstic/Shutterstock

This is where the real strategy starts to come in. Once you've built a good picture of your finances, goals, and cards that would match your lifestyle, you need to start opening them. Aim for cards that offer introductory bonuses. These offers generally gift new cardholders large sums of points and miles for hitting a specific spending threshold. For example, a card could offer 60,000 or even 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 within three months of opening it.

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While the prospect of spending $4,000 may seem intimidating, it works out well when you break it up by the average spend per month. Without a bonus, that $4,000 would only earn you between 4,000 and 12,000 points on their own, assuming the card earns one to three points per dollar  that's how valuable these bonuses are.

Many points and miles enthusiasts actively open multiple cards a year just for these bonuses. In some years, I've managed to earn well over 200,000 points without spending beyond my means. That's a huge number that could take me a long way with flights. Of course, you must be careful here, as it's a risky game opening up so many cards. You need discipline to ensure you're not overspending, and even more to guarantee you pay all the cards off every month, lest you accrue some interest. Free travel isn't free if you're in debt.

Earning: Take advantage of your big purchases

Couple buying a TV in an electronics store - Blackcat/Getty Images

Using the same tactics of honing in on big introductory offers, big purchases can be a game-changer. Obviously, some come out of the blue, like a broken washing machine, but others, like a new laptop or TV, can be planned ahead. If you know you have a significant purchase on the way, look at some cards with bonuses that match the rough amount of spend.

A few years ago, I opened a Hilton card on top of some of the other cards I'd already been using for day-to-day things, to purchase my new laptop. The 150,000 points I earned on a $2,000 purchase allowed me to grab five nights in London that would have cost $1,000. That's an incredible 50% return on my purchase. I repeated the feat a year later with a new MacBook for my girlfriend, and that one scored us a similar five nights in Paris.

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At the start of the year, take inventory and think about whether you'll have any big buys coming up later on. This can help you plan and time the opening of a good card. Big holidays and vacations are also a good time to consider opening one. The extra travel, presents, hosting, and sales are all triggers for bigger spending that can be capitalized on.

Earning: Use 'two-player mode'

Couple traveling wth credit cards - Jovanmandic/Getty Images

If you're lucky enough to have a fiscally responsible significant other in your life, it's time to ramp things up a little. Affectionately named "two-player mode" in the points world, this tactic involves doubling down on points and miles by using two people to maximize earnings. Working in pairs means you can attack each and every card twice, sometimes in quick succession. It also means you can open multiple cards that tick different boxes. For example, one of you can open a more expensive premium card that offers lounge access for the two of you, while the other hones in on high-earners.

Naturally, this requires a lot of trust. If you're married, it's likely your finances are already intertwined, so it shouldn't be too much of a difference. For newer couples who maybe aren't as tied to each other's money, there might be an acclimation period. I've worked with my partner for the past six years on this, and it's taken a lot of tough conversations and honesty to ensure we stay on track. It's by no means easy, but it's what allows us to save over $10,000 a year on our travels.

Redeeming: (Almost) always transfer points

Multiple planes from multiple airlines sitting at an airport gate - Tupungato/Shutterstock

Let's get to the really complex part: Redeeming your hard-earned points for free travel. Thousands of credit card holders go abysmally wrong at this point, and it's not really their fault. Airlines don't really make their money from flights anymore: It's credit cards that are driving profit. As such, the credit card companies have built so many ways to redeem points and miles that we often default to the most obvious option.

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In this case, that obvious option is credit card travel portals. These function like traditional travel aggregators like SkyScanner or Expedia, but are only accessible to cardholders of the specific issuer. Generally, you search for a flight or hotel, you find one you like, and you're given the option to book with cash or points. Points are typically given a value of one cent each on these portals  so, if a flight costs $500, it'll require 50,000 points, and so on. The only problem is that a one-cent valuation is terrible compared to what you can get by transferring points. Each issuer has a list of airline and hotel partners that allow you to move your general credit card points into specific loyalty programs. From there, you can book flights and stays for far higher value, like three or four cents per point, and sometimes as high as 10 cents per point.

Consider a 75,000-point introductory offer. If you spend $4,000 to earn it, you'd get $750 back in travel on a portal. But if you could transfer the same 75,000 points to a strong partner and get three cents per point, you'd have grabbed over $2,000 in value. That's a huge difference. Of course, if you have points in an account with a strong redemption, you don't need to transfer.

Redeeming: Aim for high value

man sitting in business class - oneinchpunch/Shutterstock

Yet again (spot the pattern), it's not always as simple as transferring to any old airline or hotel program. Each program has its own strengths, making it easier or harder to maximize the value of your points. These valuations can fluctuate aggressively, so it takes a little research on your part to make sure it's a good deal. It's vital to do these calculations on a flight before you move points, as, once they're gone, they're gone.

To calculate the value of an award redemption, take the cash price of the flight, subtract the taxes and fees on the award redemption, divide by the number of points, then multiply times 100 to get the cash value per point. For example, let's say you find an award redemption with United Airlines that costs 40,000 miles plus $5.60 in taxes. Then, you search for the same flight in cash and find out it costs $600. So, subtract $5.60 from $600, then divide that by 40,000. That comes to about 0.015 (rounding up), and multiplied times 100 equals about 1.5 cents per point. It's not amazing, but it's better than one cent per point.

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Taxes and fees are important here. United's are usually pretty low, but other airlines opt to pass fees on from other airlines or airports. Sometimes this can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but it's still possible to get a good deal. Do the calculation to see if you're on track, and if it falls below one cent per point, don't do it. A good way to pad this value is to use transfer bonuses. These are limited-time offers that allow you to transfer points from your credit card to an airline or hotel with a bonus  sometimes as high as 70%.

Redeeming: Hone in on the award charts

air canada planes - JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

Each airline and hotel has its own way of dictating award rates. Recent years have seen a huge swing towards dynamic pricing, meaning the program can raise and lower rates to match cash prices or demand, or just because they feel like it. This is bad for consumers, as it makes things unpredictable and hard to maximize value. But some have clung to the old concepts of award charts.

Award charts are where we can find the best value because rates are set by predetermined variables. For example, Air Canada's partner award chart sets rates based on four distinct geographical regions and the distance flown. To calculate the award rate with Air Canada, you'd check the region you're flying from and to, then see how far the flight is. A flight from New York to Paris means you're flying from the North American region to the Atlantic region, and the distance of the flight falls under 4,000 miles, so you'd always be paying 35,000 points for an economy flight. If you go above 4,000, it would rise to 40,000, and so on. It doesn't matter what the cash price is; you'll get the same points rate.

This is where real value starts to appear. If that Paris flight costs $500 one day and $900 the next, you're still paying the same points rate. You'd be getting 2.5 cents per point for the $900 flight and 1.3 cents per point for the $500. Other programs like ANA, British Airways, American Airlines (for partner flights), and Hyatt all have excellent award charts to take advantage of. These should be your first searches in any travel planning.

Redeeming: Learn the sweet spots

virgin atlantic planes - Edithrum/Getty Images

"Sweet spots" are reliable redemptions within programs with outweighed value. Most of these are found within award charts, because of the reasons mentioned earlier, but there are a few exceptions. While sweet spots could take an entire article in themselves, it's worth pointing out a few.

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In the hotel scene, pretty much the entire World of Hyatt program is a sweet spot. Its award chart is the most generous in the travel industry and offers customers the chance to book immensely expensive and luxurious properties for almost nothing, or book weeks of nights in cheaper hotels. It achieves this by setting each of its properties in a category between one and eight (eight being the most luxurious). Each category is then assigned a nightly rate at off-peak, peak, and regular times. A category eight property, which can often cost well over $1,000 a night, costs just 35,000 points at off-peak times. That's almost three cents per point for that redemption.

Elsewhere, Virgin Atlantic offers transatlantic flights for just 6,000 points plus $75 in fees, while Turkish Airlines has flights with United between New York and Hawaii for as little as 12,000 miles. These are all remarkable redemptions that guarantee a strong return. And, like I said, you don't need to open a card from these airlines. Capital One transfers to Virgin and Turkish Airlines, while Chase transfers to World of Hyatt. One 75,000-point bonus with Chase could get you almost a month in a Category One hotel with Hyatt.

Methodology

woman traveling with credit card - Mariaphoto3/Getty Images

I've been writing about and using points and miles for the last six years, and know these systems like the back of my hand. While I have linked to external pieces of my own from The Daily Navigator, my knowledge is backed up by first-hand experience as well as other well-known and trustworthy points and miles outlets such as NerdWallet and The Points Guy. All information is up to date as of November 2025. Since the world of travel points can largely depend on the person using them, some of the advice hinges on opinion or hypothetical examples, but the bulk of it is well-accepted tactics within the points and miles community.

Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter and add us as a preferred search source for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets.

Read the original article on Islands.
With auto insurance rates growing at a staggering pace since the pandemic, it might be tempting for cash-strapped households to grab the cheapest policy they can find. But simply selecting an insurance policy because it's inexpensive could be a seriously costly decision if the company providing it is less than reputable. Fortunately, in September 2025, nonprofit research organization Consumer Reports (CR) listed the top 11 car insurance companies for households earning less than $50,000 per year. The report was based on a larger survey conducted in 2024 of 40,566 car insurance policy holders, of which 35% were from households that made less than $50,000. While cost was a factor, the survey also asked participants about their satisfaction level on such things as how companies handled claims, their customer service, and the clarity of their policies.

Per that survey, the 11 companies with the highest percentages of policyholders who were completely or very satisfied were Geico (60%), CSAA (60%), Hartford (62%), American Family (63%), Nationwide (63%), Allstate (64%), State Farm (66%), Auto Club (68%), Erie (76%), Amica (79%), and USAA (79%). And while all of these are reportedly solid fits for drivers in this income bracket, many factors beyond affordability draw customers to these providers.

Read more: What You Should Never Say When Buying A Car

Why USAA, Amica, and Erie Insurance came out on top

An appraiser from Amica Mutual Insurance Company checks car damage. - Steve Liss/Getty Images

According to CR, Erie Insurance, USAA, and Amica policyholders were generally pleased with how they were treated. Erie Insurance's customers particularly liked how responsive the company was when addressing claims, as well as how accessible policy information was for customers. USAA was well liked for many of the same reasons, though its agents also got great reviews from consumers. Meanwhile, survey respondents appreciated Amica's "helpful" and "hassle-free" claims-addressing process, and the clear writing of its policies was praised as well.

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In terms of pricing, Erie Insurance customers reported the lowest frequency of premium increases of any policyholders surveyed in 2024. Curiously, the same couldn't be said for USAA and Amica. Despite being tied for first place for their overall scoring, both companies were actually rated unfavorably for their premiums. Reviews like this show that, even among lower-income households, the cost of car insurance itself isn't the most important factor in many customers' insurer selection.

Neither Erie, USAA, nor Amica offer coverage for everyone

A USAA sign at West Point, New York during an Army football game. - Adam McCullough/Shutterstock

Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to obtain an auto insurance plan from Consumer Reports' top three companies for lower-income households. For example, Amica car insurance policies aren't available in Hawaii, a popular tourist destination with one of the country's worst economies. Erie, which is based in Pennsylvania, has an even more limited reach, only offering coverage in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. Even if you reside in one of those states, you can only obtain auto insurance policies via Erie's network of about 14,000 insurance agents, rather than through more convenient virtual means offered by many other insurers.

Meanwhile, USAA auto policies can be acquired throughout the country, but only by active-duty members of the U.S. military, veterans, and their family. While that could still mean millions of people are eligible for USAA coverage, it does restrict the majority of the population from being able to access these plans.

Unlock your financial potential. Add Money Digest to your preferred sources for smart money insights!

Read the original article on Money Digest.
Filling your car with gas can add up, but charging an electric vehicle isnt free either. If youre debating the cost of gas for a Toyota Yaris versus charging fees for a Tesla, the answer might not be as clear as you think.

Explore More: Im a Mechanic  6 Electric Vehicles I Would Buy and Why They Are Worth It

Read Next: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster

GOBankingRates did the math to give you an idea of which option is cheaper. Heres a look at average monthly costs to charge a Tesla versus buying gas for a Toyota Yaris, assuming you drive an average of 15,000 miles per year  i.e., 40 miles per day or 1,200 per month.

Monthly Charging Costs for a Tesla

Of course, you wont buy any gas as a Tesla driver. This probably sounds appealing, but you do still have to pay to charge an electric vehicle. Charging costs for a Tesla vary greatly according to a variety of factors, such as the average number of miles driven per month, the specific Tesla model driven and electricity costs in your local area.

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For example, assuming youre driving 40 miles per day, it costs around $54.48 per month to charge both a Model S and a Model Y, according to the Tesla charging calculator. A Model 3 costs approximately $49.92 per month to charge, while a Model X costs roughly $64.83 per month to charge.

Try This: Heres What It Costs To Charge a Tesla Monthly vs. Using Gas for a Nissan Altima

Monthly Gas Costs for a Toyota Yaris

The amount youll pay in monthly gas costs for a Toyota Yaris varies according to a number of factors, such as the specific model, number of miles driven, driving habits  i.e., city versus highway and local gas costs.

Discontinued in 2020, according to Toyota, the Toyota Yaris is a compact car that gets an estimated 36 miles per gallon with combined city and highway driving, according to Edmunds data. Specifically, it gets 32 miles per gallon in the city and 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

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Assuming you drive around 40 miles per day, split 50% between city and highway, youll spend approximately $113 per month on gas  based on fuel costs in Pennsylvania  according to Edmunds.

Tesla vs. Toyota Yaris: Which Is Cheaper to Drive Per Month?

Hands down, the monthly cost to charge a Tesla is cheaper than fueling up a Toyota Yaris. While specific costs will vary by driver, youll pay an average of $49.92-$64.83 per month to charge a Tesla compared with $113 per month on gas for a Yaris.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Heres What It Costs To Charge a Tesla Monthly vs. Using Gas for a Toyota Yaris


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No matter how much attention you give your complexion, issues can pop up over the years. Common concerns like fine lines can be corrected with the best wrinkle fillers, the hormonal acne that can typically happen to your skin during menopause has a number of easy solutions, and hyperpigmentation can be sent packing by using the best age spot removers.

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But there's one issue that's less discussedand may take a bit more effort to eradicate: sallowness. It's a term that's commonly used to describe skin that has a grayish, yellowish, or even brownish appearance and experts say it's more than a surface-level color issue. Sallowing usually reflects slowed cell turnover and changes in circulation. As the skin ages it is unable to repair itself as much, causing discoloration and a dullness of grayish color due to poor cell turnover, says Tanya Kormeili, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica.

Meet the experts: Tanya Kormeili, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica. Dendy Engleman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Hadley King, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist also based in New York City. Kseniya Kobets, MD, is the director of cosmetics dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care. Corey Hartman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Birmingham, Alabama.



The good news is your not stuck with it. The right habits and a few strategic ingredients can help you get that healthy glow back.

What Is Sallow Skin?

Sallow skin isnt a formal medical diagnosis, but more of a descriptive term for a complexion that looks dull, flat, or slightly yellow or brown-gray, says Dr. Kormeili. It happens when the skin isnt renewing or repairing itself as efficiently as it should. Several biological processes contribute: slower cell turnover, reduced microcirculation (meaning less oxygen and nutrients reaching the skin), and collagen loss. Increased glycationwhen sugars bind to proteins in the skin and create AGEs, or advanced glycation end productsalso plays a role, contributing to that yellowish, lackluster tone.

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External stressors can exaggerate the effect, too. Pollution, UV exposure, and smoking all increase oxidative stress, trigger pigment changes, and break down collagen, adding to that overall dull, shadowed look.

In people with pale or pink skin, sallow skin appears more yellow, says Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. For those with olive skin tones, sallow skin may appear brown. (The condition is not commonly found in very dark skin tones.) And beyond the discoloration, sallow skin often feels dry or looks flaky.

What Causes Sallow Skin?

Sallow skin is rarely caused by a single issue. Instead, its the cumulative effect of aging, lifestyle factors, environmental stressors, and sometimes underlying medical conditions. Some of those include:

Internal factors

Aging is a major contributor. As we get older, cell turnover slows, collagen and elastin decline, and microcirculation decreases, which reduces the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. These changes can make the complexion appear flat, tired, or yellowish.

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Other factors include stress, poor sleep, hormonal changes, and nutritional deficiencies (such as iron, vitamin B12, or vitamin D). All of these can increase oxidative stress, reduce oxygenation, slow cell turnover, and accelerate glycation, leading to dull, uneven skin, says Kseniya Kobets, MD, director of cosmetics dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care.

External factors

Chronic sun exposure, smoking, and pollution increase oxidative stress, damage collagen, and create pigment irregularities. Excessive sun exposure can trigger melanin production and inflammatory responses, while smoking reduces blood flow and accelerates collagen breakdownall of which make the skin look sallow, says Corey Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Birmingham, Alabama. Combined with internal factors, these external pressures leave the skin looking dull and lifeless.

Health conditions

There are also a variety of health conditions that may cause sallow skin. One of the most common causes is anemia, says Dendy Engleman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. According to the American Society of Hematology, iron-deficiency anemia causes a lack of oxygen circulation to the rest of the body, including the skin, resulting in a pale or dull, sallow complexion that may appear yellowish or brownish.

Can Sallow Skin Be Prevented?

While you cant stop aging, there are steps that can slow the processes that contribute to sallowness and keep your skin looking healthier for longer.

Lifestyle habits

Daily habits play a big role in keeping skin vibrant. Commit to getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, which will enable your body to go into rest and recovery mode, says Dr. Hartman. This recovery benefits the skin by supporting barrier repair and DNA damage correction from daily stressors like UV exposure. Regular sleep also helps regulate cortisol levels, since lack of sleep can trigger inflammation and make the skin appear stressed, he says. Dr. Hartman also recommends eating a variety of foods to ensure youre getting all essential nutrients, including Vitamin B, folate, and iron, to support healthy skin function.

Skincare habits

A consistent skincare routine also makes a difference. Daily cleansing removes dirt and excess oil that can trap dead skin cells, while moisturizers help strengthen the skin barrier and lock in hydration, making skin look plumper and brighter, says Dr. Hartman. Sunscreen is a non-negotiable as well, he says, since protecting the skin from UV rays prevents collagen breakdown, reduces pigment irregularities, and slows photoagingall of which can worsen sallowness.





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Treatment Options for Sallow Skin

If your skin looks dull, yellowish, or flat despite a solid skincare routine and healthy habits, there are ways to target sallowness directly. Experts recommend a combination of at-home treatments and in-office procedures that address the underlying causes to restore a brighter, more vibrant complexion.

At-home treatments

Exfoliation (AHAs, BHAs, PHAs): Gentle chemical exfoliants remove dead skin cells that can make skin look dull, says Dr. Kormeili. By speeding up cell turnover, they help brighten the complexion and reduce the tired, flat look of sallow skin.

Retinoids: Retinoids like an over-the-counter retinol serum help increase skin-cell turnover and stimulate collagen production. This helps correct discoloration, improve texture, and reduce the flat, tired look of sallow skin, says Dr. Kobets.

Moisturizers: Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, or squalane help to repair the skin barrier, plump the skin, and lock in moisture to make skin appear more vibrant, says Dr. Hartman.

Topical antioxidants: These ingredientsthey include vitamins C and E and CoQ10neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress to help protect against pigment changes and preserve skins natural radiance, says Dr. Kobets.





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In-office treatments

Chemical peels (salicylic acid, Jessners, light glycolic peels): These minimally-invasive treatments remove damaged or pigmented skin layers and accelerate cell turnover to restore a fresher, brighter look, says Dr. Kormeili.

Microneedling and PRP: Micro-injuries stimulate collagen and elastin, while PRP delivers growth factor to enhance skin vitality and combat the flat, dull appearance of sallow skin, says Dr. Kormeili.

Laser resurfacing and fractional lasers (Fraxel, Clear + Brilliant): These treatments target damaged tissue to improve texture, pigment, and radiance, reducing sallowness from collagen loss and external factors like sun damage, says Dr. Hartman.

When to see a dermatologist

Persistent or sudden sallownessespecially if accompanied by fatigue or other systemic symptomsmay indicate an underlying medical condition, such as anemia, thyroid disorders, or liver issues. A board-certified dermatologist can help determine whether the concern is cosmetic or medical, and guide you toward the most effective treatments.

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Even if sallowness is primarily cosmetic, a combination of healthy lifestyle habits, consistent skincare, and professional treatments can help restore radiance and counter dullness.

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Women named Ashaki are often perceived as possessing natural grace, confidence, and emotional intelligence. They tend to be charismatic individuals who radiate positive energy and have a calming presence in social situations. Typically, Ashakis demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, showing empathy and understanding in their relationships. They often exhibit creative talents and an appreciation for aesthetics in various forms, from visual arts to personal style.



Many Ashakis display resilience and inner strength that complements their outward grace, making them natural leaders who inspire others through both their words and actions. Their beauty is frequently described as emanating from a balanced combination of outer elegance and inner wisdom. They are often seen as peacemakers in group settings, using their diplomatic skills to resolve conflicts and maintain harmony. The name suggests someone who carries themselves with dignity while remaining approachable and genuinely interested in the wellbeing of others.
The Association of American Residents Overseas says roughly 5.5 million United States citizens live abroad, including some in Europe. With this being said, there are several places, including England, that have been singled out as European countries retirees regret moving to. Ten years ago, Bratislava, Slovakia, may have been on that list, with travel experts like Rick Steves telling expats and visitors alike to steer clear. Today, that reality has changed, with the Slovakian capital becoming a rapidly growing, affordable city with a low cost of living.

Slovakia is rising in the ranks as a Steves-approved European destination for travelers, as a welcome contrast to Scandinavia, which is the most expensive European region to visit, according to Rick Steves. This is in part due to Numbeo stating that the country has some of the lowest living costs in the European Union. The low cost of living in Bratislava, in particular, is impressive, with a furnished studio in the city center costing around $1,000 a month, according to an Expatistan report.

Relative affordability, combined with the reinvestment in a vibrant city center, has contributed to the city's remarkable revitalization that Steves called "inspiring" in a blog post. Given Bratislava's lower rent cost and walkability, it may soon join the list of the cheapest places to live that are also lively cosmopolitan cities.

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Read more: The 15 Best Countries To Retire Outside The United States

Bratislava is a low-cost city, but it wasn't always an 'inspiring' European destination

Castle ruins outside of Bratislava - Zm_photo/Getty Images

Before the 1990s, Slovakia was not an independent republic. As part of Czechoslovakia, it was an Eastern Bloc nation under Soviet rule until 1989. Control of the country shifted hands until the late 1990s, when a public revolution brought about a threefold plan for the country's economic development. This plan, as outlined in an analysis by economist Brigita Schmognerova, highly relied on Slovakia becoming part of the European Union in order to leverage a market economy. As a member of the European Union for over twenty years, Slovakia has multiple strong trade partners, and its residents enjoy the financial power of the Euro. This is particularly relevant when one looks at the price of food in the country, with a dozen eggs costing $4.80, given the conversion.

Bratislava, as a city, has experienced commercial growth over the past twenty years, notably punctuated by a twin city partnership with Vienna, Austria. With just one hour of train travel between the two cities, the economic partnership has been mutually beneficial, with investors like Elon Musk even proposing a hyperloop to connect them. While this hyperloop never came to pass, an investment in building parks and improving infrastructure to entice residents helped revive Bratislava. This, paired with low utility and wifi costs, which on average come in at $122 and $15 per month, respectively, has breathed new life into the affordable, charming, and resilient capital city.

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Norwegian Cruise Line is rolling out one of its most sought-after spaces to even more shipsand fans of tucked-away, adults-only corners at sea are about to have fresh options to choose from.

The lines Vibe Beach Club, a limited-access retreat known for its quieter atmosphere and upgraded amenities, is expanding across Norwegians Jewel-Class ships as part of a broader modernization project.

Originally found only on newer ships, Vibe has gradually been added to older ones during scheduled dry docks. Now, two more vesselsNorwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearlhave debuted their refreshed Vibe spaces just in time for the winter Caribbean season. For travelers who like their sunbathing a bit more serene (and their lounge chairs a little easier to secure), the timing couldnt be better.

Related: This Historic East Coast City Is About to Become a New Cruise Hotspot

All About the Vibes at Vibe Beach Club

Vibe Beach Club is an adults-only getaway tucked away from the ships main pool scene. If you spring for a pass, you get access to padded loungers, cabanas, a dedicated bar and little extras like chilled towels, misting spritzes and fresh fruit skewers. Like a concierge-level space, its a quieter spot to stretch outespecially compared to the high-energy, family-friendly decks below.

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Its no surprise its become one of Norwegians most in-demand add-ons, especially among people who cruise with the line often.

According to Cruise Critic, prices usually start around $149 for shorter trips and can rise to $240 or more on weeklong sailings. Longer cruises tend to cost a bit extra. Cabanas are limitedone per stateroomand you have to book them for the full voyage.

Passes can sell out fast, especially during school breaks or holiday weeks. And the price tag may some cause frustration around more nickel-and-diming for services that once used to be included. However, many repeat cruisers say its worth it for guaranteed breathing room during the busiest moments of the daywhether thats heading back from an excursion or grabbing a front-row spot for those big scenic Alaska sailings.

Several travelers whove tried Vibe in Alaska say it delivered a completely different kind of sea day. One cruiser described sail away from Seattle as amazing, noting they watched Glacier Bay from the hot tub and moved around easily while everyone else was three deep on the main deck. Another said whales swam so close to the ship that we could see everything without fighting for a spot.

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Guests also praised the staff, with one mentioning that they brought coffee, hot chocolate, even chowder on cold days, calling the whole experience very enjoyable. For many, especially during peak family season, Vibe becomes the splurge that makes a sailing feel calmer and more spacious. As one traveler put it: For some people its indispensable, for others its a wastebut for us, it was absolutely worth it.

Related: This 'Cutting Edge' Adults-Only Cruise Line Was Just Named Ocean Cruise Line of the YearIndustry Experts Call It 'Exceptional'

More Vibe Rollouts Across the Fleet

Norwegian isnt stopping with Jewel and Pearl. The line confirmed that Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Gem will also receive Vibe Beach Club during scheduled dry docks in May 2026, bringing the entire Jewel-Class fleet up to the same amenity standard. The timing aligns perfectly with the ships big seasons: seven-day Alaska voyages from Vancouver and Whittier, and Mediterranean and Greek Isles routes from Venice and Rome.

For guests who love these olderbut still extremely popularships, the addition gives them a fresh, modern touch that aligns them more closely with Norwegians newer vessels.

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The expansion also sits within a larger enhancement strategy. Norwegian is currently developing a land-based Vibe Beach Club at its private island, Great Stirrup Cay, part of a broader effort to expand premium, adults-only options ashore.

For cruisers who love a quiet, sun-drenched escape while still being just steps from the action, the rollout of Vibe Beach Club across the Jewel-Class fleet offers yet another reason to revisit Norwegians upcoming itinerariesespecially as the refreshed spaces debut heading into 2026.

Related: 7 Cruises Superfans Cant Wait to Book in 2026 and Beyond, According to a Cruise Expert

Sources:

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Utah is home to some of the country's most breathtaking national parks, but there's plenty more to see in the Beehive State beyond Zion, Arches, and Bryce Canyon. The Wellsville Mountains are a great place to tap into nature, and the city of Wellsville at the foot of the range in the Cache Valley is a great place to start. This town, branded "the Gateway to the Cache Valley," is perhaps most famous for the Wellsville Tabernacle, constructed in the early 20th century for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the town also comes alive during the school year since parts of Utah State University are located here.

Wellsville is located about an hour and some change north of Salt Lake City by car. The nearest major airport accessible by passenger flight is Salt Lake City's international airport, where you can rent a car and make your way out toward the mountains.

Take in Wellsville during the day on your journey into the Cache Valley, but don't make plans to stay in Wellsville, as there aren't any hotels in town. For that, you'll need to drive about 15 minutes north to the bustling town of Logan, where you can choose from chain options like Super 8, Best Western, Days Inn, and La Quinta Inn or independent local chains like the Anniversary Inn. Wellsville is also a great pitstop on the way to the colorful wildflower meadows and camping spots of Logan Canyon.

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Read more: One Of West Virginia's Best-Kept Secrets Is A Train Ride Through A Canyon You Can't Reach By Car

Explore the Wellsville Mountains from town

Fresh snowfall on Wellsville Mountains - Joshua Forbush/Shutterstock

Whatever your tolerance for hiking might be, chances are you'll be able to enjoy a walkabout in the Wellsville Mountains. The Wellsville Mountain Wilderness Area encompasses more than 20,000 acres of preserved lands in the tranquil and scenic Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and hosts deer, moose, and mountain lions. When you head out on the trail, keep the local four-footed residents in mind, be prepared for any unexpected visitors, and ensure you can call for help if necessary, whether it be via cell phone or a satellite phone.

The Wellsville Mountain Wilderness Area boasts 17 miles of trails at various elevations, offering stunning views of some of northern Utah's biggest sights, from the towering Wellsville Cone and Box Elder Peak mountains to the depths of Deep Canyon and Coldwater Canyon. On the southwestern edge of town, you'll find trailheads for the 4.7-mile Wide Canyon Trail, 3.5-mile Narrow Canyon Trail, and 4.6-mile Murray's Farm Loop, which takes you on both Wide and Narrow Canyon trails. Looking for an all-day challenge? Drive about five minutes south of town to reach the trailheads for the 11.4-mile Wellsville Ridge Trail or the 8-mile Box Elder Peak Trail, where you can take in sweeping vistas of the mountains of the Wasatch Range. Both the Wellsville Ridge Trail and the Box Elder Peak Trail have elevation gains of more than 4,000 feet, so consider yourself warned.

If you'd prefer to stay behind or are traveling with someone who can't make a strenuous hike, sit back in Wellsville and enjoy a relaxing, flat walk around Wellsville Reservoir in Wellsville City Park.

Unwind in tranquil Wellsville after getting in touch with nature

Corn field in Wellsville with mountains in distance - akm_nahid_hasan / Instagram

After your hike, head back to Wellsville for a replenishing snack or drink at Margo's Pop'n Go, a delightful food truck that makes regular appearances around town and at big events. Margo's is open from April through September. For a hefty post-hike lunch or dinner, get a Philly cheesesteak at Chef D's Phillys on the town's main drag. Take a breather at City Square Park across the street or Darley Park around the corner.

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You can experience a full schedule of activities, food, and games if you're in town for Founder's Day, which comes in late August, and the Wellsville Mountain Music and Art Festival usually occurs earlier in the summer in June.

In the mood for some retail therapy? Drive about 15 minutes to the heart of Logan. Here you'll find a plethora of inviting boutiques and unique vintage clothing stores to assemble your wardrobe for any time of year. Somebody's Attic, Uptown Cheapskate, and Indy Clover are great thrift shops to find pieces on a budget, while Kings Finest Vintage and The Red Fox offer customers a curated selection to choose from. If you have space in your car, pick up some antique furniture pieces and other tchotchkes at Cache Valley Antiques or Victorian Rose Boutique.

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Tucked away within northern Italy's Dolomite Mountains is the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (or Three Peaks of Lavaredo), one of the most scenic hiking trails to explore in Italy. Known for its dramatic limestone spires and sweeping alpine scenery, this route is considered a must-do for hikers visiting the Dolomites. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Starting near Rifugio Auronzo, this loop trail stretches 10 kilometers and takes 3 or 4 hours to complete. Since it's not too long, this allows plenty of opportunity to stop for photos and to visit the mountain huts.

The peaks rise to nearly 10,000 feet, creating a striking backdrop for panoramic views of the Dolomite Mountains. Along the route, hikers will encounter alpine meadows filled with wildflowers in the late spring and summer seasons, weather beaten chapels, and picturesque views at every turn. When the weather is good, the trail is family-friendly and fairly easy for beginners, with no technical climbing skills required. That said, sturdy hiking shoes and layers for changing weather conditions are recommended and it is important to take precautions if the weather isn't great.

Tre Cime sits in the South Tyrol region, a 2.5 hour drive from Venice Marco Polo Airport or a 3 hour drive from Bolzano. This makes it a great spot for a day trip when you next visit this area of Italy or an iconic location for a longer stay in the Italian Alps.

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Read more: The Biggest Tourist Traps In Europe, According To Rick Steves

What to see and experience along the trail

Tre Cime di Lavaredo with snow - Albertosimonetti/Getty Images

This lesser-known part of Italy's Dolomites Mountains offers pristine hiking without crowds, but it's so much more than just a hiking trail; it's a cultural experience and nature escape, all rolled into one. Hikers choosing to explore this trail should take the time to stop at the mountain huts (aka rifugi), such as Rifugio Lavaredo and Rifugio Locatelli. There you can enjoy a hearty alpine meal with speck or polenta while enjoying the stunning views over the Dolomite peaks.

Enjoying an overnight stay in a rifugio is highly recommended for those wishing to see the mountain views at sunrise or sunset, when the jagged limestone spires have a brilliant, pinkish-orange hue. This phenomenon is known locally as Enrosadira and is one of the most unique experiences along the trail. Rifugio Locatelli is also home to a viewpoint considered to be a highlight of the trail, where visitors can enjoy some of the most iconic views of these mountains. Here, the jagged faces of the peaks tower dramatically overhead and offer a perspective that makes this trail one of Europe's most photographed hiking spots.

Be sure to keep your camera at hand as you continue to explore the trail, as you never know what wildlife you might see. The trail is home to wild deer, brown bears, and various birds, all of which are often spotted by hikers. For photography and wildlife lovers, this hike is one you don't want to miss.

Planning your trip to the Dolomites

Tre Cime di Lavaredo at night - Ascentxmedia/Getty Images

Visiting Tre Cime di Lavaredo requires a bit of planning, but the rewarding experience is well worth the effort. It's best visited between late June and September, when the snow has melted and the trail is fully accessible. During the peak summer months, the road leading to Rifugio Auronzo has an entrance fee of 40 per car (subject to change, depending on the year) and parking can fill up quickly, so it's recommended to book online in advance.

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When it comes to finding somewhere to stay overnight, hikers can book a stay at the rifugi along the trail for 120 to $140 per night, though reservations typically need to be made months in advance. An alternative option is to stay in a nearby town, such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, a stylish Alpine village with a selection of hotels and B&Bs as well as easy access to the Dolomite's best attractions. The Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d'Ampezzo is a decadent choice, a Radisson property with rooms starting at 610 per night during peak season. It's a top choice for those looking for a once in a lifetime luxury stay. Misurina is another great spot nearby, and is one of the most underrated tourist destinations in Italy.

Travelers should ensure they pack appropriately for the trail. Hiking boots, layered clothing, trekking poles, sunscreen, and a camera are all necessities. Keep in mind that the weather along the trail can shift quickly from warm sun to chilly Alpine winds, so pack accordingly.

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Italy is full of eye-catching medieval towns. From the picturesque yet little-known town of Pontremoli to the stunning glory of famous spots like Florence and Padua, Italy's rich history is etched into its towns, villages, and cities. Enjoying a medieval experience in Italy is a dream, whether it's exploring the iconic olive groves and villages of Isola del Giglio or discovering an unusual and eccentric corner of Scottish culture in an under-the-radar corner of Tuscany.

European travel guru Rick Steves is no stranger to Italy's ancient gems, and according to him on his blog, "Siena offers perhaps Italy's best medieval experience." This remarkable spot, "stretched across a Tuscan hill," is "an architectural time warp, where pedestrians rule and the present feels like the past."

Siena is located in Tuscany, in central Italy, about 45 miles from Florence. The closest international airport is Amerigo Vespucci International Airport, just 50 miles away, about an hour's drive by car. Siena train station is the terminus of the lines to Empoli, to Chiusi, and to Grosseto via Monte Antico, but it isn't on the main line to Florence or Rome, so visitors without a car are often better served by local buses.

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Read more: Rick Steves Recommends Cinque Terre's Only Resort Town For A Vibrant Italian Getaway

A stunning blend of Gothic and Romanesque architecture

View down a historic alley towards the tower of the Palazzo Publico in Il Campo, Siena -  Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images

Siena was one of the most important cities in Italy during the medieval period, and its remarkable history is obvious, showcased in its soaring Gothic and Romanesque architecture, colorful contrade (districts), and stunning secular and religious buildings. Rick Steves discusses on his blog how the city was "in a class with Florence, Venice, and Genoa" in the 1300s, but after the plague and foreign conquest, it became a backwater and has remained under the radar ever since. However, he states that "Siena's loss became the traveler's gain as its political and economic irrelevance preserved its Gothic identity."

Steves raves about its "stony skyline and rustic brick lanes tumbling every which way" as well as its "red-tiled rooftop panoramas," and describes it as "a city made for strolling". This is certainly the best way to get the most out of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city center, wandering the cobbled streets, dipping in and out of galleries and churches. At the heart of Siena lies Il Campo, where many of its most iconic buildings are situated. Rick Steves describes it as a "great shell-shaped piazza, featuring a sloped red-brick floor fanning out from the City Hall tower, is designed for people, offering the perfect invitation to loiter."

Dominating the square, the Duomo is unmissable, "as ornate as Gothic gets" according to Steves. Its facade and interior are a collaboration between some of the leading lights of the Italian Renaissance, including Giovanni and Nicolo Pisano, Pinturicchio, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Bernini. The Museo Civico showcases some of the best artists from the Sienese school, while the Complesso Museale di Santa Maria della Scala is filled with gorgeous frescoes. The stunning interior of the Libreria Piccolomini has to be seen to be believed, while the Palazzo Chigi Saracini is a Gothic masterpiece filled with incredible stories.

Wild horses and amazing food

Horses and jockeys in the Palio horse race, with crowds in the background - Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Siena's center feels frozen in time, almost like an open-air museum, and its stunning medieval sights are without a doubt its main attraction. However, the city is perhaps most famous for the Palio, the "wild bareback horse race that turns Il Campo into a thrilling and people-packed racetrack" twice each summer, per Rick Steves' blog. First held in 1482, this unique occasion pits representatives from 10 of the city's 17 contrade against each other for the prize of a banner of painted silk.

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While the Palio is Siena's most famous cultural offering, there's no denying that this is a city that knows how to eat well, and its cuisine is superb and well worth exploring in depth. Rick Steves mentions gourmet pasta, vintage Chianti, and boar prosciutto as delicacies he enjoys while in town, but says that "panforte is Siena's claim to caloric fame ... [a] rich, chewy concoction of nuts, honey, and candied fruits [that] impresses even fruitcake haters. According to Steves, "local bakeries claim their recipe dates back to the 13th century," and it is worth heading to Nanninni or the Antica Drogheria Manganelli to get a taste of this mouthwatering cake.

Finally, no visit to Siena would be complete without experiencing the passeggiata, the traditional evening stroll after a fortifying aperitivo that Italians love. Wandering the ancient streets as night falls feels particularly magical, and seems to open up a conduit to the past that gives this delightful medieval town even more atmosphere and ambiance.

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Travel can be transformative. At the same time, it often doesn't come cheap.

Many of the world's most desirable destinations  such as the dreamy resorts across the Maldives or Seychelles  cost thousands of dollars to visit. For some travelers, these places can feel out of reach.

However, price isn't always synonymous with a life-changing travel experience. Safari company Go2Africa recently determined which destinations people are willing to pay up for by looking at a country's tourist numbers and dividing that by its total tourism revenue in 2024, using data pulled by official tourism boards, ministries and reports.

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The 'No List': 8 destinations that you should rethink visiting in 2026

"The data shows something most travelers dont expect: The amount a typical visitor spends in a country is one of the best clues for how expensive your trip will be once you arrive," said Megan Dominion, spokesperson for Go2Africa, in a statement to USA TODAY. "Checking the average spend per tourist before you book is a simple hack as it instantly tells you whether youre headed somewhere budget-friendly or somewhere a little more expensive."

By analyzing a country's per-visitor spending, the report offers insight into where travelers are willing to spend more  even if less people visit overall  because of the high-value travel experience. On the other hand, if a destination's cost is low, it doesn't mean it isn't worth visiting  the tourism industry could be less commercialized, the usual visit is shorter (like day trips to the Vatican City) or it's more remote.

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The Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour brought more than 20 African Americans, including educators, community leaders, and families, on a powerful journey through Angola to explore the roots of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and their ancestral ties. Timed with the 50th anniversary of Angolas independence, the 10-day trip traced historic sites like the centuries-old fort at Massangano, the national slavery museum, and the Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo, while also celebrating Angolan culture through dance, art, and shared traditions. Though not without challenges like long travel times and rustic conditions, the journey left travelers deeply moved, better equipped to teach and preserve history, and more committed to strengthening the ties of remembrance, healing, and heritage between the U.S. and Africa.



Above: Angolans head to work at the Kahombo Resort Rural, one of the stops on the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour. Members of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour finally arrived June 29, 2025 in Luanda, Angola. Amaya Berry and others on the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour walked around Luanda, including down a street with murals depicting the African country's culture and history. Members of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour in July 2025 checked out murals along one of the city's oldest streets. The group took advantage of the opportunity to try many traditional Angolan dishes, including at this spread at the Kahombo Resort Rural. Natasha Alston and others on the Tucker Family Heritage Tour in July 2025 visited a centuries-old fort in Massangano, Angola. The tour included several stops that were part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Beyond visiting historic sites, members of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour visited an orphanage where we donated items and joined the chidren in a painting activity. It was one of the highlights of the trip. A statue of Queen Nzinga stands high in Luanda, Angola. The queen is revered in the African nation. Wanda Tucker chats with teachers Denise Carter-Mataboge and Tyrone Pope during a visit to the Calandula Falls in July 2025. They were part of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour. Laurinda Cardoso, president of the Constitutional Court in Angola, (center) was one of several dignitaries to meet with the Tucker family and friends on the heritage tour in July 2025. Local officials treated the group to an Angolan feast on the last night of the Tucker family heritage tour. Diba Ngola Jungo, a king at the Black Rocks in Angola, also knowns as Pedras Negras de Pungo Andongo, greeted July 2025 members of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour. Deborah Berry (left) and Carolita Jones Cope (right) celebrated their birthdays on the Tucker family heritage tour in Angola. Carol Tucker and Felicia Tucker-Lively take a break during a visit to Calandula Falls during the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour in July 2025.. The group on the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour met with local and national leaders during the trip. There were plenty of tears and hugs on the July 2025 Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour. The trip included several stops at sites connected to slavery. Village chiefs - or sobas - greeted members of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour at Massangano in Angola. The Kwanza River was often used to transport Angolans to slave ships, Members of the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour enjoyed dinner July 2025 at the Kahombo Resort Rural. Hampton officials Leonard Sledge (left) and Council Member Randy Bowman shared gifts, including a Hampton blanket, with local officials in Angola during the Tucker family heritage tour. A leader at the Black Rocks prepared July 3, 2025 to conduct a blessing ceremony. Faustino Cardona showed visitors the hotel he recently opened in Massagano. He hopes it will draw more tourists to the area. Agostinho Van-Dunem, Angolan ambassador to the U.S., spoke August 24, 2025 at African Landing Day in Hampton, Virginia. He called the Sister City partnership between Hampton and Malange, Angola a "precious instrument'' to strengthen ties and historic connections. Back in Hampton, Virginia, the William Tucker 1624 Society and Project 1619 continue to commemorate the city's history of slavery and its ties to Angola. A woman carried the Angolan flag during the African Landing Day ceremony Aug. 23, 2025 at Fort Monroe. Powerful images from the Tucker family's Angola heritage journey 1 of 24 The Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour brought more than 20 African Americans, including educators, community leaders, and families, on a powerful journey through Angola to explore the roots of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and their ancestral ties. Timed with the 50th anniversary of Angolas independence, the 10-day trip traced historic sites like the centuries-old fort at Massangano, the national slavery museum, and the Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo, while also celebrating Angolan culture through dance, art, and shared traditions. Though not without challenges like long travel times and rustic conditions, the journey left travelers deeply moved, better equipped to teach and preserve history, and more committed to strengthening the ties of remembrance, healing, and heritage between the U.S. and Africa.



Above: Angolans head to work at the Kahombo Resort Rural, one of the stops on the Tucker Family Angola Heritage Tour.

"Travelers should also not just consider how much they'll spend in a location but where their money goes," she continued. "In some destinations, spending supports large international operators, while in others it flows directly to local communities and conservation projects."

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Here are the destinations where tourists spend the least and most.

10 countries where tourists spend the most

The Freewinds cruise ship owned by the Church of Scientology is seen docked in l in Castries, Saint Lucia, on May 2, 2019.

Luxembourg - $5,112 Lebanon - $4,155 Saint Lucia - $2,984 Bahamas - $2,842 Australia - $2,748 Maldives - $2,736 Antigua and Barbuda - $2,664 Seychelles - $2,636 United States - $2,500 Israel - $2,393

10 countries where tourists spend the least

This photograph shows a pharmacy sign indicating the current outside temperature of 38 degrees celsius, with the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica in the background.

Vatican City - $15 Eswatini - $21 Algeria - $37 Malawi - $55 Kyrgyzstan - $111 Moldova - $137 Angola - $155 Kazakhstan - $170 Mozambique - $179 Brunei - $192

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 countries that cost tourists the most to visit, and the least
Some countries never cease to captivate travelers: Indonesia is no doubt one of those places. Part of the reason is due to the 17,000+ islands that make up the country. Here, you can enjoy almost everything, from the exhilarating nightlife of Jakarta (the national capital) to the tranquil temples of Bali. As if that's not enough, Indonesia also boasts unfiltered rainforests and several world-class diving spots. It goes without saying that this country is an exciting destination for tourists who want to witness a rich culture amidst staggering natural beauty.

Among some of the most interesting places you can visit in Indonesia is Komodo National Park, which is famous for being home to the largest lizards in the world (Komodo dragons). Apart from its wildlife amusement, the park also promises a pristine natural atmosphere in the form of rugged islands, scenic hikes, and coral reefs. Padar Island is one of the unique islands  and in fact one of the most photographed  within the Komodo National Park. It's a popular spot for many reasons, including the breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views from the hilltops. Perhaps the best highlight of Padar Island is its three distinct beaches, each sporting different colors of sand: pink, white, and black.

However, as with many popular destinations in the world, sometimes, overtourism sets in, ruining the peaceful, natural experience that draws the teeming visitors in the first place. This is the case for Padar Island  and it's a worthy reason why anyone might want to avoid visiting.

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Read more: 15 Tourist Traps You MUST Avoid

Drawbacks that make Padar Island a place to avoid

Padar Island with breathtaking beaches and hills - Ady Candra/Shutterstock

There's no gainsaying that Padar Island offers plenty of rewarding experiences for tourists, ranging from its iconic beauty to its prehistoric topography and photogenic viewpoints. While many travelers may be quick to feed their Instagram followers with scintillating photos from their visit, they won't show you the long line of people making the climb at the same time. To get the best views, everyone plans to make it to the top at sunrise, leading to a traffic jam on a trail that involves climbing about 1,000 wooden steps. Not to mention, many tourists are probably not even aware they have to climb that high.

Consequently, you can imagine how chaotic the situation would be. You may find yourself in a competition you didn't sign up for, as you try to vie for space or wait for your turn to take the perfect shot. At the end of the day, you might come to realize that avoiding Padar Island altogether might be the best plan, especially if you're looking for peace and solitude.

The problem isn't limited to your own inconvenience. The surrounding ecosystem is also becoming overly pressured due to the heavy foot traffic. This has even led to official considerations to limit visitors at the Komodo National Park. Although this measure hasn't been enforced yet, it certainly proves that overcrowding from tourists is causing environmental harm to these places.

Enjoying your visit in a smart way

people at Padar Island relaxing and enjoying the nature - Andre Nainggolan/Getty Images

Staying away from Padar Island might just be the most considerate thing to do, yet this doesn't have to mean missing out on all the fun and stunning moments. There are other places you can still check out around Komodo National Park  just remember to be environmentally conscious. Nearby, Rinca Island gives you similarly amazing landscapes, in addition to a chance to see Komodo dragons up close and with fewer crowds. You could also go to Pink Beach, with its unusual rosy sand and the opportunity for snorkeling in its clear waters awaiting.

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In case Padar Island is by all means among the top destinations you have on your bucket list, then you need to be strategic with your timing. Since the sunrise and sunset periods are known to attract the most people, it's only wise to avoid them. Instead, target mid-morning or late afternoon for a less crowded and less frustrating experience. Even though you might not get the same kinds of photos you would during sunset or sunrise, you'll definitely still have incredible shots  the beauty of the landscape and the environment is intrinsic. For a more flexible and calmer exploration, you could also opt for a liveaboard cruise experience.

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Read the original article on Explore.
The BBC's Celebrity Race Across the World is coming to the end of the road, with the show's dramatic final set to air on Thursday, 11 December.

After reaching the hotel checkpoint first in the penultimate episode of the travel contest, Strictly couple Molly Rainford and Tyler West will have a head start over their rivals. "I feel like I'm in a car chase," West admitted in the dramatic teaser for the final, which aired after the most recent episode. The competition has never been fiercer.

Siblings Harleymoon and Roman Kemp, who placed second again, have their eyes on coming first too. Anita Rani and her dad, Bal, have proven their determination throughout the race and will give the final leg their all. "Keep your eyes peeled," she tells her dad in the final.

Roman Kemp and Harleymoon in the Celebrity Race Across the World final. (BBC/Studio Lambert)

Meanwhile, 370km away from the checkpoint, Dylan Llewellyn and his mum Jackie seem to be going into the final leg with a massive disadvantage. After counting out their money, the mother and son have only got 13% of their budget remaining. It's likely they will need to be able to pick up work to complete the leg. Or will they run out of money?

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"This journey has been amazing," the Beyond Paradise actor could be heard telling the cameras in the trailer. Also, the Derry Girls star confided in his mum: "Seeing you be strong makes me strong."

The nail-biting Celebrity Race Across the World final airs on BBC One, at 8 p.m on Thursday.

Slideshow: Celebrity Race Across the World's compelling final pictures

Molly Rainford and Tyler West carry their rucksacks in the jungle. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Roman Kemp and Harleymoon on the move in Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Molly Rainford and Tyler West have had a great time on Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Anita Rani and Bal travelling at night on Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Roman Kemp and Harleymoon seen celebrating on Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Harleymoon feeds dogs while taking time to slow down on Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Harleymoon looks at Roman Kemp with great admiration on Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Harleymoon is reading the map while Roman Kemp writes down on Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Harleymoon and Roman Kemp enjoy a meal on the last stretch of Celebrity Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Molly Rainford and Tyler West are in first place at the start of the final leg. (BBC/Studio Lambert) Celebrity Race Across the World 1 of 10 Molly Rainford and Tyler West carry their rucksacks in the jungle. (BBC/Studio Lambert)

How does the Celebrity Race Across the World final work?

After 33 days in the race, the finish line is almost in reach for the celebrity contestants. The leg begins in Medellin, Colombias second-largest city, the final checkpoint of episode five. The final checkpoint is 1,000km away on the Guajira Peninsula, the northernmost region of South America.

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On the final leg of the journey, the teams face a crucial decision: do they venture inland or follow the tourist trail along the Caribbean coastline? Just one bad decision could stop a team in their tracks, while a lucky move can put them ahead.

Timing is everything, and a few seconds can make the difference between first and second place. In the second series of the civilian show, Emon and Jamiul won the race by just 20 seconds.

The guestbook, which contestants sign at each checkpoint to signal the end of a race's leg, rests on a podium with an impressive backdrop of the coastline, waiting for the first arrival.

To get there, the teams have travelled through eight countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.

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Scott Mills and his now-husband Sam Vaughan were named the Celebrity Race Across the World 2024 winners.

What is the prize fund?

Harleymoon feeds dogs on Race Across the World. (BBC/Studio Lambert)

In the civilian series, there is a 20,000 prize fund for the winners who cross the finish line first. This is significantly lower than Studio Lambert's other reality series, The Traitors, where the prize money is up to 120,000.

Race Across the World is all about the journey and the bonds formed along the way. Interestingly, there is no cash prize for the celebrity version of Race, and this year's celebrities all have different reasons for signing up for the experience of a lifetime.

Rani said, "I want my dad to have an adventure, and I want to have it with him. So that's it. What a great, amazing way to spend some quality time with my dad and have a life-changing experience. What's the one reason that you chose to take part in this trip with your dad?"

Race Across the World is about the bonds. (Studio Lambert/BBC)

Meanwhile, Kemp explained: "It's very much 50/50, reasons for wanting to do this. I am very lucky that I do a lot of stuff with my dad, and I think that the reason I do those things is I can't wait to show my kids or my grandkids what my relationship was like with my dad.

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"With this, it's such a privilege to be able to do something so special with your sister. It's such a privilege to be able to have that, and to also show that to future generations, and to share an experience. The other side of it is for personal reasons, travelling and seeing new places and seeing different cultures or being in certain experiences has such a great impact on my perspective and what life is about."

Anita Rani and her dad have been the most competitive on Celebrity Race. (BBC/Studio Lambert)

Also, Llewellyn said: "I wanted to take part because its such an amazing experience to be had. I think it looks so beautiful and cool, and it's just a giant adventure and who wouldn't want to go on one of those? And to do it with my mum is a huge bonus. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing to do, and to do it with a loved one is even better."

Rainford and West wanted to challenge themselves together. "We haven't done any kind of travelling like this before," Rainford said. "We always stick to our comfort zone, all inclusive, just one location. This will be a new experience."

West added: "It feels like we've been together years and years but to do something like this would take our relationship to the next level and bring us closer together."

Celebrity Race Across the World is streaming on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
A $1,000 reward is now being offered to help solve a deadly Southwest Side hit-and-run.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Jermaine Martin, 22, was killed around 3:20 a.m. August 9 in the 5000 block of South Kedzie Avenue, police said.

Chicago police released images of a car wanted in connection to the hit-and-run in August.

The driver of a silver Toyota 4Runner was heading northbound when they ignored a traffic signal and went through the crosswalk, hitting the 22-year-old man, police said.

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Martin was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a homicide.

The driver fled the scene, and no one is in custody, police said. Investigators believe the vehicle is between a 2014 and 2024 model.

Chicago police are looking for the silver Toyota 4Runner they say was involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed Jermaine Martin on Kedzie Avenue.

Cook County Crime Stoppers announced a $1,000 reward Saturday for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact Chicago police at www.CPDTIP.com or Cook County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-535-STOP (7867).

Area One detectives are still investigating. Police have provided further information.

INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood
Nigerian authorities have secured the release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic school last month, a UN source and local media said Sunday, though the fate of the 165 students and staff thought to remain in captivity remains unclear.

In late November 315 students and staff were kidnapped from St. Mary's co-educational boarding school in north-central Niger state, as the country buckled under a wave of mass abductions reminiscent of the infamous 2014 Boko Haram abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok.

Some 50 escaped shortly afterward, leaving 265 thought to be in captivity

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The 100 children have arrived in the capital Abuja and are set to be handed over to local government officials in Niger state on Monday, according to the United Nations source.

"They are going to be handed over to Niger state government tomorrow," the source told AFP.

Local media also reported that the release of 100 children had been secured, without offering details on whether it was done through negotiation or military force -- nor on the fate of the remaining students and staff thought to still be in the kidnappers' hands.

The freeing of the 100 children was confirmed to AFP by presidential spokesman Sunday Dare.

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"We have been praying and waiting for their return, if it is true then it is a cheering news," said Daniel Atori, spokesman for Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the Kontagora diocese which runs the school.

"However, we are not officially aware and have not been duly notified by the federal government."

- US diplomatic pressure -

Though kidnappings for ransom are common in the country as a way for criminals and armed groups to make quick cash, a spate of mass abductions in November put an uncomfortable spotlight on Nigeria's already grim security situation.

The country faces a long-running jihadist insurgency in the northeast, while armed "bandit" gangs conduct kidnappings and loot villages in the northwest.

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In November, assailants across the country kidnapped two dozen Muslim schoolgirls, 38 church worshippers, a bride and her bridesmaids, farmers, women and children all taken hostage.

It is unclear who was behind the St. Mary's kidnapping.

The kidnappings also came as Nigeria faces a diplomatic offensive from the United States, where President Donald Trump has alleged that mass killings of Christians have amounted to a "genocide" and threatened to intervene militarily.

The Nigerian government and independent analysts have rejected that framing, which has long been used by the Christian right in the United States and Europe.

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The religiously diverse country of 230 million people is the scene of myriad conflicts -- including farmer-herder clashes in the centre and separatist violence in the southeast -- that have killed both Christians and Muslims.

- Kidnapping 'industry' -

One of the first mass kidnappings that drew international attention was in 2014, when nearly 300 girls were snatched from their boarding school in the northeastern town of Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists.

A decade later, Nigeria's kidnap-for-ransom crisis has "consolidated into a structured, profit-seeking industry" that raised some $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a recent report by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.

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Some analysts have worried that Trump's recent comments might have emboldened armed groups, while others pointed out that mass kidnappings have come in waves before.

A local government official in Nigeria's eastern Borno state meanwhile told AFP armed groups might be trying to hold captives as potential human shields in case the United States follows through on its threat of airstrikes.

In recent weeks, security analysts have been tracking US observation flights over known jihadist forest strongholds in northern Nigeria.

abu-fvl-nro/gv
Cultural & Historical Significance

Ashkii holds profound cultural significance within the Navajo Nation, serving as more than just a name but as a cultural marker that connects individuals to their heritage. In the Dine tradition, names carry spiritual weight and establish one's place within the community and cosmos. The name Ashkii immediately identifies the bearer as Navajo and connects them to the complex system of clans, ceremonies, and oral traditions that define Navajo identity. Historically, boys given this name were raised with specific cultural expectations - learning to herd sheep, participate in ceremonies, and eventually take on roles as protectors and providers for their families and communities.



The name also represents the Navajo concept of Hozho, which encompasses beauty, harmony, and balance. An Ashkii is expected to contribute to this balance through his actions and relationships. In contemporary context, the name has become a statement of cultural pride and resistance against assimilation pressures. Many families choose traditional names like Ashkii to ensure their children maintain strong connections to their language and customs, especially important as the Navajo language faces challenges from dominant English-speaking culture. The name thus serves as both a personal identifier and a political statement about cultural survival and continuity.
NEED TO KNOW

A LATAM Airlines plane was consumed by smoke after a fire broke out at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport

The Dec. 4 fire started on a baggage carousel connected to aircraft while parked on the runway, according to reports

Footage posted online shows the smoke-filled aircraft surrounded by flames at the airport in Brazil



Passengers on a LATAM Airlines plane were left panicked after the aircraft was engulfed in smoke due to a fire at an airport in Brazil.

Flight LA3418 was scheduled to depart from Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport (GRU Airport) for Porto Alegre when a fire broke out on the ground on the night of Thursday, Dec. 4, Brazilian newspaper Estadao reported.

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A baggage conveyor connected to the aircraft caught fire, causing the plane to fill with smoke, according to the outlet. The jet reportedly carried 169 passengers at the time.

Footage from the scary incident posted on X shows the plane engulfed in smoke while surrounded by flames at the airport. Fire crews were seen on the ground putting out the fire.

Panicked passengers were filmed inside the aircraft, queuing up to leave and evacuating the plane at the airport. Fire crew members were also seen preparing an emergency slide for passengers to escape the aircraft.

Vitor Cesa Aguiar - UGC / AFP via Getty A fire broke out by a plane at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil on Dec. 4, 2025 A fire broke out by a plane at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil on Dec. 4, 2025

All 169 passengers aboard the plane were safely evacuated with no injuries reported, per Estadao. The situation was quickly brought under control, LATAM Airlines said.

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The airline explained that the fire started in equipment belonging to a subcontractor responsible for loading cargo onto the plane, the Daily Mail reported, which added that passengers were told to leave everything onboard as they evacuated the plane.

According to the flight-tracking website Flight Aware, the flight departed GRU two hours and 59 minutes behind schedule at GRU Airport at 1:04 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. The plane landed at Salgado Filho International Airport in Porto Alegre at 2:54 a.m.

Sergio Yate / AFP via Getty LATAM Airlines planes LATAM Airlines planes

Among the passengers onboard the original flight, 159 arrived in Porto Alegre on Friday morning, while 10 others were placed on other flights or transported by land, per the Daily Mail.

The incident is being investigated.

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.

LATAM Airlines and GRU Airport did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, Dec. 6.



Read the original article on People
Two juveniles were shot after an argument between neighbors turned violent in Avondale.

Police responded to the area of the 900 block of Lexiongton Avenue around 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 for a report of a shooting.

Cincinnati police Lt. Timothy Lanter says an argument between neighbors escalated into a fight in the front yard.

One round was fired that grazed one juvenile and hit the other in the abdomen.

Both children were taken to Cincinnati Childrens Hospital with what police say are non-life-threatening injuries, though one of the victims requires surgery.

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Lanter says the neighbors have a long history of family troubles.

Authorities say they have persons of interest, but no one has been taken into custody.

Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2 juveniles shot after argument in Avondale, Cincinnati police say
A typical late afternoon for 4-year-old Adam is much like a typical late afternoon for any child his age: snacks, Cocomelon on YouTube, blocks, jumping off the stairs, resisting a bath.

But unlike most toddlers, Adam lives with a host family thousands of miles away from his hometown in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. His parents were killed, his siblings, too. He also jumps off the stairs with just one leg, not two.

Adam is one of six children temporarily living in the Chicago area after being medically evacuated by Heal Palestine, an organization founded in response to the destruction caused in Gaza by Israels response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by militant group Hamas. All of the children are amputees, with most of them staying in the southwest suburbs. Heal Palestine asked the Tribune not to disclose Adams full name for security reasons.

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Steve Sosebee, the founder of Heal Palestine, who has worked to medically evacuate children from war-torn countries for over 30 years, said his organization helps patients in Gaza who have had an amputation and require specialized care. Heal Palestine also facilitates evacuations to other countries such as Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Theres such a need that its not a challenge to identify the patients  the challenge is to place them in care and to get them out, Sosebee told the Tribune.

The U.S. State Department halted visitor visas to the U.S. in August for individuals from Gaza  including for medical treatment  while it reviewed its visa-issuing procedures. But Heal Palestine made it clear that the program is not for refugee resettlement. After their treatment is complete, these children and any accompanying family members will go to a location in the Middle East yet to be determined, Sosebee said.

When that time comes, it will be a bittersweet goodbye, said Tinley Park resident Tujan Almasri, who has been hosting Adam and his paternal grandmother since they arrived in April. Almasri and her family have grown attached to both visitors.

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Adams grandma, Alia Fojo, who is now more of a mother figure to Adam, has felt at home in Tinley Park, but the memories of Gaza and a yearning to go back are constant. Fojo said the Gaza she left was a nightmare, but the Gaza she dreams of is home.

No one is in Rafah anymore. Like you see in the pictures, its completely flat  its ruined, Fojo said in Arabic. We were forced to leave and live in tents  and even though you are in war, you build your own tent with whatever resources you have.

Sitting in Almasris living room, the 54-year-old Fojo said that although its been more than a year since Adams parents were killed in an Israeli airstrike on July 7, 2024, the image is as clear as if it happened yesterday.

At the time, the families were living in shelter tents, she said. That night, a rocket launched by Israeli forces exploded a few feet away from the tent where Adam and his family were sleeping. Fojo hadnt been able to sleep that night and heard four rockets drop near her tent, not far from her son Ahmeds tent, but none went off. The fifth shook her core, she recounted.

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Fojo ran outside barefoot, bracing for the worst possible scenario. The car outside Ahmeds tent was on fire. The tent was clouded in smoke and debris. Fojos husband and daughter came out of their tent and all three of them darted toward the flames.

Fojo said she searched for the faces of her son, her daughter-in-law and her three grandkids. She spotted Ahmed on the ground and reached for his arm: It was detached, she said. Next to Ahmed was his wife  and in between them was Adam, still wrapped in the bedsheet he was sharing with his parents.

Adams mom was still wearing earrings, Fojo said. Adams siblings, Yusuf, 5, and Nada, 7, were a few steps away  lifeless and still. They were killed while sleeping, Fojo said, tears slowly sliding down her sunken cheeks. At that moment, she thought even Adam had died, but God wanted him to live, she said.

Following the airstrike, their neighbors  also in tents  ran through the rubble to help, or at least to figure out who was killed. Fojo said her daughter took Adam to a hospital nearby. Adam never saw his parents or his brother and sister again.

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While Fojo told the story in Almasris Tinley Park home, Adam hopped into the living room and playfully wiped his grandmas feet with a baby wipe. He did the same to Almasri.Youre such a goofball, Almasri said to him, while tucking his right pant leg inside his back left pocket so he wouldnt trip over it. He laughed and scooted away on one leg.

Adam was fitted for a prosthetic for his right leg in May, about a month after he got here. The terms of the visa require a hospital visit almost immediately after a child arrives in the country. His first appointment was the day after he landed at OHare International Airport.

Sosebee said Adams prosthetic leg will need to be refitted as he grows, and his physical therapy will continue when he goes back to the Middle East. Its just not clear when he will leave the U.S. or where he will end up.

But hes come a long way, Almasri said, noting that it took time for Adam to relearn how to walk, first with a trial plastic leg, and now with a prosthetic designed for a nimble toddler. But because he wears it for six consecutive hours at a local private preschool, he sometimes prefers playing without the added weight once at home.

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Almasri enrolled Adam at the same preschool as her daughter Dua, 3. A few days a week, Adam goes to jujitsu classes and swim school, activities that have boosted both his verbal and physical skills. Most days, he also plays with another classmate at the library.

At home, about an hour and a half before their 8 p.m. bedtime, Dua and Adam were playing with a dry-erase board that flips into a chalkboard. The set came with one marker that Adam claimed quickly, though Dua attempted to bargain several times.

Oh, stop it, Dua! Adam said in impressive English. Dua quickly ratted him out: Hes not sharing!

They have a real sibling-like rivalry, Almasri said, smiling. While waiting for Adam to give her the blue marker, Dua pointed out that his leg is missing.

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Hes here to fix it, she said. Adam, fully immersed in his scribbles, responded to her in Arabic, something about the eraser being his. He said he loves me, Dua added.

Adams moms name was also Dua. Isnt that something, Almasri said.

When the Israeli airstrike hit the familys tent, Adam was only 2 years old. He turned 4 this month. Fojo said he does mention Mama Dua and Baba Ahmed every now and then, but the thing he talks about most is that they died. The trauma has become his entire memory of his parents, she said.

He often tells the story of a flame and of losing his leg and how he was in the hospital. Early on, when he was still hospitalized, hed always ask his grandma where his parents were, having not seen them for months. Shed say, They are with Allah. Other times, shed say, They are in jannah, heaven. Adam would tell her he wants to go there, too.

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The journey to the Chicago area was arduous for both Adam and Fojo, but its an opportunity few are given. Medical evacuations from Gaza are not easy to secure, said Sosebee, and there are thousands upon thousands of children waiting to be rescued.

Nisreen Malley, the director of advocacy for Rebuilding Alliance, who started the agencys task force for medical evacuations, said for a Gazan child to get on the list for a medical evacuation, the patient would need to see a treating physician at a government hospital and the physician would need to give a medical referral, which is extremely difficult to obtain.

Part of it is that the doctors themselves are starving, Malley said. Theyre fainting in the middle of procedures  so the idea of OK, Im going to pause everything to do some paperwork, thats a little bit of an ask.

Malley said so far children are the only ones being approved for medical evacuation out of Gaza, and there is a list gathered by the World Health Organization that attempts to keep track of the total number of wounded or critically injured children using a classification system to prioritize who gets evacuated.

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According to the WHO, 8,006 patients were evacuated between October 2023 and last month, including 5,550 children. The organization says about 16,500 patients still need medical evacuation from the Gaza Strip.

Malley said its a colossal undertaking given the sheer number of children in the war zone, even as a ceasefire in the region reduced the bombing.

The WHO vets companions who would be traveling with a child and begins the process for security approval, which sometimes is secured by organizations like Heal Palestine or Palestine Childrens Relief Fund that have teams on the ground identifying children to evacuate.

But children who arent sponsored by such organizations go through the same referral process and go into a WHO database to wait for other countries to accept their evacuation request.

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For Adam, Heal Palestine facilitated the process after he was transported by bus from Gaza to Amman, Jordan. Heal Palestine has teams in Gaza, in Massar, Egypt, and in Amman; the teams manage the patients while they await approval to fly out.

U.S.-bound evacuations depend on which hospital accepts a patients case. Along with a required hospital acceptance, the patients also need a financial sponsor from a nongovernmental organization. In Adams case, this is Heal Palestine. They also need visa approval, often involving the Jordanian government, Malley said.

The process tends to be complex, inefficient and emotionally taxing for the children involved, she said.

While he was still reeling from the pain of losing a leg months earlier, Adam had to travel first from the hospital in Gaza to Amman by bus, a bumpy journey that takes six hours or longer. A few days later, he and his grandmother, along with 11 other families being evacuated by Heal Palestine, were taken to the Jordanian airport. Some, like Adam and Fojo, flew to Chicago and others went to different U.S. cities. The flight was more than 13 hours. Fojo said Adam  anxious and amazed  had endless questions on the plane, but eventually fell asleep.

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For Malley, a recent trip she took to the Middle East with UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations was jarring. The groups took U.S. congressional staffers and policymakers to war-torn areas in Gaza to show them the devastation.

(One presenter) was talking about the impact of different things that are happening to children. And she said: Weve never done this to children before, so we dont know what the full impact will be, Malley recounted. That really haunted me.  Because, yes, we dont know the consequences because humanity has never done this to children before. I dont know if any of it will fully encompass what these children have had to go through, the things that these children have seen.

While Adams remaining stay in the Chicago area is uncertain due to political and logistical challenges, he will first resettle in Masar, Egypt, where his next steps will be facilitated by one of Heal Palestines teams. Sosebee and Malley said evacuated children have so far not been allowed to return to Gaza.

U.S.-bound evacuations are incredibly expensive for organizations like Heal Palestine, which are signing on to sustain a childs life, Sosebee said.

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Although the State Department has stopped issuing visitor visas to Palestinians from Gaza, other countries, such as the United Kingdom, continue to facilitate medical evacuations for critically ill children.

Almasri, whose Palestinian family is from Jerusalem, said she immediately applied to be a sponsor when she learned about the Heal Palestine program from a friend who recently hosted a young girl from Gaza. The process is lengthy, Almasri said, starting first with an interview and then multiple background checks before Heal Palestine matches a family with a child.

We were very eager to help, she said. We feel so helpless  this is the least we could do.

Almasri and her husband have four kids, including an 8-month-old whom Almasri gave birth to just days before Adam and his grandma arrived.

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Now, with five children in the house, Almasri and her husband have taken a divide-and-conquer parenting approach. And theyve fit Adam right into their system.

Ill yell at Adam too, just like I will yell at my own kids, but I feel like people might judge me for it, Like, are you yelling at an amputee? Almasri said. Hes a rascal! The thing is, everyone that sees him is like, Oh, let me give you my soul. Yes, of course, but they dont realize that it actually doesnt do him any service.

Almasri said shes constantly aware that Adam will eventually go back to the Middle East. And it likely wont be to an environment as nurturing as her home.

Hes going to go home to roughness. We have to make sure that he is as disciplined, willed and as mentally tough as possible, she said. And I think jujitsu is helping, and structure is helping.

As bedtime inched closer, Almasri started setting the table for dinner  salad with a host of toppings, grilled chicken and macaroni and cheese for the kids. The family started eating even healthier because of Fojo, who prefers vegetables and healthy grains over processed options. Almasri boiled corn on the cob, too, which is Adams favorite.

He hopped around the table, sliding in and out of the chair next to Dua. And while nibbling on the corn, Adam was also eating lettuce off Almasris plate. She poked back playfully, telling him to get his own.

Although his future is uncertain, Adams interactions with his host family offer a glimpse of the normalcy hes found for now.

The thought of them leaving us makes me really sad, Almasri said, because it feels like I have five children now and (another) mom.
The Richmond County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Division conducted a major drug bust on Dec. 3, seizing large quantities of narcotics and arresting six individuals involved in a drug trafficking organization operating in Augusta-Richmond County.

The investigation, which began in November 2025, targeted a significant Drug Trafficking Organization led by Robert Seymore. Members identified in the operation included Qwintera Martin, Vernon Frails, Fredricus Green, Cleveland McBride, and Donald Searson.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Authorities executed search warrants at two locations, seizing:

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12,500.7 grams of methamphetamine

653.5 grams of cocaine

815.5 grams of marijuana

178 oxycodone pills

70 fentanyl pills

12 grams of psilocybin mushrooms

2 firearms

2 vehicles

$57,662 in cash

This investigation is another example of the outstanding work our Narcotics Division and Crime Suppression Division do every day, Sheriff Eugene Brantley said in a statement. The amount of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and other dangerous substances seized in this case represents countless lives saved.

TRENDING STORIES:

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Seymore faces charges of trafficking in cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute.

Martin was charged with similar offenses, including trafficking in cocaine and methamphetamine.

Frails faces multiple charges, including trafficking in cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

McBride and Green were both charged with possession of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distributing cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

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Searson was charged with possession of cocaine and bringing contraband across a guard line.

The sheriffs office said its Narcotics Division has, year to date, seized over 27,245 grams of marijuana, 45,725 grams of methamphetamine, and 6,836 grams of cocaine this year, along with 126 illegally possessed firearms and more than $595,032 in U.S. currency connected to narcotics investigations.

The Richmond County Sheriffs Office said it remains committed to proactive enforcement strategies and partnerships to reduce violent crime and protect the community.

Our message is clear: if you choose to distribute poison in Richmond County, we will find you, and we will hold you accountable, Brantley said in a statement.

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Chicago picked up its snow shovels again Sunday morning after the city was blanketed with up to 5 inches of snow in what a meteorologist at the National Weather Service called the quickest start to winter since 1978.

Three to five inches of snow fell across the metro area into Sunday morning, with northern suburbs seeing up to seven inches of snow. Accumulated snowfall at Chicago OHare this season reached 17.1 inches on Sunday, according to meteorologist Zachary Yack.

This is the quickest start to winter weve had with the most snow since 1978, said Yack.

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Temperatures in the city Sunday are expected to be in the higher 20s and lower teens with winds between 20 to 25 mph, while the suburbs could be seeing single digits Sunday night.

A Winter Weather Advisory that went into effect at midnight Saturday expired at around 11 a.m. after the snow let up, according to Yack, who advised people to limit their time outdoors due to the cold.

Weve had a couple of big systems here in short succession, one after Thanksgiving and then this recent one that happened last night, both of which overperformed ever so slightly, said Yack.

So its given us a good chunk of our snow, that we would expect to see kind of spread out over the course of the early part of the season, in a matter of 9 days.

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A cold spell is expected to hit the city on Friday and Saturday, with temperatures reaching below-zero, according to Yack.

In response to the snow, the citys Department of Streets and Sanitation said it deployed more than 220 salt-spreading trucks primarily on main roads and that it will be transitioning to clearing residential streets.

DSS staff will continue to monitor the weather and ground conditions and will adjust resources as needed, the department said in a statement Saturday. Residents are urged to exercise caution while traveling. Please allow extra time and drive according to conditions, leaving ample space between vehicles.

More weather news
Dec. 6 (UPI) -- West Virginia National Guardsman Adam Wolfe is showing progress in healing from the head wound that he suffered in an ambush attack near the White House on Nov. 26, the state's governor said.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the current status of Wolfe, 24, who remains hospitalized ahead of a vigil held for Wolfe on Friday night at Musselman High School in Berkeley County, W.Va.

"His parents report that his head wound is slowly healing and that he's beginning to 'look more like himself,'" Morrisey said in a prepared statement.

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"The family expects that Andy will be in acute care for another two to three weeks but have been optimistic about his progress," he said.

"We continue to ask all West Virginians and Americans for their prayers," Morrisey added. "They are making a difference."

Wolfe and National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, were shot while patrolling near the West Farragut Metro Station that is located about two blocks northwest of the White House.

Beckstrom died Thanksgiving Day, and accused gunman Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and related charges Tuesday.

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Lakanwal is accused of ambushing the two National Guard members and shooting each in the head with a .357 magnum Smith & Wesson revolver.

He was attempting to reload when nearby Guardsmen engaged Lakanwal and shot and detained him until first responders arrived.

Lakanwal was hospitalized in critical condition, where he remains in custody and from which he remotely entered not guilty pleas during Tuesday's arraignment hearing.

Lakanwal is a citizen of Afghanistan and was a member of an Afghan military unit that cooperated with the CIA before the U.S. military pulled out in 2021.

He entered the United States in 2021 as part of a Biden administration program that brought Afghans to the United States to escape the Taliban, which regained control of Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal.

Lakanwal lived with his wife and five children in Bremerton, Wash., and applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted in April.
Analysts and European politicians are ramping up warnings that Chinas export-heavy economy puts the continent at risk.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who just visited China, said the EU faces a question of life or death over its severe trade deficit with Beijing.

A stronger Chinese export sector is expected to lower the eurozones GDP by 0.5% by 2029, according to a recent Goldman Sachs estimate.

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Many countries are frustrated by Chinas strategy, which is squeezing out their own manufacturing sectors and export opportunities, The Wall Street Journals Greg Ip wrote. None has a solution.

Macron floated tariffs against Beijing, but getting other EU countries onboard could prove difficult.

Europe has a real problem, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said Saturday.
Late on Sept. 21, 1996, searchers found the body of 15-year-old Danielle "Danni" Houchins in a swampy area along the Gallatin River, a scenic valley just outside Bozeman, Montana. Exactly what had happened to Danni -- and how she had ended up face down in the mud -- would mystify her family, friends and investigators for decades.

The case, and its stunning conclusion, is investigated by "48 Hours" and correspondent Peter Van Sant in "It's About Danni." An encore of the broadcast airs Saturday, Dec. 6 at 9/8c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Back in 1996, Rachelle Schrute, now the Hunt & Fish editor at GearJunkie, knew both Danni and her sister Stephanie. She recalled, "They were the most down-to-earth, friendly people." Stephanie Mollet told Van Sant that there had been a family argument that morning, and Danni drove off to the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access area to get away. When Danni didn't come home that afternoon, their mother set out to find her. She found Danni's truck parked in the lot, her keys and water bottle along a nearby path, but no other signs of Danni. Deputies from the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office were called in to help but stopped searching after dark. That night, family friends who knew the marshy, heavily wooded area well, headed out to also look for Danni. They found her body in the muddy undergrowth, far back from the walking path.

Danni Houchins / Credit: Stephanie Mollet

As word about what happened to Danni spread, some people in town speculated her death could have been a murder. Detectives started an investigation, collecting evidence from the crime scene, and interviewing people close to Danni, but no suspects were named. Schrute said that around the community, "there was so much other speculation  It just caused fear."

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But, within days, the coroner ruled that Danni had drowned, and that her manner of death was not a homicide, but rather "undetermined." Danni's family says they were told by officials that Danni's death could have been an accident. "That she 'could have just tripped and fell,'" said Mollet. "'We don't really know.'" Mollet found that hard to believe. Danni was an active and outdoorsy teenager, she says, who was comfortable fishing, hiking, and mountain climbing. Danni's case went cold, and as Mollet grew into adulthood, she vowed to find out the truth. "I promised my sister," said Stephanie. "I'm coming for you, Danni."

In 2020, Mollet connected with new detectives at the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, and demanded they fill her family in on the investigation. They let Mollet read the autopsy report, and she learned that in 1996, officials knew that there were bruises on Danni's body, including on the back of her neck. "Someone had held her head down forcefully," said Mollet. "There was (sic) vaginal injuries  there was semen in her underwear  she had fought and scratched." There was now no doubt in Mollet's mind that her sister had been raped and murdered. The new investigators agreed, and re-opened Danni's case. The new Gallatin County Sheriff then did something unusual. He reached outside his department, to a retired investigator living in the hills outside of Bozeman: Tom Elfmont.

Elfmont dedicated himself to Danni's case. Knowing that huge advances had been made in DNA technology, he was able to get a partial DNA profile from the semen found on Danni's underpants. But they couldn't find a match. Digging deeper, Elfmont focused in on four male hairs that had been found on Danni's body. They were "rootless" hairs  without any skin cells  which for a long time were thought of as almost impossible to get DNA from. But not anymore. Through a state-of-the-art private lab, Elfmont was able to get a full suspect DNA profile from one of those hairs. Elfmont shared that profile with an investigative genetic genealogist, who used family trees to search for relatives of the unknown suspect. In May 2024, they got a name: Paul Hutchinson.

Elfmont learned that in 1996, Hutchinson had been a graduate student in nearby Bozeman, and he had a work-study with the Fish and Wildlife Service "which would have put him on the waterways around Belgrade." Elfmont said Hutchinson went on to work as a fisheries biologist for the Bureau of Land Management. He had no criminal record and was married with two children. And he was well-known in local hunting and fishing circles.

A bodycam image of Paul Hutchinson (in red) with investigator Tom Elfmont. / Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

In July, 2024, with a body camera rolling, Eflmont and his partner went to Hutchinson's office to interview him. Elfmont said Hutchinson became visibly nervous, especially when asked about Danni's case. But they didn't directly ask Hutchinson if he had killed Danni. As Elfmont told Van Sant, "Didn't need to." They didn't yet have enough evidence to arrest him, but hours after the interview, Hutchinson took his own life. Afterwards, his DNA was confirmed to match the evidence from Danni's body.

Rachelle Schrute knew Paul Hutchinson for years and says she never once questioned Hutchinson's integrity, even she went on fishing trips with him -- just the two of them -- out in the middle of nowhere. / Credit: Rachelle Schrute

When the Gallatin County sheriff announced the case had been solved after nearly 30 years, there was shock all around. But for Mollet's childhood friend, Schrute, it was even greater. As she heard the killer's name announced, she realized she had known him for almost 20 years. Schrute says she considered him a friend and had relied on him for years as a "trusted resource when it came to hunting and fishing." Not only that, but for years they had gone on hunting and fishing trips together -- sometimes just the two of them. For someone who had always trusted her gut  in the wild, and around men  Schrute says she never once questioned his character.

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When asked if she could have said something to him after finding out he had killed Danni, Schrute said strongly, "How dare you just be a person in my life? How dare you just exist and go on to have  a family, and a career, and all of these things that you had? How dare you when you all along, you knew."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on the Epstein files

Luigi Mangione's pretrial hearings postponed after he skips court over sickness

New Orleans woman, who says she is a U.S. citizen, describes immigration agents chasing her
Amnesty International is raising alarms over what it describes as cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions at two major immigration detention centers in southern Florida, following a September 2025 research mission examining the human rights impacts of federal and state migration policies under the Trump administration.

In a 61-page report released this week, the organization details findings from visits to the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami-Dade County and the newly opened Everglades Detention Facility, widely known as Alligator Alcatraz. Researchers documented overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate medical care, and practices they say amount to torture.

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The Florida Everglades, where Alligator Alcatraz is located, have been home to the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida for centuries. Both federally recognized tribes oppose the facilitys location, but their governments were never consulted.

Krome, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on the edge of the Everglades, has drawn heightened scrutiny this year after reports of severe overcrowding and multiple deaths. Amnesty International said people held at Krome faced prolonged delays during intake, packed temporary processing areas, and barriers to accessing attorneys and due process.

The group also reported alarming disciplinary practices, including the use of prolonged solitary confinement. Conditions inside the medical unit and the availability of care were described as inadequate and inaccessible, with some people reporting that medical issues went untreated for days.

Conditions at Alligator Alcatraz, which opened in July with space for roughly 3,000 detainees, were even more dire, the report found. Amnesty International said researchers documented toilets overflowing with fecal matter seeping into areas where people are sleeping, limited access to showers, constant artificial lighting, and infestations of insects without protective measures. People detained there also reported poor-quality food and water and a near-total absence of privacy.

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The facilitys primary disciplinary tool  a small, windowless isolation unit referred to as the box  also raised serious concerns. Amnesty International said the practice constitutes torture or other ill-treatment under international human rights standards.

Both facilities exhibit conditions that amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, the report states.

The organization is calling on the U.S. government to dismantle what it describes as a mass immigration detention and deportation machine, halt the criminalization of migration, and prohibit the use of state-owned facilities for immigration detention. It also urged federal authorities to conduct thorough investigations into all deaths, abuses and allegations of torture in custody, and to comply with international human rights law.

READ Report.

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About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Tacoma police detectives didnt have to chase a suspect in a fatal Friday shooting that killed a 14-year-old boy. The man turned himself in a few hours later.

The disclosure comes from a department news release sent Saturday evening. Police responded to the shooting at 3 p.m. Friday, following reports of a two-car crash at the 6400 block of McKinley Avenue in the citys Hillsdale neighborhood.

Police soon learned a 14-year-old boy in one of the vehicles had a gunshot wound. They started lifesaving measures. Tacoma firefighter/EMTs responded to the scene, and transported the boy to a local hospital, where he died.

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As the homicide investigation developed, the adult suspect appeared at police headquarters. Police spokesperson Shelbie Boyd did not know the suspects exact age, or whether the man knew the victim. The man was arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Symbolically, Baltasar embodies the convergence of divine protection, royal wisdom, and spiritual journey. The name represents the archetype of the wise seeker who follows inner guidance toward enlightenment, drawing from its association with the Magi who journeyed by starlight. It symbolizes the integration of faith and knowledge, tradition and discovery, making it emblematic of the quest for higher understanding. The protective aspect suggests not just physical safeguarding but spiritual guidance and moral leadership. In metaphorical terms, Baltasar represents the bearer of precious gifts  both the literal gifts of the Magi and the metaphorical gifts of wisdom, protection, and guidance that individuals with this name often provide to their communities. The name carries the symbolic weight of centuries of cultural and religious significance, making it a powerful choice representing continuity, wisdom, and divine favor.
A thrilling mountain lion encounter in Texas offers a reminder that it's vital to remain alert when you're enjoying nature.

What's happening?

Hikers spotted the cat in Big Bend National Park, a popular destination near the Mexico border, Chron.com reported. Joey Thometz and two fellow hikers were on the Boot Canyon Trail in early November when they caught a glimpse of something moving quickly.

It was before the sun came up, and they saw a creature flash across the path 50 feet in front of them. They backed up and soon laid eyes on a mountain lion peering down at them, head cocked, from a hillside perch.

"It looked surreal, with sharp facial features and muscles," Thometz said. "We were in disbelief. We were glad to be in a group of three adults." He added that he was glad the group saw signs warning them not to run in such a situation, as doing so can provoke attack instincts.

Why is this important?

Big Bend is home to bears and other dangerous wildlife, too. Chron.com noted there are over 150 sightings of mountain lions there every year, per the National Park Service, though there have been only "several" attacks on people since 1984. There have been fewer than 30 confirmed fatal attacks in North America in the last 100 years, Chron.com said.

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Mountain lions may be aggressive if they are protecting kittens, learning what to prey on, or even curious. Injured or ill cats and those stressed by food scarcity may also come after people or pets.

Human encroachment on natural habitats has made such issues more prevalent, and the changing climate is also pushing animals outside their traditional ranges, including into busy backyards.

"Pretty cool that these weren't hunted to extinction," one Instagram user wrote. "Glad to see some wild aspects of nature still exist in the U.S."

What's being done about mountain lion encounters?

If you're in mountain lion country, you can stay safe by hiking with others and keeping children close to adults, according to the NPS. It's particularly important to be cautious in early morning and evening hours.

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If you see a mountain lion, don't run away, and make yourself appear as big as possible, including by raising your arms over your head. Maintain eye contact with the animal, and back away slowly.

You can also shout aggressively, wave your arms, and throw rocks, especially if it approaches you. If it attacks, fight back. Notify a park ranger of any sightings.

"By taking precautions and knowing how to safely interact, humans and mountain lions can coexist," the NPS says.



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GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP)  Guyanas government has launched an online school expected to boost the education of thousands of students in the South American nation s vast and largely impoverished Amazonian regions and the wider Caribbean.

More than 30,000 local and regional students have already enrolled in the Guyana Digital School, which offers high school courses but expects to expand its curriculum next year.

This is a program that will provide real quality education for students in the entire country simultaneously, covering all subject areas. We are also providing free access to our Caribbean neighbors, and we noted that people even from India are logging on. This will be a game changer for education delivery in Guyana, Deputy Chief Education Officer Ritesh Tularam told The Associated Press on Saturday.

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Basic subjects including science, technology and the humanities are available to students who no longer have to go to a physical school to get an education, he said.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali announced the program late Friday, saying it will allow students to learn with high quality digital tools.

Tularam said some may question why the government is investing so heavily in digitization.

The future of the world will be digital. The future of the economy will be digital, and the future of work will be digital, he said. We are not investing to be fashionable; were not investing to please consultants; were not investing to follow global trends blindly; were investing because this is where global opportunity is being created.

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The school is not designed to eliminate physical classrooms in Guyana, where the state education system is free.

Earlier this year, the oil-rich country announced the resumption of a free university education, which had been paused since the mid-1990s. Officials have said that the countrys newly found wealth allows for free education since nearly $10 million flows to the treasury daily from its oil sector.

The new digital school was welcomed by leaders across the Caribbean who praised Alis initiative.

Whether it is in the coastlands or hinterlands of Guyana, whether it is in Barbados or St. Kitts or St. Lucia, we want to ensure our children have that ability to learn at their fingertips, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said.

Meanwhile, Grenadas prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, said he has already instructed his education minister to ensure they are actively participating in the new digital school.
Critics say Israels system lacks the structural safeguards that would prevent a weakened oversight of government actions under a divided A-G role.

The Knessets Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee is set to continue debates this week on several bills proposing to change how the attorney-general operates.

This package includes nine proposals, one of which, backed by coalition lawmakers, recently passed a preliminary reading in the plenum. These discussions mark the most serious legislative effort in years to formally restructure the role.

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The attorney-general currently holds three primary responsibilities: Serving as the governments chief legal adviser, heading the public prosecution, and representing the state in legal proceedings.

Over decades, Supreme Court rulings and administrative practices have shaped the position into a central legal authority whose opinions are generally treated as binding on government ministries.

This broad mandate does not appear in a single Basic Law; instead, it developed through precedent and institutional custom. A 1998 government commission led by former Supreme Court president Meir Shamgar examined the system. It recommended retaining the unified role, citing Israels unique constitutional structure and the importance of centralized legal oversight.

Attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara at a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, in the Israeli parliament on September 30, 2025. (credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/FLASH90)

The bills now being debated propose various ways to divide or transfer these functions. Some of the more limited proposals would shift responsibility for criminal cases involving the prime minister, ministers, or MKs from the attorney-general to the State Attorneys Office.

New proposals, new roles

A second tier of proposals would create a new role  a prosecutor-general. The prosecutor-general would take over all prosecutorial authority. As for the attorney-general, they would remain responsible for legal advice to the government.

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The most comprehensive bill  the one that advanced in the preliminary reading  would divide the attorney-generals current duties into three separate positions. There would be a legal adviser to the government, a head of the prosecution, and a representative of the state in court.

Each role would have its own appointment and removal procedures. Under this model, the binding status of the governments legal advisers opinions would be reduced, and the government could more easily seek external legal representation than under the current structure.

A related piece of the debate concerns legal advisers within ministries. While not identical across all drafts, some legislative proposals and broader coalition plans for restructuring government legal services would change the current protocols for selecting legal advisers.

More to the point, the status would shift from civil-service appointees under the A-Gs professional guidance to advisers appointed more directly by their respective ministers. The exact mechanism varies between proposals.

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Supporters of the reforms argue that combining advisory and prosecutorial powers in a single office, as is the case now, creates conflicts of interest and gives one unelected official too much influence. They note that in many other democracies, prosecution and government legal advice are institutionally separate.

Critics point out that Israels system lacks some of the structural safeguards found in those countries, and warn that dividing the roles, particularly without strong independent appointment procedures, could weaken oversight of government actions.

The timing of the legislative push has drawn public attention because the current attorney-general, Gali Baharav-Miara, has taken prominent stances in several high-profile legal disputes involving the government. These include matters related to judicial reform legislation, conflict-of-interest rules applying to the prime minister, and state representation in court.

These disagreements have made the Attorney-Generals Office an unusually central part of political discussion, and the proposed restructuring comes at a moment of heightened scrutiny of its authority.

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As the committee continues its deliberations, some anticipated topics are the questions of how independent the new roles would be, how they would be appointed and removed, and what legal weight their opinions would carry.

The outcome will determine whether Israel continues with a single, concentrated A-G office or transitions to a model that divides authority among several new legal actors, reflecting a significant potential shift in the countrys legal governance.
Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The government of Benin said Sunday that it had foiled a coup attempt by members of its military. President Patrice Talon has reportedly been moved to a safe location.

Benin Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a televised address Sunday that a "small group of soldiers launched a mutiny" intending to destabilize the West African nation, but that other "faithful" members of the military intervened.

"The government encourages the public to go about their business as usual," Seidou said. "Thank you."

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The group of soldiers behind the coup attempt had made a broadcast earlier in the day, saying they had ousted Talon, the BBC reported.

A Benin journalist told the BBC that, of those arrested in the aftermath of the coup attempt, about 12 are believed to have stormed the offices of Benin's national broadcaster.

The French and U.S. governments have acknowledged reports of gunfire near the Palais de la Marina in Cotonou, the official residence and office for Benin presidency. Benin is a former French colony.

"As a security precaution, we advise you to remain at home until further notice, while the situation is fully clarified," the French Embassy in Benin said in a post to social media. "We recommend that you regularly follow the news and remain attentive to official communications in the coming hours."

The U.S. Embassy in Cotonou said in its statement that it was monitoring reports of gunfire and advised Americans to avoid crowds and demonstrations that might arise in the aftermath.
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Benin has joined a growing list of African countries where military officers have seized power since 2020. The military takeover lasted several hours on Sunday before officials announced it was foiled.

In a familiar scene across West Africa, a group of soldiers appeared on Benin s state TV on Sunday announcing the removal of President Patrice Talon and the dissolution of the government following the swift takeover of power.

Hours later, Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a video shared online that the coup was foiled. The soldiers in question launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions, Seidou said, adding that the military remained committed to the republic.

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Here is a timeline of coups in Africa, following a pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent:

Mali, August 2020 and May 2021

Since August 2020, Mali has witnessed two back-to-back coups. A group of soldiers mutinied and arrested senior military officers just outside the capital, Bamako, after weeks of protests by civilians demanding the then-president, Ibrahim Keita, resign over accusations of corruption and failing to clamp down on armed groups.

Col. Assimi Goita, the military leader, entered into a power-sharing deal with Bah Ndaw, a civilian president, with Goita serving as the vice president of a so-called transitional government. In 2021, Goita overthrew Ndaw following a series of disagreements and installed himself as president. He postponed an election slated for 2022 to 2077.

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Mali is one of a tripartite group of landlocked West African countries, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, run by military juntas that have now formed their own bloc after breaking from the Economic Community of West African states, and have firmly stated their objections to a return to democracy.

Chad, April 2021

Following his father's death in 2021, Mahamat Idris Deby, an army general, quickly seized power, extending his family's three-decade rule of the central African nation.

Three years later, he delivered an election that he promised when he assumed power. Deby was declared the winner of the election, which the opposition claimed was rigged. He has since clamped down on critics. Former Prime Minister Succes Masra, an opposition figure, was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year.

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Guinea, September 2021

After 11 years in office, Alpha Conde was removed by a group of soldiers led by Mamady Doumbouya. In 2020, Conde had changed the constitution to allow himself to stand for a third term.

Doumbouya is running in the December polls and looking to shed his military fatigues, after a referendum this year allowed junta members to stand in elections and extended the presidential term limit from five to seven years.

Sudan, October 2021

The Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, staged a coup in October 2021, deposing Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for 26 years.

Burhan went on to share power with Muhammad Dangalo, known as Hedmeti, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

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In April 2023, a simmering feud between them led to one of the world's most catastrophic conflicts, according to the United Nations. The war is still going on.

Burkina Faso, January and September 2022

Like its neighbor Mali, Burkina Faso also witnessed two successive coups. In January 2022, Roch Kabore was ousted by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba. In September, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the head of an artillery unit of Burkina Faso army, ousted Damiba on the same pretext as the earlier coup  deteriorating security.

Traore has since ruled the country. In July, he dissolved the independent electoral commission.

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Niger, July 2023

Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani ousted Mohamed Bazoum, ending a rare democratic transition in Niger. The dramatic coup sparked a crisis in the regional ECOWAS bloc, which threatened to invade Niger if Bazoum was not installed and the country returned to democracy.

The crisis split the region, with Niger teaming with Burkina Faso and Mali to form a breakaway Alliance of Sahel States.

Gabon, August 2023

Shortly after President Ali Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years and had run for a third term, was declared the winner of an election in 2023, a group of soldiers appeared on television saying they were seizing power. They canceled the election and dissolved all state institutions.

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Brice Oligui Nguema, a cousin of Bongo, took power and has since ruled Gabon. He was announced the winner of a presidential election in April.

Madagascar, October 2025

Expressing their frustration over chronic water shortages and power outages, young people in Madagascar took to the streets to demand former President Andry Rajoelinas resignation.

Rajoelina instead dissolved his government and refused to resign, leading to a military takeover of the southern African country.

Guinea-Bissau, November 2025

On Nov. 26, Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau followed up a disputed presidential election three days earlier by seizing power. Critics including the opposition called the coup a staged takeover to avoid having the incumbent lose the election.

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Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and the main opposition candidate, Fernando Dias, both claimed to have won the Nov. 23 presidential election.

Embalo was released and allowed to flee to neighboring Senegal, from where he has since departed. The new military junta made appointments, several of them allies of the deposed president.

Benin, December 2025

Less than two weeks after the coup in Guinea-Bissau, soldiers staged a similar takeover in Benin that followed gunshots heard near the presidential palace.

A group of soldiers, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, appeared on state TV announcing that the West African nation's leader, Talon, has been removed and state institutions dissolved.

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The soldiers appointed Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as president of the military committee.

Hours later, officials said the coup was foiled by the armed forces and that the military remained committed to the republic.
Bethlehem, occupied West Bank  For the first time in two years, the Christmas tree in Bethlehem lit up the night sky, restoring a glimmer of joy to the birthplace of Jesus after seasons overshadowed by Israels genocidal war on Gaza.

Palestinians watching the lighting said the celebration carried a dual meaning: Hope in the Nativity and a yearning for freedom from the Israeli siege gripping Bethlehem and cities across the occupied territory.

At the same time, residents say the celebrations remain dimmed by the grief over mass casualties and destruction in Gaza and Bethlehems economic paralysis under tightening Israeli harassment.

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This years celebrations were limited to religious rituals, attended by church leaders and local officials who stood on a stage in Manger Square for a modest tree-lighting ceremony.

Thousands gathered in the square, singing hymns and listening to choirs carolling  the only form of festivity permitted at a time many described as a mix of joy and mourning.

A different Christmas

The celebrations this year are unlike any before, Reverend Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, told Al Jazeera.

Bethlehem is beautifully decorated, and the tree is lit, but there is deep sorrow inside every Palestinian.





Through these celebrations, Palestinians send a message of resilience  to say we are still here, determined to live, to keep Bethlehem the capital of Christmas, and to continue telling its story. Palestinians love life.

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Bethlehems Mayor Maher N Canawati echoed the message, saying the municipality chose to restore the citys Christmas lights after a long period of darkness and silence.

We wanted to revive hope for the people of Bethlehem and all Palestinians, and to send that hope to Gaza and to the world, he told Al Jazeera.

Canawati stressed that Bethlehem is open and safe, saying it is time for the world to support Palestinians steadfastness.

As Bethlehem lights its Christmas tree, it  tells us that hope is a strength. But, he added, The suffering and destruction in Gaza remain in our hearts. People remember the glimmer of light even amid devastation.

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The mayor also shared a message sent to Bethlehem by Pope Leo XIV, saying the pontiff assured residents he carries Bethlehem in his heart and prayers and is working for an end to Palestinian suffering, urging people in Gaza not to give in to despair.

Canawati called on pilgrims worldwide to visit Bethlehem, saying tourism is an act of solidarity with Palestinians who are weary of war but have not grown weary of hope.

Bethlehems Mayor Maher N Canawati greets visitors [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera]

Economic hardship under siege

Bethlehems Christmas spirit comes despite severe economic decline linked to Israeli closures and the collapse of tourism, the primary driver of the local economy.

Shopkeepers and artisans told Al Jazeera that hope, rather than income, has kept the city standing. Adrian Habibeh, a young artisan working in his familys olivewood shop where hand-carvings are sold to religious devotees and tourists, said tourism has been nearly frozen for more than two years.

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This years Christmas celebrations are not like before, he said. But we hope this will be a year of joy  and that tourism will return. Its vital for our economy.

Residents from across the West Bank and Palestinian communities inside Israel travelled to Bethlehem despite checkpoints and road restrictions.

Yara Khalil, who came with her family from Ramallah, said she felt both joy and unease. Gaza is suffering terribly from the war, and that pain is inside us, she said.

But Bethlehem, which had no celebrations for two years, looks beautiful despite everything.

A hand carver works on olivewood in Bethlehem amid a prolonged decline in tourism [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera]

She added that she expected the trip to be difficult, but peoples excitement and determination to celebrate pushed us to come.

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The Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce organised bus trips for Palestinians from cities inside Israel to encourage local tourism.

Samir Hazboun, head of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce, told Al Jazeera that the first groups began arriving on Saturday.

The second wave of local pilgrims and visitors from Palestinians who live in Israel is expected after December 20, he said. We anticipate about 3,000 visitors a day until year-end, which will increase hotel occupancy  currently at just 20 percent among foreign tourists.

Rula Qabti, who arrived from Nazareth, said she travelled long distances and crossed multiple checkpoints to join the celebration. We hope for better days soon  to celebrate without fear or barriers, and to reach Bethlehem easily, she said.




Results are in for the Blackhawk Hills Regional Council Northwest Illinois Housing

Design Competition, a news release says.

Eleven entries were submitted by designers and scored by a nine-person judging panel with experience in accessibility, community and economic development, and design. Additionally, the competition featured a public voting component open to Northwest Illinois residents.

Five judging panel awards went to Access Green Design Group (Effortless Living Homes for Generations); Fifth Start Architecture and Design (Within Reach); Mackenzie Knautz (Home 3); Quinn Follett (Blackhawk Housing Initiative); and Studio GWA (Expand-It Mod-Homes).

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The public vote winner was Gertrude Heimerdinger (Pocket of Love). Additional participants were Anthony Adelmann (House with Two Rooms); Converge Architecture (Will You Be My Neighbor?); Jia Ba Bue (Discover Your Perfect Nook); studio K Architecture (The Prairie Duplex); and Theo Woessner (Green Space Neighborhood.) All participants will receive at least $500.

Submissions and further details are here.

BHRC will work with participants to display their designs in 2026 at local civic and cultural institutions; the website will be updated with exhibiting locations and dates. Local governments interested in hosting a build of one of these designs in Northwest Illinois should contact BHRC here. BHRC hopes to bring to life at least one of the designs in cooperation with a willing county or municipal partner.

The competition was conceived of as a way to highlight housing challenges in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside counties and encourage new builds addressing such challenges. BHRC asked participants to consider key housing concepts (like multigenerational living, accessibility, and affordability) and place their house in an existing neighborhood in the region, demonstrating how a designs configuration might work on a real parcel.

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BHRC received partial funding for the competition from AARP. The AARP Community Challenge is a grant program to make tangible improvements in communities that jump-start long-term change. It is part of AARPs nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. To learn more, visit here.



About Blackhawk Hills Regional Council

BHRC is Northwest Illinois regional planning organization and economic development district serving Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside counties. Located in the Driftless Area, its prairie foothills, and adjacent to the Mississippi River in the tri-state area, BHRC seeks to improve the quality of life for communities and individuals.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
At least three people have been killed and six injured in a car explosion outside a police station in Mexicos western state of Michoacan, according to local and federal security officials.

The blast on Saturday took place at a central avenue in Coahuayana, the attorney generals office said in a statement.

The driver died at the scene, while two other people died in the regional hospital, and six others were injured, it added.

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The two victims who died in the hospital were community police officers, said Hector Zepeda, commander of the Coahuayana community police. He said the remains of some of the victims were found scattered in the area of the explosion, which also damaged nearby buildings. Images circulating online showed a completely burned-out vehicle.

The explosion came as the federal government has stepped up security activities in the state following the recent assassinations of an outspoken representative of the lime growers and a popular mayor standing up to the drug cartels.

Last month, President Claudia Sheinbaum sent 2,000 troops  on top of the 4,300 permanent ones and 4,000 in neighbouring states  to Michoacan following the high-profile killings.

With this operation [from the federal government], a lot of marines came, Zepeda said. We stopped doing patrols because the operation is going on.





The community police, which patrol various rural communities, trace their roots to the civilian vigilante forces that took up arms more than a decade ago to defend communities from the cartels, and then were formalised by the state.

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At least three of the six drug cartels that the United States has designated as terrorist organisations  Jalisco New Generation, United Cartels and The New Michoacan Family  operate in Michoacan, in addition to a number of other splinter groups, some supported by the Sinaloa cartel.

Last year, some 3,000 explosive devices were seized in the state compared with 160 in 2022. So far this year, there have been more than 2,000, according to the state security agency.

Michoacan is a key importer of chemical precursors for synthetic drugs. In the last two months, 17 drug laboratories were dismantled by Mexican authorities there. The state also produces avocados exported to the US and is a major producer of limes, sectors extorted by cartels for years.




A vehicle accelerated towards a group of soldiers. Troops shot at the attackers, killing both of them.

A car ramming attack at an IDF checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron lightly wounded one Israeli soldier on Saturday evening, the IDF said.

When the vehicle accelerated towards a group of soldiers, the troops shot at the suspects, killing two.

At the time of the attack, Paratrooper Brigade forces were conducting an operational activity at the checkpoint.

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An initial investigation into the attack revealed that one of the Palestinians who was killed by Israeli forces at the scene was a cleaning worker who was driving another vehicle, and was not in the car that attempted to run over the soldiers.

The other Palestinian killed was a terrorist, 17, who was killed in the vehicle that was used in the attack. The vehicle had an Israeli license plate on it.

Israeli security forces near the West Bank city of Hebron, November 29, 2024. (illustrative) (credit: WISAM HASHLAMOUN/FLASH90)

Monday's car-ramming attack in Hebron

The incident comes just five days after the last car-ramming attack in the city, on Monday evening. The attack lightly wounded a female soldier in the city's Judea Junction.

Israeli security forces located and killed the suspect of the attack after he fled from the scene.

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The wounded soldier was treated at a hospital.

Last month, a ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction left one 70-year-old dead and three others wounded.

Kiryat Arba resident Aharon Cohen was named as the individual killed in the attack. One woman in her 40s was severely wounded, and two others, a 30-year-old and a 15-year-old, were moderately wounded in the attack.

Yanir Yagna and Darcie Grunblatt contributed to this report.
Panelists speaking Dec. 6, 2025, at the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, from left, are center Interim Director Luciano de Castro, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker, state Rep. Taylor Collins, state Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen and Regent Christine Hensley. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

IOWA CITY  Academics, higher education leaders and Iowa lawmakers called the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa a good first step in bringing back traditional values of education, intellectual freedom and debate, but they said it must be protected and tightly controlled if its going to last.

The centers two-day inaugural event continued Saturday with discussions of past and current efforts to build similar centers elsewhere in the United States. Discussion also included and updates on how the center at the UI  required by law passed last legislative session and governed by the Iowa Board of Regents rather than the university  came to be and where its headed in the future.

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Panelists said the fact that the center is on the UI campus and yet outside of the institutions control is a unique, and positive, aspect of its structure as it shields the center somewhat from hostile acts taken by those within the university.

If youre strictly inside, you tend to be taken over by the same forces that have pushed everything else in a certain direction and have been a threat to intellectual freedom, said Daniel Bonevac, a philosophy professor at the University of Texas at Austin. If youre on the outside, then you can largely do what you want, you have almost no impact on the campus.

Evidence from past efforts inform the new center

Bonevac said the new center has already avoided many potholes in how it was set up, but there are others that those who handle the center need to see coming.

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Expanding on the theory expressed by Friday panelist Joshua Katz about university faculties and leadership being mostly made up of sheep and crazies, Bonevac said there also are fellow travelers who dont personally ascribe to radical ideas but who take those voices very seriously. He also described careers who will offer their true opinions behind closed doors but not stand up for their thoughts in public.

Radicals who want to disrupt programs they are against find something to complain about, he said, and often connect it with a specific person who they say needs to go. Fellow travelers become concerned not with the program, which they have no problem with, but with the fact that not everyone is happy with what is going on. Fellow travelers then talk to sheep, who follow their lead, and higher-ups end up getting rid of that person and finding someone who wont make waves.

In short, you accommodate and you end up looking like youre controlled by a cabal of the enemies of your original mission, Bonevac said.

Panel affected by fear of retribution, center head says

The first panel of the day was initially supposed to include three academics, center interim director Luciano de Castro said, but one of the panelists dropped out due to fear of retribution from his university. The sessions held Friday and Saturday morning were originally supposed to be closed from the public, he said, but due to Iowas open meetings laws and the fact that enough center advisory council members were attending to make a quorum necessitated opening them to the public.

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De Castro said he wasnt considering this situation as good or bad, but used it as an example of a trade-off that ended with losing someones perspective. Aiming to ensure all of what is discussed at the event is available for people to peruse, de Castro said panelists will write articles based on what they presented and have them combined into a book that will be available next year.

Hes seen this happen time and time again at his own university, Bonevac said, with different programs that offered alternative curriculum becoming more radical at different paces. He said this was due to original leadership being forced out or leaving for their own reasons and being replaced with those unwilling to defend their mission and letting the program turn into something it was never supposed to be.

One example he provided was of a program he and others tried to create in 2001 called Western civilization and American institutions, which garnered donor interest and support from our people but opposition from faculty in the history, American studies and English departments. Bonevac said they made the faculty council not approve this at all and accused the leader of the initiative of financial improprieties, which he called absurd.

The leader was replaced with someone else and, while the program was created, it does not hold its original name and wasnt what they imagined.

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Its a good program, but its not at all what we had in mind, he said, and in terms of the overall effect on the campus, its been minimal.

The best leaders for centers like the one at the UI need to be fully committed to the centers mission and willing to speak up in its defense, including when that makes people angry. They also need to have a vision of excellence that encompasses the moral and the intellectual, Bonevac said, and be ready to set up a successor before they leave.

Admissions must also be controlled to ensure students are on board with the mission of the center, he said.

Chris Clemens, former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provost, posed four questions to those in the audience directly involved with the center  how will they hire, how will they reach people who arent already sympathetic to their goals, what will the center bring to campus and what adjacent efforts can serve the reformers whose objectives and passions dont fit to get to this particular focus.

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Rubrics for hiring should be made now and visibly, he said, and those leading the center should be prepared for the day when someone says something disbelieving. A communication plan and fallbacks for situations where things go wrong are also necessary to ensure the center stands strong in who is populating it.

Clemens said a common vision must be established for the center, and one of the things that went wrong at UNC was that the philosophical and methodological differences of those involved in initiatives were not figured out at the start.

A center for intellectual freedom that has hiring preference and ideological filters is not a center for intellectual freedom, Clemens said. It lives with a contradiction in its soul that will kill it if you dont resolve it now.

Current efforts lend confidence to enduring strength

State and federal officials also took the panel stage Saturday to discuss the centers inception and how they hope to help it succeed.

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Regent Christine Hensley said all the stars have aligned for this to come together, with former regent and current Trump administration Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker and herself having both come onto the board with the idea for a center like the one now created and working together to make it a reality.

Barker, also a panelist with Hensley, state Rep. Taylor Collins and state Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, said there wasnt much interest when he brought the idea forward after joining the board six years ago, due to both money concerns and the lack of awareness of how bad things had gotten at a lot of universities.

Collins also drove the creation of the center by discussing legislation to remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs at universities that led to directives to do just that from the board of regents, Barker said, as well as explore the possibility of opening centers like this. While the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University both developed initiatives as a result of this directive, Collins said there wasnt much action from the UI.

Hensley said shes heard from students, their families and seven-figure donors who arent happy with the political balance of the UI and the direction of the university. Multiple panelists said many at the UI are not happy with the centers creation, and Hensley pointed out there were no UI administrators in attendance. There have been challenges in working with the university, she said, in terms of logistics and competing information.

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Neither UI nor board of regents spokespeople could say whether anyone from the UI was invited to the event.

With an advisory committee and bylaws set for the center, Hensley said next steps include launching the national search for a permanent director and conducting a marketing study to learn more about what classes and other resources should be offered through the center.

I am extremely confident that were going to be very, very successful, Hensley said.

What gives Barker confidence in the center is the quality of its advisory board, he said, and he hopes the center will develop surveys similar to free speech surveys already taken by Iowa university students to see whether students and faculty feel comfortable sharing what they feel in the classroom.

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A question directed at Hensley asked why, if UI officials arent cooperating, cant the board of regents just remove those leaders, to which she responded that leadership on the board of regents has recently changed and she is hopeful that this can be dealt with.

I think that we have past leadership that just were not willing to deal with those issues, and the change in the leadership will begin to address those, she said.

University of Iowa graduate student Clara Reynen asked panelists how the idea of universities getting worse as older faculty bring in new people with the same ideas and beliefs, which was expressed in Fridays panels, can coexist with the fact that advisory committee members were chosen by de Castro and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and approved by the board rather than through an application process or other means.

De Castro said there were discussions in the creation of the center about its director having too much power, and the advisory council was created to be out of reach of the director and made up of people who will not go along with the majority decision and disagree when necessary.

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I want to emphasize this  this center is not about politics, its not about ideology, its about truth, de Castro said. Its about academic excellence, and this were going to strive for.

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The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Trump administration's challenge to birthright citizenship.

The country's highest court will decide the lawfulness of United States President Donald Trump's contentious plan. The Supreme Court's eventual ruling on the case is expected to be made by the end of June next year. It would most likely determine conclusively whether the Republican leader's ambitious proposal can move forward.

Plan To End Birthright Citizenship

The case also sets up a major clash between a president who has aggressively used his executive power and a court with a 6-3 conservative majority that has so far avoided direct clashes with the White House.

In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said that the Trump administration is looking forward to making its case on the issue of birthright citizenship on behalf of the American people.

The issue of birthright citizenship has long been understood to be required under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. It states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States," according to NBC News.

The language was originally included in the constitutional amendment enacted after the Civil War. This was done to ensure that Black former slaves and their children were officially recognized as citizens of the United States.

Since then, legal scholars of all ideological stripes have generally assumed the phrase to be self-explanatory, with the only exceptions being people who are born to foreign diplomats, invading hostile forces, and members of some Native American tribes.

Trump's executive order seeks to end birthright citizenship for children of people who are in the country illegally or are in the country on temporary visas. This is part of the administration's efforts to reform the nation's immigration system and fight against so-called "significant threats to national security and public safety," BBC reported.

Excluding Illegal Immigrants

The government argued that the 14th Amendment clause "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" means that it excludes children of individuals who are not in the country permanently or lawfully.

Birthright citizenship was originally intended to overrule one of the Supreme Court's infamous decisions: the 1857 ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford. The decision claimed that a Black person whose ancestors were brought to the U.S. and enslaved was not entitled to any protection from the federal courts because he was not a citizen.c

The U.S. is not the only country that offers similar language, as more than two dozen others, including Canada and Mexico, offer automatic citizenship to nearly every person born in their territories, as per the Scotus Blog.
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Beale has significant cultural roots in both French and English-speaking cultures. Originating from Old French, it was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and became established as both a surname and given name. The name carries aristocratic connotations, often associated with families of Norman descent who held land and titles. In American culture, Beale gained prominence through historical figures like Thomas Beale and his famous ciphers, which spawned one of America's great treasure hunting legends. The name also appears in African American cultural history through Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, which became a center of Black commerce and culture in the early 20th century and was immortalized in W.C. Handy's 'Beale Street Blues' and later in James Baldwin's work.



The name's French origins connect it to a tradition of elegance and sophistication, while its adoption in English-speaking countries reflects the ongoing cultural exchange between France and England. Beale represents a bridge between European aristocracy and American individualism, making it a name that carries both old-world charm and new-world possibility. Its usage across different social classes and ethnic groups demonstrates how names can transcend their original contexts to acquire broader cultural significance.
Chernobyls protective shell can no longer block radiation from leaking out following a Russian drone strike earlier this year, the UNs nuclear watchdog said.

The massive shield covering the site of the worlds worst nuclear disaster has lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, inspectors have discovered.

In February, Ukraine accused Russia of targeting the power plant, which is about 130km north of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

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Footage showed a kamikaze Shahed-style drone crashing into the shelters roof, causing severe damage and sparking a fire.

Credit: X/@ZelenskyyUa

The Kremlin denied the claim at the time. Ukraine, which is still in control of the site, reported that radiation levels did not increase.

However, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who examined the site this week, said repairs were essential to prevent further degradation of the nuclear shelter.

Radioactive dust could now leak from the site, inspectors said. While there is no heightened radioactive activity now, they fear the plant is increasingly vulnerable.

The 25,000-ton steel shell was installed in 2016 - Sergei Supinsky/AFP

Chernobyls 25,000-ton steel shell, known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC), covers the remains of reactor four, which suffered an explosive meltdown in 1986, leading to the disaster.

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The shell was installed in 2016 following a huge construction project to stop the release of residual radioactivity from the reactor into the atmosphere.

The mission confirmed that the NSC had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems, the IAEA said in a statement on Friday.

The structure covers both the reactor and the unstable sarcophagus that Soviet authorities hastily built after the disaster. It is one of the largest movable land-based structures ever made, costing 1.25bn and weighing twice as much as the Eiffel Tower.

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Rafael Grossi, the IAEA director general, said that limited temporary repairs have been carried out, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety.

The repairs are expected to take place in 2026 and a full restoration will be carried out once the war ends, the IAEA added.

The inspection was part of a rare visit to Ukraine in early December to assess the status of key electrical substations supplying the countrys three nuclear sites that remain operational.

Russias invasion has raised serious concerns about the safety of Ukraines nuclear sites, especially the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe and among the 10 biggest in the world.

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There have been repeated strikes close to the plant, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of risking a catastrophe.

In September, Zaporizhzhia was forced to rely on back-up diesel generators for a month after it was severed from Ukraines electrical grid. There were concerns that Russia was deliberately manufacturing a crisis to consolidate its control over the plant.

Keith Kellogg, Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy, said on Saturday that the fate of the Zaporizhzhia plant was one of the key sticking points of the peace deal, along with the future of the eastern Donbas region.

Voicing his optimism for a potential breakthrough not felt amongst Kyivs European allies, he said: If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well.

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A battle is underway in Indiana over plans to draw new congressional maps.

President Donald Trump has urged state lawmakers to take action.

The hope is that Republicans can pick up more seats in a state in which they already hold seven of nine congressional seats.

One of the two seats currently held by Democrats is the First Congressional District in Northwest Indiana. It includes all of Lake and Porter counties, along with part of LaPorte County.

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A new proposed map would change that. The Indiana House passed the measure on Friday. It now goes to the Senate.

Dr. Jennifer Hora is a political science professor at Valparaiso University.

"President Trump is pushing really hard for Republican controlled legislatures to do that redistricting. And we've seen that in several different states. In particular, it seems they've really focused on Indiana," Hora said. "In the last couple of months, Vice President Vance has actually visited our statehouse twice to talk to legislators. That is not normal."

President Trump has urged state lawmakers to take action.

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Bryan Zarou is the vice president of policy for the Better Government Association in Chicago. He says the BGA believes there should be independent commissions to draw congressional maps.

"These commissions that create nonpartisan, fair maps, in other words. We tried to do this a few years ago in Illinois, didn't work out too well. But the main goal of politicians, whoever's in power, is to create as much advantage for themselves as possible. So, we've seen that happen in Illinois; we're seeing that happen in Texas. They do two things: they try to gain as many seats as possible by gaming, or using a political science term, packing and crackling the districts. And they also do it in a way where they can at least get by the court scrutiny of their state so they can actually pass it and that's what we did in Illinois," Zarou said.

Hora says Indiana has become a focus of this redistricting effort for a couple of reasons.

"In particular, we have a Republican governor, as well as a Republican House and a Republican Senate. And not only Republican, but supermajority in both. Seventy of our 100 members of the Indiana House are Republican and 40 of the 50 Senators are Republican," Hora said.

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Hora says Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has been very outspoken, encouraging lawmakers to approve the redistricting. She says the goal is for Republicans to hold all nine of Indiana's Congressional seats.

When it comes to redistricting in states across the country, Zarou calls it a "race to the bottom."

"You have these gerrymandered maps where politicians are choosing their voters," Zarou said.

And Zarou asks, "If everyone is doing this, what incentive is there, when people go to Congress, to start compromising with each other?"

He says those at the top need to stop fueling this kind of redistricting. And, he says, Congress needs to make sure every state has an independent commission.
A Chicago police officer was shot in his vest and two other people were injured in an exchange of gunfire on the city's South Side early Sunday, officials said.

The officer was briefly hospitalized, but ABC7 was told he was at home resting Sunday night. The Chicago Police Department breathed a collective sigh of relief. If not for the officer's protective vest, it might have been a very different story.

Chicago police said officers responded to a disturbance call in the Morgan Park neighborhood's 11400-block of South Davol Street just before 1 a.m.

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Responding officers found a group of people, including two men, 35 and 18 years old, who were involved in an altercation, police said.

Police said as officers tried to separate the men, an offender's gun went off, striking a victim and an officer's protective vest.

Another officer returned fire, striking the offender and accidentally striking the victim, CPD officials said.

The 18-year-old victim was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.

The 35-year-old offender was taken to Christ Hospital in fair condition. Charges against the offender are still pending as they remain in police custody.

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The officer who was hit in his vest was also taken to a local hospital, but he has since been discharged.

"Luckily he's home," 19th Ward Alderman Matt O'Shea said. "When a vest stops a bullet, it stops the bullet but there's still damage. There is still a blunt force impact on the chest."

Speaking to ABC7 Sunday evening near where the shooting happened, Ald. O'Shea pointed out how dangerous it's become for officers, who are responsible for replacing their own vests, to respond to even the most routine calls.

"If not for the vest, we might be planning a funeral here," O'Shea said. "Where the bullet struck was literally an inch away from the Chicago Police Memorial foundation emblem which is sown on every vest. And the Chicago Police Memorial foundation will be stepping up and replacing that vest."

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Following protocol for all police-involved shootings, the officers involved will be placed on desk duty for 30 days before returning to the streets.

CPD's Investigative Response Team and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability are investigating the incident.

COPA asked anyone with information to call them at 312-746-3609 or visit https://www.chicagocopa.org/.

Further information was not immediately available.

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South Africa, China's largest trade partner in the continent, and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) members are suffering from an unforeseen barrier to enjoying Beijing's zero-tariff policy.

The hurdle is eSwatini's continued diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and hence exclusion from the favourable policy.

SACU customs deals are negotiated collectively among the five member states, which means none can unilaterally benefit from the preferential tariff exemption.

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Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States and the rest of Africa, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. But Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

John Steenhuisen, South Africa's minister of agriculture, said in a recent interview that duty-free access to China had been rendered "quite complicated" as the country is part of SACU, whose other members are Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia.

SACU's collective bargaining agreement prevents individual members from accessing Beijing's zero-tariff deal, so the exclusion of eSwatini over its recognition of Taiwan means all five are excluded.

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"It is still unclear how South Africa is going to get around our SACU agreement," Steenhuisen said.

The South China Morning Post has reached out to the South African Ministry of Commerce for comment.

In June, Beijing announced a zero-tariff policy for all products from 53 African countries, excluding eSwatini. This is expected to take effect once negotiations and the signing of individual economic partnership agreements with each participating country are complete.

The move was seen as a response to the Trump administration's sweeping reciprocal tariffs, which undermined African trade preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The act expired on September 30.

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Steenhuisen said that the situation "does mean it slows us down sometimes, and as this situation uniquely shows, it can sometimes prevent us from being able to take full advantage".

He confirmed that a review of SACU was ongoing within the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and between the five-nation group.

Apart from the five SACU nations, the SADC includes Angola, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Steenhuisen added that South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition was involved in extensive negotiations to find a way around this, so that South Africa could also take advantage of duty-free access to the Chinese market.

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China remained a very important friend and trading partner for South Africa, particularly for agricultural goods, Steenhuisen said, citing huge opportunities with products like stone fruit, cherries and blueberries. The zero-tariff plan would be "a game-changer for us on wines and the like", allowing South African wines to compete more evenly with major producers like Australia, he added.

During the Group of 20 Summit in Johannesburg last month, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that Beijing was willing to work with South Africa to safeguard the multilateral trading system and promote the early implementation of zero-tariff treatment for South African goods.

According to Lauren Johnston, a China-Africa specialist and a senior research fellow at the AustChina Institute, eSwatini's exclusion echoes the 2021 Lithuania-China dispute. Tensions erupted after Lithuania, a member of the European Union, allowed a Taiwan representative office in Vilnius under the name "Taiwanese" instead of the customary "Taipei."

The EU does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, adhering to the "one-China policy" that views the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China.

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Beijing viewed the Lithuanian move as a violation of this principle and downgraded diplomatic ties with the Baltic country.

"China did not, however, punish the whole of the EU, but the supply chain effect did have impacts beyond Lithuania," Johnston said.

Beijing also reportedly pressured multinational companies, including large German firms such as Continental and Bosch, to sever their supply chain ties with Lithuanian suppliers.

A plaque at the Taiwan representative office in Vilnius that caused Beijing to downgrade Lithuania ties in 2021. Photo: AFP alt=A plaque at the Taiwan representative office in Vilnius that caused Beijing to downgrade Lithuania ties in 2021. Photo: AFP>

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Ties are still strained, though Lithuania's new government has pledged to normalise relations with China to the level of other EU states.

Johnston said eSwatini's share of the SACU trade was small, while South Africa acted as a crucial regional hub for banking, mining, education and political dialogue with China.

But she also highlighted challenges in isolating eSwatini's trade, since definitively marking goods as originating solely from there would prove difficult.

Thandi Moraka, South Africa's deputy minister of international relations and cooperation, defended continuing to strike deals without the exclusion of eSwatini.

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"The continuous engagement with eSwatini needs to be driven from a SADC point of view," she said.

Moraka said the SADC needed to approach trade and investment with "the unity that we need within the ... region", warning that a lack of coordination meant members would "continue to undermine each other".

She added that working together as a bloc was essential "to leverage on these opportunities that China is presenting to us as various member states of the continent of Africa".

Until a formal deal is reached, South African products will continue to attract tariffs; for example, wine is charged duties ranging from 14 per cent to 20 per cent and macadamia nuts face a 12 per cent tariff, remaining subject to current Chinese levies.

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This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Conyers man accused of 5 sexual assaults in New York faces charges

A Georgia man was extradited to New York to face accusations of raping five women in southeast Queens during the 1990s.

Michael Benjamin, of Conyers, was arraigned on a 17-count indictment and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Benjamin was apprehended on Sept. 22 by local law enforcement in Georgia and extradited to New York on Oct. 15.

Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris remanded Benjamin and ordered him to return to court on Dec. 5.

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Channel 2 Action News reported when a discarded coffee cup at a sheriffs office connected the Conyers man to a series of sexual assaults in New York.

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Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Benjamin, 57, was charged with multiple counts of rape, sodomy, sexual assault, and burglary for crimes committed between 1995 and 1997.

The charges stem from incidents in the neighborhoods of Jamaica, St. Albans, Laurelton, and Brookville, where Benjamin allegedly raped five women, some at gunpoint.

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After several decades, this defendant will finally face charges of violently raping at least five women, some at gunpoint, between the years 1995 and 1997 in southeast Queens, District Attorney Katz said in a statement. Although decades have passed, these cold cases were not forgotten. Thanks to the bravery of the victims, vital DNA evidence was gathered, which helped law enforcement identify the person responsible.

Benjamin was originally indicted in 2005 as an unidentified John Doe based on evidence collected at the time of the crimes, according to the DAs office.

In May 2024, DNA from a discarded cup used by Benjamin matched DNA retrieved from the victims, leading to his identification as a suspect, the DAs office said.

The indictment includes five counts of rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, four counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, three counts of burglary in the first degree, two counts of burglary in the second degree, and two counts of robbery in the first degree.

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The incidents charged in the indictment involve the following allegations:

On July 24, 1995, Benjamin is accused of breaking into the home of victim #1, tied her up, raped her, and fled with cash and jewelry.

On August 24, 1996, Benjamin is accused of breaking into the home of victim #2 and raped her.

On September 16, 1996, Benjamin is accused of forcing victim #3 into her house at gunpoint, raped her, and fled with cash.

On February 8, 1997, he is accused of breaking into the home of victims #4 and #5, raping them at gunpoint, and fled with cash and jewelry.

District Attorney Katz said DNA evidence was vital to identifying Benjamin as a suspect, saying " It is never too late for justice, and I thank my prosecutors and the detectives for their work on this case.

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A year after an Erie Roman Catholic church held a Corvette raffle that ended up botched, the parish has started the process to refund those who bought tickets.

St. Jude the Apostle Church is accepting refund applications through Jan. 3, the Catholic Diocese of Erie said in a statement to the Erie Times-News on Dec. 7.

St. Jude had been reviewing plans for refunds since August, and the diocese considered redoing the raffle. The diocese opted for refunds because "a legally compliant redo of the raffle is not possible under Pennsylvanias Small Games of Chance law," the diocese said in the statement.

St. Jude Catholic Church, 2801 W. Sixth St. in Millcreek Township, is refunding ticketholders in a botched 2024 car raffle.

The diocese also said "there is insufficient information to conduct a new raffle that would offer each participant an equal chance of winning."

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St. Jude is offering the refunds as its former pastor, the Rev. Ross R. Miceli, remains under criminal investigation for allegations that he rigged the raffle and improperly spent parish funds.

Church says bishop backs refund program

Tickets in the St. Jude Winavette raffle were $50, and the grand prize was a new Corvette Stingray or $50,000 in cash. The grand prize drawing was on Christmas Eve 2024.

The criminal investigation revealed that Miceli awarded the $50,000 to a person he said lived in Detroit but who does not exist, according to search warrants that the Erie County District Attorney's Office filed in the probe. The investigation is continuing and no charges have been filed.

St. Jude aimed to sell 10,000 tickets for the 2024 raffle  an annual event that had been the major fundraiser for the church at 2801W. Sixth St. in Millcreek Township, one of the largest parishes in the 13-county Catholic Diocese of Erie. The parish held no car raffle in 2025.

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Erie Catholic Bishop Lawrence T. Persico placed Miceli on leave without an assignment on Aug. 7 in response to the revelations about the raffle, which the Erie Times-News first reported on Aug. 6. Miceli, 42, whose final services at St. Jude were Aug. 3, is at a residence in Erie, Persico has said.

Persico and his administration initiated the criminal investigation and consulted with St. Jude on the refund process. An independent accounting firm, HBK, is managing the refunds, the diocese said.

The diocese said St. Jude's new pastor, the Rev. Michael Polinek, has worked with the diocese, HBK and the District Attorney's Office since August, and now has all the information for the parish to start offering refunds.

A 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray sports car was stored outside a garage at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Millcreek Township on Aug. 12. The car was the grand prize of the Roman Catholic church's 2024 raffle, in which the pastor at the time told investigators he made up the winner's name.

The parish and not the diocese is responsible for the refunds, according to the diocese. The diocese said St. Jude parishioners were told of the refund process at Masses this weekend.

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"With the full support of our bishop, and to ensure full compliance with laws pertaining to Small Games of Chance, I determined that the most responsible and compliant course of action is to issue full refunds for the 2024 Winavette Car Raffle," Polinek said in the Dec. 7 statement. "I am grateful for the communitys understanding and trust as we work through this process with full transparency."

What is process to get a refund?

The diocese said ticketholders can apply for refunds by telephone or email: 888-341-6210 or 814-217-8901 or stjude.refund2024@outlook.com. Ticketholder must provide a ticket stub or other proof of purchase. The diocese has set up a website to guide ticketholders through the process at eriercd.org/refund.html.

St. Jude no longer has the Corvette, which the parish displayed at the corner of West Sixth Street and Peninsula Drive in the months leading up to the raffle.

St. Jude sold the Corvette, a 2024 orange Stingray 1LT, back to the dealer, Hallman Chevrolet in Erie, Erie accountant Jim Schaffner told the Erie Times-News in August. Schaffner assisted the diocese early in the investigation of the raffle.

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St. Jude bought the car ahead of the raffle, Schaffner said in August. He said the Corvette cost $82,000, and that Hallman's bought it back for $60,000.

Erie Catholic Lawrence T. Persico initiated the criminal investigation over the 2024 car raffle at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Millcreek Township.

If Hallman's resold the Corvette for more than $60,000, Hallman's agreed to donate the additional money to St. Jude, Schaffner said. He said St. Jude intended to use the sale proceeds and any other money from Hallman's to cover the refunds.

Fake winner key evidence in fraud probe over raffle

The Catholic Diocese of Erie initiated the criminal investigation of Miceli in February, according to the search warrants the District Attorney's Office filed in the case. The warrants show the diocese contacted the District Attorney's Office after an employee at St. Jude raised concerns about the raffle and after Miceli then told Persico he made up the name of the grand-prize winner  "Martin Anderson," of Detroit.

Miceli said Anderson chose the $50,000 instead of the Corvette, but that the $50,000 remained in a St. Jude account, according to the warrants.

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The investigation of the raffle expanded to examine the finances of St. Jude under Miceli, the pastor from July 2022 to August 2024.

Using search warrants sworn out in March and June, detectives with the District Attorney's Office seized financial records related to the raffle as well records connected to $300,000 in expenditures on an American Express card between January 2024 and March 2025, according to the search warrants. The money to pay the credit card bills, according to the warrants, came out of church accounts that Miceli alone controlled.

The detectives cited Miceli's possessions  such a new Tesla, multiple pairs of expensive sneakers and other shoes, Disney collectibles and the casino membership cards  to establish the probable cause to get banking records and records related to the American Express account. Detectives also found membership cards to at least a dozen casinos when they searched St. Jude's offices and the church rectory where Miceli lived, according to the warrants.

"All of these behaviors appear inconsistent with his reported modest income and living expenses, which are largely covered by the church," according to the affidavit of probable cause for one of the warrants.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@usatodayco.com or 814-870-1813.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Catholic church launches refund program over flawed car raffle
A Chicago police officer and two men were shot early Sunday in the Morgan Park neighborhood after officers responded to a disturbance call, according to the Police Department. A second police officer shot the alleged offender and inadvertently also shot an 18-year-old man.

At around 12:54 a.m., officers responded to an altercation between a 35-year-old and an 18-year-old at the 11400 block of South Davol Street. While officers attempted to separate the two men, the 35-year-olds gun went off, shooting both the 18-year-old and an officer.

The officer was shot in the chest and saved by a protective vest, according to police.

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A second officer, returning fire, shot the alleged offender and inadvertently shot the 18-year-old, according to police.

The 18-year-old was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center and the 35-year-old was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in fair condition. The officer who was shot was taken to another hospital and was discharged.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting with cooperation from the Chicago Police Department. COPA asked for anyone with information on the incident to call its office, according to an X post.

The CPDs investigative response team is also investigating. The officers involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for at least 30 days.
A Riverside Police Cruiser was involved in a crash in Riverside last week.

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Around 1:38 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, a Riverside Police cruiser was struck by another vehicle in the intersection of Valley Street and Harshman Road.

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The Riverside police officer in the cruiser was not injured, according to the Riverside Police Department.

The cruiser was driving northbound on Harshman Road when another vehicle that was traveling southbound on Harshman attempted to turn left in the intersection and struck the cruiser, according to a crash report filed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP).

The Riverside officer was not at fault, according to the Riverside Police Department.

The driver of the other vehicle was not injured, according to the crash report.

Both the cruiser and the other vehicle sustained disabling damage.

The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

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The US has criticised the Venezuelan government over the death of an opposition figure in custody, calling it a "reminder of the vile nature" of President Nicolas Maduro's regime.

Alfredo Diaz died in his prison cell at the El Helicoide prison in Caracas where he was being held for more than a year, human rights organisations and opposition groups have said.

The Venezuelan government said the 56-year-old showed signs of a heart attack and was taken to hospital, where he died on Saturday.

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The US intervention is the latest in an escalating war of words between the Trump administration and Maduro, who has accused it of seeking regime change.

In recent months, the US has increased its military presence in the region and has carried out a series of deadly strikes on boats it says have been used for smuggling drugs.

US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro himself of being the head of one of the region's drug cartels - an allegation the Venezuelan president vehemently denies - and threatened military action "by land".

The US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said Diaz had been "arbitrarily detained" in a "torture centre".

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Diaz was detained in 2024 after being among many opposition figures to dispute the results of that year's presidential election.

Venezuela's government-controlled election council declared Maduro the winner, despite opposition tallies showing their candidate had won by a landslide.

The elections were widely dismissed on the international stage as neither free nor fair, and sparked protests across the country.

Diaz, the former governor of the Nueva Esparta state, a collection of islands off Venezuela's Caribbean coastline, was accused of "incitement to hatred" and "terrorism" for questioning Maduro's claim to victory.

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The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal has raised concerns over deteriorating conditions for political prisoners in the Latin American nation.

"Another political prisoner has died in Venezuelan jails. He had been imprisoned for a year, in solitary confinement," Alfredo Romero, the organisation's president, wrote on X.

He said that Diaz had only been allowed one visit from his daughter during the entire length of his incarceration. He added that 17 political prisoners have died in the country since 2014.

Opposition groups have also criticised the government over the death of Diaz.

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Maria Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize but who remains in hiding to avoid arrest, said Diaz's death was not an isolated incident.

"Sadly, it adds to an alarming and painful chain of deaths of political prisoners detained in the context of the post-election repression," she wrote on X.

Machado, a vocal critic of Maduro's government who was integral to galvanising the opposition against him, will likely be absent from the Nobel Prize-giving ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday. Venezuela's attorney general said last month that she would be considered a "fugitive" if she travelled to Norway.

The Democratic Unitary Platform, an opposition alliance, said Diaz "died unjustly".

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Diaz's own political party, Democratic Action (AD), also paid tribute to the former governor, saying he had been unjustly detained without due process and had remained in conditions "that should never have violated his fundamental rights".

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have become increasingly strained over what Trump has described as efforts to stem the flow of drugs and migrants into the US.

US air strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific have killed more than 80 people.

Trump has accused Maduro of "emptying his prisons and insane asylums" into the US, and designated two Venezuelan drug cartels - Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles - as terrorist organisations, the latter of which Trump alleged Maduro led.

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Maduro has in turn accused the US of using its war on drugs as an excuse to depose his socialist government and get its hands on Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Colombia's left-wing President Gustavo Petro has said the US strikes were an attempt to "dominate" Latin America.

The US has also stationed a large naval force - its largest deployment in the region in decades - along with thousands of troops.

The Venezuelan army reportedly swore in more than 5,600 soldiers in one go on Saturday, in response to what military leaders called US "threats".

The same day, the Venezuelan government said that Maduro and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to resume Turkish Airlines flights between the two nations.

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The carrier was one of six major international airlines to have their landing licences revoked after temporarily suspending flights to Caracas over a US warning of "heightened military activity" in the area.
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA)  A 14-year-old from Decatur was hospitalized after shooting himself in the foot Saturday morning.

Officers with the Decatur Police Department spoke with the teenager at HSHS St. Marys Hospital. The Decatur Police Department confirmed with WCIA that the 14-year-old admitted to finding the gun in his parents room while looking for a shirt. Police said he opened a case with a handgun inside and began to play with it. Then, he loaded it and accidentally fired a round into his foot.

One adult, three children displaced after house fire in Decatur

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Records from the Decatur Police Department indicate that the incident happened around 10:40 a.m. on Saturday.

As of Sunday morning, the case is listed as a reckless discharge of a firearm. According to the Decatur Police Department, the decision of whether or not to pursue that charge will be up to the Macon County States Attorneys Office. And as of Sunday afternoon, the gun owner has not been charged with anything.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Individuals named Berinhard are typically perceived as strong, reliable, and protective figures who embody the bear-like qualities suggested by their name's etymology. They often display natural leadership tendencies, combined with a deep sense of loyalty to family and community. These individuals tend to be methodical and determined in their approach to challenges, rarely backing down from difficulties and showing remarkable resilience in adversity.



Their protective nature makes them excellent guardians and supporters of those in their care, while their inherent strength often inspires confidence in others. While sometimes perceived as reserved or serious, Berinhards typically possess a warm, caring nature beneath their formidable exterior, much like the bear that symbolizes their name - powerful yet capable of great gentleness when circumstances allow. This combination of strength and sensitivity makes them well-rounded individuals who can handle responsibility while maintaining meaningful personal connections.
On Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware earned its status as the First State.

The day marks when 10 delegates from each county in Delaware met at the Golden Fleece Tavern in Dover and became the first from the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution, per Delaware.gov.

Delaware thus secured its "first state" moniker and bragging rights.

Delaware's speediness thwarted Pennsylvania's attempt to be first to ratify the Constitution, which it did five days later.

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Delaware Day is the anniversary of Delaware becoming the First State. But it wasn't until 1933 that a statewide effort to establish the day as Delaware Day was born, according to Delaware Public Archives.

In 1933, state legislator E. Paul Burkholder, along with the Rotary Club of Georgetown, led a statewide effort to have Dec. 7 established as Delaware Day.

So we have him to thank for the Delaware Day trivia nights and historical adventure contests held on the holiday.

Uniquely First State: 15 of the best things made or invented in Delaware from scrapple to NASA space suits

Sophia Voight is a growth and development reporter. Reach her with feedback and story tips at svoight@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: When is Delaware Day and why the First State celebrates it
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is warning Republicans that the Tennessee special election exposed a turnout problem that could affect the 2026 midterms.

He said President Donald Trump expanded the Republican Party but also attracted a group of voters outside its traditional base. DeSantis said those voters come out when Trump is on the ballot but may stay home when he isnt.

The tighter-than-expected Nashville race underscored Republicans concerns about whether Trump voters will show up when the president is no longer a candidate. DeSantis warning comes as Republicans work to hold slim congressional majorities heading into 2026.

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Desantis Details Phased Approach To Eliminate Florida Property Taxes With 2026 Ballot Requirement

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks with reporters after delivering his State of the State address on the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee March 4.

"Republicans have an issue that Donald Trump has created a big pool of voters, but some of them are unique to him," DeSantis said Friday on "Fox & Friends."

"They will go vote for Trump, and they'll vote for all the Republicans when Trump's on the ballot. But if he's not on the ballot, some of them don't vote."

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune Previews Republican Midterm Message Heading Into 2026

DeSantis said if Republicans want to keep these Trump-aligned voters, they need to take bolder, more decisive action that clearly contrasts their agenda with Democrats policies.

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"I just think you [got to] be bold. I think you [got to] be strong," he said, comparing the strategy to flying a "banner of bold colors, not pale pastels."

President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter in the Oval Office at the White House May 5.

DeSantis said that while some political issues, like immigration, have resonated with many Americans, some may feel lawmakers havent done enough while in office. He urged his GOP colleagues to do more.

Vance Delivers Post-election Reality Check, Contends Gop Must Make Life Affordable Or Get Walloped In 2026

"One of the frustrations with the Congress is, what have they done since August?" DeSantis asked.

He also called for a stronger focus on the economy and parents rights, issues he said helped drive his own landslide win in 2022. DeSantis credited that victory in part to "sticking it to the left every single day" and drawing sharp ideological lines.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Miramar, Fla., May 1.

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"Think about why we've been able to win big in Florida. It's because there's a very sharp contrast to what we're doing and what the liberal Democrats stand for," DeSantis said.

DeSantis was speaking after the Tennessee special election between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps. Van Epps won in deep-red Tennessee, but some Republicans have expressed concern that his nine-point margin was tighter than expected.





Original article source: DeSantis warns GOP faces 'issue' keeping Trump voters engaged in future elections
FBI Director Kash Patel is under fire again, accused of ordering members of his girlfriends official FBI security detail to drive the girlfriends drunk friend home on at least two occasions.

Quoting three people familiar with the situation, MS NOW reported that Patels girlfriend, country songstress Alexis Wilkins, asked members of her official FBI security detail to drive her inebriated friend home, including after a night of partying in Nashville.

When the FBI agents objected to diverting from their official assignment, Patel insisted that they do as Wilkins asked.

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In one case, Patel reportedly called the chief of Wilkins security detail and yelled at him to do as Wilkins requested.

FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson denied that the incidents took place.

This is made up and did not happen, Williamson said.

The FBI provides a separate security detail for Wilkins at Patels direction. Wilkins lives part time in Nashville as part of her work in country music.

MS NOW said that the FBI has never before provided a separate security detail for a directors girlfriend.

The news outlet said that spouses of past directors have generally been given security protection only when they were traveling with their spouse and the directors detail.

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MAGA supporters of President Donald Trump slammed Patel earlier this year after it was revealed that the director had used an official FBI plane to fly to Pennsylvania to see Wilkins perform at a wrestling event.

Patel also caught flak recently when he reportedly threw a tantrum because he was given a ladys FBI raid jacket to wear when arriving in Utah following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Read the original article on al.com.
This story originally aired on Feb. 8, 2025.

It was the end of September 1996, a Saturday night in a fishing area just outside of Bozeman, Montana -- a place of tranquility until this night.

A few miles up a rural highway, near the small town of Belgrade, searchers discovered the body of 15-year-old Danielle "Danni" Houchins.

Peter Van Sant: What brought your sister Danni down to this area back on September 21st, 1996?

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Stephanie Mollet: Well, that morning, uh, we had, kind of a family spat.

Stephanie Mollet is Danni's little sister.

Stephanie Mollet, right, describes Danni

Stephanie Mollet: And so, she got 15-year-old mad about it and needed some space and some time, and she had her driver's license.

Peter Van Sant: Now, people wonder how does a 15-year-old get a driver's license?

Stephanie Mollet: In the state of Montana in 1996, you actually got your driver's license at 15.  she was a very proud driver, so 

Peter Van Sant: She hops into her Chevy pickup truck and 

Stephanie Mollet: Yeah. Gets and 

Peter Van Sant: Why would she come to this place if she wanted to just kind of take a break?

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Stephanie Mollet: It's peaceful.

After Danni's pickup truck was located, a sheriff's posse had searched this wilderness for Danni until it got too dark. But that same night, two brothers, friends of the Houchins family, refused to call it quits.

Peter Van Sant: So they came down this very path 

Stephanie Mollet: Yeah.

Peter Van Sant:  at night, with their flashlights?

Stephanie Mollet: That's right.

Peter Van Sant: They would've crossed this bridge, right 

Stephanie Mollet: Mm-hmm.

Somehow, in the dense, muddy woods, they found her body.

WHAT HAPPENED TO DANNI HOUCHINS?

Keith Farquhar, then a deputy with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, was the first officer on the scene. In the first hours after Danni was found, no one was really sure what had happened to her.

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Peter Van Sant: Did this look like an accident scene or something else?

Keith Farquhar: Something entirely different  there's nothing here then or now that would suggest a 15-year-old girl should, all of a sudden, be face down in a small amount of water and mud and be dead. She's a mountain kid.

Peter Van Sant: And is it possible to put into words the shock and horror of that moment?

Stephanie Mollet: It's like everything you knew doesn't exist anymore  to not understand how that could have happened and to just feel a gaping hole in your whole being."

Rachelle Schrute went to school with Stephanie and Danni.

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Rachelle Schrute: And I always thought Stephanie and Danni were super cool.  Danni was like my friend's cool older sister.

Rachelle Schrute: They were the most down-to-earth, friendly people.

The sisters loved the Montana wilderness.

Stephanie Mollet (gesturing outside): This is like a nature playground out here and our family, we just played.

Peter Van Sant: A classic  Montana girl, right? She could fish. She hiked. She could ski.

And Danni was smart.

Stephanie Mollet: She loved science. She was so interested in the way that the world worked.

Peter Van Sant: And she had a sense of humor, right?

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Stephanie Mollet: Uh, yeah.

Stephanie Mollet: She was witty and she was funny, and everyone loved her.  she'd make humor at her own expense.

Late on Sept. 21, 1996, searchers found the body of 15-year-old Danielle

Peter Van Sant: How quickly did words spread that Danni had been found and that she was dead?

Keith Farquhar: Oh, like wildfire.

Rachelle Schrute: It was a lot of shock  You know, learning about Danni dying, it came in stages. You know, there were the rumors, all of a sudden, of somebody died. Initially I just heard somebody drowned.

While Danni's family was awaiting an official cause of death, everyone it seemed  from first responder Farquhar to folks all over town  were speculating about what had happened.

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Keith Farquhar: Small-town Montana. If you haven't heard a rumor by 10 o'clock in the morning, you're gonna start one.

Rachelle Schrute: The rumor started flying of  maybe it was a murder and then we're all like, "what?"

And, if it was a murder, who would want to end this young girl's life? And was there a killer on the loose?

Rachelle Schrute: It just was like this strange roller coaster of did someone  should we be worried as a community?

Stephanie Mollet: I think the rumor mill around Belgrade High School was ruthless.

Rachelle Schrute: There was so much other speculation.  I remember thinking, "Man, what if? What if?"  It just caused fear.

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Stephanie Mollet: I tried to be strong. Danni died on a Saturday, and I tried to go back to school on Monday. I thought if  I thought that if I was strong, then it'd be easier for my parents. (emotional)

But within days, the family's grief would turn to heartbreaking shock when they heard the sheriff office's jaw-dropping announcement about how Danni died.

Stephanie Mollet: We just couldn't believe what they told us.  It didn't make any sense.

DANNI'S FAMILY PUSHES FOR THE TRUTH

Just two days after the discovery of Danni's body, with the people of Belgrade fearful and demanding answers, authorities released the partial findings of Danni's autopsy. They did not say Danni was murdered. Her manner of death was undetermined.

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Her family was dumbfounded.

Stephanie Mollet: They told us that she drowned, and they told us that it really could have been an accident.

The sheriff told the media that there were no cuts or bruises on Danni's body and no indications of foul play.

Stephanie Mollet: She could have just tripped and fell. We don't really know.

Peter Van Sant: Tripped and fell?

Stephanie Mollet: Uh-huh.

Danni Houchins was an active and outdoorsy teenager who was comfortable fishing, hiking, and mountain climbing, her sister said. / Credit: Sheryl Houchins

Peter Van Sant: And as avid experienced outdoors people, even at 12, you thought that was absurd?

Stephanie Mollet: Absurd.

What the family didn't know at the time, was the coroner said Danni had inhaled both water and mud into her airways. The family also didn't know that there were bruises and cuts on Danni's body.

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And signs of possible sexual assault. The sheriff back then, Bill Slaughter, told "48 Hours" it is often common for investigators to withhold key details to protect their investigations as they looked into potential suspects  including people who were close to Danni.

Keith Farquhar: Common sense says this girl was not an accidental death.

Caught in the middle of this controversy was Deputy Keith Farquhar, then a young patrolman. He was assigned to work with detectives on the case. Farquhar spoke with Danni's doctor.

Keith Farquhar: He  said there's nothing about her physical condition that would've prevented that girl from being able to roll over in a few inches of water and mud to breathe, if she had just fallen, if this was an accident.

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But when Farquhar tried to report the doctor's opinion to other investigators 

Keith Farquhar: I was pretty much ridiculed  by the sheriff.

Peter Van Sant: What'd he say?

Keith Farquhar: He said, "what the f*** does a doctor know?" And that  that statement sticks in my mind to this day.

Bill Slaughter, the former sheriff, denies Farquhar's allegations. He says Farquhar was a disgruntled employee and that his department never ignored any evidence.

Fed up and disillusioned, just three months after Danni's death, Farquhar resigned from the sheriff's office.

As years passed, Danni's family tried to accept that her death might have been an accident.

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Peter Van Sant: As all that time, weeks to months to years go by and you have no answers, what was that like?

Stephanie Mollet: Traumatizing. It was, uh, having a big wound in your life and this big gap that was unexplainable. And you somehow had to find a way to heal without answers, to live without resolution, um, to hope with no reason to hope.

Until 24 years after Danni's death.

Matt Boxmeyer was a detective sergeant with Gallatin County. He took an interest in Danni Houchins and her family.

Matt Boxmeyer: I found out that they really hadn't been given much information back in 1996 regarding the investigation, which is not uncommon.  with investigations, you know, you don't openly talk about 'em with the family usually.

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Matt Boxmeyer: They'd been told that she had  fallen down and  and drowned. It was marked as accidental.

Boxmeyer also found out that there had been several efforts over the years to get evidence analyzed by the Montana State Crime Lab.

Danni Houchins' pickup truck was analyzed for evidence. / Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

But after each attempt, nothing. No usable DNA profile ever came back. So he was starting from scratch. Meantime, Mollet decided to turn up the pressure.

Stephanie Mollet: I had been calling the sheriff's department  trying to get someone to talk to me about Danni's case.

Finally, Boxmeyer and his bosses made a decision.

Matt Boxmeyer: They deserved some answers.

They told the family that Danni's death was no accident.

Matt Boxmeyer: I shared with them that I believe that it was a homicide.

Mollet then demanded to read the autopsy and look at the crime scene photos.

Stephanie Mollet: I was so angry at the people who lied to my family, and let my sister's murder go unsolved, but uninvestigated for all of these years.

Stephanie Mollet: I learned that rather than drowning on just water, Danni's head had been held down in the mud  she had mud all the way down into her lungs and into her stomach. ... there was subcutaneous bruising on the back of her neck  someone had held her head down forcefully.  there was, vaginal injuries.  there was semen in her underwear.  she had fought and scratched.

Peter Van Sant: This is like a  a nuclear bomb going off emotionally, I would think for this family and for you.

Stephanie Mollet: I remember asking them, "so you mean to tell me that in fact, my sister was raped?" And they said, "yes, we believe she was raped."  I remember (sigh) not being able to breathe. I remember feeling like I needed to puke.

In 2021, with Danni's family now knowing the explosive truth, solving Danni's murder would become a top priority for newly appointed Sheriff Dan Springer.

Peter Van Sant: You were a rookie deputy when this crime came down, right?

Sheriff Dan Springer: Yeah.  Five days after I started is when we found Danni's body.

Sheriff Dan Springer: When you become the boss, you get to decide to do things the way you want to do things.  I felt like, well, this is our time. Let's go get some answers.

Sheriff Springer reached out to Stephanie.

Sheriff Dan Springer: And I told her  I am making a promise that we will find an answer to this case.

Now determined to set things right, Springer reached outside the department to a most unusual investigator: Tom Elfmont.

Tom Elfmont: I'm  very persistent  I have  a bulldog personality 

Tom Elfmont: I just don't give up on something. I just don't do it.

He'd spent a lifetime in tough jobs, from a soldier in Vietnam to a cop working the streets of LA.

Tom Elfmont: I wanted to put bad people in jail.

And after a conversation with Springer, he was also drawn to Danni's case.

Tom Elfmont: She was a great kid. And the way she died  I get choked up about this a little bit, really, to this day, bothers me. And so, when they said, would you like to work the case? I said, "yes, I wanna work the case."

Stephanie Mollet: I, of course, internet stalked him immediately and came to find out that he's like the man that never retires.

Tom Elfmont: I told Stephanie, "I will solve this case, Stephanie." And she said, "OK, I'm gonna trust you."

And with Elfmont leading the way, he soon found a suspect.

Rachelle Schrute: Why do I know that name? Like, that sounds so familiar.  it took a little bit of time for it to go, "oh no, oh no."  Oh, my gosh, no way!

AT LAST  A BREAK IN THE CASE

By mid-2023, retired-LAPD Captain Tom Elfmont was back to working full-time, committed to finding Danni Houchins' killer.

Tom Elfmont: The only reason I stayed in it was Danni.

For Danni's sister, Stephanie Mollet, Elfmont's refreshing dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm was what the case had always needed.

Peter Van Sant: What does Tom do?

Stephanie Mollet: Tom got to work. Tom worked on Danni's case every day. He went through and reexamined all of the evidence.

Elfmont had access to everything, including a list of potential suspects from the old case file and that previously tested clothing that Danni had been wearing when she was found.

Stephanie Mollet: He most importantly made sure that DNA got tested.

Elfmont asked the Montana State Crime Lab to use their newest technology to retest the semen on Danni's underwear. At last, a breakthrough: a partial DNA profile. But there were no matches to names in the case file, and when Elfmont compared it to CODIS  the vast federal digital repository of DNA samples from convicted felons 

Tom Elfmont: We didn't get any hits.

But Elfmont was undeterred and decided to go a less conventional route. He turned to genetic genealogy, and investigative genealogist CeCe Moore.

CeCe Moore: Since I started working with law enforcement in 2018, I've been able to help  solve over 325 cases.

Moore is an expert at building out family trees from DNA samples using information from popular genealogy websites  bringing cold cases back to life. But to solve this case, Moore needed a special type of DNA profile. Problem was, they didn't have enough DNA from that semen.

CeCe Moore: We have to start from scratch, which means there has to be remaining biological evidence for us to go back and retest using more advanced technology.

Elfmont did have more evidence for retesting: four male hairs that had been found on Danni, which had been perfectly preserved for 27 years. They had never yielded any usable DNA because were "rootless" hairs  without any skin cells, but Elfmont asked around and connected with Astrea Forensics, a state-of-the-art private lab that's at the forefront of extracting DNA from previously unattainable genetic matter.

As if there wasn't enough drama in this case, the first two hairs Astrea tested produced nothing useable.

Peter Van Sant: So the last two hairs are examined, are they able to get a profile?

Tom Elfmont: Yes. In the last hair.  Oh, I was so excited!

Four male hairs that had been found on Danni's body were

It was a critical breakthrough. Elfmont got permission from a judge to compare this enhanced DNA profile to samples in popular genealogy databases, where people voluntarily submit their DNA profiles. By spring, 2024, Moore had what she needed to get to work.

CeCe Moore: I'm looking for patterns, commonalities, overlaps, eventually common ancestors.

Moore was able to identify the great grandparents on both sides of the suspect's family tree. She then found one marriage that proved decisive.

CeCe Moore: The couple that I finally zeroed in on  they had a lot of children.

Including three sons. Moore felt like she had to be close, but there was a problem.

CeCe Moore: What was really confounding was that everybody lived in New Hampshire.  yet the mystery was what was the link to Montana?

Moore scoured through the birth indexes, marriage certificates, and even the social media of those sons.

CeCe Moore: When I finally got to the youngest son's Facebook page, he had posted that he moved to Bozeman, Montana on July 1st, 1996.

Remember, Danni had been murdered in September 1996.

CeCe Moore: And finally, all the pieces fell into place.  On May 1st, 2024, I called up the detectives to let them know that I believed I had identified Danni's killer.

Finally, after nearly 28 years, it was now time for Elfmont to call Mollet and give her the momentous news.

Stephanie Mollet: We've found Danni's killer, and he is alive, and we are going to make a case against him.

The suspect was Paul Hutchinson, a married father of two, who, Elfmont soon learned, was widely known and respected in local hunting and fishing circles.

Tom Elfmont: We learned that he's been working for the Bureau of Land Management in Dillon, Montana, for 22 years as a fisheries biologist.  He was a big outdoorsman, bow hunter, rifle hunter, fisherman, trapper.

And, incredibly, it turned out Mollet's childhood friend, Rachelle Schrute knew Hutchinson. He was a trusted mentor who she had first met in the early 2000s.

Rachelle Schrute: Paul came across as  just an under-the-radar person that  was always so kind of calm and quiet.  He was just so utterly unremarkable.

"I KNEW WE HAD HIM"

Stephanie Mollet had spent years dreaming of the day someone would be held responsible for her sister's murder. That day  that dream  seemed to be finally coming true.

Stephanie Mollet: It was the moment at which I knew that everything I had put into my fight for my sister had been worth it.

In September 1996, suspect Paul Hutchinson was 27 years old. He had served in the Marine Corps, then moved to Bozeman to study at Montana State University, just 13 miles from where Danni's body was discovered.

Tom Elfmont: When he was at Montana State, he had a work-study  he worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service  which would have put him on the waterways around Belgrade.

Peter Van Sant: Where on September 21st, 1996, Danni ended up on a hike.

Tom Elfmont: That's correct.

Peter Van Sant: Do you think your sister Danni knew Paul Hutchinson?

Stephanie Mollet: No. Paul Hutchinson was a stranger to Danni.  there's no way that she would've known him.

But many people in the area did know Hutchinson, through his passion for hunting and fishing and high-profile government job.

Rachelle Schrute: He just was like this respected source of information in the hunting and fishing space.

Schrute knew Hutchinson for years. She's an expert hunter and former Yellowstone park guide  and is now the Hunt & Fish editor for GearJunkie.com.

Rachelle Schrute: I think I would've considered him a  a friend.  you know if we were doing some sort of hunt camp, I would've not even thought twice about inviting him.

Schrute says she never once questioned Hutchinson's integrity, even she went on fishing trips with him  just the two of them  out in the middle of nowhere.

Rachelle Schrute: I've always trusted my gut instinct when it comes to  especially men.  I never had any feeling that he was unsafe.

Though she hadn't seen Hutchinson in years, Schrute kept up with him online. He would often post on message boards about hunting trips he had taken across the country.

Rachelle Schrute: Paul was super active in the hunting community.  It seemed like he was constantly hunting.  Always sharing where he was headed, or where he just got back from.

Hutchinson had no criminal record. By all accounts, he had been leading a quiet existence since 1996.

Peter Van Sant: And what did you know about his family life?

Tom Elfmont: Well, we knew that he had a wife, a daughter, and a son.

And he lived just a few hours away.

Peter Van Sant: And Dillon, Montana, how far is that from Bozeman?

Tom Elfmont: A hundred and forty miles.

Elfmont knew he couldn't make an arrest until he got Hutchinson's DNA  which he was working out how to get. In the meantime, Montana law did allow Elfmont to talk to Hutchinson with some conditions.

Tom Elfmont: It just basically has to be in a public area where he can walk away anytime he wants to.

A bodycam image of Tom Elfmont, left, talking with Paul Hutchinson outside Hutchinson's office in Dillion, Montana. / Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

So, on July 23, 2024, Elfmont and another detective drove down to Hutchinson's office at the Bureau of Land Management in Dillon with a body camera rolling.

Tom Elfmont: We saw Paul come in and get out of his pickup  and then we started walking up  And I got up about 10 feet from Paul and I said 

TOM ELFMONT (bodycam): Hey Paul. How are you doin?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Good.

TOM ELFMONT: Good. My name's Tom Elfmont.  I'm with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office.

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Uh-huh.

COURT DEPWEG: Hey, guys.

They came ready with a clever excuse for why they wanted to speak with Hutchinson, hoping it wouldn't raise his suspicions.

TOM ELFMONT (bodycam): We wanted to talk to you.  we've been talking to some fisheries people about some things that have been going on here at the rivers in Southwest Montana.

PAUL HUTCHINSON: OK.

Tom Elfmont: I explained to him that we're investigating some cases up and down the rivers  And so we wanna talk to people that are experts.

Right at the start, they caught a break thanks to an unusually scorching hot day.

Tom Elfmont: It was 98 that day in Dillon. He said, let's go inside.

PAUL HUTCHINSON (bodycam): You guys wanna come inside and talk?

COURT DEPWEG: That'd be great, man.

Tom Elfmont: If he invites us in, we don't have to give him Miranda. So, we go inside, he takes us in a small conference room.

While they didn't ask about Danni Houchins right away, Elfmont says he could tell Hutchinson was nervous.

COURT DEPWEG (bodycam): So, I appreciate you  sitting down with us.

PAUL HUTCHINSON: No, glad to help. Wha  What's up?

Tom Elfmont: And he breaks into a sweat. It's just his head starts sweating.  And he asked, can I  can I leave?

PAUL HUTCHINSON (bodycam): Um, can you gimme a second?

COURT DEPWEG: Absolutely.

Hutchinson said he had to go help a coworker. When he returned, they asked him about the other cases.

Tom Elfmont: So I had pictures of four women that died; one in a river in Idaho, two over on the Yellowstone, and then Danni.

Bodycam image of Paul Hutchinson being asked about the Danni Houchins case. / Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

Elfmont's partner, Court Depweg, took over the conversation.

COURT DEPWEG (bodycam/shows photo of Danni): OK, this is Danielle Houchins.

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Mm-hmm.

COURT DEPWEG: She was  she was killed in September of 96.

PAUL HUTCHINSON: OK. 

COURT DEPWEG: And she was found  off the Gallatin River. Did you ever fish up there?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: I trapped on the Gallatin. 

COURT DEPWEG: Have you ever heard of the Cameron Bridge Access?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Mm-hmm. (Nods to affirm)

COURT DEPWEG: Have you been there before?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Probably, um, Jackrabbit Lane?

COURT DEPWEG: Yeah.

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Yeah.

COURT DEPWEG: Exactly.

Hutchinson had confirmed he had not only been to the remote area where Danni was attacked, he remembered the street that led there. Elfmont says it was a revealing exchange.

Tom Elfmont: He's shaking. He's all distressed now.  he was sitting back in the chair  as far as he could get from the table and the pictures.  I knew we had him.

When asked, Paul Hutchinson denied knowing anything about Danni Houchins' death. / Credit: Sheryl Houchins

COURT DEPWEG (bodycam): Do you remember seeing her there? Or a  a similar face?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Um - I honestly don't. I  I mean, I probably  I've been to a bunch of fishing access sites for one reason or another.

Hutchinson denied knowing anything about Danni's death  even when they told him they had the suspect's DNA.

COURT DEPWEG (bodycam): Is there a possibility that you were there when she was murdered?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: No. 

COURT DEPWEG: You weren't trapping or anything during that time?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Not in September. I would've been, you know  Are you  are you asking me? I mean 

COURT DEPWEG: I'm just asking if you remember anything 

PAUL HUTCHINSON: Oh, oh.

COURT DEPWEG:  during that time?

PAUL HUTCHINSON: No, no.

Peter Van Sant: Did you ever directly say, "did you kill Danni Houchins?"

Tom Elfmont: No.

Peter Van Sant: Why?

Tom Elfmont: Didn't need to.  Didn't need to. And 

Peter Van Sant: 'Cause he knows that you know.

Tom Elfmont: That's right. Yeah.

Peter Van Sant: And you know that he knows that you know.

Tom Elfmont: Correct.

As they wrapped up the interview, Hutchinson had a question for them.

PAUL HUTCHINSON (bodycam): Anything else you want to ask me while I'm here?

TOM ELFMONT: No, we're good. We're good now.

To Elfmont, it seemed like Hutchinson couldn't believe they didn't arrest him. But the investigation was far from over.

Tom Elfmont: So we walk out of the building and we had surveillance people to follow him.  He started driving like a maniac.  High speed, doing U-turns.  and he takes off.

A SISTER'S PROMISE FULFILLED

With the possibility of an arrest of her sister's killer, Stephanie began imagining what justice would look like for Paul Hutchinson.

Stephanie Mollet: I was preparing myself for the next three to five years of a court battle to  staring him down, to being present every day in that courtroom.

But what Mollet could never prepare herself for was the startling phone call she got from Elfmont just 12 hours after he had interviewed Hutchinson.

Tom Elfmont: So I called Stephanie  And I said, "Stephanie ... (long pause) he's dead, he killed himself.  It's a big pause. And she said, "you know, I don't know how I feel about that." I said, "I get it. I understand."

Police say Hutchinson drove to a remote area and called the sheriff's dispatch line, saying an officer needed help.

When cops arrived, they found Hutchinson's body  dead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 55.

Peter Van Sant: Give me a sense of that moment for you.

Stephanie Mollet: Shock. I  I didn't expect that to happen.

When Hutchinson's DNA was checked against evidence from Danni's body, including the semen on her underwear, there was match.

Tom Elfmont: The ratio? 10.7 trillion-to-one. So he was the guy.

Peter Van Sant: This case is solved.

Tom Elfmont: A hundred percent.

Mollet's friend, Rachelle Schrute  who had considered Hutchinson a mentor  learned what happened as she watched the sheriff's news conference.

Rachelle Schrute: I am gutted. I've known him most of my life.  Like, it makes me mad to know him.  How dare you!

At the news conference Mollet thanked the current sheriff's team.

STEPHANIE MOLLET (to reporters): I'd like to express my family's gratitude to Tom Elfmont for overcoming every roadblock ... To Dan Springer, thank you for being a man of your word.

And then, she did what no one there expected. She unleashed years of pent-up anger.

STEPHANIE MOLLET (to reporters): The sheriff  lied to my parents  bold-face lied and betrayed the trust of shocked and grieving parents.  those institutions failed my sister, failed my family, and failed this community."

"48 Hours" asked Springer about Mollet's allegations that the sheriff's department, for years, had lied to her family.

Peter Van Sant: If what they say is true, were they lied to?

Sheriff Dan Springer: I don't  I  I don't know what they said, to be honest.

Peter Van Sant: What the parents said is that they were told that their daughter did not have any injuries.  If what they are saying is true 

Sheriff Dan Springer: Yeah.

Peter Van Sant:  were they lied to?

Sheriff Dan Springer: Oh, of course. I mean, I think the  the reports speak for themselves, there were marks on her body and if that's what they were told, then that's not the truth.

"48 Hours" reached out to the man who was sheriff in 1996, Bill Slaughter, now retired. Slaughter admits withholding some information from Danni's family, but claims he never lied to them despite the fact he told the local newspaper in 1996 that there was no indication of foul play.

Weeks after the news conference, Mollet went back to the scene of the crime.

Stephanie Mollet: When I finally saw the exact spot where her body was found and I sat there and imagined that, about her last moments and how it went from peaceful rusting of leaves and, you know, the sounds of squirrels running through the forest and the birds chirping to suddenly turning to this awful and violating and terrifying experience  And then that realization that she must have had when he was holding her face down in the mud, that she was gonna die right there.  And I am so sorry for her, that she had to experience that moment.

Peter Van Sant: For you, what is this case about?

Tom Elfmont: Danni. It's about Danni.  I would wake up at night, and I would say, middle of the night, 3 o'clock in the morning, and I'd say, "Danni, I got you." It's about Danni.

the most troubling, says Elfmont, "were there other victims?"

Tom Elfmont: Oh, I think there's a good possibility. Yeah.

Stephanie Mollet: I think that anyone who is able to rape and murder a young girl and then get away with it for almost 28 years had plenty of chances to do it again.

Stephanie Mollet with Peter Van Sant and items found with Danni Houchins when she died. / Credit: CBS News

Mollet is now trying to make changes in how Montana funds and supervises law enforcement, so that cases like Danni's don't fall by the wayside.

Stephanie Mollet: On the table, I have  what was in Danni's pocket when she died.  And then her driver's license, which she was really proud of having.

Years ago, Danni's family spread some of her ashes on a nearby mountain top.

Stephanie Mollet: We spread half of Danni's ashes on top of the tallest mountain on the Bridger Range, Sacagawea Peak.

Stephanie Mollet spreads her sister's remaining ashes at the banks of the Gallatin River. / Credit: CBS News

And now, almost 30 years later, Stephanie was back on the banks of the Gallatin River, where Danni died to spread the last of her ashes  and to tell her sister that she'd made a difference.

Stephanie Mollet: I love you Danni.

Stephanie Mollet: I think the biggest thing has been, after so many years of begging and pleading for people to pay attention to my sister, for people to believe that she mattered. I'm feeling so often like I was screaming into an echo chamber. Now, suddenly she matters to everyone all over again.

Produced by Chuck Stevenson and Lauren Clark. Ryan Smith is the development producer. Michael Baluzy, Wini Dini and Gregory Kaplan are the editors. Anthony Batson is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

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New genetic test results by local environmental groups show that horses are one of the contributing factors to Palma Sola Bays water quality issues.

But the results, which also identify birds as a source of bacteria, leave more questions to be answered as Bradenton officials weigh whether to regulate horse rides.

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, in collaboration with Suncoast Waterkeeper, conducted the research over the past two months to get a better understanding of what could be contributing to continuously elevated levels of fecal bacteria in Palma Sola Bay.

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However, despite growing debate on social media about horses role in the problem, the data showed the horse DNA was detectable, but not quantifiable. This means horse DNA was found in the water samples, but not at a high enough level to determine what percentage of the bacteria came from horses.

There was genetic material there, but getting to how much, and how much of an issue it is, is not within the scope of this pilot study, said Ryan Gandy, the SBEPs executive director.

Gandy called the research a preliminary study, and provided some information that was relayed to local stakeholders, including the Bradenton City Council, which has discussed the causeways water quality issues over the past several years.

The two-month study also included about a month span where horseback riding companies voluntarily paused rides along the causeway, as one company owner said they continue to cooperate and clean up the bay.

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The Florida Department of Health uses fecal indicator bacteria, like enterococci bacteria, to determine if its safe to swim in bodies of water. High levels of enterococci bacteria that is ingested by swimmers or enters the skin through a cut can cause diseases or rashes, according to the FDOH.

New research provided limited insights

The need for the study originated from community concern about Palma Sola Bays continuously elevated fecal bacteria readings. Suncoast Waterkeeper conducts weekly sampling at various sites around Sarasota Bay to test for enterococci bacteria, a commonly used fecal indicator bacteria.

Only two weeks in October and November were safe to swim in Palma Sola Bay, according to Suncoast Waterkeepers sampling.

However, enterococci bacteria is not specific to humans  or even animals  and Suncoast Waterkeepers weekly sampling doesnt determine possible sources. Thats why the group collaborated with the SBEP for the more advanced genetic source sampling.

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On Tuesday, the SBEP published a summary of the findings, saying genetic material from birds and horses was detected during the sampling period, but the study could not determine how much each source contributed.

The data stated what we already knew, Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna said. Horses are part of the issue, but theyre not the only issue. It seems like birds are also a seasonal issue.

Despite the horseback riding companies vacating the causeway for a month, the samples continued to show hits for horse DNA.

That can be the result of multiple things  the residence time of the bacteria in the water, its ability to feed on other organic substances in there, Gandy said.

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In a Nov. 7 blog post, Dave Tomasko, SBEPs former executive director, also noted that no results detected human DNA as a source of bacteria.

That certainly doesnt mean that sewage overflows are not a big deal  they are, the post states. But it does mean that high levels of fecal indicator bacteria do not necessarily mean that an inadequate sewage system or failed septic tank systems are at fault.

While the study answered some questions, Gandy said it also raised new ones.

It was really a limited pilot study to better understand the potential sources of fecal bacteria levels in Palma Sola Bay, Gandy said.

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The study only looked at four bacteria sources  humans, horses, birds and general bacteria. But since those were the focus of the water samples, the laboratory was not looking for genetic material from other sources that could be contributing to the problems.

We chose to just focus on those four, because those are the ones that were of major concern, Gandy said. So the study is not all-encompassing like you would do with a full-blown, expensive microbial source tracking study.

According to Gandy, things like decomposing seagrass, dog poop, manatee feces and fish excrement were not accounted for in the study, but could be contributing to the fecal bacteria problems.

The study provided good, valuable insight, but its only an initial step at looking at those and understanding what fecal sources are coming into Palma Sola Bay, or are already in Palma Sola Bay, Gandy said.

Horseback riding company works on cleanup

Carmen Hanson, owner of C Ponies Horseback Riding, said she sees the results as positive because horse bacteria was not detected in a large-enough amount to be quantified.

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Were very happy with the results, Hanson said. Weve never thought that it was the horses.

She added that she hopes local officials and environmental organizations continue to look at other potential sources and not have tunnel vision on the horses.

Its not the horses, its just nature, Hanson said.

C Ponies was one of the horseback riding companies that voluntarily left the Palma Sola Causeway for a month for part of the study. Horseback rides returned to the causeway at the start of October.

According to Hanson, shes invested nearly $4,000 in boats to increase the companys cleaning process on the causeway. She said her staff also cleans the beaches before and after horseback rides, and collects any horse poop in the water with nets.

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Were still doing 100% of what we can to keep our bay clean. We are for keeping the bay clean, Hanson said.

Gandy also acknowledged that C Ponies and other vendors are doing their part to mitigate impacts.

The vendors that are there operating are taking steps to mitigate, basically collecting the horse waste to reduce that load, Gandy said. So even though we detected at a very low, non-quantifiable level, there are efforts to reduce that load even further from the operations that are there.

Whats next for Palma Sola Bay problem

Following the studys completion, Tyrna sent a letter to the Bradenton City Council and Mayor Gene Brown to explain the findings and reiterate Suncoast Waterkeepers suggestions  warning signage around the causeway and a permit system for horseback riding vendors.

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Gandy said its up to the municipalities to determine if theyd like to take the next step, which could mean a more advanced study that would be a costly, time-consuming process.

The SBEP is a non-regulatory organization, meaning it doesnt direct municipalities.

However, Tyrna said she believes the data from this study was sufficient to back Suncoast Waterkeepers suggestions.

We dont think that any more money needs to be spent to look at the sources, Tyrna said.

Brown confirmed he received Suncoast Waterkeepers letter, and would meet with scientific consultants on Tuesday to talk about the findings.

Public safety is important to us, Brown said. Were going to keep trying to evaluate the facts.
Milwaukee police say two people died in a murder-suicide following a domestic dispute early Sunday morning in the Silver Spring neighborhood.

The double fatal shooting happened around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 7 in the 5600 block of North 78th Street, near the intersection of West Silver Spring Drive and Highway 145.

The Milwaukee Police Department said a 45-year-old man fired shots during a domestic dispute, striking a 41-year-old who sustained fatal injuries. Police did not provide the gender of the victim.

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The 45-year-old man then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police are investigating the circumstances. Anyone with information is asked to call Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or P3 Tips.

Wisconsin saw record domestic violence deaths last year

Wisconsin saw 99 domestic violence deaths in 2024, according to a report from End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, the highest number since the organization began tracking data in 2000.

The analysis included the deaths of perpetrators who died by suicide or law enforcement action.

Meanwhile, more than 100 organizations across the state are struggling as funds dry up through the Victims of Crime Act fund, known as VOCA.

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The federal fund pays for domestic violence hotlines, child abuse advocacy centers and other services for crime victims across Wisconsin.

More: These groups help crime victims. Trump's anti-DEI push is putting them on the defensive.

Where to find help for domestic violence or sexual assault

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233.

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin shares helplines and culturally specific resources for assistance at www.endabusewi.org/get-help/.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline is (800) 656-4673. You can also text HOPE to 64673.

Access the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault resource guide for Wisconsin-based help providers at www.wcasa.org/survivors/service-providers/.

More: As Sojourner celebrates 50 years of service, its longtime leader prepares for what's next

Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Police report murder-suicide on far northwest side of Milwaukee
Dec. 7The Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office has been called in to assist in investigating a Dixon fire that broke out early Sunday morning.

The Dixon City Fire Department, Dixon Rural FPD and Advance EMS were dispatched at 4:46 a.m to the area of Monroe Avenue and West First Street for a reported explosion and fire.

Crews arrived on scene to find a burning storage shed, according to a news release.

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No occupants or bystanders were at the scene when firefighters arrived, according to the release. The fire was extinguished and all fire units were clear of the scene around 8:30 a.m.

No firefighters or rescue crew members were injured.

The fire cause remains under investigation. The Dixon Police Department assisted at the scene.
Elon Musk looks on as US President Donald Trump speaks at the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on November 19, 2025. Credit - Brendan SmialowskiGetty Images

Elon Musk has called for the European Union (E.U.) to be abolished in response to the bloc's issuance of a $140 million fine against his social media platform, X. He was joined in his fury by several top Trump Administration officials, who also lambasted the decision over the weekend.

The European Commission announced a massive fine on Friday for several violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), singling out the companys "deceptive" design of Xs blue checkmark for verified accounts, its "non-compliance with transparency obligations," and its failure to provide researchers with access to public data.

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The fine drew an angry response from Musk and several top officials within the Trump Administration, which has made regulation of American tech companies in Europe a key point of contention in the U.S.-Europe relationship.

Read more: Lawmakers Unveil New Bills to Curb Big Techs Power and Profit

The row comes at a time when that relationship is increasingly under strain over questions of free speech, immigration, and the war in Ukraine.

Musk replied "Bulls***" under a European Commission post about the fine. Then on Sunday, he called for the E.U. to be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people.

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Despite their past differences, Musk and the Trump Administration have been in lockstep on the issue of tech regulation in Europe. Both the X CEO and the Administration view any regulation of American tech platforms as an attack on free speech.

The European Commission, the European Unions executive body, has denied that the DSA is about censorship. The landmark law, passed in 2022, requires tech companiesincluding American giants like Meta and Xto remove illegal content and provide transparency about their content moderation. DSA fines can be as high as 6% of a company's annual global revenue.

"We are not here to impose the highest fines, the European Commission's tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, said Friday. We are here to make sure that our digital legislation is enforced and if you comply with our rules, you don't get the fine. And it's as simple as that."

"I think it's very important to underline that DSA is having nothing to do with censorship," she told reporters.

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TIME has reached out to both the European Commission and X for comment.

America and Musk vs Europe

But Trump Administration officials have spent the last few days sounding off on social media, painting the fine as part of a larger attack on the American tech industry and on free speech.

The European Commissions $140 million fine isnt just an attack on X, its an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X on Friday. The days of censoring Americans online are over.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr also condemned the union Friday morning, saying the E.U. is fining a successful U.S. tech company for being a successful U.S. tech company.

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Few have been more outspoken on tech regulation than Vice President J.D. Vance, who built close ties with a number of Silicon Valley titans on his way to the White House.

Read More: The Reinvention of J.D. Vance

The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage," he wrote Thursday prior to the fine being announced.

Vance has frequently spoken out against the E.U.s regulation of American tech companies and of Europe itself during President Donald Trump's second term.

He set the tone early on, in a highly combative speech aimed at European leaders at the Munich Security Conference in February.

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He singled out what he called "E.U. Commission commissars for plans to restrict social media during times of civil unrest, and criticized the United Kingdom for a backslide away from conscience rights.

He also attacked European governments for running in fear of your own voters" and argued that the biggest threat to Europe was not Russia, but rather unmitigated immigration and exclusion of far-right parties in the region.

Vance specifically defended Musk during the speech, after the Tesla CEO was criticized for wading into European elections. In January, Musk had appeared virtually at a rally for the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, and urged attendees to move beyond the countrys culpability and history in the Holocaust, less than one century ago.

Read More: Elon Musk Is Boosting Germanys Far Right. It Will Backfire

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If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk, Vance said in his speech in Munich.

Vance met with the leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, following the speech.

The fine comes days after the administration revealed a new national security strategy that calls for the revival of the Monroe Doctrine to oppose any European interference in American affairs while cultivating resistance to Europes current trajectory within European nations.

Several current and former European officials have pushed back against the strategy, which asserts that Europe faces the prospect of civilizational erasure.

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"It's language that one otherwise only finds coming out of some bizarre minds of the Kremlin," former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt posted on X, saying the document places the U.S. to the right of the extreme right in Europe.

The stunning section devoted to Europe reads like a far-right pamphlet, Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the United States, similarly observed in an X post, noting that the document largely confirms perceptions that Trump is an enemy of Europe.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Eviction filings in Virginia appear to be returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, there were 139,450 reported eviction filings in the state.

Though eviction filing data is only available through October of this year, there was was a 2% increase this year from the January to October period in 2023 and 2024. Statewide, the number of eviction filings is between 87 and 89% of pre-pandemic levels.

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Thats according to Jesseca Hoff, policy and research analyst for the Housing Commission, which met Thursday in Richmond.

Eviction filings in January 2025 reached the highest levels since January 2020, and data collected so far in 2025 shows an increase in eviction filing totals compared to our previous years, Hoff told the commission.

Eviction filings dropped off during the coronavirus pandemic due to eviction moratoriums and protections that were in effect at the time.

Only about 16 to 17% of eviction filings result in evictions, a discrepancy that can be explained by repeated filings for one individual and redemptions. Between July 2024 and June 2025, nearly 23,000 Virginians were evicted. Thats up by a few hundred evictions from the same time period the year prior.

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Its not exactly clear whats accounting for the increase. The trend is an approximation based on available data, Hoff said.

It illustrates a large difference between filings and executions (of evictions), and further study may be warranted to continue to provide additional context on this data and the impacted households, she said.

In 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation establishing the Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot, which was made permanent last year. It was initially tested in Richmond, Danville, Hampton and Petersburg, and was opened up to any locality that might want to participate last year.

The program has a very high success rate, so all but one out of 40 households were saved from eviction, Hoff said.

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But the criteria to qualify for the program can be limiting, and its not clear that many people are benefitting. Tenants have to be able to pay 25% of the amount alleged to be due on the first court date, and they cannot have been late on rent more than twice in the previous six months, said Christine Marra, director of housing advocacy at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

I think in the current climate, especially where we have seen rents go up, where we know that wages havent kept pace, and now, most recently, were suffering as a result of the federal layoffs, I think its gotten harder for renters to meet those qualifications, she said. Theres no question that its a great program, and we want more people to be able to benefit form it.

In Hampton, eviction filings reached about 80% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and is projected to surpass last years numbers in 2025. Richmond was at 92% of pre-pandemic eviction filing numbers in 2024, compared to 84% in 2023. All four of the pilot cities were on track this year to surpass the 2024 eviction filing numbers.

Marra said the VPLC is proposing legislation that would lower the first rent payment from 25% to 10% of the amount owed and eliminate the criteria barriers. That might help persuade other localities to enter into the program as well, she said.

Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881, kate.seltzer@virginiamedia.com
Did "an entire unnamed mountain" collapse into itself near Casper, Wyoming at the end of 2025 and were emergency crews from several states mobilizing? No, that's not true: A viral post and image making that claim originated on a satirical Facebook page. Earlier there was a (much smaller) collapse in Wyoming's Teton mountains but that happened over 250 miles from Casper.

The viral story appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published by a page named "Casper Planet" on December 6, 2025 It read:

Wyoming Mountain Collapses Into Itself, Area Closed as Search Crews Mobilize

Casper, WY - A geological event that experts are already calling "one of the strangest in modern history," an entire unnamed mountain west of Casper reportedly collapsed inward early Friday morning, forming a massive crater and sending shockwaves through surrounding communities.

Local ranchers said they heard what sounded like a "deep thunderclap underground" just before the peak seemed to sink straight down, leaving behind a bowl shaped void nearly a mile wide. Emergency officials quickly closed the region to the public as reports surfaced of at least two hiking groups believed to have been in the area at the time.

Wyoming Conservation Services, Natrona County Emergency Management, and search and rescue teams from across the state are already on scene, with additional specialized crews from Colorado, Montana, and Idaho currently en route. Federal geological teams are also being deployed to determine whether the collapse was caused by seismic activity, a long hidden cavern system, or something "significantly more unusual," according to officials.

Residents across central Wyoming reported feeling the tremor, with some describing a brief vibration followed by a low rumble that lasted nearly ten seconds.

Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area entirely until stability assessments are complete. Officials say the primary focus now is locating potential survivors and securing the perimeter around what one responder described as "a mountain that folded like a camp chair."

More updates will be released as information becomes available.

This is what the image in the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:

Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Sun Dec 7 11:13:08 2025 UTC

However the Casper Planet Facebook page has an about tab (archived here) with a disclaimer in the bio that clearly reads:

Delivering the Snews that doesn't matter directly to your Snews feed. Did we say this is satire? Well it is, names/locations are made up

The vehicles visible on the ground in the image in the viral post also appeared oddly deformed and misshapen, in a way that is typical of imagery generated using artificial intelligence.

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Despite the satire disclaimer the joke post did appear in Google News search results as the top result when looking for news articles with the phrase "wyoming mountain collapse" (archived here):

Image: screenshot of Google News search for "wyoming mountain collapse"

Those search results did contain several news reports about a collapse involving the "Grand Teton's Second Tower" that started in 2022 in the Teton mountains. But that collapse was much smaller in scale and it happened over 250 miles from Casper, Wyoming.
Individuals named Bohdan are typically perceived as strong-willed, principled, and natural leaders with a deep sense of responsibility. They often exhibit a combination of practical wisdom and spiritual depth, reflecting the name's meaning as 'gift from God.' Bohdans are known for their determination and resilience in facing challenges, drawing strength from their convictions and cultural heritage. They tend to be protective of their loved ones and communities, with a strong sense of justice and fairness.



While sometimes appearing reserved or serious, they possess deep emotional intelligence and loyalty that earns them respect and trust from others. Their leadership style often blends traditional values with progressive thinking, making them effective in both personal and professional spheres. Bohdans typically value family traditions and cultural roots, often serving as pillars within their communities. They approach life with a sense of purpose and destiny, believing their actions should reflect the meaningful nature of their name's spiritual origins.
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

A family thought theyd found the perfect spot just west of Fort Worth, Texas, to build their dream home: two quiet acres in the country, surrounded by open land and nature. But shortly after breaking ground, their rural dream took a dark turn.

Wild Carcasses, Bright Lights And Buzzards

According to the homeowner, shortly after construction started, the neighboring rancher put up No Trespassing signs along the shared fence. About a month later, things escalated. There was a commotion along the fence between the properties at midnight, the homeowner wrote on Reddit recently. In the morning, we went back to see four wild hog carcasses left there.

Don't Miss:

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Over the next few days, buzzards and other wild animals tore the remains apart, dragging bones into the familys yard. The situation repeated itself: one morning, the family woke up to another hog and a coyote carcass by the fence. Carcasses are so close to the wire fence the legs are sticking through, the homeowner said. Bringing 100s of buzzards and probably other animals.

They aren't upset about rural life or hunting. I don't have a problem with him dumping. Just wish it wasn't in my backyard, the homeowner said. But the dumps appear targeted: the ranch spans hundreds of acres, and the familys lot is the only developed one along the border so far. It's still a crappy thing to do to a new neighbor, she said.

Adding to the tension, the homeowner noted that the fence in question isnt even on the ranchers land. The fence is one foot on our property. The carcasses are being dumped so close to the fence that the legs stick through onto our property.

Trending: From Moxy Hotels to $12B in Real Estate  The Firm Behind NYC's Trendiest Properties Is Letting Individual Investors In.

Tracking The Source

After speaking with locals, the homeowner learned the ranch had been in the rancher's family for years, but was recently sold off for development by his brother. That could explain the hostility. He wasn't happy his brother sold out. Probably started there, she said.

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So far, the rancher hasnt been approached. He lives deep within the 100-acre property and hasnt been seen up close, making it difficult to have a direct conversation. One of the problems is their residence is in the middle of the ranch. Not so easy to knock on the front door, the homeowner said. We haven't even seen him except on a tractor some distance away.

See Also: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100.

Reddit users flooded the post with advice. The top recommendation: install multiple cameras. Others agreed, suggesting a mix of visible and hidden cameras that record to the cloud. Otherwise theyll just take it, one person advised.

Others said its worth trying a friendly approach first. Bring a gift and be very nice about everything until you cant be nice any longer, one commenter suggested. We brought you this bottle of whiskey to say hello, another person laid out in a whole script.

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Some locals advised caution, noting that rural Texas politics can make enforcement tricky. Still, the homeowner is hoping for a civil solution.

Read Next: Deloitte's #1 Fastest-Growing Software Company Lets Users Earn Money Just by Scrolling  Accredited Investors Can Still Get In at $0.50/Share.

Image: Shutterstock

This article A Family Built Their Dream House Next To A Massive Ranch, Only To Find Carcasses Inside Their Yard. 'A Crappy Thing To Do To A New Neighbor' originally appeared on Benzinga.com
A federal agent was involved in a car crash Saturday in Elgin and several people were later treated for exposure to "chemical irritants" deployed during an immigration enforcement operation, local police said.

It was one of few federal immigration operations seen in the Chicago area the last few weeks since much of Border Patrol left the area.

There were certainly some tense moments between federal agents and many residents in the neighborhood, and at one point tear gas was deployed into the crowd.

A federal agent contacted the Elgin Police Department around 9:15 a.m. Saturday to report they were involved in a crash in the 1600 block of West Highland Avenue, Elgin police said. The agent said the other person involved in the crash had fled to the area of Maple Lane nearby.

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Just after 10 a.m., Elgin police were called for a report of masked people on their property in the 1600 block of Maple Lane, saying they had a warrant. Local police determined they were federal agents.

I saw ICE spray people in the face. I mean, they literally threw a smoke bomb right in front of my house.

The operation was related to immigration activity, Elgin police said.

Around 12:22 p.m., Elgin police responded to multiple reports of shots fire in the 1600 block of Maple Lane, but determined no shots were fired. During the incident, federal agents "dispersed chemical irritants."

ABC7 crews observed tense moments between the federal agents and protesters at the scene.

Clouds of tear gas emerged at the scene as federal agents were trying to detain a man on Maple Lane, ABC7 was told.

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"I saw ICE drag people to the ground," witness Christina Chandler said. "I saw ICE spray people in the face. I mean they literally threw a smoke bomb right in front of my house, three of them in front of my house with my daughter in the house, and they smoked that inside of my house."

SEE ALSO | Protesters gather as DHS Sec. Kristi Noem attends Navy Pier's annual 'Christmas Tree Ship'

At least seven people were treated for exposure to the chemical irritants by Elgin police and fire first responders, local officials said.

Cellphone video showed at least one man being detained by federal agents as protesters remained on scene.

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"Oh yeah, I got hit with some gas," said Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro, D-22nd District. "They were spraying people."

Audrey Lehman, who lives nearby, says her young child was in the area where tear gas was deployed.

"So it was very sudden, and I was able to get everybody off to one side, and then realized my 3-year-old was gone, and she was in the middle of the tear gas," Lehman said. "Somebody scooped her up and got her out of the way."

Residents said it was surprising to see federal agents in the area, since they haven't seen much of them in the last month.

Senator Castro says Saturday's operation hit close to home for her.

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"You know, people deserve the right to due process here and here they are disturbing again, my city, my hometown where I've been born and raised, striking fear, and you know, what they just need to go home and go away," Castro said.

Elgin police said officers had responded to about 30 calls for service in connection to the federal operations Saturday morning and afternoon.

"The Elgin Police Department will continue to respond to any calls for service and determine the appropriate action within the parameters of the Illinois Trust Act which prohibits Elgin officers from assisting with federal immigration enforcement operations," a statement from Elgin police read in part.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on the incident, saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested "an illegal alien from Venezuela and suspected member of Tren de Aragua (TdA)."

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DHS said "ICE officers attempted to conduct a vehicle stop, at which point," the suspect "resisted arrest by intentionally ramming an officer's vehicle into a tree. Thankfully, the officer sustained no injuries."

DHS continued, saying the man "then fled on foot and barricaded himself into an apartment of a person he did not know. The suspected gang member came out on the apartment's balcony and officers tried to negotiate with him to leave the apartment. During this time, a large crowd of agitators formed and began throwing rocks and bottles at law enforcement officers. The local police department refused to protect ICE law enforcement officers."

After several hours of negotiating, ICE officers safely took the man into custody, DHS said, adding, "This suspected TdA gang member entered the country illegally in April 2023 and was released by the Biden administration. Then, the Biden administration granted him Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This once again shows the lack of vetting the Biden administration did on illegal aliens they allowed into American communities. Under Secretary Noem's leadership, this illegal alien's TPS was terminated in November 2025. He will be placed in removal proceedings."

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement, saying, "This suspected TdA gang member was not only released into our country by the Biden administration but also granted Temporary Protected Status. This yet again underscores the serious lack of vetting by Biden administration on the millions of aliens they allowed to come into the country. Thankfully, under President Trump and Secretary Noem, this administration terminated his TPS, arrested him and removed him fromour streets. We are grateful all ofour officers are safe after, yet another vehicle was used as a weapon against them and more rioters threw rocks and bottles at them. Our officers are experiencing a more than 1150% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens. This violence against law enforcement must end."

No further information was immediately available.
President Trump has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff across the United States in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Celebrated on Dec. 7 each year, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day remembers the 1941 attack at the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which began the United States' involvement in World War II. The surprise attack from the Japanese military resulted in the deaths of thousands of service members and civilians, as well as over a thousand injuries.

In memory of the lives lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor, the flag of the United States at all public buildings and grounds across the country and its territories  including in Vermont  will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Why are flags flown at half-staff?

Dramatic Sky Above US Flag at Half Mast

According to the official website of the U.S. General Services Administration, flags typically fly at half-staff when the country or specific state is in mourning. Observances include national tragedies, days of remembrance and deaths of government or military personnel.

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The president, the state governor or the mayor of Washington, D.C., can order flags to fly at half-staff.

What is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day? What to know about 1941 attack that sent US into WWII

Half-staff vs. half-mast

While half-staff refers to lowered flags on land, half-mast refers to those at sea. Both refer to a flag being flown beneath the top of its staff as a sign of respect.

Emily DeLetter of the USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Why are flags at half-staff in Vermont today? What to know
Foxs Maria Bartiromo confronted newly-pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) about President Donald Trump criticizing his lack of loyalty for declaring he would run again as a Democrat.

Cuellar and his wife were both indicted in 2024 on bribery charges, accused of taking nearly $600,000 from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank in exchange for political favors. Trump issued a surprise pardon on Wednesday, preventing both from facing any jail time. The Cuellars have denied any wrongdoing.

Cuellar told Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures that he believed the indictment was due to his criticism of then-President Joe Bidens open border.

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Looking at all the evidence and looking at everything, definitely I feel that I was weaponized, you know, that they used the [Justice] department to go after my, you know, myself and my family.

Cuellar irked Trump, however, when he filed for reelection as a Democrat instead of switching parties.

Trump wrote a lengthy post to Truth Social Sunday. It read, in part:

Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be running for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas (a State where I received the highest number of votes ever recorded!), as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison  And probably still do! Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like. Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!

Bartiromo asked if Cuellar had considered switching parties.

Look, Im a Democrat, Cuellar said. Im probably one of the most, if not the most bipartisan Democrat. And as I told some of my Republican friends on the House floor, I vote better than some of the Republicans in the Republican caucus.

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Bartiromo then pressed Cuellar asking, What do you want to say about the presidents Truth Social this morning?

Well, again, let me just say this: I was at church this morning with my wife. I prayed for the president, I prayed for his family, and I prayed for the presidency, because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds. And again, as probably the most bipartisan individual, I dont vote party. I vote for whats right for the country, Cuellar said.

He added, I am a conservative Democrat, but I will work with the president. Ive reached out to the administration. I told them, you know, name the folks, Tom Homan, Kristi [Noem]...and say, hey, can we sit down, Id love to sit down and see where we can find common ground.

Watch the clip above via Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News Channel.

The post Foxs Maria Bartiromo Confronts Newly-Pardoned Henry Cuellar About Trump Trashing Him first appeared on Mediaite.
We will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip, and we will remain on those defense lines," Zamir said.

Gaza's Yellow Line is the new border line, a forward defensive line for the Gaza border communities, and the IDF's attack line, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a visit to IDF reservists deployed in Gaza on Sunday, the military announced.

"We will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip, and we will remain on those defense lines," Zamir said. The Yellow Line is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity."

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Zamir also noted that the IDF's mission in Gaza will "not be completed until the remains of the final hostage St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili has been returned."

Zamir's comments came amid a situational assessment tour of the sector, accompanied by Southern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor, 252nd Division chief Brig.-Gen. Yehuda Vach, Carmeli Brigade chief, Col. D., and other officers.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir conducting a situational assessment in the Gaza Strip, December 7, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Zamir conducts situational assessement in Beit Hanun, Jabalya

During the tour, Zamir visited Beit Hanun and Jabalya and held a conversation with IDF division commanders to review military activity and operations.

Zamir also commented on the ongoing investigations into the events of October 7, 2023, and the IDF's failures, which led to Hamas's terrorist massacre.

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"We concluded the investigations in recent weeks," Zamir said. "They constitute a decisive part in deriving lessons to prevent a future massacre."

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir conducting a situational assessment in the Gaza Strip, December 7, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

"We must move forward and grow, and we are taking the IDF towards learning, growth, and strengthening in order to prepare it for future challenges," he added.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is set to begin his inaugural visit to China on Monday, six weeks after he was forced to delay the trip when he was unable to secure enough meetings with key leaders in Beijing amid tensions over Taiwan.

During talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, Wadephul is expected to address Chinese restrictions on rare-earth exports, which have made life difficult for European businesses who rely on the resources for manufacturing engines, sensors and turbines.

Germany's top diplomat also plans to bring up China's support for Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ahead of his departure, Wadephul urged Beijing on Sunday to use its influence on Moscow during consultations on a ceasefire in Ukraine.

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China has been accused by the West of supporting the Russian war effort, including by purchasing Russian oil, while insisting on being neutral.

In Beijing, Wadephul is also set to be received by Vice President Han Zheng and diplomat Liu Haixing, head of the international department of the Chinese Communist Party.

Wadephul had originally planned to make his first visit to China on October 27 and 28. On October 24, however, he scrapped his plans, explaining that Beijing had not confirmed any further appointments apart from a meeting with Wang.

Earlier that day, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman had slammed Berlin over its unwillingness to reject Taiwanese independence.

Wadephul has repeatedly criticized Beijing over threatening to unilaterally change the status quo in the region, calling the superpower out on what he describes as its increasingly aggressive policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Germany's police trade union has lashed out at Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far right AfD party, for comparing today's domestic intelligence agency with the notorious Stasi secret police of the defunct communist state of East Germany.

Weidel's comparison trivialized the crimes committed by the Stasi during the 1945-90 period, when East Germany was under communist rule, the German Police Union (GdP) said, terming her comparison an "insult."

"It trivializes the injustice of the time and is in addition a smack in the teeth to those who really did fight for freedom and democracy in 1989," the GdP said in a statement issued on Sunday.

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The co-leader of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) had made the comparison in an interview with the Welt-TV broadcaster, describing intelligence agency staff as "dirty Stasi spies."

Weidel also targeted the intelligence chief in the state of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, in a personal attack on his appearance.

"Take a look at this domestic intelligence agency chief in Thuringia, this Kramer over there with that beard of his and so on - what kind of people they are, the way he looks, as though he were a member of motorbike club," she said.

The police union said that GdP head Jochen Kopelke saw Weidel's "targeted and derogatory attacks" as part of attempts to intimidate intelligence agency staff.

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"But we in the security authorities will not allow ourselves to be intimidated and will continue to work daily to protect our democracy and the security of all in the federal republic," Kopelke said in the statement.

In May, the domestic intelligence agency announced that it would rate the AfD as having "confirmed right-wing extremist" leanings, in a step that has consequences for how the party is monitored.

The intelligence agency rating has been set aside while the courts hear an objection lodged by the AfD.

Local AfD associations are seen as confirmed right-wing extremist by the intelligence authorities in four of Germany's 16 states. In a further five, the party associations are rated as suspect.

In Germany's parliamentary elections in February, the AfD secured 20.8% of the vote, coming second to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative alliance. Polls show continuing strong support for Weidel's party.
Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah on Sunday offered a mealymouthed excuse for President Donald Trumps xenophobic attacks on the Somali community.

We dont want em in our country, Trump said of Somali immigrants at a Tuesday Cabinet meeting. Let em go back to where they came from.

Asked about the remarks on CNN, Curtis refused to criticize them. I cant control anybody but me, right? the senator said.

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Rather than address the presidents comments head-on, Curtis took a philosophical detour, urging every American to live as a positive role model for othersto wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and ask yourself what you will do to make all of our immigrants feel more welcome.

In such a world, Curtis mused, it would matter less what individuals said. But, as CNNs Dana Bash pointed out, Trump is no random individual; hes the president of the United States, calling an entire community garbage.

In response, Curtis deflected again. American voters, he said, knew very well what we were electing [in 2024]. The country wanted a disrupter. While acknowledging that such disruption can be painful, he suggested it was necessary: You have to remember the reason, I think, the country went that direction is they were very uncomfortable with a number of things we were doing in this country, and we wanted a disrupter.

Apparently, Curtiss professed belief in making a daily, personal effort to make all of our immigrants feel more welcome did not compel him to provide even the slightest pushback against the presidents bigotry.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Somalis who move to the U.S. have to learn not to defraud the American people, during an appearance on Face the Nation on CBS on Sunday morning.

Bessent told host Margaret Brennan the Treasury was now investigating a billion-dollar fraud scheme carried out by dozens of Minnesota residents of Somali descent.

President Donald Trumps go-to economics guy said it was alarming that many of the crooks donated stolen tax dollars to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and state Attorney General Keith Ellison (D); he also said his department was investigating whether the money was used to fund terrorism.

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Bessent said:

To be clear, the initial fraud that was discovered by the IRS, for which Im the acting commissioner, it was discovered by IRS Criminal Investigation Unit. This was not endogenous that the state of Minnesota decided. We had to go in and clean up the mess for them, and this is part of the continued cleanup. A lot of money has been transferred from the individuals who committed this fraud, including those who donated to the governor, donated to representative Omar and to AG Ellison. They have been transferred to something called MBSs these are Money Bureau Services, and they are wire transfer organizations that are outside the regulated banking system. And that money has gone overseas, and we are tracking that, both to the Middle East and to Somalia, to see what the uses of that have been.

But you have no evidence of that money being used to fuel terrorism at this point  which is what some conservative writers are alleging, Brennan followed up.

Thats why its an investigation, Bessent responded. We started it last week. We will see where it goes.

The two discussed the topic, a few days after President Trump ripped Omar, saying she was garbage, an anti-semite, and a terrible person. The president said he did not want more Somalis like Omar coming to the U.S., because most of them were ripping off the American taxpayer.

His searing remarks were made shortly after The New York Times reported on the a staggering fraud scheme in which more than $1 billion was stolen.

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Bessent said Sunday, When you come to this country, you gotta learn which side of the road to drive on, you gotta learn to stop at stop signs, and you gotta learn not to defraud the American people.

Brennan added there is plenty of criminal behavior from communities well beyond the immigrant community.

Watch above.

The post You Gotta Learn Not to Defraud the American People Trump Treasury Secretary Says Somali Fraud Scheme Being Investigated for Terrorism Link first appeared on Mediaite.
GREER, S.C. (WSPA)  The City of Greer is getting into the holiday spirit with the citys first-ever multicultural Santa event.

Among the ginger bread, Christmas trees and crafts, three Santas Black, Hispanic, and white greeted children at the Greer Center for the Arts, transforming the center into Santa Central.

Greer City Council Member Karuiam Booker said the event is designed to make sure every child has the opportunity to see themselves in Santa Claus.

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Today we did something monumental in the City of Greer in which we were able to host, I would say multicultural Santas, said Booker. We had a what we would say as a Black Santa, a Spanish speaking Santa, and then (a) traditional Santa.

Booker said the idea all started with his daughter, saying about three years ago, she asked for a Santa that looked like her. And so we did our research, and the closest Santa we could find was in Gastonia, North Carolina. I thought that was ridiculous, and so for the past three years, Ive been working on a concept to bring multicultural Santas to the City of Greer.

On Saturday, that dream came true. Each Santa took a two hour shift, giving families the chance to pick the Santa they wanted.

Just one child being affected is a great success in my book, but we had multiple children come through at the different time slots. It was a joy to see their faces light up and see a Santa that was their skin complexion, it was just awesome, Booker said.

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This was the first year for the event and Booker said they are working to make it an annual tradition, with the success of our International Festival, its just a welcoming community. We have so many diverse people and cultures. Its just great to celebrate them.

On Sunday, the City of Greer will hold their annual Christmas parade at 2:30PM.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Both holds significant cultural importance in Scottish history as a topographic surname originating from the Gaelic-speaking regions. It typically referred to individuals who lived in or near stone houses, which were substantial structures in medieval Scotland, indicating a family of some status or wealth. The stone house (both/bod) was a distinctive feature in the Scottish landscape, often serving as a fortified dwelling or administrative center.



Throughout Scottish history, families bearing the Both name were often associated with land ownership and clan affiliations, particularly in the Highlands where stone architecture was both practical for defense and symbolic of permanence in the rugged terrain. The name reflects the deep connection between Scottish identity and the land itself, with stone structures representing endurance and heritage in a country known for its ancient castles and fortified homes. This connection to place and structure made the name Both a marker of regional identity and social standing within Scottish society.
N12 News reported on Friday that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad know how to find Gvilis body to return it to Israel.

Hamas began its search for the remains of slain hostage Ran Gvili in Gaza City on Sunday afternoon.

Last week, during meetings in Cairo, the IDF Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch told mediators in a clear and unequivocal way that Gvilis remains are to be returned to Israel as soon as possible.

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Further, N12 News reported on Friday that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad know how to find Gvilis body to return it to Israel.

The report also noted that the talks in Cairo dealt with transitioning to the second phase of the US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal.

A woman holds a picture of dead hostage Ran Gvili, whose body hasn't been returned yet, as Israelis attend a rally calling for the immediate return of the remains of all hostages held in Gaza, more than two years after the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, at Hostages Square. (credit: REUTERS/NIR ELIAS)

Israel pushes Hamas to return Gvili's body, move to phase II of ceasefire

"The mediators are saying that Hamas is showing interest in upholding the hostage deal, and wants to move to the next phase, which includes disarmament and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip," the Friday N12 report cited an Israeli source as saying.

The source told the outlet that "it's either they agree to disarm, or we will disarm them. We will not leave any threat to the State of Israel in Gaza."

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Gvilis sister, Shira, called on Israel to stop moving to phase II of the ceasefire deal until her brother was returned to Israel.

"This is the first Shabbat that Rani has remained alone there," she said. "Compel Hamas to return Rani to the country he loved so much. Continue to stand with us, think of my Rani. Two hundred and fifty-four hostages have been returned from Gaza, and our Rani is still there."
Israel's Foreign Ministry, sharing footage of Mashaal's address, slammed the comments, calling them a "direct contradiction of the core terms of the peace plan itself."

Hamas will not disarm, give up its weapons, rule of the Gaza Strip, or permit external oversight in Gaza, including the International Stabilization Force (ISF), terror leader Khaled Mashaal said during a video address to an Istanbul conference titled "Pledge to Jerusalem" on Saturday.

Israel's Foreign Ministry, sharing footage of Mashaal's address, slammed the comments, calling them a "direct contradiction of the core terms of the peace plan itself."

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"Hamas is making a mockery of US President Donald Trumps peace plan," the ministry added.

Mashaal: Hamas's weapons are the honor, pride of Palestinian nation

The ministry also shared a video snippet of Mashaal's speech, where the terror leader said that "protecting the resistance project [Hamas's terrorism] and the resistance's weapons is our people's right to defend itself. The resistance and its weapons are the honor and pride of the nation."

His brother, Mofid Abdel Kader Mashaal, was unexpectedly released from the US prison where he was held, Walla reported last December.
New Hampshire State Police were on scene with a barricaded subject on Route 4 in Durham last night.

According to officials, troopers were engaged with this individual in the area of Route 4 and Madbury Road in Durham.

Police said that the incident was isolated, and there was no threat to the public.

As of 1:33 a.m., the suspect had been taken into custody, and the incident had been resolved.

Additional information on the incident is expected to be released today.

#UPDATE: The subject has been taken into custody and the incident has been resolved. Troopers will be clearing the scene shortly. Additional information will be released later today. https://t.co/YTBbAFSzVu  New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) December 7, 2025

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
LAKE PARK, Iowa (KCAU))  The Harris-Lake Park Elementary School held their annual holiday bazaar Saturday at the elementary school in Lake Park.

This is the third year of the bazaar.

Elementary students bring their shopping list and cash and are escorted around the bazaar by a high school student volunteer. The kids pick out the items they want to buy and then get them gift-wrapped to put under their tree.

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The shopping items are donated throughout the year. All the money made goes right back into the next years event.

We at Harris-Lake Park are strong believers in just being connected to our community. Just seeing the excitement on the kids. They put so much thought into the gifts they are going to buy. Its their thoughtful gifts that people are opening. Just being united as a community is just one of the biggest things, said Rebecca Matthiesen, elementary principal at Harris-Lake Park

There was also a Festival of Trees fundraiser scheduled for Saturday at the school, but it was postponed until Sunday 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
"I fully support that strike," Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "I would have made the same call myself."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that he backs a September 2 decision to launch a second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.

"I fully support that strike," Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "I would have made the same call myself."

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A video of the attack was shown to members of Congress on Capitol Hill behind closed doors on Thursday, days after reports surfaced that the commander overseeing the operation ordered a second strike to take out two survivors to comply with Hegseth's direction that everyone should be killed.

Officials from President Donald Trump's administration have since said that Hegseth did not order the additional strike, and that Admiral Frank Bradley, who led the Joint Special Operations Command at the time, concluded the boat's wreckage must be neutralized because it might contain cocaine.

Hegseth on Saturday repeated his account of the day, saying that he had seen the first strike on September 2, but then left the room to attend another meeting. He declined to say whether the administration would release the full video, calling the issue "under review."

The top deck of US Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, with fighter jets, December 1, 2025; illustrative. (credit: Seaman Abigail Reyes/US Navy/Handout via REUTERS)

September 2: The first in a series of US attacks on drug vessels

The September 2 attack was the first of 22 on vessels in the southern Caribbean and Pacific carried out by the US military as part of what the Trump administration calls a campaign to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.

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The strikes have killed 87 people, with one carried out in the eastern Pacific on Thursday.

Accounts of the September 2 strikes have prompted concerns that US forces carried out a war crime.

The video of the attack shown to lawmakers showed two men clinging to wreckage after their vessel was destroyed, according to two sources familiar with the imagery.

They were shirtless, unarmed and carried no visible communications equipment.

The Defense Department's Law of War Manual forbids attacks on combatants who are incapacitated, unconscious or shipwrecked, as long as they abstain from hostilities and do not attempt to escape. The manual cites firing upon shipwreck survivors as an example of a "clearly illegal" order that should be refused.

The Trump administration has framed the attacks as a war with drug cartels, calling them armed groups and saying the drugs being carried to the United States kill Americans.
Melting ice in Norway's remote mountains revealed a 1,500-year-old reindeer trap that remained hidden for centuries, per The Daily Galaxy.

While the discovery offers archaeologists a rare glimpse into ancient hunting practices, it also highlights the accelerating pace of global ice loss threatening modern communities worldwide.

What's happening?

Local hiker Helge Titland discovered the trap in 2024 at 4,600 feet above sea level in Vestland County. The site features large wooden fences and well-preserved hunting tools dating back to the Early Iron Age.

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Researchers from the University Museum of Bergen and Vestland County confirmed the trap's age and historical significance.

"The most unexpected discovery is one or more oars decorated with detailed ornamentation. What these were used for, and why they were brought into the mountains 1,500 years ago, is still a mystery," ystein Skar, an archaeologist with Vestland County Municipality, explained in a press release.

The team also uncovered a brooch carved from reindeer antler, wooden arrows, and iron spearheads.

The trap appears to have been abandoned during a colder period in the mid-sixth century. The logs and reindeer antlers quickly became buried under snow and ice, where they remained preserved until rising temperatures began slowly melting the ice away.

Why is ice melt important?

The discovery is definitely awe-inspiring, but mountain glaciers and ice sheets serve as critical freshwater reservoirs that billions depend on for drinking water and agriculture. As these ice masses disappear, communities are facing everything from water scarcity to increased flooding risk.

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Melting ice contributes to rising sea levels as well, putting homes at higher risk of flooding damage. These changing conditions alter ecosystems and allow disease-carrying insects to expand into new regions  regions once protected by colder temperatures.

There have always been extreme weather events throughout recorded history, but scientific consensus shows that human activity intensifies these disasters, making them more powerful and dangerous to communities across the globe.

What's being done about the ongoing ice melt?

Scientists continue working on improved monitoring systems to track ice-loss patterns and predict their impact on water supplies and weather systems. Mountain regions are also implementing water conservation strategies and developing alternative storage systems to compensate for the loss of ice reserves.

Reducing our reliance on pollution-generating energy sources can help slow the warming patterns driving ice loss, and learning more about how you can help goes a long way toward preserving what remains of our planet's precious ice reserves.



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Pages of history features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at delawareonline.com.

Dec. 15, 1925, The Evening Journal

Niece saves aunt from fiery death

Presence of mind and quick work on the part of two children, a sister and brother, perhaps saved the life of their aunt, Mrs. I.W. Records, from fire last night.

The children also aided in extinguishing a fire which threated to destroy the Records home.

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The young heroine is Annabelle Ridgaway, 14, and the young hero is Allen W. Ridgaway Jr., 12, children of Mr. and Mrs. Allen W. Ridgaway of Bellefonte.

Front page of The Evening Journal from Dec. 15, 1925.

Mrs. Records, a sister of Mr. Ridgaway, was engaged in the kitchen of her home at Bellefonte about 9 oclock last night baking Christmas cakes. Perhaps this was one reason why the Ridgaway children, who live next door, were there.

Mrs. Mary W. Ridgaway, mother of Mrs. Records and grandmother of the children, was the only other person in the house. Mr. Records, a conductor on the Pennsylvania Railraod, was at work.

Without warning, the gasoline stove over which Mrs. Records was working, exploded, scattering blazing gasoline to all parts of the kitchen. Mrs. Records clothing ignited, and Annabelle, who was also in the kitchen, beat out the fire on her aunts dress with her bare hands. Annabelles dress, which was made of wool, did not catch fire.

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Mrs. Records right side and right leg were badly burned but the flames in her clothing might have resulted fatally if not for the quick work of her niece. Annabelles hands were badly scorched but neither aunt nor niece had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

In the meantime, Allen got to work on the flames and through his heroic work, the fire was confined to the kitchen.

Both the children must have been following the firefighting proclivities of their father who arrived at the scene on the apparatus of the Brandywine Fire Company. He was at the firehouse when the alarm came in. The company finished the work which Allen started and ventilated the house afterwards. Neighbors also assisted.

The loss was placed at about $300 .

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More recent firefighting news: Reports say Delaware fire and EMS companies aren't financially sustainable

Dec. 18, 1985, The Morning News

WBOC upheld in case of sound-alike TV station letters

A new Wilmington television station scheduled to go on the air in January was ordered Tuesday to change its call letters to avoid confusion with those of a station in Salisbury, Md.

Vice Chancellor Jack B. Jacobs agreed with Salisbury station WBOC, Channel 16, that it would be harmed if the Wilmington station continued to be known as WBOT.

The Salisbury station argued in a two-day trial last month that viewers and advertisers would be confused by the similarity. A linguistics expert testified that of 17,576 possible four-letters combinations starting with W, no two sound more alike than WBOC and WBOT.

Page B1 of The Morning News from Dec. 18, 1985.

The Wilmington stations general manager, Daniel Slape, said new call letters havent been selected.

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We feel its an incorrect decision, Slape said. Viewers dont identify stations by call letters.

The Wilmington station, which will broadcast on Channel 61, presented evidence of surveys in which New Castle County viewers overwhelmingly referred to stations by channel numbers, rather than call letters.

But Jacobs noted that cable television companies may assign a station to any available channel and that the Salisbury station appears on seven different cable channels.

Thus, in a cable television environment, a television stations channel number is an unstable, unconstant and, hence, unreliable identification source, Jacobs wrote.

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The Salisbury station appears on three different cable channels in Kent County, where it will be in direct competition with the new station. Thomas H. Draper, president of the company that owns the Salisbury station, testified that 10% to 12% of the stations revenue comes from Kent County.

Jacobs wrote that the Salisbury station has invested $150,000 per year, plus an additional $1 million of [air] time to promote the WBOC-TV call letters  a mark that for 30 years has existed as the stations identifying attribute.

He said the Wilmington station has invested only $32,000 in promotion and wont be substantially hurt by changing its call letters because it has yet to go on the air.

The call letter change will be the second for the new station. It first called itself WDVI, but chose a new name to avoid confusion with television station WPVI, Channel 6, of Philadelphia.

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More recent television news: Delaware Online makes surprise cameo on HBO comedy 'The Chair Company'

Dec. 20, 2000, The News Journal

Uneasy future troubles Brandywine School District

Malia Strand doesnt agree with all of the talk of sending students to the schools closest to their homes.

The Wilmington resident and Concord High School senior has been bused to suburban schools for most of her life, and she wouldnt have had it any other way.

Strand said the experiences of students at integrated schools such as Concord in the Brandywine School District help prepare them for roles in an increasingly multicultural society.

Why go to school with the same people in your neighborhood? Strand asked at a meeting this fall of Concords Student Liaison Committee, which the principal created to keep in touch with issues affecting students.

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Few decisions by Delawares General Assembly promise to affect students in northern New Castle County as much as the law mandating the switch to neighborhood schools  ending more than 20 years of busing to bring about racial balance in schools .

Front page of The News Journal from Dec. 20, 2000.

In Brandywine, more than half of all students may have to be assigned to different schools to comply with the law, even though most bus rides in the district are not longer than half an hour.

District officials oppose such a major overhaul and say residents do, too, although Brandywine, unlike other districts, will not have to build new schools.

The man behind the law, House Majority Leader Wayne Smith, R-Clair Manor, also is a district resident. He said Brandywine officials are out of touch with what their neighbors want.

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But Strand and other students want to know why no one asked them how they felt .

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: History in News Journal Dec. 14-20 with teen hero, WBOC-TV dispute
Border czar Tom Homan on Sunday said he supports President Donald Trumps attempts to target Somali immigrants in Minnesota despite the president calling the community garbage.

In an interview with CNNs State of the Union, Homan said he was not aware what the president was thinking when he said he wants Somalis out of the country but added: "I agree with 100 percent what he's doing."

Trump has said we're concentrating on public safety threats and national security threats, Homan told host Dana Bash. He was put in the Oval Office to run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen. That's exactly what we're doing. That's what American people voted for.

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Trump last week said Somali immigrants in Minnesota are "garbage" and he wants them sent "back to where they came from."

Many swiftly condemned the presidents remarks as racist, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). But Trump later doubled down on his comments, saying Somalia "is considered by many to be the worst country on earth" and that Somali immigrants have "destroyed the country." He also personally attacked Omar, who was born in Somalia, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Still, Homan on Sunday denied that the presidents personal beliefs are why immigration officials have set their sights on the Twin Cities.

There's a large illegal alien community there, Homan said, adding moments later: Even we don't know how many illegal Somalis there are because, remember, under the last four years of Joe Biden, there's over 2 million known gotaways people caught on video.

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Homan also denied that ICE agents are using aggressive tactics to detain potential subjects, including U.S. citizens, despite videos of such encounters in various locations.

I'm not in every arrest. I'm not in every operation. I trust the men and women of ICE and border patrol do the right thing, Homan said.

Still, some Republicans have pushed back on the tactics.

In an interview following Homan, Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said there has been a loss of compassion from both immigration officials and protesters during the ongoing ICE raids.

If I were mayor, the very first thing I would do is I'd sit down with ICE and Id say, I want the bad guys out of my city, and I want my citizens to feel safe, Curtis said. Too much of that isn't happening. It's like us against them."
A British family who relocated to Jamaica have begun rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Melissa destroyed their home and business.

Sabrina Morgan-Mitchell, 45, from Bristol, moved to Robins River in the south-west region of Jamaica two years ago with her husband, Dwight, and their three young children.

Their 100-year-old house's doors and windows were ripped off in the storm's 298km/h (185 mph) winds and many of their possessions are ruined. To help them recover, family and friends have launched a fundraiser.

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Mrs Morgan-Mitchell, said: "I have never been so frightened. The roar of a hurricane sounded like a devil."

The family has started putting temporary coverings in different areas of the house [Handout]

After the hurricane warning was issued, the family moved to a small room underneath their house, staying in a closet with a mattress for hours.

Mrs Morgan-Mitchell said the family prayed and read Psalms, which helped calm her children.

After leaving the shelter, she said: "My eight-year-old dropped to his knees screaming and crying, saying 'mummy the house is terrorised', we lost everything."

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She added the destruction left by the hurricane looked apocalyptic.

Their family business hiring out agricultural machines has also been impacted as equipment was destroyed in the storm.

Ms Morgan-Mitchell's family have been receiving support from family and friends [Handout]

The hurricane made landfall on 28 October as a category five storm in Jamaica, where 28 people were confirmed dead.

About 1.5 million people have been affected by the incident - more than half of the country's population.

Mrs Morgan-Mitchell said they still wake up in disbelief about what they went through.

"We've just got to be grateful for life, because a lot of people lost their lives," she said.

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The family have received help from relatives abroad and were given care packages from charity organisations.

They have also begun rebuilding their business, and their children are set to return to school next week after nearly a month off

Rachel, who lives in Bristol, is "like a sister" to Mrs Morgan-Mitchell and a friend of the family.

She said: "Having been there so many times, it's hard to reconcile what it's like now. The house is 100 years old. It's gone, it's unbelievable."

She set up a GoFundMe page to help the family rebuild their lives, and is organising a fundraiser for the family in the Jamaica Club in Gloucester this month.

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More on this story
More than one third of the roughly 222,000 people Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested in the first nine months of the Trump administration had no criminal history, according to newly obtained data, despite the White Houses frequent claims it is targeting violent criminals with its immigration crackdown.

Between January 20 and October 15, nearly 75,000 of those arrested by ICE lacked criminal history, according to data obtained by the University of California, Berkeleys Deportation Data Project in a lawsuit against federal officials.

It contradicts what the administration has been saying about people who are convicted criminals and that they are going after the worst of the worst, Ariel Ruiz Soto, senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told NBC News of the findings.

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The agency has averaged about 824 arrests per day, according to the data, well short of a reported internal goal of 3,000 arrests per day.

ICE stopped posting detailed information about its arrests at the beginning of the second Trump term.

Despite the Trump administration saying it would go after criminals and violent threats, immigration officials have arrested thousands of people with past criminal record, according to newly obtained data (Getty Images)

The data does not include arrest figures covering those detained by the Border Patrol, which has taken an increasingly prominent role under Trump leading deportation crackdowns in cities across the country, though other analyses suggest similar trends.

During a recent operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, fewer than one-third of those the Border Patrol arrested were already classified as criminals, according to internal Homeland Security documents obtained by CBS News.

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As of mid-November, about 73 percent of the roughly 65,000 people in immigration detention after being arrested by ICE and the Border Patrol had no previous criminal conviction, and most of those with convictions were for minor offenses like traffic violations, according to the TRAC immigration database.

The Trump administration has directed unprecedented funding to agencies like ICE and the Border Patrol (Getty Images)

In the course of chasing the Trump administrations goals of a record number of arrests and deportations, immigration officials have detained scores of U.S. citizens, including children, and agents have been accused of random sweeps using racial profiling to target Latinos.

The scope of immigration enforcement is only set to increase under the Trump administration, which has steered $170 billion to ICE and the Border Patrol as part of the Big, Beautiful Bill spending package that passed earlier this year, an unprecedented level of funding.
Women named Bozi are typically perceived as deeply spiritual, compassionate, and principled individuals. They often exhibit strong moral convictions and a natural inclination toward helping others, driven by their inner sense of purpose and connection to something greater than themselves. Their devotion manifests not only in religious practice but in their relationships and professional lives, where they demonstrate remarkable loyalty and integrity.



Bozis tend to be thoughtful and introspective, possessing an inner strength that helps them navigate challenges with grace and resilience. They often serve as pillars in their communities, offering wisdom and support to those around them. While they can be private about their deepest beliefs, their actions consistently reflect their core values of service, kindness, and faithfulness. Their combination of spiritual depth and practical compassion makes them natural leaders in both family and community settings, often inspiring others through their quiet example rather than overt influence.
The IDF said the facilities were part of the groups older entrenchment network and were no longer active.

The IDF destroyed a tunnel shaft and a weapons depot previously used by Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon on Sunday, the military stated.

Soldiers located and neutralized the shaft, where mortar rounds intended for use against Israel were found during the war, while other troops separately demolished a former Hezbollah weapons storehouse.

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The IDF said the facilities were part of the groups older entrenchment network and were no longer active, but were dismantled to prevent future exploitation.

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon on June 27, 2025. (credit: RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images)

Ceasefire requirements

Under the terms of the ceasefire that went into effect in November 2024, Hezbollah is required to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon.
The terrorist approached soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip, "posing an immediate threat" according to the IDF.

The IDF killed a terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, the military stated.

The terrorist had reportedly approached the soldiers, posing what the IDF referred to as "an immediate threat."

The Yellow Line marks the border between the IDF and Hamas-controlled territories in Gaza.

Previous line breaches

This followed two separate Saturday incidents in which terrorists crossed the Yellow Line, resulting in three terrorists being killed by the IDF.

IDF troops operate behind the Yellow Line in Gaza, November 20, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Since the start of the ceasefire, the IDF has reported breaches of the Yellow Line on a near-daily basis.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) ripped President Donald Trump on Sunday  saying he has an unhealthy and creepy obsession with her and other Somalis living in the U.S.

The Minnesota lawmaker, during an appearance on Face the Nation on CBS, was asked by host Margaret Brennan about the presidents comments earlier this week. Trump on Wednesday said he did not want more Somalis like Omar  whom he called garbage and a terrible person  to come into the U.S.

They contribute nothing. I dont want them in our country, Ill be honest with you, the president said. Some will say that is not politically correct. I dont care. Their country is no good for a reason.

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Omar on Sunday said she and other Somalis were sickened by his comments.

Its disgusting, its completely disgusting, Omar said. These are Americans that he is calling garbage. And we feel like there is an unhealthy obsession on the Somali community and an unhealthy and creepy obsession on me.

She continued, saying it could lead to violence against Somalis.

This kind of hateful rhetoric and level of dehumanizing can lead to dangerous actions, Omar said.

Trumps comments were made a few days after The New York Times reported some Somalis living in Minnesota orchestrated a fraud scheme that, according to federal prosecutors, stole more than $1 billion in taxpayers money. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), The Hill reported on Saturday, is now facing stiff criticism from his constituents and other lawmakers over the scam.

Brennan, a moment earlier in the interview, said House Republicans and the U.S. Treasury were looking into a link between the fraud scheme and terrorist activity. She then asked Omar how confident she was the stolen money was not used to fund terrorism.

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Omar chuckled and said she is pretty confident, before saying, But if that is the case, if money from U.S. tax dollars is being sent to help with terrorism in Somalia, we want to know. And we want those people prosecuted.

Watch above.

The post Ilhan Omar Blasts Trumps Unhealthy and Creepy Obsession With Somalis: Can Lead to Dangerous Actions first appeared on Mediaite.
Ilhan Omar on Sunday defended the Somali community in her Minnesota congressional district, saying it was completely disgusting when Donald Trump recently referred to them as garbage.

These are Americans that he is calling garbage, Omar, a Somalia-born Democratic member of Congress, said while responding to the presidents remarks on CBSs Face the Nation. I think it is also really important for us to remember that this kind of hateful rhetoric  and this level of dehumanizing  can lead to dangerous actions by people who listen to the president.

Related: Ilhan Omar says Trump made racist anti-Somali tirade because he knows he is failing

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Those comments from Omar  who also spent some of her CBS interview discussing fraud cases involving Minnesota Somalis in recent years  served as replies to insults from Trump during a cabinet meeting. Beside calling them garbage, the president said Minnesotas Somali community should be sent back to Somalia.

Look at their nation, Trump also said. Look how bad their nation is. Its not even a nation. Its just people walking around killing each other.

Look, these Somalians have taken billions of dollars out of our country  billions and billions.

The Trump administration restricted all immigration cases for Somalis already in the US, along with people from 18 other countries. Community members expected the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area, where most Somalis in the state reside, to see increased immigration enforcement operations. And, as a consequence, the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, recently signed an executive order prohibiting federal, state and local officials from using city-owned parking lots, ramps, garages and lots for immigration enforcement operations.

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On Thursday, Omar penned an op-ed in the New York Times claiming that Trump was resorting to racist attacks because various campaign promises  including a better US economy  have been failing.

While the president wastes his time attacking my community  the promises of economic prosperity he made in his run for president [in 2024] have not come to fruition, Omar wrote in the Times. The president knows he is failing, and so he is reverting to what he knows best: trying to divert attention by stoking bigotry.

Attention on Minnesotas Somali community ramped up in recent weeks as the right wing has seized on fraud cases in the state. Dozens of Somali residents were convicted in a scheme that involved lying to the state to receive reimbursements for meal disbursements, medical care and other services. The investigations into the series of fraud schemes spanned years  one of the most significant cases had charges filed three years ago.

One of the cases revolves around an organization called Feeding Our Future, which partnered with state agencies to distribute meals to children. Federal prosecutors alleged that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the organization submitted fake documents to trick government officials into thinking they served food to thousands of children. The groups founder was convicted in March. US House Republicans have since launched an investigation aimed at how fraud cases were handled by Tim Walz, Minnesotas Democratic governor who was his partys vice-presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election won by Trump.

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Omar on Sunday said she was among the first members of Congress who called on the fraud in question to be investigated. She also said the fraud was reprehensible.

Furthermore, Omar denied Trump administration allegations that taxpayer money involved in fraud investigations in Minnesota was siphoned to a terrorist organization in Somalia.

The treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said his department was investigating whether the taxpayer money was going to al-Shabaab, a terrorist organization in Somalia. House Republicans have also echoed those claims.

There are people who have been prosecuted and who have been sentenced, Omar said. If there was a linkage in that  the money that they had stolen going to terrorism  then that is a failure of the FBI and our court system in not figuring that out and basically charging them with these charges.

Bessent also said those involved in the fraud donated to Omars campaign. Omar said on Sunday: We sent that money back a couple years ago.
Dec 6 (Reuters) - India will send investigators to the United States next week to go over data gathered on the deadly Air India flight crash in June with the National Transportation Safety Board, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

Indian investigators plan to share findings, including any information gleaned from the plane's cockpit voice and flight data recorders, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

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The meeting will occur at the NTSB's headquarters in Washington D.C., the report said, adding that other parties' representatives, including Boeing, will be present.

Boeing deferred to Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) when Reuters reached out for comment. NTSB, India's civil aviation ministry and the AAIB did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and altitude shortly after takeoff. All but one of the 242 people on board were killed and 19 others on the ground also perished.

(Reporting by Yazhini MV in Bengaluru; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Aurora Ellis)
With extreme weather comes great financial responsibility. Some insurance companies are allegedly attempting to skirt that responsibility.

What's happening?

"Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there," is a motto that now feels disingenuous to Koteiba Azzam, a homeowner from Sunland Park, New Mexico. Insurance Business Magazine has reported that Azzam filed a federal lawsuit accusing State Farm of orchestrating a company-wide strategy to underpay insurance claims.

Azzam claims that the investigation conducted by State Farm after a burst pipe damaged his house was deemed "insufficient and unreasonable," resulting in a lack of coverage, leaving the house in disrepair, and leading to the premature closure of his case.

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The basis of Azzam's lawsuit is allegations that State Farm and its consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, adopted a claims management system called "Fire ACE," which was a plan to turn the claims department into a profit center.

Under this new system, State Farm would reduce payouts, incentivize claim denials for agents and adjusters, and make lawsuits more treacherous for policyholders, to the point of escalating minor claim challenges to aggressive litigation. The filing also accuses State Farm of using preset claim values rather than matching actual market values for repairs.

Why are profit-driven claim denials important?

More extreme weather events are happening every year across the country and the globe. Citizens need to depend on their insurance to pay out regardless of whether they are also addressing five other claims or five thousand simultaneously.

One of the largest mass payouts was for the Los Angeles County wildfires in January 2025. According to the California Department of Insurance, 41,892 claims were filed with a myriad of insurance companies, and more than $20 billion in payments have already been paid. However, 38,916 of those claims were partial payments  roughly 93% of all claims.

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Dirty fuels, also known as dirty energy, cause extreme weather and many illnesses. This pollution causes everything from asthma and lung cancer to wildfires and freezing temperatures. If governments and corporations were to address the problems head-on and reduce their dependency on dirty energy, it would make our citizens immensely healthier, our land safer, and extreme weather events rarer, ultimately reducing insurance payouts.

What's being done about profit-driven claim denials?

Azzam's filing against State Farm is currently active. State Farm presently has over 96 million active policies and accounts.

This lawsuit will bring national attention to a big problem, inspire change across all insurance platforms, and protect more citizens from the fear of never receiving the coverage they are owed.



Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Israel often brings its crises to other countries and tries to evade taking responsibility for the "horrifying massacres it committed in Gaza," Sharaa told the crowds.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of exploiting October 7 and its security concerns at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday.

Israel has become a country that is in a fight against ghosts, Sharaa said, claiming that Israelis use their security concerns, and they take October 7 and extrapolate it to everything happening around them.

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Israel often brings its crises to other countries and tries to evade taking responsibility for the horrifying massacres it committed in Gaza, Sharaa told the crowds.

Since Sharaa ousted Bashar al-Assads regime, he told the forum that he has sent a positive message regarding regional peace and stability. He added that his regime does not seek conflict, including with Israel. However, in return Israel has met us with extreme violence, and Syria has suffered massive violations of its airspace, and weve been victims of over 1,000 air strikes, and over 400 incursions.

These statements come as Syrian minorities and international agencies, including the UN, have accused his regime forces of targeting ethnic minorities  including the Druze in Sweida and the Alawites in Latakia.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said at the forum that Gaza's international stabilization force should deploy along the Yellow Line, marking IDF-controlled territory in Gaza to verify the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Strip.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with Reuters at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 6, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

The Turkish FM, Hakan Fidan, said negotiations over the Gaza stabilization force remain ongoing, including its mandate and rules of engagement, and that its main objective should be to separate Israelis and Palestinians along the border.

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Fidan's Norwegian counterpart said that the force and the Board of Peace must be put in place this month, adding that the current ceasefire was "fragile and cannot hold for many more weeks in its current phase," while at the same forum.

He said the international stabilization force needed to function as a peacekeeping force.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at the forum that negotiations on consolidating the US-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a "critical" moment.

Mediators are working to force the next phase of ceasefire forward, the Qatari prime minister, whose country has been a key mediator in the war, said during a panel at the Doha Forum conference in Qatar.

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"We are at a critical moment. It's not yet there. So what we have just done is a pause," al-Thani said, referring to violence subsiding after the Gaza truce took effect nearly a month ago.

"We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire. A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces - (until) there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out - which is not the case today."

International force would use 'all necessary measures' to demilitarize Gaza

The international force would "use all necessary measures" to demilitarize Gaza, protect civilians and aid deliveries, secure Gaza's borders, and support a newly trained Palestinian police force, according to a drafted UN Security Council resolution proposed by Washington.

US President Donald Trump is expected to announce Gaza's "Board of Peace" and the transition to the second phase of the US-backed Gaza deal in the next three weeks, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two US officials and a Western source familiar with the details.

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Organizers say the Doha Forum is a neutral platform intended to promote dialogue on issues ranging from conflict resolution to economic inequality.

This years theme, Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress, is aimed at moving from rhetoric to concrete policies, with sessions on Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, and broader NorthSouth divides.

Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson and his media partner, Daily Caller co-founder Neil Patel, are participating in this years forum.

For many in Israel and the Jewish world, however, the optics of prominent Western conservatives attending an event hosted by a state that has supported Hamas are deeply uncomfortable, especially in the wake of the October 7 massacre and the ongoing war in Gaza.

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Mediaite reported that US Senator Ted Cruz, another strong supporter of Israel, mocked Carlsons participation with the hashtag #QatarFirst, while Florida-based activist Laura Loomer again accused Qatar of bankrolling what she calls pro-Islamist narratives in the American right.

This is a developing story.
The pilot cadets hosted visitors and drank alcohol at the hotel in violation of the IAF's rules, creating a risk of leaking classified information.

The Israel Air Force sent 15 flight cadets to military jail for three to six days due to potential security leaks, it said on Sunday.

In addition, one of the trainees commanders, a major, will be court-martialed for his role in the incident.

According to the IDF, the flight cadets in a pilot program had completed a special, intensive training period. It was supposed to conclude with a weekend at a hotel, but under strict conditions requiring the trainees to remain isolated from any civilians.

Haredi soldiers completing an F-16 aircraft technicians course, and will ensure the operational readiness of IAF fighter jets. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Israeli cadets hosted visitors, drank alcohol in violation of IAF rules

Many of the cadets, however, hosted visitors, including significant others, at the hotel in violation of the rules. They also drank alcohol, creating the potential for a leak of classified information.

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The cadets may still be allowed to graduate from the pilot course, but each case will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Some of the cadets who were given stricter punishments were penalized more severely for initially failing to confess to violating the rules, with the IDF requiring two separate probes over the weekend before discovering the full details of the incident.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Sunday he agrees with Michelle Obama that the U.S. is not yet ready for a woman president, but he still intends to support women candidates.

Clyburn was responding to separate comments from former Vice President Kamala Harris  who writes in her book that sexism and racism played a role in her defeat in the 2024 presidential election  and Obama, who once again swatted down speculation that she may run for president one day in public remarks last month.

As we saw in this past election, sadly we ain't ready, the former first lady said at an event in New York. That's why I'm like, Don't even look at me about running because you all are lying. You're not ready for a woman.

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Clyburn  an ardent supporter of Harris presidential campaign  said, I understand exactly what Kamala Harris has said, adding that he spoke with the former vice president last week.

Michelle Obama is absolutely correct. If you look at the history, we demonstrated that we are not ready, he said during an interview on NBCs Meet the Press with host Kristen Welker. These are incredible women who have run  Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris. And I think that we are getting there.

Still, Clyburn said he hopes for more women candidates to run and that he intended to support them despite disappointing results in recent presidential elections.

Just because it doesn't seem that we are ready doesn't mean we should stop the pursuit.  And so we may be in a dark moment as it relates to women serving as president, but we may be in that moment just before dawn when a woman will serve, Clyburn told Welker. And in order for that to happen, they have got to run. So I want women to run. I'm going to support them.

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Clyburn, the only Democrat from South Carolina in Congress, also warned about the possibility that the Supreme Court could gut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act this term by prohibiting states from considering the racial composition of voting populations when drawing congressional lines.

His new book, The First Eight, tells the story of South Carolina's first eight Black members of Congress who were elected in the aftermath of the Civil War before South Carolina disenfranchised most of its African American population in the 1890s. Clyburn, when he was elected in 1992, became the state's ninth Black member of Congress.

The courts conservative justices signaled in October that they would be open to reversing a longstanding interpretation of the landmark civil rights-era legislation, potentially laying the groundwork for Republicans to redraw as many as 19 House seats to favor the GOP.

I believe that what we are approaching with this Supreme Court could very well result in the next century being one that will repeat that which took place in the previous century in 1877, Clyburn told Welker.
A federal judge dealt a setback Saturday to the Justice Department's effort to re-indict former FBI Director James Comey, blocking prosecutors access to key evidence from email accounts and a computer belonging to close Comey friend and attorney Daniel Richman.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted a temporary restraining order sought by Richmans lawyers, requiring that the evidence be sequestered pending a ruling on Richmans claim that the government illegally retained his emails and other data.

The Court concludes that Petitioner Richman is likely to succeed on the merits of his claim that the Government has violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures by retaining a complete copy of all files on his personal computer (an image of the computer) and searching that image without a warrant, Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a four-page order filed Saturday, one day after Richmans attorneys requested the emergency order.

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Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee based in Washington, issued the restraining order before getting a formal response from prosecutors to a petition Richman filed last week seeking return of his data. However, she said a lack of clear indication about who currently has the data and where it is stored supported her conclusion that a temporary order limiting access to the trove of records was warranted.

Uncertainty about its whereabouts weighs in favor of acting promptly to preserve the status quo, Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Richmans communications are a central aspect of the case prosecutors are attempting to bring against Comey.

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A copy of the law professors personal computer, iCloud account and Columbia University email accounts were obtained by the Justice Department in 2017, following Trumps firing of Comey as FBI director. Richman allowed investigators to make an image of his computer during an investigation into an alleged disclosure of classified information. The FBI later obtained other records through search warrants.

After the Justice Department charged Comey in September for allegedly lying to Congress about his contacts with the media, Comeys attorneys contended that prosecutors had improperly relied on Richmans records, some of which may have included information protected by attorney-client privilege.

Richmans attorneys have argued that prosecutors and investigators were obliged to return or destroy the data once the initial investigations concluded and that the FBI appears to have examined data not within the scope of the warrants.

Its unclear just how significant a lack of access to Richmans records would be for the Justice Departments efforts to re-indict Comey. Investigators would likely have access to some of the emails from other sources. However, Comeys lawyers have already argued that access to Richmans data tainted the investigation that led to Comeys indictment in September on charges of lying to and obstructing a Senate committee.

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And U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, who helped manage the Comey case, said the lone grand jury witness  an FBI case agent  may have viewed material that should have been protected, threatening the entire case.

The issue was never fully resolved because U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie dismissed the charges against Comey after concluding the lead prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed to her position. Still, prosecutors are weighing whether to seek a new grand jury indictment against Comey, and the Richman material could come back into play.

Richman was not charged in the case filed against Comey. No one was charged in the earlier investigations.

Kollar-Kotelly put the dispute over Richmans data on a fast track, ordering the Justice Department to confirm by Monday that it has complied with her order and to respond to Richmans legal arguments by Tuesday. She did not immediately schedule a hearing on the issue, but said her order limiting access to Richmans emails and computer files will be in effect through Friday unless she cancels it before then.
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Brok has deep roots in Norse mythology and medieval European culture. In Norse mythology, Brokkr (the Old Norse form) was a dwarf brother of Sindri who helped create some of the most powerful artifacts of the gods, including Thor's hammer Mjolnir. This mythological connection gives the name significant weight in Scandinavian cultural heritage. In Christian contexts, while not a biblical name, Brok gained acceptance through its association with steadfastness and hard workqualities valued in Christian ethics. The name's meaning of 'badger' connected with medieval Christian symbolism where animals often represented moral lessons, with the badger symbolizing persistence and determination in faith.



During the medieval period, names derived from animals were common throughout Europe, and Brok represented the admired qualities of the badger: industriousness, courage, and the ability to defend one's home and family. The name traveled with Norse settlers and traders, eventually finding its way into various European naming traditions. In Christian communities, it was sometimes adopted by families who valued the practical virtues it represented, seeing parallels between the badger's characteristics and Christian ideals of perseverance and protection of the vulnerable.
Michael Holland and his wife, Anne Louise Bannon, built up an extensive collection of Christmas decorations, including heirlooms from their respective childhoods over the 27 years they lived in their Altadena home.

We tried to buy a new ornament every year as part of our tradition, Holland told the Guardian.

Those ornaments  along with the majority of the couples possessions  are now gone. Holland and Bannons home burnt down in the early hours of 8 January 2025.

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This holiday season will look markedly different for Holland, Bannon and thousands of other Angelenos who were displaced by Januarys devastating wildfires.

The Pacific Palisades fire was the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, destroying 6,800 structures and killing 12 people. To the east, the Eaton fire devastated the neighborhood of Altadena, with 19 confirmed fatalities. More than 9,400 structures were destroyed across Altadena and neighboring Pasadena and Sierra Madre. Notably, the Eaton fire disproportionately affected Black homeowners in the area, with nearly half of the Black households destroyed or majorly damaged by the blaze, according to estimates from researchers at University of California, Los Angeles.

Holland, 64, and Bannon, 67, are currently living in an apartment in Pasadena, about 2 miles (3km) from the lot where their house stood. This holiday season, the couple is starting from scratch, Holland says.

They are planning on getting a small tree and placing it in the picture window on the side of their apartment.

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Maybe well put some icicle lights across the window too, he said. But there is no replacing the decades of memories that burned.

Jodie Ludwin and her family had just moved to the Pacific Palisades in September 2024 from England.

Our aim was to be there for a while, maybe even forever, she told the Guardian. Just a few months later, they were back in England, watching their former neighborhood become engulfed in flames on TV. We had gone to LA with 15 huge suitcases and we came back with a carry-on suitcase for the five of us.

Related: First rebuilt home in wake of LA fires celebrated in Pacific Palisades

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Ludwin, 36, had a house in London to return to and is acutely aware of how fortunate her family has been throughout the process.

Peoples lifelong homes were there and they lost everything, she said. Wed only just moved there. I guess for us, it was more just like our American dream had died.

This holiday season, Ludwin is focused on creating happier memories with her three children and husband in the UK. They booked a trip and will be spending Christmas with their extended family.

It makes you realize that anything can be taken from you within a second, she said.

Despite loss and heartache, the communities impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires are beginning to find reason to celebrate. In November, the first rebuilt home in the Pacific Palisades was officially completed. Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass confirmed that the home had passed relevant safety inspections and was ready for occupants, saying in a statement: The Palisades community has been through an unimaginable year, and my heart breaks for every family that wont be able to be home this holiday season.

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But today is an important moment of hope, she added.

Melissa Merritt moved to Altadena in 2019 with her son, daughter and then husband. On the morning of 8 January, she recalled getting a call from her neighbor, Rich Rieber: He said: Im standing in front of your house and its on fire. What do you want out of it?

Merritt, 44, and her kids had already evacuated to her mothers house in Pasadena. She told Rieber where her important documents were, and then the call dropped. A few hours later, he called back.

I got your files, and I also got the stuffed animals off the kids beds, and their bikes out of the garage, she recalled him saying, through tears. To not have to replace all those things has been amazing and the fact that my kids still have things that are meaningful to them is so special. He will always be that guy for our family.

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Currently, Merritt and her family are living in Pasadena. It has been a trying couple of years for her: in October 2023, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to take two semesters off from nursing school to undergo treatment. At the time of the fires, Merritt said that she was still kind of putting the pieces back together. She had recently gone back to school and was preparing for a major reconstructive surgery.

In some ways I felt like I was better equipped to deal with [the fires] than other people, just because it was just adding one more thing to what had already been a really hellish year, she said.

As the holiday season approaches, a specific regret has come up time and time again for Merritt.

The one box that I wish that I had asked my neighbor to grab was the Christmas ornament box, she said. The loss of that one box just hurts more than most everything else.

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Over the past few months, Merritt has scoured eBay to find ornaments similar to the ones they lost.

Having little bits that remind us of something that was has actually been really nice as weve been putting up our tiny little tabletop tree, she said.

Come Christmas Day, Merritt and her kids will be flying across the Atlantic, as they embark on their first international trip to England.

Its a celebration of [her childrens] resilience, of finishing school, finishing cancer treatment, she said. Were all so excited about it.
A Lakewood man who died following a two-vehicle wreck near Mason County Friday afternoon has been identified, according to the Washington State Patrol.

About 3:40 p.m., Christopher R. Rankin, 25, was headed east on state Route 302 near Mason County. Troopers say he crossed the center line and crashed into a westbound driver from Salem, Oregon.

Both drivers were injured and taken to area hospitals. Rankin later died at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma.

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According to State Patrol, Rankin was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

The 46-year-old woman from Salem was injured and taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, according to State Patrol.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Alcohol or drugs were not a factor in the wreck, according to State Patrol.

Following the collision, SR 302 was blocked for about four hours, troopers say.
"Unintended consequences" tend to be implicitly unwanted, but the sudden advance of American "balcony solar" setups could be the rare exception, The Guardian reported.

By now, most people know what solar panels are, though a scant 7% of homes in the United States are solar-powered, according to the outlet.

The average American might also be aware that the federal government adopted a hardline stance against many forms of clean energy in 2025, in a significant blow to the solar industry.

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However, you'd be hard-pressed to find one bill-paying person in the U.S. unaware that energy costs have painfully skyrocketed in recent months, due in large part to a data center boom.

Installing solar panels is a well-known way to lower utility bills  but recent policy shifts targeted the very subsidies that made switching to solar financially feasible for many Americans.

"Balcony solar," also known as "plug-in solar," acquired its nickname after German apartment dwellers  presumably in situations where rooftop solar was too permanent  began adopting it en masse.

It's likely Americans seeking midpoint solutions to the energy affordability crisis have discovered balcony solar, but there's a reason it's not dotting the Manhattan skyline just yet: regulatory barriers.

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Clean energy expert David Roberts spoke with Cora Stryker, an advocate of balcony solar, on his podcast, Volts, on Nov. 25. Stryker explained that in the U.S., balcony solar is not functionally compliant with standing regulations requiring utility provider permission.

As The Guardian noted, Utah state lawmaker Raymond Ward recently read about balcony solar and realized a "minor adjustment to the law" would allow residents to access it. He also opined that Utah's legal barriers were unreasonable.

"The state law said that if you put any power back on the grid, even one electron, you need a contract with the utility, which is just crazy," Ward remarked, adding that the change had bipartisan support and that he expected several state legislatures to follow Utah's lead.

If you don't have solar panels on your home, which of these factors is the biggest barrier to installing them? Upfront costs Trouble with my HOA Too much maintenance An incompatible roof Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Kevin Chou, of the balcony solar advocacy group Bright Savers, attributed this surge of interest to federal policy changes that inadvertently shifted the focus of clean energy to the state level.

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"There's real momentum behind this now. In states where electricity is more expensive, in particular, I think we will see market forces really carry this far," Chou said. A New York State lawmaker recently introduced a bill to permit balcony solar.

Chou added that balcony solar wouldn't just save households money  scattered use of solar could "maybe knock 5% off emissions" with affordable, plug-and-play equipment.



Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
When an old church on Congress Avenue in Bath went on the market a few years ago, Bath Housing Executive Director Debora Keller saw an opportunity.

That site came available, and we just grabbed it, we bought it. We didn't have a plan, she said.

This was part of their new model, a shift from how housing authorities have operated in the past.

We don't know if we'll develop it. We don't know if we'll find a partner, but we think it's a good site for some type of housing, Keller said, and we want to be part of the divisioning, the strategy of making that happen.

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Communities throughout the state have had to rethink their approach to housing as Mainers have faced soaring rent and home prices over the last five years. The growing housing crisis has put pressure on municipalities to ramp up production, but rising construction costs and other factors have made building more difficult since the pandemic.

In some cities, housing authorities are stepping up to help their communities figure out how to navigate the increasingly complex landscape of building and preserving housing.

Historically, housing agencies largely managed voucher programs and low-income public housing. But in the last decade theyve taken on more real estate development, and are increasingly partnering with private developers to get different kinds of projects built.

It's great to see housing authorities stepping forward to recognize how important it is for them to play a role and to use these new resources to develop in their communities, said Liza Fleming-Ives, executive director of The Genesis Fund, which works with groups throughout the state to help finance and coordinate new housing projects.

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As community needs have changed, housing authorities have changed with them, Fleming-Ives said. Theyre no longer just managing low-income rental units, but using new state funding pools to address housing needs across different income levels through affordable home ownership projects, partnerships with private developers and local employers, and smaller-scale rental housing in rural Maine.

They may be more uniquely able to blend some sources, both federal and state, to make development happen, Fleming-Ives said.

A 2023 Maine Housing study outlined the severity of the housing crisis, finding that the state needs to add at least 76,000 housing units by 2030 to account for the current shortage and projected population growth.

Since Gov. Janet Mills took office in 2019, the state has invested $315 million in housing, adding 2,100 new apartments and homes, Jackie Farwell, spokesperson for the Governors Office of Policy Innovation and Future, said in an email. Another 1,800 units are currently under construction, and Maine Housing has approved an additional 1,500 for financing.

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The state doesnt currently have a reliable way to track total housing production, but legislation passed this year will require municipalities of at least 4,000 people to report building permits, demolition permits and certificates of occupancy. The first full year of data will be released in early 2027.

Barriers to building vary depending on the area. High construction costs remain the biggest obstacle, but complex water and sewer hookups, community opposition and zoning challenges have also led projects to fall through before construction crews break ground.

Overcoming these challenges requires thinking outside the box to get projects approved, funded and built quickly, which Keller of Bath Housing thinks housing authorities are well positioned to do.

In Bath, her group works directly with residents to understand what communities want  and dont want  to try and ensure projects dont get killed. They also have the ability to navigate the complicated landscape of grants, low-interest loans and other funding sources that for-profit developers may not have access to, and have an established relationship with the city government.

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Housing authorities in other parts of the state, including in Bangor, Biddeford and South Portland, have also made concerted efforts to ramp up production in recent years.

A critical part of that shift has been investing in a real estate development team, said Mike Myatt, the executive director of Bangor Housing.

Before the pandemic, Myatt was managing the day-to-day work of Bangor Housing and squeezing in real estate development work at night. But the pandemic moved his focus away from development and toward Bangor Housing residents who needed more support. Since then, Myatt said theyve been able to hire a full team to focus on pursuing new projects.

Once I finally figured out that that was the missing piece, we've taken off like a rocket, Myatt said.

The Moses Block building was previously home to one of the oldest YMCA gyms in the country. The building was part of a historic preservation project that added four new apartments and renovated 10 additional units in downtown Bath. Photo by Taylor Nichols.

Bangor Housing added 32 income-restricted units in 2023, and has plans for 130 more in the coming years, addressing about a quarter of the citys current shortage of 700 rental units for low-income residents, Myatt said.

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The Developers Collaborative is one of the main developers behind affordable housing in the state, sometimes working in partnership with housing authorities. The firm has worked on at least 40 projects in 16 different cities and towns, from homeless shelters in Portland to workforce housing in Ellsworth. Theyve also done market-rate, commercial and historic preservation projects.

The great thing about housing authorities is that they are firmly rooted in one town, said the collaboratives founder, Kevin Bunker. They have that holy pulpit of we are part of the community. We are you. We are your neighbor. If they leverage that, its very powerful.

Housing authority leaders said they have had failures that taught them how critical it is to involve different community groups in the conversation and address concerns early on.

The Uptown, a 46-unit building in downtown Bath for seniors with mixed income levels, opened to tenants in spring 2024. Photo by Taylor Nichols.

In 2017, Bath Housing and The Szanton Company, a real estate developer and property manager, proposed a workforce housing development for a vacant site that met vocal opposition from community members concerned the site didnt have enough parking. The city ended up tabling the project. While frustrating, it forced them to reflect on how they needed to change their approach, Keller said.

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As we started thinking about partnering with other developers and thinking about other projects, we went about it really differently, Keller said, making sure you're really having conversations and listening to the people that will be impacted by the project early.

A couple of years later, when two historic buildings downtown and a parking lot nearby came on the market, Bath Housing bought them with the intention of keeping costs stable for the commercial and residential tenants. They also hoped the parking lot could be used for a future housing development.

They passed the property off to The Szanton Company, which renovated 10 existing units in the building and added four new apartments on the upper floor. They also built The Uptown, a 46-unit building for seniors with mixed income levels on that same vacant site next door. With the addition of the parking lot they were able to get the building approved with less opposition.

Local business owner John Ring, who owns Open Door Books in downtown Bath, was able to move into an apartment above his shop after The Szanton Company renovated the historic building. Photo by Taylor Nichols.

Local business owner John Ring runs Open Door Books, specializing in rare, used and out-of-print titles, out of the first floor of one of those historic buildings on Front Street in downtown Bath. When The Szanton Company finished renovations, Ring said they offered him a unit.

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They called me first because they knew I was looking, he said. He was living in Brunswick at the time and the renovation allowed him to move back to town, right above his business. Its very convenient, he said.

Ring said the previous owner had prioritized renting to small businesses at an affordable price, something The Szanton Company has continued to do.

Theyve been able to keep the rents low, he said.

Since then, Bath Housing has cut the ribbon on a new 18-unit building and has helped facilitate another 155 units that are in the works, all set to be built by the end of 2027. The projects target a range of different income levels, from low-income to those making slightly above the median income in Bath.

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Although Bath Housing helped arrange the development of these projects, they dont always own or manage the property. In some cases they are just stewards of the land, Keller said.

The old church on Congress Avenue is one of those.

They ended up selling that property to Bath Iron Works and the Developers Collaborative, where theyre building 84 units of housing for Bath Iron Works employees. Bath Housing is also building a new 47-unit project and replacing a dated senior living complex on the same block. And theyve reserved a piece of land for single-family homes and duplexes to match the feel of the neighborhood.

Bath Housings new 18-unit apartment building opened in July, designated for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. Its also the site of their new office. Photo by Taylor Nichols.

Bunker of Developers Collaborative said Keller played a key role in making sure the Bath Iron Works project and nearby developments met the needs and expectations of the neighborhood, and it was a condition of the sale that they build something in line with what she had spent at least a year pitching to the community.

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The work being done by Bath Housing and other housing authorities may serve as a blueprint for how smaller communities can attack their housing shortage, said Mathew Eddy, the executive director of the Midcoast Council of Governments.

Bath is a really good example of a community that uses all of its resources to create the housing that they need, Eddy said. You cannot do these housing projects without having everybody engaged.

The Midcoast Council of Governments is piloting a program called Housing Forward, designed with input from Keller and other leaders in the region, to help neighboring towns develop a targeted strategy to address their specific housing challenges. They hope to get their first pilot community started in the coming weeks.

What works in Bath might not make sense for smaller towns or more rural areas, but theres still a need for a cohesive approach across the region, said Alexis Mann, a senior policy strategist who oversees housing initiatives at the Midcoast Council of Governments.

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The plan is for three municipalities in the region to go through the certification process over the next year, where the council will support them in identifying what they need most and how to approach the problem.

The framework outlines three priorities  building new projects, preserving existing homes and making sure projects and policies are inclusive and align with local needs  and the tools to address them.

If an areas top concern is maintaining current housing, potential tools include adopting a short-term rental policy or designating funds to support housing preservation projects. If the goal is to build, streamlining the permitting process or updating zoning regulations is an option.

The idea for this framework really came out of learning best practices from what is being done by creative housing authorities like the one in Bath, Mann said. There needs to be the flexibility for communities to choose what pieces of this puzzle are right for them, with an understanding that those pieces fit within a larger framework.
Local bikers are doing their part to make sure all kids have a Merry Christmas.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, this event is the highlight of the year for the Ohio State Coalition of Clubs.

TRENDING STORIES:

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For the eighth straight year, they delivered over $13,000 in gifts to Montgomery County Childrens Services.

News Center 7s Malik Patterson said this event takes several months of planning.

The bikers did not just donate money. They brought in two trailers full of toys.

You all are a sight to behold and the most precious Santas elves I have ever seen, said Caryolyn Rice, Montgomery County Commissioner.

Thats when the Ohio State Coalition of Clubs started unloading the trailers. They formed an assembly line and got out all the gifts from the trailer.

Each gift was put in different rooms, based on size and age.

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Our news crew spoke with organizers about getting 42 motorcycle clubs to be on the same page.

Who needs the money the most? Whos the most needy child? This is it right here, said Mike Bowling, State Commissioner of the Coalition of Clubs. It feels good, makes everyone feel good because we help the kids and help the county.

Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge also explained why Childrens Services is one of their main focuses during the holidays.

You have to remember the children that are in our care have suffered some problems at home, she said. For them to come down Christmas morning and get a bike. There are a lot of bikes donated. Its just going to make their day.

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Patterson said that organizers are seeing which kid will get what.

They are also making sure they will have enough gifts.

The gifts will be passed out in a few weeks.

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Louisville Metro Police officials disclosed Dec. 7 the names of the officers who fired the gunshots that killed a man at an apartment complex in Hurstborne Acres.

Documents released by LMPD show Michael Crowe and Austin Taylor on Dec. 4 fired at a man police officials said was armed in the 9000 block of Red Deer Circle. Years earlier Crowe was found in violation of LMPD policies in another police shooting.

Crowe, who joined LMPD in 2017 after three years with the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, received a letter of reprimand in December 2022 following an investigation into his actions during a 2021 police shooting by a Walmart on Bashford Manor Lane. Crowe fired at an armed man who police had chased for miles after he drove away from a traffic stop, The Courier Journal previously reported. The man fired shots just before Crowe discharged his weapon.

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In the 2022 letter, then-LMPD Chief Erika Shields wrote she found Crowe to be in violation of the department's pursuit and body camera procedures during the Bashford Manor shooting. Shields said during the police chase, Crowe "travelled in a high rate of speed without light and sirens activated and failed to stop at a stop sign."

Crowe did not have his body camera "in a proper position" to record the pursuit and shooting, Shields wrote. The Courier Journal previously reported Crowe was wearing a vest that covered the body camera, though audio was captured from the recording.

LMPD Officer Michael Crowe

The same letter exonerated Crowe of charges that he violated LMPD's use of deadly force and deescalation policies. Shields said Crowe's decision to fire at the armed man qualified as"quick and justified actions" because the man had fired at officers first.

Since joining LMPD in 2020, Taylor has received one letter of reprimand, for failing to appear for mandatory court attendance in August 2021.

LMPD Officer Austin Taylor

The records LMPD shared Dec. 7 include multiple letters of commendation for both Crowe and Taylor. Both officers are assigned to the Sixth Division.

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Body camera footage from the Dec. 4 shooting has not yet been released by LMPD. A department's policy calls for video recordings to be shared to the public within 10 business days of the shooting.

Both officers fired shots at the man after ordering him to drop his weapon, LMPD Deputy Chief Ryan Bates said Dec. 4. Crowe and Taylor rendered aid at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead by first responders.

Officials have not yet released the identity of the man who was shot and killed Dec. 4.

More: Bodycam shows fatal LMPD shooting after pizza robbery call

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: LMPD identifies officers from Hurstborne Acres police shooting
Two people have been arrested after a man was seriously injured in a pub fight in Liverpool.

Merseyside Police said the 33-year-old has been left in a critical condition after the fight outside the Hare and Hounds in West Derby, just after 00:30 GMT.

He suffered serious head injuries and members of the public came to his aid with CPR in Mill Lane, before he was taken to hospital, the force added.

The two men, aged 24 and 39, were arrested on suspicion of assault. Police have appealed for any witnesses or any CCTV or dashcam footage

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Det Ch Insp Steve McGrath said it was a "serious assault" that has left the victim "in a critical condition in hospital".

He added: "I would like to take the opportunity to thank the caring members of the public who carried out vital CPR on the injured man at the scene prior to the emergency services attending."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

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Freetown Police seized 20 firearms and a quantity of suspected oxycodone following a search warrant at a Gray Oaks Drive residence.

On Thursday, Freetown police were assisting Freetown Fire-Rescue at the residence when they discovered two unsecured firearms. The firearms were owned by 63-year-old Lance Cambra, who did not have a valid firearms license.

After observing concerning behavior from a third party, officers obtained a search warrant for the residence. This led to the seizure of 20 additional firearms, assorted ammunition, and feeding devices.

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Cambra was arrested at the scene, processed at the Freetown Police Station, and transported to Ash Street Jail in New Bedford.

He faces multiple charges, including:

Possession of a Firearm without an FID Card (22 counts)

Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card (1 count)

Improper Storage of a Firearm (2 counts)

Possession of a Class B Drug (1 count)

The case remains under investigation by the Freetown Police Department.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Nearly three decades after 15-year-old Danielle "Danni" Houchins was found dead near a fishing access site in Montana, authorities say DNA has finally led them to her killer  a married father of two who died by suicide just hours after he was interviewed by investigators about the cold case.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy recently led authorities to identify Houchins' killer as 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson.

On Sept. 21, 1996 at about 11 a.m., Houchins left her home in Belgrade, Montana and when she never returned, her family called the police. Her mother found Houchins' truck at a popular fishing access site on the Gallatin River, and later that night, Houchins' body was found face down in shallow water, the sheriff's office said.

Danni Houchins / Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

DNA evidence was collected at the scene and numerous suspects were interviewed over the years, but no arrests were made and the case went cold.

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Finally, authorities renewed efforts to solve the case, and in 2021, when Dan Springer became Gallatin County's sheriff, he brought in two outside experts from California to assist  private investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer, and Sergeant Court Depweg, who specializes in using DNA technology to solve homicides.

Four hairs that were collected from Houchins' body at the crime scene were used to create a partial DNA profile, the sheriff's office said. That profile was ultimately sent to a lab in Virginia, where genealogists used DNA databases to identify Hutchinson as a possible suspect.

On July 23, 2024, Elfmont and Depweg interviewed Hutchinson, who lived about 100 miles away from the crime, in Dillon, Montana.

"During the nearly two-hour interview, Hutchinson, who had lived in Bozeman at the time of Houchins' death, displayed extreme nervousness," the sheriff's office said. "Investigators noted he sweated profusely, scratched his face, and chewed on his hand. When shown a photo of Houchins, Hutchinson slumped in his chair and exhibited signs of being uncomfortable. Upon release, his behavior was observed to be erratic. "

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Early the next morning, officials say, Hutchinson called the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office, saying he needed assistance before hanging up. He was found on the side of the road, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators have determined that Houchins and Hutchinson didn't know each other, describing the murder as a "crime of opportunity." They believed Hutchinson, who at the time was a student at Montana State University, randomly encountered Houchins before raping her and suffocating her in shallow water.

Authorities say Hutchinson graduated with a degree in fisheries wildlife biology and then worked for the Montana Bureau of Land Management for 22 years. He had no criminal history and was married with two adult children.

"This case exemplifies our relentless pursuit of justice. We never gave up on finding the truth for Danni and her family, exhausting all means necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking chapter," Springer said. "The investigation remained open because we knew Danni was murdered and someday, we were going to have the tools available to solve this case."

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Houchins' younger sister, Stephanie Mollet, spoke alongside the sheriff at a news conference Thursday.

"Even though this man will not face a jury of his peers, I have no doubt he was the one who forcefully and violently sexually assaulted my sister, then held her head down in a marsh until she choked to death on mud," said Mollet. "When the time came to face up and account for his violence, he instead chose to end his life. He knew of his guilt and couldn't face my family or his family and the pain he caused."

The announcement by officials in Montana comes just days after a cold case murder in Hawaii was finally cracked with DNA testing. That suspect also died by suicide before he could be arrested.

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A man running from Nashville police seriously injured himself Dec. 6 after diving off a bridge into shallow water in Browns Creek, a news release from the Metro Nashville Police Department said.

Darryn Carter, 31, was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with leg fractures, facial fractures and a collapsed lung, police said.

Police waded into the thigh-deep water, pulled Carter from the bank and remained with him for an hour while the Nashville Fire Department set up a hoist mechanism to bring Carter back to the top of the bridge, MNPD said.

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Police initially came to the area after getting a call about auto burglaries in process at 175 Lafayette St.

When Officer Wyatt Parcel arrived, he saw Carter, who matched the description of the suspect police had been given. Carter got into the drivers seat of a nearby car to conceal himself, police said. Carter quickly exited the car when Parcel drove toward him. Carter walked away and ignored commands while Parcel tried to engage him. Then he dove over the bridge, MNPD said.

Police and Nashville Fire Department personnel stand atop a bridge over Whites Creek while trying to rescue a man who had dove off, into the shallow water below.

Parcel and Officers William Hudson and Dylan Mercado descended the steep terrain around the bridge to get Carter out of the water.

Carter had four outstanding warrants in Nashville for failure to appear in court on gun possession charges and a warrant in Mississippi for a probation violation, according to MNPD. Officers charged him with new drug offenses and a gun charge after police searched his car, which they say contained marijuana, white powder, a pistol and ammunition. Police did not charge Carter with a crime related to an auto burglary, according to MNPD's news release.

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Police said Carter will be arrested once he is released from the hospital.

Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Man dives into shallow creek while fleeing Nashville police
Individuals named Busiris are often perceived as possessing strong leadership qualities mixed with controversial characteristics. They tend to be fiercely protective of their community or domain, sometimes to the point of being overly defensive or suspicious of outsiders. This protective instinct can manifest as either admirable loyalty or problematic insularity. Historically associated figures suggest a personality that is determined, tradition-bound, and willing to make difficult decisions for perceived greater good, though these decisions may be viewed as extreme by others.



The name carries connotations of someone who is deeply connected to their cultural or spiritual roots, potentially stubborn in their convictions, and capable of both great devotion and controversial actions when defending their beliefs or people. There's often an air of authority and ancient wisdom associated with the name, but also a potential for dogmatism. The personality suggested by the name's history includes elements of strategic thinking (as the mythological Busiris developed an elaborate system for capturing visitors) and a strong sense of ritual or tradition, though these qualities can become distorted into manipulation or cruelty when taken to extremes. The name suggests someone who commands respect but may struggle with flexibility and openness to new perspectives.
George Stephanopoulos grilled a Republican Senator who danced around questions about President Donald Trumps pardon of convicted drug trafficker Juan Orlando Hernandez  the former president of Honduras.

In a testy interview Sunday on ABCs This Week, Stephanpoulos confronted Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) about the presidents move to take Hernandez off the hook.

Do you support this pardon of the former Honduran president? Stepohanopoulos asked.

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Im not familiar with the facts or circumstances, Schmitt replied. But I think whats telling here is to try to imply that somehow President Trump is soft on drug smuggling is just ridiculous. Its totally ridiculous.

Schmitt went on to give a nearly two-minute answer in which he defended Trump and the strikes on suspected narco-boats, but did not address the Hernandez pardon. A visibly peeved Stephanopoulos promptly followed up.

What do you mean youre not familiar with the facts and circumstances of the pardon?! Stephanopoulos said. Its been well reported all across the country. He is the former president of Honduras. He was convicted of conspiring to bring in 400 tons of cocaine into the United States, also guns and other materials. Its been front page news across the country. Arent you curious about that?

The senator went on to attack Stephanopoulos while  again  delivering a lengthy answer which didnt address the question.

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Im curious about your pushback on that particular point, Schmitt said. With your previous guest, you had zero pushback because he is, giving the Democrat talking points like you spew every single week, which is probably why your ratings are so bad.

One more time, Stephanopoulos tried to get an answer out of his guest.

Do you support the pardon of the convicted drug smuggler or not? Stephanopoulos asked bluntly.

George, like I said, what were talking about here are the narco-terrorists poisoning Americans, Schmitt said. This attempt to try to focus on a pardon is classic because youve lost the debate now on the narco-terrorist question.

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Trump, last Sunday, defended the pardon by claiming Hernandez was targeted by the Biden DOJ.

I was asked by Honduras, many of the people of Honduras, they said it was a Biden setup, Trump said. He added, He was the president of the country and they basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country, and they said it was a Biden administration setup, and I looked at the facts and I agree with them.

Watch above, via ABC.

The post What Do You Mean Youre Not Familiar?! Stephanopoulos Grills GOP Senator Dodging His Question on Controversial Trump Pardon first appeared on Mediaite.
A jury convicted a Merrillville man Friday in his estranged girlfriends death.

Dennis Jelks, 60, was found guilty of murder and a gun enhancement in the January 2021 death of Angela Carrier, 37, of Crown Point. The jury deliberated for over 4 hours.

His sentencing is Jan. 29.

Carrier went with relatives on Jan. 26, 2021 to the Merrillville Menards to get her mail from Jelks after a breakup. Once there, Jelks claimed he didnt have it. He convinced Carrier to leave with him around 1:35 p.m., and she was never seen alive again.

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Her mother Rose Jones said the couple had a toxic relationship that was violent all the time, court filings show. Jones testified previously she had broken up some of their fights and got into a physical altercation with Jelks.

Texts leading up to the Menards meetup showed Carrier was angry, saying Jelks was stalling on giving her mail back. Relatives testified she needed mail from Social Security to continue getting benefits.

I told you youre trying to postpone (things). Its starting to piss me off Dennis, cuz (sic) thats not right, she wrote. Im to the point where (forget) it, I dont want nothing. I dont even want to talk anymore.

In closing arguments Friday, Deputy Prosecutor Infinity Westberg called several of Jelks details on Carriers disappearance lies and said cell phone location data contradicted several things he told to police.

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The cell phone evidence does not lie, she later said.

Jelks told investigators after leaving Menards, he went with Carrier to buy marijuana from a drug dealer named Tone near 42nd Avenue and Jackson Street. There, two car doors opened, Carrier got into a black car that took off.

He fell, dropped his keys and lost track of the other car, he said. Westberg said it wasnt true.

She admitted it was a circumstantial case. Carrier was found shot twice in the head near a tree by a hunter at Garys Gleason Park on Jan. 30. There was no DNA tying Jelks to the crime scene. The revolver was not recovered.

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Records showed Jelks never went to Tones house that day, Westberg said. Instead, Jelks phone called his twin brother Dwight Jelks starting at 1:57 p.m. Jan. 26 near Gleason Park. In total, he called his brother four times in about five minutes.

A woman who was staying at Jelks home with her friend called him on Jan. 26 after she thought the police knocked on the door. Jelks said she needed to go and his brother would give them a ride. The woman left so hastily, she left the oven on by mistake. She left without her dog and other items, filings show.

After Carrier disappeared, Dennis called several members of her family to create this story that he had nothing to do with her death, Westberg said. Her cell phone and hat were never found. She was found with $100, pills and cigarettes.

Det. Nick Wardrip testified he was assigned to the case in May 2024.

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Defense lawyer Michael Lambert told jurors the evidence was akin to the shiny and empty Christmas gifts in a department store display window.

He did not commit this crime, the lawyer said.

Carrier struggled with drugs, Lambert wrote, citing her mothers testimony, and would go away for extended periods of time. Her family said she would always call when she disappeared, prosecutors said.

If it took 15 minutes to reach Gleason Park from the Menards, Jelks had seven minutes to kill her, Lambert argued. A volatile relationship didnt prove Jelks killed her, the lawyer said.

At 1:57 p.m., Jelks was traveling near Gleason Park looking for Carrier, Lambert said. Jelks appeared to nod in agreement with what his lawyer said.

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The deer hunter who found her body had been in the same area on Jan. 26 from about 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Lambert said. If so, he would have seen Carriers body  not several days later when he was there on Jan. 30.

A theory that Carrier was killed close to where she was found was a relatively new one, noting police cut carpeting from Jelks trunk for DNA analysis and found nothing.

This isnt a popularity contest, this is a murder trial, the lawyer said. He didnt kill that girl. He didnt have time.

A lighter found near Carriers body had traces of her other on-and-off boyfriend Joshua Harpers DNA. Carriers own lighter was in her pocket. Westberg later countered that she could have been carrying two lighters. Harper was in a wheelchair and in physical therapy at the time for falling off a roof at a job site.

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There was no established time of death, Lambert said. Following COVID-19 protocols, an autopsy wasnt conducted for five more days. He noted the hunter was only interviewed a few weeks ago. His memory might have been better in 2021, he said.

Westberg retorted that the signs pointed to Jelks guilt. He sent messages and attempted to look for Carrier and cooperated with police where he believed they didnt have evidence on him  such as letting them search the house where Carrier wasnt killed.

The hunter reportedly saw a 3-foot pool of blood at Gleason Park didnt happen, she said. None of the crime scene investigators spotted it, she said. The man was shaky on the 911 call and traumatized by what he saw, she argued.

Carrier didnt have DNA under her fingernails, suggesting she was killed by someone she knew, Westberg said.

Jelks said Carrier was a sweetheart and he loved her to death.

He did love her to death, Westberg said.

mcolias@post-trib.com
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commemorated the six million Jews murdered during the Nazi dictatorship at the central memorial site of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem on Sunday, during his inaugural visit to Israel.

"We will keep alive the memory of the terrible crime of the Shoah committed by Germans against the Jewish people," he wrote in the guest book.

"Here at Yad Vashem, Germany's enduring historical responsibility is palpable: Germany must stand up for the existence and security of Israel. This is part of the unchanging core essence of our relationship, and will remain so forever."

Yad Vashem is the largest Holocaust memorial in the world. It was founded in 1953 and serves as a place of remembrance, research, documentation and education about the Holocaust. Millions of documents about the Nazi genocide are archived there.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday on his first visit to Israel since taking office in May this year.

Merz is also to visit the Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust and to meet hostages released after being abducted by Hamas, as well as relatives of hostages who were killed or died following the October 2023 attacks mounted by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, Merz met Jordan's King Abdullah in Aqaba before flying to Jerusalem, where he was welcomed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday evening.

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While Merz will be in Israel for less than 24 hours, the visit is one of his most important.

It has come relatively late for a German Chancellor. Merz's predecessor, Olaf Scholz, visited Israel three months after being sworn in, and the previous chancellor, Angela Merkel, waited little more than two months.

The seven-month delay is attributed to the war in the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire has now been holding since October 10.

Merz has indicated that the peace process in Gaza will be one of the main issues on the agenda with Netanyahu.

Difficulties in relations between the two countries will also be up for discussion, after Merz imposed a block on certain arms exports to Israel in response to the operations in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military.

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Netanyahu expressed his anger at this, and the sanctions were lifted two weeks ago.

Merz is thought likely to address the issue of rising anti-Semitism in Germany. The Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, recently warned of leftist anti-Semitism.
There is currently no question of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said after their meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday.

The issue of a possible trip by Netanyahu to Germany had not been discussed, the conservative chancellor said during his inaugural visit to Israel.

"There is no reason to discuss this at present. If time allows, I would issue such an invitation, but this is not an issue for either of us at this point in time."

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Netanyahu is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (CC) in November 2024 for suspected war crimes in the Gaza Strip - allegations he strongly rejects. Israel does not recognize the court and is demanding that the arrest warrant be revoked.

Netanyahu said he would of course be "delighted" to visit Germany again and hold talks with the chancellor in Berlin, but added he was currently unable to do so due to the ICC arrest warrant, criticizing it sharply.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (R) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (L) at the President

Notably, Germany opposed various sanctions proposals in the EU. It is one of the few countries Israel can count on to at least abstain from one-sided UN General Assembly resolutions.

Friedrich Merzs first visit to Israel as Germanys chancellor comes as the relationship between the two countries has been both shaken and strengthened. It was strained by the war in Gaza, yet elevated to new heights with last weeks deployment of the Arrow 3 missile defense system near Berlin.

No European country matters more to Israel than Germany, and few relationships are as laden with history, expectation, and scrutiny. Yet Merzs trip, the first by the elected head of a major European country in several months, marks something new: A mutual dependency that goes far beyond symbolism.

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Two developments in particular have framed this visit. The first was Germanys embargo earlier this year of weapons destined for use in Gaza, a startling development from a country that has long declared Israels security as its raison detre.

If Germany, of all countries, suspended military exports to the Jewish state at a time of war with enemies committed to its destruction, what does that signal about the bedrock of an alliance built on memory and a sense of historic responsibility toward Israel?

The second development cut in precisely the opposite direction: The deployment of an Israeli Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense battery on German soil. Eighty years after the Holocaust, the Jewish state is now defending Germany.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister in Turku, Finland, on May 27, 2025. (credit: LEHTIKUVA/RONI REKOMAA VIA REUTERS)

Arrow 3 flips history in Germany-Israel relations

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at their joint press conference on Sunday, Germany has long worked for Israels defense, but Israel, the Jewish state, 80 years after the Holocaust, now works for the defense of Germany. Nothing captures the transformation of Israeli-German relations more powerfully than that.

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These dramatic swings illustrate how the Gaza war pushed the relationship into unfamiliar territory. Merz came into office in May after months of sharp public criticism of Israels military campaign and ultimately moved to restrict offensive weapons sales.

For Berlin, usually careful not to appear lecturing or moralizing toward Israel, the step was jarring.

Merz acknowledged in Jerusalem that the war placed Germany in a dilemma. He said that Israel had the right and obligation to defend itself after October 7, but added that Germany had obligations rooted in its commitment to human dignity and the rule of law.

Yet he also emphasized something else: The embargo was a moment, not a precedent. Circumstances have since changed, Merz said, and the policy is no longer being pursued. His government has since lifted the restrictions. Germanys core commitment to Israels existence and security, he insisted, remains immutable: It applies today, it applies tomorrow, and it applies forever.

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For Jerusalem, that message matters. And so does the fact that, despite criticism of Israeli operations in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, Berlin remains the bulwark preventing European consensus from sliding toward punitive measures or diplomatic ostracism.

Notably, Germany opposed various sanctions proposals in the EU. It is one of the few countries Israel can count on to at least abstain from one-sided UN General Assembly resolutions.

And it has repeatedly pushed back against efforts to delegitimize or isolate Israel, including the recent attempt to bar Israels participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, which Berlin blocked by making clear it would withdraw and refuse to broadcast the contest if Israel was banned.

If the chancellors overall message was one of enduring responsibility, even amid disagreements over the conduct of the war and long-standing differences over the two-state solution, Netanyahu delivered a message of historical reversal, stressing the countries intertwined destinies.

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Germanys post-Holocaust commitment to Israel, he said, was to help the Jewish people recover from the greatest crime in their history. What has happened since, Netanyahu added, is that we have been able to fend off our enemies and develop capabilities that now allow Israel to reciprocate.

The deployment of the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system in Germany was not merely a defense transaction; it was a moment when history was inverted. It indicates that not only does Germany work for the defense of Israel, but the Jewish State now helps to defend Germany. That is a historic change, emerging at a moment of great international turbulence and transformation.

That is a historic change, emerging at a moment of great international turbulence and transformation.

And Netanyahu pointed to another transformation  not in the worlds vilification of the Jew, which now continues in the form of the demonization of the Jewish state  but in the Jews response to this.

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We may not be able to control the vilification, he said, but we have changed Jewish history. Those who vilify us cannot annihilate us. When they come to do so, as they did on October 7, we push them back. When Iran tries to tighten a noose of death around us using its proxies, we roll them back.

The prime ministers message was part warning to Israels enemies, part reassurance to Jews again facing rising hostility. Israel today faces unprecedented criticism in Europe and the US, some of it fierce, too much of it veering into open antisemitism. Yet Netanyahus point was that the Jews historical vulnerability has been replaced by agency and capability.

Despite the warmth of the visit, however, the disagreement over the two-state solution persists. Merz reaffirmed Germanys long-standing position: A Palestinian state remains, in Berlins view, the best path toward a durable regional order and must be achieved through negotiations, but with recognition only coming at the end, not at the beginning, of the process.

Netanyahu, for his part, made clear he would have no part of it. A Palestinian state as currently conceived, he said, would threaten Israels existence.

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Need proof? Just look at Gaza, which was a de facto Palestinian state, and launched an attack it hoped would trigger a wider war to destroy Israel. Israelis across the political map, he said, have drawn the same conclusion.

Yet what was striking in the room was not the disagreement but the way both leaders framed it as something that does not jeopardize the relationship.

Angela Merkel-era Germany often bracketed disagreements under the heading of friends can say difficult things. Merz took a similar line, but added a caveat: Criticism must never be a pretext for antisemitism, especially not in Germany.

Merzs arrival also carried broader political meaning. Israel, diplomatically isolated for months and confronted by an ICC arrest warrant for its prime minister, is only now beginning to re-engage with Europe. Merzs visit is a first step, with Jerusalem now starting the slow work of reestablishing its standing on the continent.

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In this quest, Germany is the logical place to start. It is the EUs most powerful economy, it is a political heavyweight, and the only major European state whose support for Israel is rooted not only in interests but in identity.

For Germany, too, the visit reflects a recalibration. After the embargo episode, Berlin clearly wanted to reaffirm the relationships durability. The message from both capitals is that this relationship can weather storms.

Germanys friendship is an asset for Israel  diplomatically, militarily, and economically. And Israels friendship, as the deployment of the Arrow 3 system demonstrates, is increasingly an asset for Germany.

As Russian missile development accelerates, as the European Sky Shield Initiative expands, and as Europes defense architecture shifts in the post-Ukraine era, Berlin finds itself relying on Israeli technology, Israeli expertise, and, in a sense unimaginable to earlier generations, Israeli defense.

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The symbolism of the moment is powerful, but the substance is even more so. The Jewish state now helps defend the country that once sought to annihilate the Jewish people.

As Merz said at Yad Vashem, the Holocausts shadow remains indelible and has shaped the identity of both countries, but the present is no longer defined only by the memory of that tragic past. The Arrow 3 deployment shows it is increasingly shaped by a relationship that has moved from obligation to interdependence.
Since 2008, when Angela Merkel visited Israel and spoke of Germanys commitment to Israels security and survival, it has become not just about a commitment of Germany to Israel," but to both sides.

I think its very clear that both countries are attaching importance to keeping the bilateral relations strong, and consolidating the existing relations built over the last few years, former Israeli ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

The conversation came shortly after a joint press conference between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is on his first official trip to Israel.

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Issacharoff noted that relations between the two countries remain strong despite increased tensions and strains over the last couple of years, as both states face significant challenges.

Germany, he said, has had to reevaluate its whole national security perspective since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Israel, of course, has had to rebuild after October 7.

Nevertheless, both countries, despite these changes, are still interested in a strong strategic partnership. Not just bilateral, but also a relationship in the shadow of history, he said.

Jeremy Issacharoff addresses journalists after touring the exhibition ''Auschwitz a Place on this Earth'' with the co-leaders of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) at the SPD's headquarters Willy-Brandt-Haus in Berlin, on January 24, 2022. (credit: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

There are still differences in stance, Issacharoff said, notably the clear German policy against Israeli annexation of the West Bank. In Sundays press conference, Merz called on Netanyahu not to annex the West Bank, and requested Israel recognize a Palestinian state.

Merz meets Netanyahu in visit to Israel

Issacharoff told the Post that Germany has proven its commitment to Israel over the last few years, and Merzs visit is just another example of that.

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He noted that there have been multiple international attempts to take action against Israel, for example, from Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia, and that Berlin has repeatedly blocked them.

He cited the fact that Germany said if the Eurovision Song Contest voted to exclude Israel, it too would pull out. Issacharoff also pointed out that Germany decided against joining France and Britain when they recognized a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

Since 2008, when [former chancellor] Angela Merkel visited Israel and spoke of Germanys commitment to Israels security and survival, it has become not just about a commitment of Germany to Israel, but also a commitment of Israel to Germany.

A recent example of Jerusalems reciprocation was the delivery of the Israeli-made Arrow 3 anti-missile defense system to Berlin this week. The Arrow 3 has significantly boosted Germanys ability to defend itself from potential Russian ballistic missile attacks.
The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Heres a look at Dec. 6, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 8-1-7

Evening: 1-7-3

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 6-7-0-0

Evening: 5-8-5-1

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

11-12-14-34-48, Lucky Ball: 13

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Poker Lotto numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

QH-QS-7C-4D-9H

Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

14-17-33-34-35

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02-24-26-28-38

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Keno numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

02-07-10-15-16-18-19-20-22-24-26-29-34-35-39-43-50-59-61-73-79-80

Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Classic Lotto 47 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

06-21-26-33-37-42

Check Classic Lotto 47 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto Double Play numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

02-14-20-21-33-35

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Heres how to claim your lottery prize

All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lotterys Regional Offices.

To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to:

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Michigan Lottery

Attn: Claim Center

101 E. Hillsdale

P.O. Box 30023

Lansing, MI 48909

For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a drivers license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2.

If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows:

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Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325

Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325

Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325

Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325

Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325

Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325

For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery's prize claim page.

When are Michigan Lottery drawings held?

Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m.

Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily

Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily

Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday

Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily

Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for Dec. 6, 2025
In an effort to reign in hunting pressure from out-of-staters, Montana wildlife commissioners voted unanimously this week to significantly reduce the number of nonresident deer tags available in 2026 and 2027. Under the amendment that was approved at a commission meeting Wednesday, the states fish-and-game department will implement a sales cap limiting nonresident hunters to half the number of general deer licenses sold. (These will be counted separately from the elk combination licenses.)

This could lead to a reduction of around 2,500 nonresident deer tags, according to a report by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. This figure is based on the overall number of general deer licenses that MFWP has sold historically.

The amendment to the two-year hunting rules that resulted in the decision was offered by commission chair Lesley Robinson, who represents the northeast corner of Montana. She noted a significant increase in nonresident hunting pressure in both regions 6 and 7 in the eastern part of the state.

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Relative to residents, the number of nonresident hunters, their hunting effort, and their harvest have become points of focus for the legislature, commission, and the public, including landowners, reads an MFWP report giving a rationale for the tag reductions.

The MFWP report points out that as hunting pressure from nonresidents has increased in recent years, Montanas mule deer populations have declined in many areas. Some of the states whitetail herds are also suffering due to an EHD die-off this fall.

Read Next: When EHD Hits Deer Paradise a Hunter Is Left to Make Sense of the Devastation

The most significant EHD impacts have been in regions 6 and 7 in eastern Montana, which, as Robinson noted, is also where the majority of nonresident deer hunting pressure occurs. MFWP estimates that more than 11,000 nonresident deer tags were sold in those two regions alone in 2023  roughly the same number of tags sold in the other five regions combined. Wildlife managers have likewise estimated that the nonresident deer harvest in both regions exceeds the resident harvest.

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Given these concerns, the agency notes that a reduction of around 2,500 nonresident tags would help alleviate some of the overall harvest pressure, while still providing nonresident hunters with approximately 12,000 deer tags statewide.

These cuts could also lead to a roughly $1.7 million shortfall in license revenue for MFWP, however, which is something the department says it will have to address.

Resident hunters will likewise see changes to deer tag allocations based on the commissioners recent meeting, according to KTVH News. Another amendment that passed unanimously Wednesday will reduce the number of general deer tags a resident can hold from eight to three.

Read Next: Idaho Is Eliminating OTC Deer and Elk Tags for Nonresidents and Moving to a Draw System

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The commission this week also voted to increase the number of archery antelope permits available in most areas of the state. Commissioner Brian Cebull originally proposed increasing the quota of 900-series archery-only tags to 7,000, but later amended his increase to 5,600 after receiving pushback from fellow commissioners and the public.

The 5,600 permits would ensure that nearly every resident applicant draws. Nonresidents would have about a 40 percent chance of drawing every year. The permits would be valid statewide with the exception of Region 3 in southwest Montana.

Commissioners argued that the increase in archery antelope permits runs contrary to public comments on the proposals, which overwhelmingly supported limiting nonresident hunting participation in Montana.

I think you go through all the public comments that we received for this season-setting period, Id say one of the highest concerns we heard was crowding and excessive nonresident permits, noted Commissioner K.C. Walsh.

The commissions actions govern hunting rules and permit quotas for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
More than a dozen new K-9 teams are set to join police departments across Connecticut and Massachusetts after graduating from the 2025 K-9 certification class in East Hartford, officials said.

On Monday, Dec. 8, 13 new K-9 teams from 10 agencies across Connecticut and Massachusetts will be fully certified and return to their communities after an intensive 12-week training program that began on Sept. 8, according to the East Hartford Police Department.

The ceremony will be held on Monday, Dec. 8, at 11 A.M. at Goodwin University in the auditorium.

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The graduating teams represent the following departments:

Hartford Police Department  2 handlers

New Haven Police Department  2 handlers

New Britain Police Department  2 handlers

Ansonia Police Department  1 handler

Putnam Police Department  1 handler

Suffield Police Department  1 handler

Groton City Police Department  1 handler

Vernon Police Department  1 handler

Wallingford Police Department  1 handler

Amherst, Mass. Police Department  1 handler

Each K-9 is certified through the North American Police Work Dog Association in patrol work including tracking, handler protection, and building or area searches. The K-9s also focus on a specialty skill like narcotics, explosives, or gunshot residue, officials said.

On behalf of the entire East Hartford Police Department, I want to thank all the participating agencies for entrusting us with the training of their K9 teams. This class is a perfect example of the regional cooperation that makes our communities safer, said East Hartford Police Chief Mack Hawkins.

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I also want to extend my sincere thanks to East Hartford K-9 Sgt. Todd Mona and his team of instructors for their unwavering dedication to running this training session. Their expertise and countless hours behind the scenes are what makes East Hartford K9 certification programs one of the best in the region.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com
As a name derived from a legendary weapon, Caliburn carries connotations of strength, nobility, and destiny. Individuals with this name might be perceived as natural leaders with a strong sense of justice and purpose, much like the Arthurian heroes associated with the sword. The name suggests someone who bears responsibility with grace and possesses an innate understanding of right and wrong. There's an element of mystique and ancient wisdom implied, connecting the bearer to traditions of chivalry and heroic ideals.



The transition from Caliburn to Excalibur in the legends also suggests adaptability and evolution - someone who can grow and transform while maintaining their core identity. The magical aspects of the sword's legend lend an air of the extraordinary, suggesting a person who might achieve remarkable things or possess unique qualities that set them apart. The name implies a connection to heritage and tradition while also embracing change and progress, much like the Arthurian legends themselves have evolved over centuries.
"These outposts have become forward positions from which raids are carried out on Palestinian villages," N12 quoted security officials as saying.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the evacuation of 14 illegal West Bank outposts defined as "centers of Jewish extremism and nationalist crime," in a recent security meeting, N12 News reported on Saturday.

During the discussion, the cabinet also decided to forcibly remove 70 far Right activists suspected of "conducting severe violence" against Palestinians and others, who are using the outposts as hideouts.

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"These outposts have become forward positions from which raids are carried out on Palestinian villages," N12 quoted security officials as saying, noting that there has also been a recent rise in damaging state symbols and subversion against the state, including attacking Israeli security personnel.

Approximately 30 of these activists have had restraining orders issued against them, with that number reportedly expected to increase.

"Security officials even recommended exercising powers against activists similar to those exercised against Palestinian terrorism," N12 reported, explaining that the meeting also addressed the need to grant more resources to the Shin Bet's (Israel Security Agency) Jewish Division.

Israeli security forces clash with Jewish settlers during the evacuation of Illegal structures in Tzur Misgavi, an outpost in Gush Etzion, in the West Bank, November 17, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/NAAMA STERN)

Netanyahu "is not at all concerned with clearing outposts," N12 quoted a political source as responding. "The prime minister met with senior security officials and social figures with the aim of dealing with a group of lawless youths who are not part of the settlements and do not represent them."

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"Any other headline is wrong and false."

Netanyahu holds emergency meeting over security failures in West Bank

This development comes after Netanyahu held an emergency meeting at the end of November to address the growing concerns over the failure of the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police to contain escalating violence carried out by Jewish extremists in the West Bank.

The meeting took place as dozens of young Jewish men entered the Palestinian village of Huwara and set fire to vehicles and buildings, reportedly in retaliation for the killing of Aharon Cohen, 70, a resident of Kiryat Arba, who was shot dead during a terror attack at the Gush Etzion junction last month.

During the initial security assessment, IDF Central Command head Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth warned: The writing is on the wall. There are normal residents living on the farms, and in the outposts, there are disorderly lawbreakers and rioters.

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National Missions Minister Orit Strock emphasized distinctions between settlers, saying: There are farms and there are outposts, and they are different.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said, There are good people in the outposts as well. It cannot be that you evacuate an outpost, while on the other hand, Arabs who also build illegally in the West Bank are not evacuated.

Avi Ashkenzai, Anna Barsky, and Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday he expected the second phase of the US-sponsored ceasefire plan for Gaza to begin soon, and said he would meet President Donald Trump this month.

The truce, in effect since October 10, has halted the war that began after Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

But it remains delicate as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violations.

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Under the terms of the ceasefire that entered into force on October 10, Palestinian militants committed to releasing the remaining 47 living and dead captives seized on their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

All of the hostages have so far been released except for the body of an Israeli police officer.

Speaking after meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said: "We very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult."

The plan's initial steps saw Israeli troops withdraw to positions behind a so-called "Yellow Line" in Gaza, though still in control of more than half the territory.

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Israel's army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said the demarcation line is a "new border line", the military quoted him as saying later Sunday.

The second stage of the Gaza truce plan concerns disarming Hamas, the further withdrawal of Israeli forces as a transitional authority is established, and the deployment of an international stabilisation force.

A final goal of the agreement is the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza in phases if certain conditions are met.

"We have a second phase, no less daunting, and that is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza," Netanyahu said.

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- Flurry of aid diplomacy -

Qatar and Egypt, which helped secure the long-elusive truce, called Saturday for the next steps to be taken including the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Hamas said on the same day it was ready to hand over its weapons in Gaza to a Palestinian authority on the condition that the Israeli army's occupation ends.

Netanyahu also said he would meet Trump later in December to discuss "opportunities for peace" in the region.

The meeting is expected to take place in Washington after the premier's office said Trump invited Netanyahu to the White House during a phone call Monday.

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Before Israel, Germany's Merz was in Jordan where he urged more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz were also in Jordan Sunday to discuss humanitarian aid for the territory.

Waltz is due to travel to Israel after Jordan.

- Germany reaffirms support -

The German leader, who took power in May this year, has repeatedly criticised Israel's relentless military campaign in Gaza, which according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

The war was sparked by the October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

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Merz urged the implementation of the plan's next steps while reaffirming Berlin's support for Israel during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

"Germany must stand up for the existence and security of Israel," Merz said, after acknowledging his country's "enduring historical responsibility" for the mass extermination of Jews during the Second World War.

During the press conference with Netanyahu, Merz said criticism of Israel was "possible and sometimes perhaps even necessary".

"The relationship between Germany and Israel can withstand that. But criticism of the policies of the Israeli government must not be misused as a pretext for antisemitism," he added.

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Merz also underscored German support for a two-state solution.

- ICC warrant -

Germany had in August moved to restrict German sales of weapons for use in Gaza but has since lifted those export restrictions following the ceasefire.

Despite the truce, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, as well as three Israeli soldiers.

Although Merz's public criticism of Israel was unusual for a German leader, it was measured by international standards.

Nevertheless, Merz said he did not discuss the possibility of Netanyahu's visit to Germany with the prime minister.

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The Israeli leader faces an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"I am not going there because of an ICC decision," Netanyahu said.

Merz this year vowed to invite the Israeli leader and told him he would not be arrested.

burs-glp-raz/jfx
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz holds a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, December 7, 2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen in a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in Jerusalem, December 7, 2025 (photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY/POOL)

Netanyahu also praised the IsraelGermany cooperation in high-tech, AI, and quantum technologies.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that he would not leave political life even if President Isaac Herzog were to grant him a presidential pardon, addressing the issue publicly for the first time after a week of intense scrutiny.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Jerusalem with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu dismissed speculation that clemency might be conditioned on a political exit.

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They are very concerned with my future, he said with a laugh. Well, so are the voters, and they will decide, obviously.

His comments came as Herzog continues reviewing Netanyahus extraordinary pardon request, submitted last week. The Presidents Office has emphasized the significant implications of the move and noted that the process remains at an early stage while legal assessments are still being compiled by the Justice Ministrys Pardons Department.

The pardon request has not altered the trial schedule: Netanyahu is still set to testify this week on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

During the press conference, Netanyahu was asked whether Berlin had invited him for an official visit despite sensitivities abroad, particularly the International Criminal Courts outstanding arrest warrants. Merz said the subject had not been raised in their discussions.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayhu meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, December 7, 2025. (credit: Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO))

Netanyahu added that political considerations were not what had kept him from visiting Germany. Of course, I'd be delighted to visit Germany again and speak there with the Chancellor, bring our governments together  I think thats important, he said. The reason were not going there is that theres an ICC prosecutor.

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Merzs visit came as Israel awaits the expected return of the final October 7 hostage, Staff Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, a development that has shaped the prime ministers movements and public messaging.

The issue of whether a pardon request could influence Netanyahus political future - or his ability to continue serving while standing trial - has dominated Israeli political debate.

Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel and Hamas are very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire, after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza.

Netanyahu spoke during a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and stressed that the second phase, which addresses the disarming of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, could begin as soon as the end of the month.

Hamas has yet to hand over the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer who was killed in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. His body was taken to Gaza.

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The ceasefire's second stage also includes the deployment of an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary Palestinian government to run day-to-day affairs under the supervision of an international board led by U.S. President Donald Trump.

A senior Hamas official on Sunday told The Associated Press the group is ready to discuss freezing or storing or laying down its weapons as part of the ceasefire in a possible approach to one of the most difficult issues ahead.

Netanyahu says second phase will be challenging

Netanyahu said few people believed the ceasefires first stage could be achieved, and the second phase is just as challenging.

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As I mentioned to the chancellor, theres a third phase, and that is to deradicalize Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it was done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too, but of course Hamas has to be dismantled, he said.

The return of Gvilis remains  and Israel's return of 15 bodies of Palestinians in exchange  would complete the first phase of Trumps 20-point ceasefire plan.

Hamas says it has not been able to reach all remains because they are buried under rubble left by Israels two-year offensive in Gaza. Israel has accused the militants of stalling and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned.

A group of families of hostages said in a statement that we cannot advance to the next phase before Ran Gvili returns home.

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Meanwhile, Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday called the so-called Yellow Line that divides the Israeli-controlled majority of Gaza from the rest of the territory a new border.

We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defense lines," Zamir said. "The Yellow Line is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity."

Germany says support for Israel is unchanged

Merz said Germany, one of Israels closest allies, is assisting with the implementation of the second phase by sending officers and diplomats to a U.S.-led civilian and military coordination center in southern Israel, and by sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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The chancellor also said Germany still believes that a two-state-solution is the best possible option but that the German federal government remains of the opinion that recognition of a Palestinian state can only come at the end of such a process, not at the beginning.

The U.S.-drafted plan for Gaza leaves the door open to Palestinian independence. Netanyahu has long asserted that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israels borders.

Netanyahu also said that while he would like to visit Germany, he hasnt planned a diplomatic trip because he is concerned about an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, the U.N.'s top war crimes court, last year in connection with the war in Gaza.

Merz said there are currently no plans for a visit but he may invite Netanyahu in the future. He added that he is not aware of future sanctions against Israel from the European Union nor any plans to renew German bans on military exports to Israel.

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Germany had a temporary ban on exporting military equipment to Israel, which was lifted after the ceasefire began on Oct. 10.

Israel kills militant in Gaza

The Israeli military said it killed a militant who approached its troops across the Yellow Line.

Gazas Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 370 Palestinians since the start of the ceasefire, and that the bodies of six people killed in attacks had been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours.

In the original Hamas-led attack in 2023, the militants killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 others hostage. Almost all the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.

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Israels offensive in Gaza has killed at least 70,360 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says that nearly half the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of Gazas Hamas government and its numbers are considered reliable by the U.N. and other international bodies.

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Grieshaber reported from Berlin.

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Find more of APs Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
German-Israeli relations have undergone "a historical change" with respect to cooperation on arms, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday following a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem.

The Jewish state had "been able to fend off our enemies" since its founding and had developed the capacities to help others, he said in clear reference to Germany's purchase of the Israeli-made Arrow 3 missile defence system.

"Not only does Germany work in the defence of Israel, but Israel, the Jewish state, 80 years after the Holocaust, works for the defence of Germany," he said.

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"And that is a historical change that comes at the time of great international turbulence and change," the Israeli prime minister added.

Discussions were continuing on how this cooperation in defence could be continued in a changing world, he said.

Israel and Germany were among the world's most advanced countries with "extraordinarily gifted people," he said, pointing to high technology and artificial intelligence as areas where the two nations "are ranked very high".

"But I think that working together, we can not only better the citizens of Israel and Germany, but I think we can better the world and our immediate neighbourhood, the Middle East," Netanyahu said.

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Germany resumed arms exports to Israel in November after imposing a temporary partial embargo in August amid concerns over the conduct of the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip.

Referring to the embargo imposed by his government, Merz said: "Despite this decision, which was directed at a particular state of affairs, nothing has changed  beforehand or afterwards  in our very basic attitude towards Israel and Israel's security, in our support of Israel, in our military support of Israel as well."
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump criticized Rep. Henry Cuellar for a lack of loyalty for running as a Democrat after receiving a presidential pardon.

Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like, Trump said in a Sunday post to Truth Social. Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!

Trump announced last week that he was pardoning Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who was indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges. Cuellar thanked the president at the time in a post to X for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts.

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Asked last week whether any deal was cut with the White House, Cuellar told reporters no.

In his Sunday post to Truth Social, Trump said that he never spoke to the Congressman, his wife, or his daughters, but felt very good about fighting for a family that was tormented by very sick and deranged people  They were treated sooo BADLY!

Trump criticized Cuellar, saying that by running as a Democrat, he was continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison  And probably still do!

Cuellar responded to the post in an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," saying that he prayed for Trump and his family this morning and added, "I dont vote party, I vote for whats right for the country."

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He added, "I am a conservative Democrat, but I will work with the president." Cuellar expressed interest in meeting with border "czar" Tom Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, "Id love to sit down and see where we can find common ground."

Cuellar's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cuellar filed to run as a Democrat, according to the unofficial candidate filing tracker kept by the Texas Democratic Party. The filing deadline is Monday.

Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, were indicted in May 2024 on 14 counts, including bribery, wire fraud and money laundering. Two of the counts, which were related to alleged violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act, were later dismissed.

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The Cuellars pleaded not guilty. Both the congressman and the president argued that the case was politically motivated, though neither has provided evidence of politics influencing charging decisions.

Prosecutors alleged that Cuellar and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil and gas company, as well as a Mexican bank, to take official acts to benefit the companies. The Cuellars have denied wrongdoing throughout the process, and the congressman thanked Trump in a note that says the pardon clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said last week that he agreed with Cuellar being pardoned.

I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome, he said in a CNN interview.

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Republicans have tried to unseat Cuellar from his South Texas throne cycle after cycle, but the congressmans political power in the district has proved to be formidable  he won re-election in 2024 even with the indictment hanging over his head in a district that Trump won by about 7 percentage points.

When Texas Republicans, at Trumps urging, moved to redraw their states congressional map earlier this year to give the GOP the ability to flip several seats, they added even more Republicans to Cuellars district in the hopes of finally finding a way to unseat him.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
STOCKHOLM (AP)  Hungarian Laszlo Krasznahorkai, who won the Nobel Prize in literature for his surreal and anarchic novels that combine a bleak world view with mordant humor, gave a lecture in Stockholm on Sunday in one of his rare public appearances.

The lecture was part of the Nobel week that is underway in Stockholm and Oslo with laureates holding news conferences and giving speeches before they are awarded the prestigious prizes.

Krasznahorkai's lecture, which he gave in Hungarian, ranged across topics such as old and new angels, human dignity, hope or the lack thereof, rebellion and his observations of a clochard  or tramp  on the Berlin subway.

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He introduced his lecture, according to the English translation, by saying that on receiving the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, I originally wished to share my thought with you on the subject of hope, but as my stores of hope have definitely come to an end, I will now speak about angels.

As opposed to the angels of old, the new angels, Krasznahorkai said, have no wings, but they also have no message, none whatsoever. They are merely here among us in their simple street clothes, unrecognizable if they so wish.

They just stand there and look at us, they are searching for our gaze, and in this search there is a plea for us, to look into their eyes, so that we ourselves can transmit a message to them, only that unfortunately, we have no message to give, the author writes in sad, yet poetic prose.

Expressing himself in his long, winding trademark sentences full of apocalypse but without full stops, he says it comes as a shock when he detects the horrific story of these new angels that stand before me, the story that they are sacrifices, sacrifices: and not for us, but because of us, for every single one of us, because of every single one of us, angels without wings and angels without a message, and all the while knowing that there is war, war and only war, war in nature, war in society, and this war is being waged not only with weapons, not only with torture, not only with destruction: of course, this is one end of the scale, but this war proceeds at the opposite of the scale as well, because one single bad word is enough.

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When the Nobel judges announced the award for Krasznahorkai in October, they described the 71-year-old as a great epic writer whose work is characterized by absurdism and grotesque excess.

Krasznahorkais work can be seen as part of a Central European tradition," the Nobel Prize organization said. Important features are pessimism and apocalypse, but also humor and unpredictability."

His novels include Satantango, The Melancholy of Resistance, War and War, Baron Wenckheims Homecoming and Herscht 07769.

Last years winner was South Korean author Han Kang. The 2023 winner was Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, whose work includes a seven-book epic made up of a single sentence.

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Meanwhile, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Kristian Harpviken, said Saturday that Venezuelan Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will come to Oslo this week to receive her award in person.

The 58-year-old, who won for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the South American nation, has been in hiding and has not been seen in public since January.

Harpviken told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that Machado was expected to personally pick up the prize on Wednesday.

I spoke with the Peace Prize winner last night, and she will come to Oslo, Harpviken said, according to NRK.

The Nobel Prize award ceremonies will be held Wednesday on the Dec. 10 anniversary of founder Alfred Nobels death in 1896. The award ceremony for peace is in Oslo and the other ceremonies are in Stockholm.
New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos made the case Friday for Zohran Mamdani to keep her at the helm of the nations largest school district, just days after the mayor-elect signaled she was still under consideration for the post.

If given an opportunity, I would love to stay on, Aviles-Ramos told the Daily News in an exclusive interview.

I think theres a lot of work left to do. I have a unique perspective, having served in almost every role that there is to have in this great big system, and experiencing it in real time as a mom of a sixth grader.

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Mamdani is also considering Meisha Porter, a former chancellor under Bill de Blasio, whos been actively urging Mamdanis transition team to appoint her to the post, sources said. Other names that have been floated are Kamar Samuels, a local Harlem superintendent, and Alex Marrero, a Denver superintendent, as well as several others who still appear to be in the running.

The Mayor-elect is casting a wide and extensive search for all personnel appointments and when we have announcements to make, we will make them, said Mamdani spokeswoman Monica Klein.

In her interview with the News, Aviles-Ramos touched on several areas where she and Mamdani share common ground, including protecting the rights of migrant students, improving parental involvement and addressing the issue of homelessness among NYC public school students.

Were aligned on those issues, and if given the opportunity, I look forward to executing a plan  both the enhancement of ones that exist and perhaps creating new ones that further our shared agenda, she said.

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Were he to select Aviles-Ramos, Mamdani would be the first New York City mayor with authority over the school system to at least temporarily keep his predecessors chancellor in place  a move that could be befitting of an incoming mayor who campaigned on ending mayoral control of public schools. Some advocates have pushed for Mamdani to retain Aviles-Ramos for the start of the term, before transitioning to a model that involves more community input.

Keeping New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos in place is one of the best decisions he can make as a mayor, said NeQuan McClean, whos part of a parent-led effort to keep her. It shows hes really serious about doing this differently with mayoral control  because its never been done before.

The mayor-elect confirmed earlier this week hes been in touch with Aviles-Ramos, who was thrust into the role last year amid a federal probe into members of Mayor Adams inner circle.

Ive met with Chancellor Ramos, Mamdani said Tuesday on NY1s Inside City Hall. I appreciate the work that shes done and, like everyone within the Adams administration, Ill assess her and everyone else on the basis of the work theyve done, not on that fact of who appointed them.

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Mamdanis schools transition committee held its first meeting on Tuesday, he said during the interview.

In many ways, Mamdani and Aviles-Ramos would make a more likely pairing than he is expected to with other Adams officials he has appointed or considered, including NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, with whom hes had disagreements on approaches to public safety.

Before she was chancellor, Aviles-Ramos made her name in education circles as the districts point person during the migrant crisis; Mamdani has indicated that protecting immigrant families from President Trumps deportation agenda will be a priority of his administration.

More recently, the schools chief expanded an initiative this year to address student homelessness, which Mamdani plans to invest in even further. Shes also well-liked by many volunteer parents who sit on local school boards and citywide panels, who Mamdani has indicated he would give more of a voice in any changes to school governance.

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Mamdanis selection of a chancellor is further complicated by his promise to end mayoral control. The mayor-elect has not shared plans or a timeline for that policy goal, raising questions of if he will cede his authority to select a chancellor in the near or long-term.

Aviles-Ramoss predecessor, David Banks, made headlines when he said he had no interest in the gig if mayoral control lapsed. Asked if thats a change she would be comfortable with, the chancellor voiced support for the current system  but left the door open to changes.

Weve done a lot of really great things under mayoral control. In fact, the support for asylum-seeking families was successful because we are one large district, Aviles-Ramos said.

If the existing infrastructure needs to be better, then how do we make that happen? But we have accomplished a lot under mayoral control, and should he decide to keep that, we would be able to continue much more.

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Porter, the former de Blasio chancellor, was reportedly a finalist to be chief executive of Chicagos public schools as the system transitions away from mayoral control, though the status of that search process is currently unclear. De Blasio is known to have been a sounding board for Mamdani throughout the 2025 mayoral race, and many top officials from his administration are now in line to join the mayor-elects City Hall, including soon-to-be First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan.

Aviles-Ramos has benefited from a powerful surrogate of her own in United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, who sits on Mamdanis education transition committee and endorsed the mayor-elect in the general election. Mulgrew and Aviles-Ramos worked closely on changes to citywide curricular requirements and class size reduction plans.

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With its steep cliffs and captivating views, Yosemite National Park is a climber's paradise, but it's not without its perils, and park officials are warning visitors of a recent surge in a natural but dangerous phenomenon.

The Travel reported that Yosemite National Park is experiencing an unprecedented increase in rockfall incidents.

According to the USGS, rockfalls are defined as "abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials such as rocks and boulders, which become detached from steep slopes or cliffs."

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Rockfalls are nothing new to Yosemite; over 1,000 have occurred in the last 150 years. Officials have closed off the Super Slide, a popular climbing route amid the threat of a rockfall.

A massive crack named "Super Natural" was first detected in 2023 and has expanded and contracted as seasons changed. The closure implemented in August 2024 remains in effect, as other dangers have been identified.

The park's climbing program manager, Jesse McGahey, said a scientist who surveyed the area was taken aback by what he saw.

"The park geologist said they'd never seen anything like this. He's never been able to observe that in his 15 years in Yosemite," McGahey remarked.

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Although rockfalls are a natural occurrence, they can be sharply accelerated by human activity. This has been observed in the Alps, where thawing permafrost, driven by a warming atmosphere, has weakened the mountain's structure.

Loose rocks pose a serious threat to high-altitude hikers. 100 tourists had to be evacuated from the Brenta Dolomites in northern Italy in July 2025 after a series of rockfalls, per Earth.org.

Yosemite is working with the USGS to closely monitor the situation and take proactive steps to reduce the risks, such as removing or repurposing high-risk buildings.

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.

Visitors can aid their efforts by reporting any rockfalls to officials, no matter how minor, as all data helps form effective local measures to counter the risks.

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It's also a good idea to remind any friends or family contemplating a visit to Yosemite to be mindful of their surroundings.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
A Toledo man was arrested after allegedly assaulting his six-month-old baby and fiancee, and Toledo Police Officers.

Toledo Police Officers said that 23-year-old Avery Mapes allegedly struck his fiancee and left behind multiple marks on her face and arm, according to our CBS news affiliate, WTOL.

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The victims arm appeared to be squeezed, and she had two bloody handprints on the back of her hoodie.

Mapes allegedly also struck his six-month-old baby in the head while trying to assault his fiancee.

He was allegedly drunk at the time of the assaults.

Mapes allegedly left marks on the babys face and bruises on the babys chest and shoulders.

Officers arrested Mapes and took him to a hospital, where one of his hands was handcuffed to the bed.

Mapes allegedly yelled racial slurs at officers and was banging around.

Officers said that Mapes allegedly refused to follow police commands to sit on the bed, and with one hand still attached by the handcuffs, he dragged the bed toward a police officer and tried to strike him.

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Maples also allegedly swung his free arm at an officer and attempted to shove him, all while still yelling racial slurs.

He attempted to bite several officers multiple times and is also accused of trying to assault the hospital staff.

Mapes was charged with the following:

Assault (first-degree misdemeanor).

Endangering children (first-degree misdemeanor).

Domestic violence (first-degree misdemeanor).

Obstruction (fourth-degree misdemeanor).

Disorderly conduct, public intoxication (fourth-degree misdemeanor).

Mapes made an appearance in court on Thursday, where he allegedly pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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He was released on his own with electronic monitoring and ordered to stay away from the victims.

Mapes is due back in court for a trial on Dec. 17th at 10 a.m.

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Individuals named Carl are often perceived as reliable, methodical, and intellectually curious. They tend to approach life with a practical mindset and strong analytical skills, making them excellent problem-solvers in both professional and personal contexts. Many Carls exhibit a quiet confidence and steady demeanor that inspires trust in others. Their traditional grounding often combines with innovative thinking, allowing them to bridge conventional wisdom with progressive ideas. While sometimes reserved in social situations, Carls typically form deep, lasting relationships and demonstrate unwavering loyalty to those they care about. They often possess a strong sense of responsibility and take their commitments seriously, whether in family life, friendships, or professional endeavors. This combination of intellectual depth and practical reliability makes Carls particularly effective in leadership roles where both strategic thinking and consistent execution are required. Their thoughtful nature often leads them to careers in science, engineering, academia, or other fields where systematic analysis and careful consideration are valued.
Oklahoma City families can now apply to all 32 charter schools in the city through a free, streamlined application.

Local nonprofit Fuel OKC is offering the application at EnrollOKC.org. Brent Bushey, Fuel OKCs chief executive officer, said its the first time Oklahoma City families have access to a unified public charter school application system.

Families deserve a clear and easy path to finding the right school, he said.

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Available in both English and Spanish, EnrollOKC.org allows students and families to research and apply to public schools in Oklahoma City. All public charter schools in Oklahoma City are participating in the system for the 202627 school year.

This is an important step forward for our community, and we hope district schools will join in the future to create a truly seamless, citywide enrollment experience, Bushey said.

Brent Bushey is the CEO of Fuel OKC, a nonprofit organization working to improve education in Oklahoma City.

In 2024, all Oklahoma City public schools, both charter and district, adopted a shared enrollment deadline for the first time.

The first version of EnrollOKC.org launched that same year and provided families with information about all public schools in Oklahoma City, including charter and district schools, with direct links to each schools application.

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Through the updated version of EnrollOKC.org, families can complete one online application to select and rank public charter schools. The site guides applicants through any required document uploads. Two bilingual parent navigators are available by phone and email to answer questions.

Oklahoma CareerTech marks record enrollment

Officials with Oklahomas CareerTech system say it recorded 517,752 enrollments from July 2024 through June 2025, allowing the state agency to achieve a five-year enrollment goal two years early.

Formally known as the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the agency offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts operating on 63 campuses, 394 school districts, 20 skills centers campuses (including three juvenile facilities) and 49 adult education and family literacy providers.

Technology center enrollments  including business and industry training, adult and career development, secondary and postsecondary full-time programs, and single-course programs  totaled 352,663 between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Secondary technology center enrollments totaled 24,662.

Oklahoma CareerTech Director Brent Haken says that agency recorded more than 517,000 enrollments in the just-completed fiscal year.

CareerTech State Director Brent Haken set a goal in January 2023 to increase K-12 enrollments from 138,000 to 150,000 by 2028. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, more than 151,000 Oklahoma middle, junior high and high school students participated in CareerTech programs.

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With additional funding we were able to expand opportunities for students of all ages, exposing them to career possibilities and exploration in earlier grades and provide training and education to meet Oklahomas economic and workforce needs, Haken said.

Haken has said CareerTech will request $244 million in state appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, which would be a 39% increase from the $175.5 million lawmakers allocated for the current fiscal year.

We dont charge high school students' tuition, and tuition rates for adults is discounted, he said. Our programs are helping students and adults get the skills Oklahoma employers need right now. But the demand is outpacing our capacity. If we want to keep building the states talent pipeline and strengthen our economy, we must invest in CareerTech at the level it deserves.

Legislative budget hearings will begin in January.

State Board of Education sets 2026 meeting dates

The Oklahoma State Board of Education has approved its monthly meeting dates for 2026. The meetings will be on Jan. 22, Feb. 26, March 26, April 23, May 21, June 25, July 23, Aug. 20, Sep. 24, Oct. 22, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

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While the board is required by law to meet every month, under former state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, that didnt always happen. In November 2024 and in March and August of this year, meetings were canceled, usually at Walters behest.

The meetings will continue to be held in the board meeting room inside the Oliver Hodge Building, which houses the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The 2026 meetings are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., except for the November and December meetings, which will have a 1 p.m. start time

The Oklahoma State Board of Education has set its 2026 meeting dates.

During Walters tenure, access to the board meeting room for the public was at a premium, as the meetings drew high turnout from reporters, protesters and supporters of Walters. But Walters steadfastly refused to move the meetings to a larger room or building.

Under new Superintendent Lindel Fields, fewer media members attend the board meetings and only a handful of protesters or supporters have shown up.

Midwest City High School to hold wreath-laying ceremony at veterans' memorial

Midwest City High School will hold its fifth annual Wreaths Across America ceremony at 11 a.m. on Dec. 13, at the Vietnam Memorial on the schools campus at 213 Elm Street.

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The ceremony is one of more than 5,500 across the nation to mark Wreaths Across America Day, when more than 2.5 million wreaths will be placed to honor interred veterans.

Midwest Citys Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps chapter will lead the event at the memorial, located in front of the schools history center. Several family members of those being honored will take part in laying the wreaths during a brief ceremony. All the wreaths will remain through the holiday season.

Every wreath is a meaningful gift honoring the sacrifice these former MCHS students gave for the freedoms we all enjoy, said Bob Osmond, the chairman and director of the Midwest City High School History Center and Vietnam Memorial Project.

Oklahoma 529 caps anniversary celebration with scholarship giveaway

Oklahoma 529, the states college savings plan, is offering a scholarship giveaway through a partnership with Upromise, a program that offers cash-back rewards for everyday purchases. In a deal with Oklahoma 529, those rewards are transferred by Upromise as a contribution to a customers Oklahoma 529 account.

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From now until Dec. 19, one Oklahoma 529 account holder will have the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship when linking their Oklahoma 529 account to a Upromise account. Two additional others will receive a $529 contribution into their Oklahoma 529 account.

State Treasurer Todd Russ, whose office administers the Oklahoma 529 program, said since Oklahoma 529 began its partnership with Upromise, there have been more than 1,100 accounts linked and more than $40,000 in additional account contributions made through the platform.

Oklahoma 529 currently manages more than $1.57 billion in assets and more than 74,000 accounts. Funds can help pay for tuition and fees at colleges and universities, Oklahoma CareerTech centers and graduate and professional schools as well as for private-school tuition up to $10,000 annually per student. That amount increases to $20,000 in January 2026.

Oklahoma 529 funds also can be used toward expenses associated with certified apprenticeship programs, concurrent enrollment and student loan repayment subject to a lifetime limit of $10,000 per person.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How to apply to all OKC charter schools through a single application
Oklahoma's campaign finance website has been offline for nearly three months, raising questions about access to public information ahead of a critical election year.

Voters in 2026 will decide the state's next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and state schools superintendent. But as those races heat up, voters can't quickly find out how those candidates are raising money and what they are spending it on.

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission had planned to launch a new campaign finance site Oct. 1, but that fell behind schedule and no new date has been set. The website has been offline since Sept. 19.

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Lee Anne Bruce Boone, the executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, said campaign finance reports are still available by email request. But the outage has left some voters waiting for information that is typically available with a simple online search.

All the campaign people and the donors want to see it, and the Ethics Commission needs to get it right and get it back up," said Mark Thomas, the executive vice president of the Oklahoma Press Association.

The system, called Guardian 2.0, is a revamped website that allows people seeking elected office to file their financial campaign reports and the public to view those. Bruce Boone last said it would be up by Oct. 28.

She said in an email Thursday, Dec. 4, that it is now in its final stages of transition before going online.

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"It simply takes the time that it takes because accuracy and security must be the priority," Bruce Boone said in an email.

'Will the Ethics Committee now fine itself?'

Campaign finance reports are crucial to help voters who are deciding how to cast their votes, said Joey Senat, an associate professor of media and strategic communication at Oklahoma State University.

People want to know (the) who and how (about) their candidates  where their money comes from because money plays a big part of, obviously it plays a big part, in our political system," Senat said.

For Mike Mazzei, one of several Republicans running for governor, the situation personally impacts his campaign.

Lee Ann Bruce Boone, center, the executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission shown here during an August 2025 meeting.

It is incredibly ironic that a state agency tasked with enforcing deadlines is unable to meet its own deadlines," Mazzei said in a statement. "When candidates miss deadlines, the Ethics Commission fines them $1,000 a day until they come into compliance. Will the Ethics Commission now fine itself?"

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Mazzei, a former state senator, said he believed the offline site was a sign of broader dysfunction within Oklahoma state agencies.

"I am fed up with the total absence of accountability in state government, and I hear from voters every day who feel the same way, Mazzei said.

Bruce Boone said the delay has not been a result of funding or resource shortages.

"The current work is not about money or staffing  its about running the routine checks that every major IT system undergoes before launch," Bruce Boone said in the email. "Nothing unusual is happening. The delay is simply a reflection of the commission being cautious and careful to avoid problems for users once the system goes live."

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In the meantime, Oklahomans can request financial campaign reports virtually by emailing ethics@ethics.ok.gov to request them. Once the system is back online, Oklahomans can continue to access it at guardian.ok.gov, the same address as with the old system.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahomans grow frustrated with offline campaign finance site
Lt. Kermit Tylers eyes lit up at what he saw on his screen: a large blip 132 miles north of the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

It was just after 7:02 a.m., and the skeleton crew working the night shift at the Aircraft Information Center at Fort Shafter also were mystified by the reading that had caught Tylers eye.

Could their radar equipment be malfunctioning? Just how many planes were incoming?

And most importantly  were they American?

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It was Dec. 7, 1941, and the world would soon be shocked by the deadly events that followed, drawing the U.S. into World War II.

Meanwhile, as those American crews watched their radar, a small, 40-ton submarine known only by its assigned battle number, HA-19, was cutting through the waves nearby, wrote Bill Newcott for the National Geographic.

Even before the first Japanese bomb fell on Pearl Harbor, the HA-19 and four other Type A Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarines were meant to deal the first blow to the sleeping giant in the harbor.

Most didnt get that far, however.

Because the small subs had to surface frequently for fresh air, four of them were sighted by patrolling ships and destroyed with depth charges, wrote Newcott.

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It was here  just outside the harbors edge  that the first spirited American defense of Pearl occurred  not from fierce, modern destroyers, but from the USS Ward, a Wickes-class destroyer from a seemingly bygone era  the ship first touched water in 1918.

Tragically, however, an incident report by Wards crew wasnt heeded. If it had, the U.S. would not have been caught so off guard by the attack on Pearl Harbor.

I was not at all certain that this was a real attack, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, later said of Wards report.

According to the Naval History and Heritage command, at least one of the midget subs was able to enter the harbor before being sunk there by USS Monaghan.

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The HA-19, on the other hand, never even got close.

Ensign Kazuo Sakamaki and Chief Warrant Officer Kiyoshi Inagaki, the two-man crew inside HA-19, had difficulties from the outset. Their gyrocompass didnt work, and they spent the early hours of Dec. 7 bumping along the rocks and coral reef outside Pearl Harbor.

In fact, when the Japanese bombardment began, HA-19 could be found there  stuck.

According to The National World War II Museum, it was there that the USS Helm spotted the foundering vessel and opened fire.

The shells fell close enough to knock Sakamaki unconscious as Inagaki dived the submarine away from trouble. After pulling themselves together, the pair made more attempts at entering the harbor, battering the bow of the submarine to the point the torpedoes would no longer fire. Seawater entered through the crushed nose of HA-19 and slowly began to surround the batteries, which were now emanating toxic fumes, the museum wrote.

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With no chance of survival inside the doomed vessel, the two men decided to abandon ship and prepared to engage in hand-to-hand combat to the death once on shore.

But before they could, the fumes overwhelmed the pair, knocking them unconscious. They awoke that evening, having missed the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Only Sakami made it to shore alive. Inagaki drowned after he attempted to set off an explosive charge to destroy the midget sub.

Crawling ashore, Sakamaki soon faced down the tips of American rifles. He begged to be killed, but the GIs refused to acquiesce.

Thus, Sakamaki garnered the dubious distinction of becoming the first Japanese POW of World War II.

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Since that day of infamy, four of the five Japanese midget submarines have been found, with the HA-19 currently on display in Fredericksburg, Texas in the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Some historians contend, controversially, that one of the midget submarines managed to fire its torpedoes at the USS Oklahoma or the USS West Virginia and may still be lurking below the depths of the harbor.

Even so, You have 300 aircraft in the sky and five midget subs, Robert Citino, senior historian at The National WWII Museum, told History.com. Even if each one had a direct hit, there was so much more ordnance flying through the air than gliding under the seas. In the shadow of that, the submarines become a footnote.
One person has died after a fire at a two-story residence in Milton, New Hampshire, the State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey announced.

The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. on Saturday, when members of the Milton Fire Department responded to a residence on 285 Willey Road to reports of a fire. Prior to arrival, the individual who called to report the fire had been inside the residence and reported that another individual was trapped in the home.

Crews arrived to the address but had difficulties assessing the fire due to the driveway of the home not being clear of snow. Once there, firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions throughout the two-story house, and as they prepared to enter the home, the second floor collapsed.

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Once the fire was extinguished, investigators and fire crews found the deceased individual inside the home.

Investigators with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshals Office have responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. Members of the Milton fire and police departments are assisting investigators at the scene.

The identity of the deceased individual is being withheld at this time, pending notification of kin.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Every major question in American public life ultimately returns to a single source of authority: the Constitution. Whether the issue concerns abortion, the scope of federal agencies, the death penalty, or the structure of elections, the answer always depends on what the document allows the government to do or forbids it from doing. More than two centuries after its ratification, the Constitution remains the most powerful legal instrument ever created, not because it adapts to every cultural trend, but because it restrains every branch of government according to principles fixed in its text.

The Supreme Courts central responsibility is to apply those principles faithfully. That responsibility, however, depends entirely on how the justices interpret the Constitution, and for most of American history, the debate has been defined by two competing philosophies: originalism and living constitutionalism. Neither philosophy is anywhere close to perfect, but asthe late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said, "Originalism is not perfect, but it is the lesser evil. The real alternative is rule by judges."

Scalia understood what most critics of originalism rarely acknowledge: When judges abandon fixed meaning, the Constitution ceases to function as a constitution at all.

Founders Warned Against Judicial Will. Only Originalism Heeds Them

Living constitutionalism rests on the idea that the Constitutions meaning evolves alongside societys values, allowing judges to reinterpret its provisions as moral norms change. Many progressive justices embrace this approach because it gives the judiciary greater flexibility to align constitutional law with modern expectations. But this view collapses the moment one asks a basic question: Whose values guide the evolution?

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American society is deeply divided, and there is no single set of moral commitments that all Americans share. To say the Constitution "changes with society" is to say, in practice, that it changes with the values of five justices. The Founders spent months designing a system to prevent the concentration of power in any single institution. Living constitutionalism circumvents those safeguards by transforming the judiciary into an undemocratic legislature, and as Scalia once warned, "If the Constitution means only what the judges say it means, we are no longer governed by the people but by the courts."

That result may appeal to those who want certain political outcomes imposed nationally, but it undermines the very logic of a written Constitution.

Originalism, despite its many imperfections, preserves the distinction between lawmaking and judging. As legal scholar Robert Bork, widely considered as the father of originalism, explained during his confirmation hearings, "The judges authority comes from the fact that he is applying the law, not his own moral preferences."

Robert H. Bork, widely considered as the father of originalism. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

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Borks originalism emphasized the Constitutions originalpublicmeaning - the understanding shared by the people who ratified its provisions. Originalism is often described as rigid or backward-looking, but the Constitutions framers deliberately wrote broad principles that could apply to future circumstances. They understood that society would change, but they also believed that change must occur through the democratic process, not through judicial invention.

Hamilton, Madison, and Marshall Agree: Meaning Must Be Fixed

Alexander Hamilton, in "Federalist No. 78," emphasized that the judiciarys role was to exercise "judgment, not will," because the moment judges exercise will, they become legislators. He argued that the Constitutions fixed meaning alone prevented the judiciary from becoming, in his words, "superior to the legislative power."

James Madison likewise warned that "the discretionary power of judges" posed a threat to republican government if it was not restrained by constitutional text. Originalism is the only interpretive theory that respects those warnings.

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Judicial review itself - the power to strike down unconstitutional laws - only makes sense if the Constitution has a discoverable meaning. The Supreme Court did not even possess this authority until Chief Justice John Marshall articulated it in Marbury v. Madison. Marshall wrote that it was "emphatically the duty of the judicial department to say what the law is," but he was equally clear that judges could not reshape the Constitution according to political desires. The courts authority depended on its ability to apply the Constitution as written, not to revise it.

If the Constitutions meaning could shift with changing values, judicial review would dissolve into judicial supremacy. Marshall understood that a written constitution only binds government actors if its meaning is fixed. Once judges begin to treat it as a set of flexible suggestions, the restraints it imposes evaporate. Marshall never claimed the Constitution should be updated by judicial interpretation; he claimed that the court must enforce the meaning the people themselves ratified.

Living constitutionalism turns the logic of Marbury on its head.

Framers Designed a Constitution That Judges Could Apply but Not Rewrite

Originalism is viewed by many as unrealistic because 18th-century authors could not have predicted modern technologies or social norms. But this objection misunderstands how originalism works. The Constitution does not prohibit applying old principles to new circumstances; it prohibits changing those principles. The Fourth Amendment protects people from "unreasonable searches and seizures." That principle applies to digital surveillance and cell-phone tracking just as easily as it applies to British soldiers ransacking colonial homes.

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The First Amendments protection of speech extends to social media posts and online platforms, not because the Founders foresaw the Internet, but because they established a principle that applies universally: The government cannot restrict expression simply because it disapproves of the message. Constitutional provisions endure not because they evolve but because their principles remain stable.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

As Scalia put it, "The Constitution is not a living organism, for Petes sake. Its a legal document. And like all legal documents, it says what it says and doesnt say what it doesnt say."

There is a big difference between constitutional "literalists" and originalists. Literalists interpret the constitution for what it says and what the framers, and only the framers, intended. This view would mean that if there is a debate regarding the censorship of an online platform by the government, that censorship would not be protected by the Constitution since it does not mention social media. Literalism is not to be confused with originalism, which seeks the meaning of the words at the time it was written.

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Originalism does not prevent society from advancing, it simply applies the Constitutions principles to a modern day situation. (Unfortunately, nothing about that task is simple.)

Judicial Review Works Only if Constitutions Meaning Is Stable

The danger of abandoning fixed meaning becomes clearest in cases like Roe v. Wade. When the Supreme Court held in 1973 that the 14th Amendment protected a right to abortion, it created a constitutional right without any grounding in the text or the amendments original meaning. At the time of its ratification in 1868, most states criminalized abortion, and nothing in the historical record suggests that the amendments ratifiers understood it to silently abolish those laws.

Even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a staunch defender of abortion rights, criticized Roes reasoning, arguing that its constitutional foundation was "heavy-handed judicial intervention" rather than principled interpretation. Roe became the clearest example of what happens when the court substitutes living constitutionalism for constitutional text: Seven unelected justices imposed a national policy that the Constitution did not require and that the people never voted for.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

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Abortion became a constitutional question not because the Constitution addressed it, but because the court decided it wanted to settle it. Regardless of ones moral views on abortion, Roe represented the kind of judicial overreach the Framers feared.

Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization corrected that mistake by returning abortion policy to the democratic process. Justice Samuel Alitos majority opinion relied on an extensive historical record showing that abortion was widely restricted when the 14th Amendment was adopted. The court concluded that because the Constitution did not confer a right to abortion, the issue must be resolved by voters.

Alito was explicit that "the Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion." That conclusion did not end abortion; instead, it ended the idea that nine justices could impose a uniform policy nationwide.

Even Justice Stephen Breyer, in his Dobbs dissent, conceded that people who view abortion as "akin to homicide" (which is a belief held by about 40% of the public) will inevitably believe the law must protect fetal life. His point was not to endorse the majoritys conclusion, but to recognize that abortion is a question of profound public morality - and therefore one that cannot be settled through constitutional interpretation separated from text and history.

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Dobbs did not restrict democracy; it restored it. Therefore even if one views abortion as an unconditional right, one can still support the overturning of Roe for the sake of the Constitution.

This return to democratic decision-making is essential to understanding why originalism strengthens - not weakens - self-government. When the Constitution is interpreted based on its original meaning, judges have an external standard to guide their decisions. They must justify their rulings by reference to text, structure, and history. They cannot declare new rights or invalidate laws simply because they personally believe a policy is wise or just.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Living constitutionalism, by contrast, compels judges to project their modern-day values onto the Constitution. As Bork warned, this approach "turns the Constitution into an empty vessel into which each generation pours its own beliefs."

From Interpretation to Imposition: The Slippery Slope

Once judges gain the authority to update the Constitution, it becomes impossible to distinguish legitimate interpretation from judicial policymaking. With this, we would have a country run not by laws but by judicial preferences. In a democracy as large and divided as the United States, that is untenable.

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In District of Columbia v. Heller, Scalia authored the majority opinion holding that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms. Some claimed his analysis relied too heavily on selective historical sources, and many professional historians disagreed with parts of his reasoning. But as Scalia recognized, perfect historical consensus is impossible. The question is not whether every historian agrees but whether the best available evidence supports a particular public meaning.

In Heller, that evidence included the grammatical structure of the amendment, the common law understanding of the right to bear arms, and early American legal commentary. Justice John Paul Stevens offered a different historical narrative, but as Scalia later noted, "The battle is not between historians; the battle is between interpretive theories."

Originalism forced Scalia to tie his reasoning to the text and structure of the Constitution. Living constitutionalism would have required only that judges decide whether handgun possession aligns with contemporary values.

It is far better for justices to debate how to interpret a historical document in order to determine the original meaning of a constitutional provision than to debate their own political beliefs about modern society. Under originalism, justices at least ground their decisions in text, history, and established meaning. Under living constitutionalism, they instead rely on their personal views about what they believe is best for society, which gives them no principled basis for constitutional interpretation.

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Originalism ensures stability because it makes the Constitution predictable. Citizens and lawmakers know what the document requires, and they know that its meaning cannot shift based on the political views of a temporary court majority. Living constitutionalism creates precisely the instability the Constitution was designed to prevent. When the meaning of the Constitution depends on the ideology of the sitting justices, the law becomes a reflection of political perspectives.

One court may discover a new right to abortion; another may discover a new right to physician-assisted suicide; another may discover a new limitation on speech. The question ceases to be what the Constitution says and becomes what judges believe it ought to say. As Scalia warned repeatedly, "If you abandon textual meaning, you empower the interpreter." That empowerment undermines democratic legitimacy because the interpreter is not elected and not accountable.

George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James M. Nabrit join hands as they pose outside the Supreme Court in Washington. The three lawyers led the fight for abolition of segregation in public schools before the Supreme Court, which ruled segregation unconstitutional on May 17, 1954. (AP Photo, File)

The claim that originalism is "impossible" because we cannot know the original public meaning of constitutional text ignores how interpretation works in every other area of law. Courts interpret statutes, treaties, contracts, and wills based on the meaning their authors attached to the language at the time of drafting. They consult dictionaries, historical usage, legal documents, and public commentary to understand how specific terms were used.

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As Scalia observed, "Nobody would interpret a will according to the desires of the living rather than the intent of the dead." The Constitution is no different. Its age does not render it meaningless. Its status as supreme law requires that its meaning be discoverable, even if history is complex. The alternative is to allow judges to mold constitutional text to fit their policy preferences - the very problem a written Constitution was adopted to prevent.

The Constitution has also become an extremely difficult document to change, and originalism contributes to that. But that difficulty is intentional. The Constitution is designed to require overwhelming consensus before its foundational principles change. If society cannot agree broadly on a constitutional amendment, it means the proposed change lacks sufficient democratic legitimacy to justify rewriting the nations foundational law.

James Madison defended this structure because it ensured the Constitution reflected the considered judgment of the people rather than momentary passions. "Frequent appeals to the people," he warned, "would carry an implication of some defect in the government." The Constitutions endurance is the precise feature that allows the United States to maintain political stability, even as other democracies collapse under the weight of rapidly changing norms.

Originalism respects the amendment process; living constitutionalism attempts to bypass it.

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Another recurring argument against originalism is that the Framers themselves could not agree on every constitutional provision. That is undeniably true, but those disagreements were resolved through ratification. Once ratified, the public meaning became authoritative. Hamilton and Madison disagreed on many issues, yet the meaning of the Constitution did not remain suspended between their opposing beliefs. It was fixed by the understanding adopted by the ratifying public.

U.S. President James Madison by artist Gilbert Stuart. (AP Photo)

Moreover, the Framers anticipated that future generations might interpret provisions differently, which is precisely why they embedded broad but durable principles rather than enumerating every conceivable application. As Scalia wrote, "The Constitution that I interpret and apply is not living, but dead - meaning it does not change."

But he immediately added the point most usually ignore: "My Constitution is a living document in the sense that it lives in the democratic process."

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The danger of abandoning that process becomes sharper when considering rights that genuinely are not mentioned in the Constitution. Many Americans, for example, support same-sex marriage. I personally support same-sex marriage. But my support does not change the Constitutions text. The Constitution does not address marriage at all, and therefore it does not create a national rule governing marriage policy.

Under an originalist view, this question belongs to the democratic process, not the judiciary. That does not mean the court cannot strike down laws that violate explicit constitutional guarantees - such as laws criminalizing speech or restricting religious exercise. But it does mean the court cannot fabricate new rights simply because it believes society has shifted.

As Scalia wrote in his dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges, "When the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868, every State limited marriage to one man and one woman. That resolves these cases." One can support same-sex marriage and still believe the Constitution does not require it. That is the essence of originalism: Judges apply the law as it is, not as they wish it to be.

Living constitutionalists sometimes respond that originalism would have prevented landmark decisions like Brown v. Board of Education. This argument misrepresents both original meaning and the history of Reconstruction. The framers of the 14th Amendment adopted a broad principle of equal protection intended to dismantle racially discriminatory state laws. There is substantial evidence that segregation was inconsistent with that principle.

The court in Brown interpreted equal protection in light of its historical purpose, not in spite of it. As Michael McConnell - one of the nations leading constitutional scholars - has shown, the Reconstruction Congress repeatedly took actions inconsistent with segregation, including integrating public schools in the District of Columbia. Nothing in Brown required abandoning original meaning. It required enforcing it.

The deeper truth is that originalism is not "conservative" or "liberal." It is a method of constitutional interpretation. A justice committed to originalism may reach conclusions that conflict with their policy preferences because loyalty to the text demands it. Scalia often voted in criminal procedure cases in ways that angered conservatives because he believed the Constitutions protections for criminal defendants must be enforced as written.

In Crawford v. Washington, Scalia authored an opinion expanding Sixth Amendment confrontation rights, relying heavily on historical evidence that the Framers rejected judicial discretion in favor of strict procedural guarantees. His originalism did not consistently yield conservative results; it yielded results grounded in history and text. That is precisely why originalism has credibility: It anchors judicial decision-making in principles external to the judge.

Breyer himself, who favored a living constitutionalist approach, acknowledged that judicial power requires limits. "We must guard ourselves," he wrote, "against the temptation to substitute our own moral beliefs for the principles embedded in the Constitution." Even he recognized that the judiciary becomes dangerous when unconstrained by text.

The United States is one of 96 democracies in the world, but few democracies have maintained constitutional stability as successfully. That success comes from a written Constitution that channels political conflict through democratic processes rather than judicial improvisation.

Marbury v. Madison established the judiciary as an independent guardian of that Constitution, but Marbury only works if the Constitutions meaning is fixed. If judges can revise meaning through interpretation, the power of judicial review becomes indistinguishable from legislative power. That collapse would place the nation in the same position the Framers feared: governed not by laws but by the will of nine individuals. The entire system of checks and balances - the presidency, Congress, the court - depends on the assumption that the Constitution constrains all three.

The final reasoning for originalism comes down to one fundamental question. Who governs the country: the people or nine unelected judges?

In practice, living constitutionalism ultimately answers that judges govern. Originalism answers that the people do. It restores constitutional authority to the democratic process by ensuring that judges interpret the Constitution rather than rewrite it.

As Scalia said repeatedly, "The Constitution belongs to the people, and the people have not authorized the courts to change it."

A Constitution that can be rewritten by judicial interpretation is not a Constitution. Far from killing the Constitution, originalism is what keeps it alive.

Gregory Lyakhov is the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the United States, writing regularly write for outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Hill, and many others. He is also a columnist for Townhall Media, Newsmax, and The Gateway Pundit.
The immigration enforcement operation launched Wednesday in Louisiana is pitting New Orleans sanctuary city policies against state laws favored by Republican lawmakers.

Officials in New Orleans have expressed an unwillingness to aid the operation in a city rich with diversity. But unlike states like California and Illinois, where Democratic governors and lawmakers opposed to President Donald Trumps immigration policies have pushed back, Louisianas top officials welcome federal intervention.

Louisiana will not be a refuge for violent offenders. We stand with our federal partners and the law enforcement officers who protect our people every day, Gov. Jeff Landry said in a social media post Wednesday. Thank you to President [Donald Trump] and [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem] for ensuring Louisiana has the resources and coordination needed to keep our citizens safe.

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Operation Catahoula Crunch, the name given by the Department of Homeland Security to immigration enforcement efforts in Louisiana, is the latest in a series of escalations unfolding in Democratic-led cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and, most recently, Minneapolis. It is unfolding, in part, at the behest of Landry, who has said an enforcement crackdown is key to fighting crime  even as police data shows violent crime, such as nonfatal shootings, burglary and assault, is on a downward trend in New Orleans.

The city is on pace to have its lowest number of homicides in nearly 50 years, according to the New Orleans Police Department. As of early November, there have been 97 reported murders in 2025 compared to 124 in 2024.

Stronger state-federal cooperation

Local leaders have decried the enforcement escalation, calling it unnecessary and harmful.

The announcement of Operation Catahoula Crunch has caused significant alarm in our city and created a culture of fear among our most vulnerable residents, New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno said in a statement.

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But New Orleans officials have little recourse to resist federal enforcement. Landry has steadily steered state immigration policy toward the right and signed legislation aimed at strengthening ties between the state and federal officials.

In May, Landry issued an executive order directing state law enforcement agencies to help in federal immigration operations. This included encouraging local departments to sign on to DHS 287(g) program, which allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement to delegate to local and state agencies its power to enforce federal laws.

More than 20 parishes have signed agreements with federal immigration officials, including Jefferson Parish, which is home to the largest Latino population in the state and is adjacent to Orleans Parish. Hispanic people comprise some 30% of residents in the city of Kenner, where Police Chief Keith Conley has said he welcomes federal agents.

On Saturday, Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander overseeing the Louisiana sweep, applauded Landry and Kenner police for helping federal agents.

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Massive support. THIS is America, he posted on X.

Landry also created an expedited alien removal process to speed up and assist in the deportation of prison inmates found to be in the U.S. illegally.

Consent decree

The policies mirror similar efforts in other Republican-led states, like Oklahoma and South Dakota, but conflict with local policies in New Orleans, which is a sanctuary city and limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

In 2016, the New Orleans Police Department adopted a policy that prohibits officers from assisting federal immigration authorities except in limited instances, like a threat to public life or safety and when services are needed to execute a court-issued warrant.

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The policy stems from a 2013 federal consent decree intended to address a history of corruption and unconstitutional practices, including racial profiling, within NOPD.

On Nov. 19, less than two weeks before immigration officials deployed agents to New Orleans, a federal judge ended the consent decree at the request of city leaders and the U.S Department of Justice.

At the time, police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said her department had graduated from federal oversight after years of implementing reforms addressing racial profiling.

Our support is to make sure they are not going to get hurt and our community is not in danger, she told reporters, referring to New Orleans immigrant community. Kirkpatrick added that immigration is a civil issue and that her department would not enforce civil laws.

Shop owners express hostility to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New Orleans on Tuesday ahead of ICE's threatened "sweep" of 5,000 people. (John Rudoff / Anadolu via Getty Images)

On Friday, state Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Trump loyalist, issued a letter to Kirkpatrick encouraging her to direct officers to fully cooperate with agents from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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ICE and CBP are our law enforcement partners in New Orleans and across Louisiana, where public safety is our collective mission, Murrills letter read in part. Extremists have targeted ICE and CBP officers with threats of violence that have been carried out in other jurisdictions, and it is important that all law enforcement, including the NOPD, oppose such violence and uphold and enforce the rule of law.

Murrills letter cited a state law that makes it a felony for municipal employees to refuse to cooperate with federal immigration agencies, and also referred to a federal law that prohibits a person from knowingly concealing or shielding from detection someone who is in the country illegally.

Murrill is also embroiled in a legal battle with the Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office, which operates city jails. It remains under a consent decree that has been in place since 2013 when the department settled a federal case involving two immigrants who were held in jail after their sentences were completed.

Murrill has asked a federal judge to strike down the sheriffs department policy prohibiting jails from holding immigration detainees. Hearings are ongoing, according to the attorney generals office.

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While it is under review, it is still important to remember that nothing in the consent decree permits obstructing or interfering with ICE and federal immigration enforcement, Murrill said in a statement to NBC News.

'It feels a lot like a storm'

Immigration advocates in New Orleans say they understand the conflict between state and local policies, but want to see city officials take a stronger stance against Trumps immigration enforcement tactics.

They dont want to be the nail that sticks out and gets hammered, organizer Rachel Taber with Union Migrante, an immigrant advocacy group, said of New Orleans leadership.

Taber has seen immigrant communities shrink into the shadows as the recent operation has gotten underway. Parents are keeping their children home from school, businesses are closing and employees are not reporting to work.

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It feels a lot like a storm where people have to stay inside and not go out, she said. But its heartbreaking because its a storm thats only affecting a third of the population and other people may not even be aware of it.

So far, dozens have been arrested in the first few days of enforcement, representing a small fraction of the 5,000 people the administration aims to arrest, according to DHS.

Last week, a New Orleans City Council meeting devolved into shouts and shoves as law enforcement officers forcibly removed a small group of anti-ICE protesters.

Dozens of demonstrators called for city leaders to adopt ICE-free zones similar to those established in Chicago earlier this year. The Chicago executive order, signed into law in October by Mayor Brandon Johnson, limits federal access to municipally owned properties, such as parking lots and garages, for immigration enforcement activities.

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New Orleans City Council member JP Morrell told reporters that city officials are doing everything possible under the law to make it as difficult as possible for ICE to operate here.

Speaking after the meeting, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said New Orleans stands in solidarity with every resident within our community in making sure they know their rights.

They feel safe, and were going to continue to ensure that, she continued.

But not all immigrants do feel safe, said New Orleans resident Alfredo Salazar. He has lived in the United States for nearly three decades and is a naturalized citizen.

About two months ago, before enforcement efforts ramped up, Salazar said he was stopped by federal immigration agents outside a Home Depot. He was briefly questioned in the back of a car and released a few minutes later, after showing documentation, Salazar said.

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He said he remains shaken by the experience.

Its a crime to be a Latino right now in New Orleans, he said. I can be arrested just because of my face.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Vahid Abedini was boarding a flight at OKC Will Rogers International Airport in November when he was surrounded by federal immigration agents.

Abedini, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, had planned to convene with scholars of Middle East studies from across the globe. Instead, he spent three days in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Federal authorities said they detained Abedini, who has an employer-sponsored visa, for standard questioning. Yet he was asked very few questions, according to a colleague who advocated for his release.

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His three-day detention made international headlines and vaulted him to a growing list of people detained by ICE despite having permission to live and work in the country. U.S. citizens also have been detained. ProPublica reported that ICE detained more than 170 American citizens in the first nine months of President Donald Trump's term.

Two weeks after Abedini was released, he remains fearful that he could face retaliation if he speaks publicly about his experience, said Joshua Landis, a fellow professor of Middle East studies at OU.

Abedini has issued only a single statement on LinkedIn, saying he fears for detainees who do not have the kind of support he had, including representation by university lawyers and the backing of elected officials.

Originally from Iran, Abedini is a leading expert on the politics of his home country. He has taught Iranian studies courses at OU in Norman since August. Before that, he was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Arkansas. He has an H-1B visa that allows him to work and live in the United States.

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He had planned to travel in Washington, DC, for a yearly academic conference held by the Middle East Studies Association. The organization had warned scholars and students to fly with official documents that spelled out their rights to visit or live in the U.S.

Vahid Abedini, a University of Oklahoma professor, was detained by ICE.

Questions surrounding Trump immigration policies

The guidelines were responding to a wave of questions from the group's members about the Trump administrations sweeping restrictions on immigration and travel to the U.S.

The policies often have targeted travelers from countries where Muslims make up a majority of the population. Trump issued an executive order in June banning people from Iran and 11 other countries from obtaining visas, citing national security concerns.

The restrictions dont apply to current visa holders, and Abedinis detention sounded alarms across the academic community. The Middle East studies group issued a statement saying it was deeply concerned about Abedinis detention.

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Landis said he believed Abedinis treatment signaled a slippery slope that could lead to the detention of American citizens without due process.

Farzaneh Hall ,on the University of Oklahoma (OU) campus, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.

What happened to Vahid Abedini?

Landis said Abedini told him he was about to board his flight to DC on Nov. 22 when he was stopped by ICE agents. They told Abedini his visa was pending. Upon release, they said it was issued.

He was driven 40 miles to the Logan County jail in Guthrie, where he was kept for about two days, Landis said.

Abedini told Landis that very few of his fellow detainees at the jail could speak English.

OU lawyers represented Abedini during his detention, which Landis said he believed made a difference. University officials did not respond to a request for comment about his case.

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On Nov. 24, agents moved Abedini to an ICE detention facility in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Joshua Landis, with the Center for Middle East Studies in front of Farzaneh Hall and the sculpture, "Omar Khayy'am" by Hossein Fakimi 2014,on the University of Oklahoma (OU) campus, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.

Throughout the process, there were times when none of Abedini's loved ones or the OU lawyers who represented him knew where he was, Landis said.

State Reps. Jared Deck and Jacob Rosecrants, both Democrats from Norman, became involved in rallying to free Abedini. Rosecrants said Deck contacted members of Oklahomas all-Republican congressional delegation, including Rep. Tom Cole and Sen. James Lankford. He does not know if they helped to free Abedini.

A spokesman for Lankford's office said he could not comment on Abedini's jailing, citing privacy concerns. Cole's office did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

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ICE told Abedini that his situation had stirred up a lot of media attention before they released him. Landis said that is what led to his release.

Landis said Abedini worried mostly about others whose detentions aren't in the public light.

The world cares about a university professor, where it probably doesnt care about a painter or a yard worker or somebody who they see as lower class," Landis said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU professor, jailed by ICE, remains free but fears retaliation, friend says
As city after city fell to a lightning rebel offensive in Syria last December, Iranian forces and diplomats supporting Bashar al-Assad saw the writing on the wall, abandoning the longtime ruler days before his ousting, sources told AFP.

During Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 following the government's brutal repression of pro-democracy protests, Iran was one of Damascus's biggest backers, sending Assad military advisers and forces from its Revolutionary Guards.

Iranian and allied regional fighters -- mainly from Lebanon's Hezbollah, but also from Iraq and Afghanistan -- had held key locations and helped prop up Assad, only to melt away in the face of Islamist-led forces' headlong rush towards the capital.

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Syrian officers and soldiers served under the Iranian Guards, whose influence grew during the conflict as Assad's power waned.

A former Syrian officer assigned to one of the Guards' security headquarters in Damascus said that on December 5 last year, his Iranian superior summoned him to an operations centre in the Mazzeh district the following day to discuss an "important matter".

The former officer, requesting anonymity due to fears for his safety, said his superior, known as Hajj Abu Ibrahim, made a bombshell announcement to around 20 Syrian officers and soldiers gathered for the meeting.

"From today, there will be no more Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Syria. We're leaving," they were told.

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"It's all over. From today, we are no longer responsible for you."

He said they were ordered to burn or otherwise destroy sensitive documents and remove hard drives from computers.

- Border bottleneck -

The announcement came as the Islamist forces were making huge gains, but it still took the Syrian soldiers by surprise, he said.

"We knew things hadn't been going well, but not to that extent."

They received one month's salary in advance and went home.

Two days later the Islamist forces captured Damascus without a fight after Assad fled to Russia.

Two Syrian employees of Iran's consulate in Damascus, requesting anonymity for security reasons, also described a hasty Iranian exit.

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The consulate was empty by the evening of December 5 as Iranian diplomats scarpered across the border to Beirut, they told AFP.

Several Syrian employees "who held Iranian nationality left with them, accompanied by senior Revolutionary Guards officers", according to one of the former employees.

At Jdeidet Yabus, Syria's main border crossing with Lebanon, taxi drivers and former staff reported a massive bottleneck on December 5 and 6, with an eight-hour wait to clear the frontier.

Both of the former consulate employees said the Iranians told their Syrian personnel to stay home and paid them three months' salary.

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The embassy, consulate and all Iranian security positions were deserted by the morning of December 6, they said.

- Russian base -

During the war, forces under Iranian command were concentrated in sensitive areas inside Damascus and its suburbs, particularly the Sayyida Zeinab area, home to an important Shiite Muslim shrine, and around Damascus airport, as well as near the Lebanese and Iraqi borders.

Parts of the northern city of Aleppo and locations elsewhere in the province were also major staging areas for personnel and fighters.

At a site that used to be a key military base for Iranian forces south of Aleppo, Colonel Mohammad Dibo said that when the city fell early in the rebels' campaign, "Iran stopped fighting".

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Iranian forces "had to withdraw suddenly after the quick collapse" of Assad's military, said Dibo, who took part in the rebel offensive and now serves in Syria's new army.

On the heavily damaged walls of the abandoned base, an AFP journalist saw Iranian and Hezbollah slogans, and a painting of a sword tearing through an Israeli flag.

Tehran's foe Israel had launched hundreds of strikes on Syria over the course of the war, mainly saying it was targeting Assad's army and Iran-backed groups.

The former Syrian army officer who requested anonymity said that on December 5, a senior Iranian military official known as Hajj Jawad and several Iranian soldiers and officers were evacuated to Russia's Hmeimim base on the Mediterranean coast, then flown back to Tehran.

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At the abandoned site near Aleppo, Dibo said that after the city's fall, "some 4,000 Iranian military personnel were evacuated via Russia's Hmeimim base" where they had taken refuge.

Others fled overland through Iraq or Lebanon, he said.

Their exit was so rushed that "when we entered their bases" in Aleppo province, "we found passports and identity documents belonging to Iranian officers who didn't even have time to retrieve them."

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After taking off from Cancun, Mexico, on October 30, a packed JetBlue airliner seemed well on its way for just another uneventful flight. It had reached its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, at which point the plane practically flies itself, and passengers begin to unwind, unbuckle their seatbelts, and bother their rear neighbors by reclining too far. Its destination: Newark, New Jersey.

Then it suddenly dropped in altitude.

The pilots regained control of the plane, an Airbus A320, but the plunge was so violent and abrupt that at least three passengers cut their heads open after smashing them on the ceiling. After making an emergency landing in Florida, 15 were taken to the hospital.

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The cause wasnt immediately clear. But after grounding more than 6,000 of its planes last week, Airbus finally shared the suspected culprit: cosmic rays from outer space messing up the aircrafts computer systems.

It may sound like a dog-ate-my-homework type excuse, but its very much a real phenomenon. Scientists call these events  an actual nightmare for our art director, who bravely produced this storys illustration in spite of his mortal fear of flying  a single-event upset.

In our everyday, solipsistic existence, we tend to think of the Earth as a hermetic little sanctuary isolated from the greater universe, but the reality is that its constantly being bombarded by zips of energy that originate from far beyond. Many of them are the emissions of a star that exploded in a distant supernova; our own Sun also produces weaker cosmic rays during outbursts like solar flares  just last month, it blasted the Earth with the largest solar storm in over two decades.

The rays are made of tiny subatomic particles traveling near the speed of light. When these strike a computers memory chip, they can inadvertently flip the value of a bit from 1 to 0, and vice versa. This is called a bit-flip. In the world of computers, theyre cosmic acts of divine intervention.

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Sometimes the divine can be benign. A cosmic-ray induced bit-flip is widely believed to have allowed a Super Mario 64 speedrunner to shave a few seconds off their runtime by changing a value associated with the characters jump height. But they can also wreak havoc on computers controlling more consequential systems, like when a bit-flip accidentally changed the number of votes a candidate received in a 2003 Belgian election.

In the case of the airliner, Airbus in a statement blamed intense solar radiation at the time of the incident, which may have corrupted data critical to the functioning of flight controls. According to the BBCs reporting, the bit flip error occurred in the A320s Elac system, which controls parts of the planes wings and tail.

Experts have been warning of cosmic rays potential to disrupt flight systems for years. Planes are now controlled by electronic computer systems rather than mechanical ones more than ever, exposing more systems to behaving unexpectedly after a bit-flip disruption.

As part of the grounding, which is one of the largest in aviation history, Airbus is updating its planes software to safeguard against bit flips with rapid refreshing of the corrupted parameter so it has no time to have effect on the flight controls, it said, per the BBC.

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Though it officially blamed solar radiation, some experts are skeptical of the explanation. On that particular day there wasnt anything special going on in terms of solar radiation, Keith Ryden, professor of space engineering at the University of Surrey in the UK told the BBC. Thats a little bit of a mystery from my point of view.

If the Sun wasnt the source, though, the disruptive rays could very well have come from deep space.

More on space: NASA Says Boeings Busted Starliner Spacecraft Wont Be Allowed to Carry Astronauts on Next Mission


A Labour Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) says she does not agree with the government's decision to scrap her job from 2028.

In November, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said scrapping the roles across England and Wales would save 100m over this parliament's term. She added most voters did not know who their PCC was.

Asked about the move, Avon and Somerset PCC Clare Moody said: "You will not be surprised to know that I regret the fact the decision has been made...there wasn't a full understanding of what we do."

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Policing Minister Sarah Jones previously told the House of Commons the PCC model had "failed to live up to expectations" and had "not delivered what it was set up to achieve".

PCCs are elected officials and are intended to act as a link between local police forces and the communities they serve.

They are in charge of setting the policing budget, appoint the Chief Constable of the force in their area and work with other agencies to improve public safety.

When Ms Moody's term ends in 2028, her scrutiny of Avon and Somerset Police will be taken on by a board of local authority leaders, including the West of England mayor Helen Godwin.

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In some areas of England with mayors, including London and Manchester, the deputy mayor will take on the duties of a PCC.

The change was not in Labour's manifesto and Ms Moody said the announcement came as a surprise.

But despite her role being scrapped, she said she remained positive.

"I love this job. I think there is immense value in the work of Police and Crime Commissioners.

"I still have two-and-a-half years left to demonstrate the value...but it is a decision that has been made," she said.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

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Cultural & Historical Significance

Celdtun holds significant cultural importance within Christian traditions, particularly in Anglo-Saxon Christianity where names reflecting natural landscapes were common among early converts. The name embodies the early Christian ideal of finding God's presence in creation, specifically through the symbolism of springs representing spiritual renewal and farms representing sustenance and community. Throughout medieval England, bearers of this name were often associated with monastic communities that combined agricultural work with spiritual practice, creating self-sufficient religious centers that served both spiritual and practical needs of surrounding communities.



The name represents a bridge between the pre-Christian reverence for natural water sources and the Christian theology of living water and baptismal renewal, making it particularly significant in regions where Christian missionaries sought to incorporate local traditions into the new faith. This synthesis of natural imagery with Christian meaning created a name that resonated deeply with converts who saw their new faith as both spiritually transformative and practically relevant to their agricultural way of life. The cultural legacy of Celdtun reflects the broader Christianization process in England, where indigenous cultural elements were baptized and integrated into the new religious framework.
At 11:55 a.m., on Saturday, Dec. 6, moments before the grand opening of a new food pantry in Metcalfe Park, Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, called the dozen volunteers scattered throughout the office to the front of the room.

The Pick n Save closed, but we are still here and making sure the people in our community get fed, McCurtis said.

Volunteers arrived as early as 9 a.m. to help stock shelves, set up chairs and hang donated winter coats and jackets on clothing racks in the organizations office located at 3624 W. North Ave.

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The Peoples Pantry is a food distribution initiative hosted by Community Bridges that will provide food to residents several times throughout the month of December and will open monthly in 2026.

The pantry, launched with support from Milwaukee County and other community partnerships, aims to bring critical relief to a neighborhood left without a full-service grocery store after a Pick 'n Save located on North 35th Street abruptly closed in July.

Tables, shelves and fridges were stocked with eggs, milk, produce and canned goods. Ground turkey, chicken and bacon were also available  staples residents said have become increasingly difficult to afford. Families picked up diapers, baby formula and travel-sized hygiene products. Free Narcan doses and face masks were distributed as well. In another room, residents browsed donated coats, shoes and clothing.

By the end of the four-hour event, approximately 3,000 pounds of food were distributed to 89 attendees and 16 households that received home deliveries. In total, groceries and essentials reached an estimated 410 people across the neighborhood.

Richard Clark, a volunteer with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges (MPCB), loads food into a car before delivering boxes of food to community members during the grand opening of Metcalfe Park People's Pantry Initiative at MPCBs office on Dec. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The effort was made possible through funding tied to a Milwaukee County resolution declaring food apartheid a public health emergency, authored by County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. Nicholson attended the pantry's grand opening alongside county staff and her father, a former teacher who once taught in Metcalfe Park.

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"Its really about bringing community together, said Nicholson. Its real, tangible results from good public policy that came out of listening to the residents and to the organizations that serve those residents.

The $150,000 in contingency funds approved for allocation in November supported 10 local organizations, many of which have worked together since then to determine how the money can be best spent to support those in need, according to Nicholson.

Residents described the pantry's opening as overdue relief in a neighborhood where affordable grocery options remain scarce.

A shopper reaches into a bin of potatoes during the grand opening of Metcalfe Park People's Pantry Initiative at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges office on Dec. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

When asked about his experience shopping at the Peoples Pantry, Vietnam veteran and Metcalfe Park resident Larry Rogers told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oh, it was great. They got what everybody needs.

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Since the Pick n Save closed, Rogers said he has driven to the Walmart on the citys south side for groceries. With lines at nearby stores getting longer, he welcomes a closer option with a shorter checkout time.

Janice Austin-Crump moved to Metcalfe Park in 2019. She heard about the Peoples Pantry through the Community Bridges' recent canvassing initiative. She said the work Community Bridges has done has been fantastic, from public art to social gatherings.

It gives people a sense of belonging to something, and it brings us together as a community, so that people arent afraid to speak and say thats on their mind. You feel like family, Austin-Crump said.

Whats next

(From left) Shacha Bates, a Metcalfe Park resident, receives packs of hot cocoa from Patrice Gransberry, a volunteer with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges (MPCB), during the grand opening of the Metcalfe Park People's Pantry Initiative at MPCBs office on Dec. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Peoples Pantry will open to residents three more times before the end of the year on Thursday, Dec. 11, Thursday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 20. On Thursday, Dec. 18, the organization will also host its Community Joy Day.

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In 2026, the pantry will open monthly.

McCurtis said sustaining the effort will require continued community support. Chairwoman Nicholson agreed and said she encourages residents across the city and county to volunteer their time or make a donation to the effort.

Local government is an access point, but we cant do everything she said. We really need our community to also wrap your arms around the residents who are in need.

April Quevedo covers Metcalfe Park for the Journal Sentinel's Neighborhood Dispatch. Reach her at aquevedo@gannett.com. As part of the newsroom, all Aprils work and coverage decisions are overseen solely by Journal Sentinel editors.

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Support for this effort comes from the Zilber Family Foundation, Journal Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and individual contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project . The project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #364427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.

Learn more about our community-funded journalism and how to make a tax-deductible gift at jsonline.com/support . Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation with JS Community Journalism in the memo, then mailed to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New food pantry brings critical relief to Metcalfe Park neighborhood
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Two police officers were killed Sunday in northeast Colombia in an attack that authorities blamed on the National Liberation Army , a Marxist guerrilla force active since the 1960s.

President Gustavo Petro condemned the killings of a police superintendent and a sub-superintendent in Cucuta on X, warning that he will increase the number of troops present along the Colombian-Venezuelan border.

The director of the Colombian National Police, Gen. William Ospina, said on social media that there were two terrorist attacks in the department of Norte de Santander. One attack claimed the lives of the officers, and in another neighborhood, two soldiers were wounded, he said.

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Colombian media outlets published images of the area where the explosion occurred, showing a damaged road.

According to initial investigations, Ospina said the attacks were retaliation by the ELN guerrilla force in response to the polices offensive actions against the group.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Colombia is experiencing an intensification of hostilities and a sharp deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the organizations president, Mirjana Spoljaric, said during a recent visit to the country.

The ELN, which has been armed since 1964, was negotiating peace with Petros government, but talks broke down after an attack earlier this year that left nearly 100 dead in Catatumbo, also in Norte de Santander.

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The ELN is vying for control of the border with Venezuela with the 33rd Front, one of the dissident groups of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that did not accept the peace agreement signed between the guerrillas and the government in 2016.

On Saturday, another attack with an explosive left seven people injured in Cauca, in Colombias southwestern region.

Petro said the indictment against the top leader of the FARC dissidents, known as Ivan Mordisco, and other leaders of the group, whom he accuses of narco-terrorism, is ready for the International Criminal Court. He did not indicate when it would be formally filed.
Cincinnati police arrested a man after a fatal shooting in Westwood on Saturday.

Calvin Bowman, 21, of Saint Bernard, was arrested after police say he shot 35-year-old Bobby King in the 2400 block of Westwood Northern Boulevard around 6 a.m. Dec. 6, according to a department news release.

Police responded to a home after a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, officers found King with a gunshot wound. Cincinnati fire started life-saving measures but declared him dead on the scene, the release says.

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Court documents say a gun Bowman used to shoot King was recovered at the scene.

The investigation by the department's homicide unit is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 513-352-3542.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police arrest man in connection to Westwood shooting that killed 1
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  Police in Youngstown continue investigating after a shooting Sunday sent two people to the hospital.

It happened just before 2:30 p.m. on East Indianola Avenue.

When police arrived, they found broken glass and multiple shell casings at the scene.

The two people who were shot are expected to be OK.

Wilson Corbisello 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 WKBN.com.
The Columbus Police Department is searching for a man in connection with a road rage shooting that killed a 22-year-old woman.

On Dec. 4, police identified 22-year-old Khaliq Hunt as a suspect after a witness interview, according to our news partner WBNS.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

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On Nov. 2, Columbus Police officers were called to a report of shots fired in the 800 block of East Hudson Street around 10:15 p.m.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a vehicle that had crashed at the intersection of East Hudson Street and Velma Avenue.

The driver, identified as 22-year-old Hannah Taylor, sustained a gunshot wound before the crash.

Taylor was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m.

Another woman in the vehicle was taken to Wexner Medical Center in a stable condition.

Police confirmed that the motive was road rage.

An arrest warrant has been filed for Hunt, and his whereabouts are unknown at this time.

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Hunt faces one count of murder in Taylors death.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Columbus Police Detective Journey at 614-645-4953 or the Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730.

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Jennifer Welch, one half of the progressive podcast duo behind Ive Had It, ripped into Erika Kirk, calling her a grifter and calling the late Charlie Kirk racist and a homophobe.

This woman should be kicked to the curb, Welch said about Erika Kirk in a video uploaded Sunday to the Ive Had It YouTube page. She is an absolute grifter. Just like Donald Trump and just like her unrepentant racist homophobic husband was.

In the video, Welch shared a clip of Erika Kirk being interviewed Wednesday by The New York Times, where she said she doesnt want New York City women to rely on the government and put off marriage and having a family, adding that she finds it ironic that a large percentage of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdanis voters were women.

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Welch first called out Erika Kirk for toning down her look for the Wednesday interview, trading in her usual heavy makeup look for more subtle makeup and a high-neck grey dress. Then Welch called out Erika Kirk for weaponizing her gender when Erika Kirk is a full-time working mother and CEO of a company.

You are an opportunistic grifter who weaponizes your gender to demean women, and you are a walking, talking, breathing example as to why nobody, number one, wants to be a Christian, and number two, wants to be a female hypocrite such as yourself, Welch said.

Welch continued: Your deceased husband was an unrepentant racist and a homophobe, and women are a lot more empathic than you are, Erika.

Welchs co-host, Angie Sullivan, added that maybe theres more to life than identifying yourself as someones wife or someones mother.

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After Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization aimed at making college students conservative, was murdered in September, his wife took over the organization and has since been on a media tour, talking about her late husband. During Erika Kirks interview with The New York Times, she said she was still a supporter of the Second Amendment, even though Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, and said the issue is a human problem.

Politics: Trump Explodes Over Democratic Congressman's Refusal To Switch Parties After Pardon

During his life, Charlie Kirk spouted many racist, sexist and homophobic views, including that women should go to college to find a husband and that too many women are waiting until their 30s to have kids. Critics have pointed out the hypocrisy of Charlie and Erika Kirk, considering Erika Kirk earned a degree and founded a nonprofit before marrying Charlie and having kids in her 30s.

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Three people have been charged in connection to the drug overdoses of seven Providence College students that occurred late Friday, early Saturday morning.

The students were attending a house party on Liege Street during their apparent overdoses, after which they were treated with NARCAN and sent to the hospital. In a follow-up investigation the next day, Providence Police executed a search warrant for the second floor of 26 Hawkins St., where they discovered 20 grams of fentanyl, $1,700 in.

This investigation reflects the departments continued commitment to combating the deadly flow of fentanyl and illegal firearms into our community, Col. Oscar Perez said in a statement. The coordinated efforts of our Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau ensured that dangerous weapons and narcotics were removed from the streets of Providence.

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Two of the three individuals have been given multiple charges. Angel Williams, 33, is being charged with two counts related to having multiple firearms despite prior convictions, two counts related to possession with intent to deliver cocaine and fentanyl, one count of unlawful delivery of cocaine, a count of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver fentanyl, one count of committing a violent crime while armed (related to the alleged drug possession), and one count of possession of high-capacity magazines.

Patrick Patterson, 32, is being charged with similar counts, including multiple counts of committing a violent crime while armed (again related to drug possession). Unlike Williams, however, he and the third arrestee, Kimsheree Simoneau, 33, have been charged with possession or control of a ghost gun.

The Providence Police Department will continue working with community partners to reduce gun violence, combat narcotics trafficking and safeguard neighborhoods across the city, the press release states.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence police arrest three tied to alleged PC student overdoses
Whether people know where the name for Erie's Harding Elementary School came from, many have an attachment to it because they have attended the school, worked in it or lived in its neighborhood.

About 30 people participated in a Dec. 4 public information meeting about renaming the building for John Boyd. While a majority of those in attendance appeared to prefer to keep the Harding name, they were at least open to discussing how to honor Boyd, said Jay Breneman, president of the Erie School Board.

Breneman called the meeting "an exceptional public session" and said it drew a mix of Harding parents, students, educators, administrators and neighbors, past and present. He said the presentation about renaming the school to celebrate "an alumnus of Erie public schools" was well received and the dialogue was positive, even if not everyone supports a change from Harding Elementary School to John Boyd Elementary School.

Erie's Harding Elementary School could have its name changed from that of a president born in Ohio to a former student who flew fighter jets and helped design aircraft.

The name change was proposed by retired Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy social studies teacher Brian Lasher in 2024. The Erie School Board in December 2024 approved the formation of a naming committee to evaluate the proposal. However, Breneman said creation of the committee was delayed due to the hiring of a new schools superintendent in the first half of 2025 and work will now begin to put the group together.

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Previous: New name proposed for Erie's Harding Elementary School

A few people have commented recently on Harding's Facebook page questioning the need for a name change or saying they didn't want one or pointing out that the library at Harding, 820 Lincoln Ave., is already named for Boyd.

Who were Boyd and Harding?

Boyd lived on Lincoln Avenue and attended Harding School. Later, as a U.S. Air Force lieutenant, he flew fighter jets during the Korean War and began a lifelong study of air combat tactics and fighter jet design. Eventually rising to the rank of colonel, he died in 1997 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Harding School was named for Warren G. Harding, an Ohio native who served as president of the United States from 1921 until his death in 1923. The building was constructed at West Eighth Street and Lincoln Avenue in 1924 and opened in 1925.

What's next?

Anyone who missed the Dec. 4 public information session about the renaming can submit their thoughts or concerns online or in writing to the School Board at the district administration building, 1910 Sassafras St.

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Members of the community can also now indicate their interest in serving on the naming committee that will study the proposal. The committee will be led by a School Board member and could include students, district employees and community members from the Harding neighborhood. The committee will evaluate the renaming request, gather community input and report back to the board.

Breneman said he hopes to have the committee together, along with details of its work and a timeline, in January. The group would eventually make a recommendation to the School Board. Breneman said the committee could come up with a number of options that do or don't include renaming Harding.

No matter the outcome, he said, this is a chance for the school's students and the community to learn the history of Harding's name, how school names were picked in the past and are chosen today, and about Boyd.

"This is a learning opportunity to celebrate the Harding community and a historic Erieite," Breneman said.

Dana Massing can be reached at dmassing@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Harding School name change to John Boyd under consideration
Prime Minister Al Thani claimed that Qatar's relationship with Hamas has been entirely focused on facilitating peace.

Qatars relationship with Hamas began at the request of the United States, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said in a Sunday interview with Tucker Carlson at The Doha Forum.

Thani also stated that Qatars connections to Hamas have always been in the service of peace, saying that when Hamas moved its office to Qatar, it was used only for the [purpose of] communication and to facilitate ceasefire, facilitating aid to Gaza.

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Thani further defended the countrys relationship with Hamas by emphasizing the need for communication between all parties in a conflict, referring to the terror group as a non-state actor.

If you have no one speaking to those non-state actors, how are we going to resolve or reach a solution at the end of the day? he asked.

Thani credits ceasefire to Qatari mediation

Thani credited the ceasefires, the release of the hostages, and the alleviation of suffering to this communication, and denounced politicians who he claimed were trying to use Qatar to support their own narratives or to blame other countries for what was happening in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump talks with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, May 15, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER/FILE PHOTO)

Thani also strongly disputed the claim that aid and financial support went to Hamas, claiming that all support went to the people of Gaza in a very transparent process that the United States is fully aware about.

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He further went on to say that not only has the current Israeli government been facilitating the delivery of Qatari aid, but so have previous governments led by Netanyahu, Naftali Bennet, and Yair Lapid.

Thani added that there can be no basis in the claims of Qatar funding Hamas, and that such claims are a way to spread disinformation about a country that doesnt do anything [to] them but is doing things that are against their policies.

Qatar has always been focused on peace, Thani said, and this peace cannot happen without an engagement with everyone in the region.
QUINCY  Over the next two weeks, city council will set Quincy's tax rate for fiscal 2026. The process begins with a public hearing Monday.

The hearing will address the percentages of the local tax levy borne by each class of property: residential, commercial, industrial and personal.

The hearing, which is required by law, takes place on Monday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. in Quincy's Great Hall at 1305 Hancock St.

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The actual tax rate is not expected to be certified until after Monday's meeting, then announced at the Dec. 15 meeting, because city officials are still calculating the tax levy, which is the amount the city needs to raise through taxes to meet its budgetary obligations for the fiscal year.

The city will recommend a residential factor of 87.6%, according to an order included in the meeting agenda. Known as the "minimal residential factor," the rate shifts the tax burden to the maximum degree possible by law away from residential and onto other property classifications. Residential property owners are paying 87.6% of their "full and fair cash value share of the tax levy" if it were a single rate, according to the state.

Setting the tax rate is expected to happen Dec. 15, the last scheduled city council meeting of the year. Then residents will learn how much the tax bill for the average Quincy homeowner will increase compared with last year.

The city has adopted split property tax rate for more than a decade, which means commercial properties pay a higher tax rate.

Quincy Mayor Tom Koch was sworn in for his seventh term in the city council chambers Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

Residential property owners pay the bulk of Quincy's tax levy. Since at least 2020, residential taxes have made up between 75.1% and 75.6% of the levy, with commercial, industrial and personal property taxes making up the rest.

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Residential's share of the overall tax levy has increased gradually over time. In 2003, residential property owners paid 64.5% of the levy.

For fiscal 2025, Quincy's residential levy made up 75.3% of its $312.3 million total tax levy.

In June, city council unanimously approved the fiscal 2026 budget proposed by Mayor Tom Koch without alteration. The $455.8 million budget marked a 8.6% increase over fiscal 2025, mostly due to a $23 million jump in debt service tied to the 2021 pension obligation bond.

Local taxpayers aren't on the hook for all of the city's annual spending. Other revenue streams include local receipts, hotel and motel taxes and state contributions to the Community Preservation Act Fund. In addition, user fees fund the city's water and sewer budget  a combined $58.1 million.

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Millions not accounted for during Quincy budgeting process

Two significant expenditures were not included in the budget.

Public employee unions were negotiating collective bargaining units when the budget was approved in spring, and nothing was allocated in anticipation of pay increases.

Since then, Quincy's teachers union announced an agreement stipulating a 3% pay increase for each of the next three years. It remains unclear where other unions stand in their negotiations and exactly how much the raises will add to the tax levy.

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Some other unions are still in negotiations.

Chris Walker, Koch's chief of staff, told The Patriot Ledger that those details would be announced before the tax rate is set at the Dec. 15 council meeting.

$16 million pension assessment still unaccounted for in Quincy

A larger financial obligation is the $16 million pension assessment ordered by the state Public Employment Retirement Administration Commission. The $16 million bill was determined by Stone Consulting, the Quincy Retirement Board's independent actuary, in its biannual actuary report in 2024.

The city is contesting Stone's finding. Koch hired its own actuary, Milliman, to audit Stone's work to see if the $16 million is too high. Milliman's audit of Stone's actuary won't be ready until after the tax rate is set, however.

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Koch has said that the city doesn't have to pay any assessment and the retirement board can pay itself out of the $475 million pension obligation bond the city issued in 2021, proceeds of which it then turned over to the retirement board to invest.

In October, Koch publicly disparaged the retirement board's actuary, Stone Consulting, saying they calculated a "bogus number" based on "poor work."

If Milliman comes up with something less than $16 million, the Public Employment Retirement Administration Commission would then have to accept the reduction. Even so, the city may be forced to factor in the $16 million to have its tax rate certified by the state.

A bulletin issued in January by Deborah Wagner, director of accounts for the Massachusetts Division of Local Services, includes the following notice:

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"Pension assessments must be fully funded in the FY2026 tax rate. If the amount appropriated is less than the assessment, the amount needed to fully fund the assessment must be raised on the Tax Rate Recap."

The tax rate recapitulation sheet or "recap" summarizes a municipality's anticipated expenditures for a given fiscal year and is used to calculate the tax rate.

Asked about the $16 million, Walker reiterated Koch's position that the city does not have to pay the assessment. Confronted with the state requirement that the assessment be "fully funded in the FY2026 tax rate," Walker declined to comment.

Could Quincy use free cash, reserves to lower taxes?

Measures could be taken to provide tax relief as well. For instance, city council could vote to use free cash to lower the tax levy and therefore the tax rate as well. Free cash consists of unrestricted funds left over from the previous fiscal year, derived from unspent money and receipts that exceeded projections.

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Last year, city council approved $7.87 million in tax relief drawn from pension reserves, free cash and unexpended purchase orders.

In June, S&P Global Ratings downgraded Quincy's long-term debt from "AA" to "AA-" in part because of declining reserve funds.

What is the taxpayer rate in Quincy now?

The tax bill on the median single-family home last rose by $320.40, or 4.6%, from $6,944.57 in fiscal 2024 to $7,264.98 in fiscal 2025, according to former Municipal Finance Director Eric Mason.

The value of the median home rose from about $616,200 to $630,100.

For fiscal 2025, Quincy taxed residential property at a rate of $11.53 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $11.27 in fiscal 2024.

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Peter Blandino covers Quincy for The Patriot Ledger. Contact him at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Will taxes be going up in Quincy in 2026?
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Women bearing the name Cesara typically exhibit a remarkable balance of authoritative presence and artistic sensibility, reflecting the name's dual heritage of imperial strength and aesthetic beauty. They often demonstrate natural leadership capabilities combined with deep emotional intelligence, making them effective in positions requiring both decision-making authority and interpersonal finesse. The 'long-haired' etymology frequently manifests in a strong sense of personal identity and self-expression, with Cesaras taking care in their appearance and surroundings as extensions of their inner selves. These individuals tend to be highly organized and strategic thinkers who nevertheless maintain creative outlets, whether in arts, writing, or cultural pursuits. They value tradition and history but approach them with innovative perspectives, often becoming agents of thoughtful change in their communities or professions. Cesaras typically possess strong communication skills and diplomatic abilities, enabling them to navigate complex social dynamics while maintaining their core values and integrity. Their combination of practical competence and aesthetic appreciation makes them particularly effective in fields bridging administration and creativity, such as museum curation, educational leadership, or cultural programming.
Dec. 6AIKEN  Damian Pearson is in the meet-and-greet business this week and was in high gear Dec. 6 with the opening of Aiken's second Publix.

The Silver Bluff Road supermarket, a part of The Village at Woodside, opened for business at 7 a.m. and had dozens of customers ready to be part of the opening moment, with 46,791 square feet to be explored.

Pearson's most recent assignment was to manage the Publix in Trenholm Plaza, in Columbia, and his new role, as manager of the new Aiken store, included plenty some face-to-face time with such first-in-the-door neighbors as Edna Brown, Tammy Cillo, Jane Buege, Pat Dunlop and Sue Amantangelo.

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"It's really beautiful," said Brown, who recalled hearing from a Publix employee in Evans, Georgia, with the report that the new store would be "bigger and nicer."

"It's fantastic," Dunlop said. "Everybody in there's so friendly. You can tell how excited they are to open the store. We're incredibly happy, because this is literally ... blocks away from us."

The day included a bonus for shopper Hope Parrish. "They gave me free ice cream ... for my birthday," she recalled, with a laugh. "I said, 'This is great,' so I came just to get the ice cream."

She gave a thumbs-up review to the store.

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"It's gorgeous. I'm definitely going to shop here more than I go across town. It's safe, traffic-wise, and the people are so nice and friendly, and they know where everything is in the store, too, just going in, so I love it," she said.

Braylen Waldo made similar comments. "I was very impressed with the staff, and everybody was nice and welcoming, and I think that Publix is going to be great in that location," said Waldo, who was recently elected to Aiken City Council.

Unusual features at the new Publix include a drive-through pharmacy and a seating area for coffee sippers.

Aiken's first Publix, established in 1995 on Eastgate Drive, was a neighbor to the now-demolished Aiken Mall. North Augusta also has a Publix, and Augusta/Richmond County has four.

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Publix, promoted on its website as "the largest employee-owned company in the United States," was established in 1930 in central Florida and had 2024 retail sales of $59.7 billion.

Most of its 1,433 stores are in Florida, and the overall reach is as far afield as Kentucky, Virginia and Alabama.
The Republican-controlled Indiana House on Friday pushed through congressional redistricting championed by President Donald Trump .

The new map, drawn by a national Republican-aligned group, would create two more right-leaning congressional districts in the solidly red Midwestern state, where the GOP currently controls 7 of Indiana's 9 U.S. House seats.

The vote  coming less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court cleared the way for GOP-dominated Texas to use its newly redrawn map, which creates five more right-leaning House seats  marks the latest front in Trumps aggressive national campaign to reshape congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, when Republicans will defend their razor-thin House majority.

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The real drama in Indiana will come next week, when the GOP-dominated state Senate, which has resisted Trump's efforts to draw new congressional maps, meets to vote on the redistricting bill passed by the state House.

Big Win For Trump As Supreme Court Greenlights Texas' New Congressional Map

The GOP-controlled Indiana House, meeting in the Statehouse  seen in a file photo from 2017  on Friday passed along party lines a congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Donald Trump.

The GOP supermajority in the Indiana House passed the redistricting bill 57-41, in a chamber where Republicans outnumber Democrats 70-30.

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In debate ahead of the vote, state Rep. Matt Pierce, who is the Assistant Democratic Floor Leader, pointed to his Republican colleagues and argued "you really want to erase the Democratic Party when it comes to Congress."

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And Pierce claimed that Trump, by pushing redistricting through red states across the country, is basically saying "I need to cheat to win."

Democratic Rep. Sue Errington also took aim at the redistricting bill, charging that the message from the measure is "voters dont matter."

At the sole public hearing on the bill, held earlier this week, the author of the measure acknowledged the new map was "politically gerrymandered" and drawn "purely for political performance" of Republicans.

Deep-pocketed Conservative Group All In On Helping Trump Redistricting Push

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But GOP state Rep. Ben Smaltz defended the new map from accusations of racial gerrymandering. Partisan gerrymandering is not prohibited under federal law, but racial gerrymandering is illegal.

All but two of the 43 of the members of the public who testified at the hearing spoke out against the bill.

Smaltz, making a final pitch for his bill just ahead of the vote, emphasized that "nothing in the law prevents the legislature from revisiting maps when circumstances demand it. The Supreme Court could not be clearer  states may redraw districts whenever they deem appropriate, provided constitutional and statutory requirements are met."

The measure now moves to the legislature's upper chamber. Despite pressure from Trump and his political team, Indiana Senate Republican leader Rodric Bray has repeatedly said there wasn't enough support in the chamber to move forward with redistricting.

President Donald Trump, seen pointing as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Sept. 11, 2025, is targeting Indiana Republican lawmakers who are not supportive of the president's congressional redistricting push.

Deep-pocketed Conservative Group All In On Helping Trump Redistricting Push

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Trump, in response, repeatedly threatened to back primary challenges against state Republican lawmakers who didn't support his congressional redistricting push.

"A RINO State Senator, Rodric Bray, who doesnt care about keeping the Majority in the House in D.C., is the primary problem. Soon, he will have a Primary Problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity," Trump warned in a recent social media post.

Bray, in announcing that the state Senate would reconvene to take action on redistricting, said "the issue of redrawing Indiana's congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state."

Trump has been twisting elbows in his attempt to make Indiana the latest Republican-controlled state to change their congressional maps. The president has called state lawmakers and Vice President JD Vance visited the state twice earlier this autumn to discuss redistricting.

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Trump Targets Red State Republican Lawmakers In Push For Congressional Redistricting

Trump has also taken some jabs at Republican Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana, arguing that the governor "perhaps, is not working the way he should to get the necessary Votes."

While Trump has called Braun "a good man," he has warned he "must produce on this, or he will be the only Governor, Republican or Democrat, who didnt."

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, seen speaking during a press conference on Oct. 30, 2025, supports President Donald Trump's push for congressional redistricting.

But Braun, pointing to the president, has touted that he is "committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress."

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Meanwhile, the Trump-aligned conservative outside group the Club for Growth Action, has dished out big bucks to run ads in Indiana supporting redistricting, and along with Turning Point Action, will target Republican state lawmakers opposed to the new map.

Club for Growth President David McIntosh sent out a "FINAL WARNING" to Bray, writing, warning that "failure to get this done means you and any other opposition will be defeated and removed from office in your next election."

And Turning Point Action on Friday held a rally at the state capitol, where Braun spoke, to put pressure on Indiana Senate Republicans to support redistricting.

The push by the president in Indiana is part of a broad effort by Trump's political team and the GOP to pad the party's razor-thin House majority ahead of the midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

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"We must keep the Majority at all costs," the president wrote recently.

Trump, by championing rare but not unheard of mid-decade redistricting, is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president's push. State lawmakers in GOP-dominated Florida this week took the first steps towards passing a redistricting measure, and right-leaning Kansas is also mulling redrawing their map.

Two federal judges in Texas last month delivered a blow to Trump and Republicans, by ruling that the state couldn't use the newly drawn map in next year's elections. But the Supreme Court on Thursday gave a big thumbs up to the Lone Star State's new congressional map.

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Democrats are fighting back.

California voters a month ago overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative which will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state's nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an election night press conference at a California Democratic Party office Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Sacramento, Calif.

That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which would counter the passage earlier this year in Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats.

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Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, where Democrats control the legislature, are also taking steps or seriously considering redistricting.

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And in a blow to Republicans, a Utah district judge last month rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state's GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.





Original article source: Red state moves forward on Trump-backed push for new congressional map
Celebrated British documentary photographer Martin Parr has died at his home in the western English city Bristol, his foundation announced on Sunday. He was 73.

Famous for his kitschy colour-saturated images capturing all aspects of life in Britain and beyond, Parr had a sharp eye for mundane oddities, whether it was the rich at play or working-class scenes.

At times a controversial figure accused of cruelty for his refusal to flatter his subjects, Parr was unapologetic and became widely considered a legend of his craft.

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"It is with great sadness that we announce that Martin Parr (1952-2025) died yesterday at home in Bristol," a statement on The Martin Parr Foundation's website said.

"Martin will be greatly missed," it added, noting he is survived by his wife Susie, his daughter Ellen, his sister Vivien and his grandson George.

"The family asks for privacy at this time," the statement said.

It added the foundation and Magnum Photos -- the prestigious agency he was a member of since 1994 and president of from 2013 to 2017 -- will "work together to preserve and share Martin's legacy".

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No further details around the circumstances of his death were provided.

Parr had previously revealed being diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects bones and different parts of the body.

- 'Giant' -

Photographer Diane Smyth, editor of the British Journal of Photography, called him a "international legend" of the field, noting he was one of the first in documentary work to embrace colour.

"A giant of photography, Martin Parr fostered a seachange in documentary at Magnum Photos," she wrote in a tribute posted online.

"He also championed other image-makers, supporting them through his collection and through his publishing activities and gallery space."

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Although Parr travelled the globe during his decades-spanning career -- snapping images from North Korea to Albania, Japan to Russia -- he was best known for his unvarnished, warts-and-all depictions of Britain.

He said he felt connected with the country's "history of satire and humour" but confided to AFP in 2019 -- amid Brexit divisions -- to having "a love-hate relationship with the British".

"I love the country... the hate is from the bigotry, xenophobia that caused the Brexit vote," he explained.

"You can express that apparent contradiction very effectively by photographing it."

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Parr relished picturing everyday settings like supermarkets, village fetes and coffee meets.

But in his pictures, sagging flesh is mercilessly exposed, food shovelled into mouths, luxury flaunted, often with unflattering results serving as a critique of modern consumer culture.

Not everyone was a fan.

Late French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who was among several photographers who tried to block Parr's entry into the Magnum, said he appeared to come "from a totally different planet". The comment was not intended as a compliment.

Parr later revealed: "I always cherish this remark, and wrote back, 'I know what you mean, but why shoot the messenger?'"

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- 'Never looked back' -

He kept working into his 70s, recently releasing his latest book -- he has published scores -- in the form of an autobiographical collection of photographs paired with his wry commentary.

Called "Utterly Lazy and Inattentive", the title stemmed from a French teacher's damning school report on him when he was 14.

The autobiography charts his journey from son of a birdwatching father to acclaimed photographer.

Born and raised in Surrey, south of London, in the 1950s, Parr was inspired by his grandfather, a keen amateur photographer, and opted for his chosen career while still a teenager.

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After studying at the University of Manchester, he began fairly conventionally, taking formal black-and-white shots that aped the great masters of the time such as Cartier-Bresson.

But he found himself drawn to the amusing seaside postcards and other kitsch items of everyday 1970s Britain, as well as colour, which was becoming the standard in photography.

"Once I tried colour, I never looked back," he told AFP in 2022, following decades of acclaim and success.

London's Barbican Art Gallery and Paris's Jeu de Paume were among the notable venues to stage retrospectives of his work.

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In an interview with AFP published last month, he argued the world has never been more in need of the kind of satire captured in his images.

"The state we're all in is appalling," he told AFP in Paris. "We're all too rich. We're consuming all these things in the world. And we can't. It's unsustainable."

jj/rmb
Research has highlighted a shocking discovery  the lobster on your plate may contain more than butter sauce.

What's happening?

According to a study published in the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science, every lobster sampled from four commercial fishing sites in Nova Scotia, Canada, contained microplastics  tiny plastic fragments that form when bottles, bags, and fishing gear break apart in the ocean.

Researchers detected these particles not only in the lobsters' organs but also in their tail meat  the part people eat.

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Most of the plastics came from fishing ropes and synthetic fabrics, and lobsters caught in heavily fished areas showed higher concentrations. Smaller lobsters, interestingly, contained even more plastic in their muscles than larger ones.

"There is an urgent need for continued research and monitoring to fully comprehend the transport and fate of microplastics within marine organisms, the environment, and human health," the study authors warned.

Why is this concerning?

Microplastics show up in common sources like salt and tap water  and this discovery hits especially close to the dinner plate.

While scientists are still uncovering the long-term health effects, early research suggests these particles can carry harmful chemicals and may interfere with human cells once ingested.

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For coastal communities that rely on lobster fishing, the findings raise deeper concerns  not just about ocean health, but about the safety and reputation of a vital food source and livelihood.

Similar studies have found microplastics in everything from bottled water to everyday foods  including a cup of tea  strengthening the evidence that plastic pollution isn't just an environmental issue, but also a public health one.

What's being done about it?

Experts say cutting down on plastic waste is key. Some fisheries are already testing biodegradable ropes and gear to reduce plastic loss at sea. Consumers can help by choosing reusable products and steering clear of single-use plastics whenever possible.

How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Extremely I'm pretty concerned A little Not much Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Other innovators are stepping up  from companies turning ocean plastic into sneakers to startups transforming discarded fishing nets into home goods.

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Each effort chips away at the plastic found in water sources  and helps keep it off our plates.



Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
This article was originally published in The 19th.

This story was originally reported by Ebony JJ Curry of The 19th. Meet Ebony and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy.

Seventy years have passed since Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat on a Montgomery bus, and yet the country still tries to shrink her into that single moment  a tired seamstress whod simply had enough.

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Detroit, the city where she chose to continue her life, insists on remembering her differently. Not as an icon frozen in time, but as a Black woman whose lifelong organizing stretched from sexual violence cases in rural Alabama to open housing fights on Detroits west side.

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That fuller story  truth beyond the myth  is exactly what the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation has fought to tell for 45 years.

The Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation (RPSF) has awarded more than $3 million in scholarships to more than 2,250 high school seniors since its founding by The Detroit News and the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) in 1980.

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Most people actually dont know the story of Rosa Parks, said Dr. Danielle McGuire, RPSF board member, historian and author of At the Dark End of the Street, whose research permanently shifted how historians write about Parks and the civil rights movement. Shes so much more interesting, so much more radical, and so much more involved in all kinds of things that we forget about. We keep her stuck on the bus in Montgomery in 1955.

According to Kim Trent, a Detroit civic leader and former board president, the foundation, created through a racial discrimination lawsuit settlement involving Strohs Brewing Company, became one of the rare instances where federal accountability for racism produced long-term investment in Black futures.

A judge, DPS and The Detroit News agreed the money should honor Parks  who was living in Detroit and working for Rep. John Conyers at the time  by funding scholarships for Michigan students devoted to service and social change.

It is a statewide program, reaching students from Detroit to Grand Rapids to rural school districts where scholarship dollars often determine whether higher education is possible at all.

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That framing makes her legacy active, not ceremonial.

As part of her family, I feel grateful to be able to work together with my fellow board members to keep fighting for more opportunities to continue to provide scholarships, said Erica Thedford, Parks great-niece and a foundation trustee. I think Auntie Rosa would be extremely proud of what the Foundation has been able to achieve.

The numbers tell one story  more than 1,000 scholars, millions awarded, forty $2,500 scholarships each year  and the essays tell another. Applicants must identify a modern social issue and explain how they would confront it using principles Parks embodied: discipline, non-negotiable dignity, community before self.

Reading the essays of the students who apply is a great reminder that each person doing one act, no matter how small, creates a stronger network of love and kindness, Thedford said. Some of these students come from extreme hardship and still find the time and resources to volunteer at food banks, shelters Some even take it upon themselves to be the organizer of ways to help the less fortunate at their schools.

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The award is one-time, not renewable, yet its impact stretches across decades.

Once you become a Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation recipient, you are a Rosa Parks Scholar for life, Thedford said. These students are now part of a network of people who root for each other, and that kind of support system is important.

Trent knows that firsthand: She was a Parks Scholar herself when she graduated from Cass Tech High School.

I received the scholarship in 1987, she said. Ironically, not only did I get it, but my best friend also received the same scholarship. And then her son got the scholarship like 30 years later.

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Trent said the scholarships origin mirrors Parks life  created in response to injustice and sustained through community action.

Its one of those rare occasions where something beautiful grew out of an instance of racism and oppression, Trent said.

Over the years, some Parks Scholars attended community college. Others enrolled at flagship universities. All had to articulate how their education would serve a community beyond themselves.

Some, like Emmy-winning actor Courtney B. Vance, whos from Highland Park, Michigan, went on to shape national culture. Others are now attorneys, educators and nonprofit leaders across the state.

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What gets lost in what she did is the reason she did it, Trent added. It wasnt just so she could sit on a bus. It was because she was trying to open up opportunity for people who had been denied opportunity.

That is the heartbeat of the foundations lineage.

Parks was not simply resisting segregation. She was rejecting the entire machinery that kept Black women from safety, education and economic autonomy.

McGuires research highlights how Rosa Parks was investigating sexual violence cases long before #MeToo, defending Black girls like Recy Taylor, whose voices were dismissed in courtrooms and newspapers. She worked alongside the NAACP on equity cases. When she left Alabama under threat of death and moved to Detroit, she became the neighbor who knew everyones children, the church member who attended every meeting, the woman who collected information and names and needs.

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She was the person in the neighborhood who knew all the kids, who worked in almost every community organization you can imagine, to make life better for her people, McGuire said. The scholarship foundation is an example of that  just one of many.

Every year, nearly 400 applicants encounter that fuller history  the Parks who fought for open housing in Detroit, who believed in Black self-determination, who, as McGuire notes, never stopped fighting for equality and justice for people who didnt have a voice that was being heard.

That is not accidental. It is by design.

We ask our applicants to become familiar with Rosa Parks and the tactics and strategies she used to make changes in her community and how they will do the same, McGuire said. I think it gives them hope. It links them to a tradition and a history of hope and change.

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This anniversary of Parks arrest arrives as school boards strip Black history from K-12 classrooms and as scholarship programs for marginalized students come under attack. Thedford sees the foundations work as a refusal.

During this time, when we are hearing of funding being pulled from schools and programs that are needed to serve our youth, the Foundation is able to continue its provision of funds, she said.

McGuire is blunt about what that represents:

No matter how hard people try to cancel the past, the past is very much alive, she said. Rosa Parks history gives us so much honesty about America and studying her is paramount to getting through any difficult time.

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Seventy years later, the lesson remains unchanged: Rosa Parks did not fight for a place to sit, she fought for the generations who would rise. Today, those students are still applying, still studying her strategies, still refusing to yield.

This story was originally published on The 19th.
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Credit: Serhiy Flash Beskrestnov on Telegram

Ukraines Defence Express news has highlighted the continuing issue of Russian drones with access to Starlink satellite internet guidance. Despite assurances from U.S. Pentagon officials from over a year ago, drones from the Russian aggressors are still flying into Ukrainian airspace to strike their targets  with Starlink hardware clearly strapped to them, claims the source (machine translation).

The new report, on what seems to be an ongoing issue, has been sparked by one of the first sightings of a crashed/disabled Molniya (Lightning) strike drone. This is shown in pictures originally shared by Serhiy Flash Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian electronic warfare and communications expert, who is active on Telegram social media.

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In the images, a Starlink Mini is clearly perched atop the grounded drone. Flash doesnt insist this drone actually came from Russia, but the overall design and internal components (like the battery) suggest it was very likely a Russian device.

Perhaps even more serious than this latest spotting is the Ukraine Defense Express assertion that Starlink usage by Russian drones hasnt been totally stopped since it was first documented in 2024.

Later that same year, the US Defense Departments assistant secretary for space policy, John Plumb, told Bloomberg that the Russian militarys unauthorized use of SpaceXs Starlink internet had been blunted. An IMI report says that Plumb wasnt specific about the measures put in place to deny Russian access, but that it was a good solution for Starlink and Ukraine.

Russian Shahed-136 drones have previously been seen kitted out with Starlink gear. The Ukraine Defense Express says that Russias recently unveiled RD-8 mother drone is Starlink controllable, too. Evidence of this wasnt reproduced within the source story.

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If the Ukraine Defense Express is correct, though, it is unsettling to know that the incessant Russian drone onslaught hitting Ukraines military, civilians, and key infrastructure could be weakened with just a little more political will.

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SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP)  Bulgarian maritime authorities on Saturday launched efforts to evacuate the crew of the oil tanker Kairos stranded off the Black Sea port of Ahtopol and believed to be part of the  shadow fleet  used by Russia to evade international sanctions linked to its war in Ukraine.

Last week, the Gambian-flagged 274-meter Kairos caught fire after an alleged attack with Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea near the Turkish coast. It was sailing empty from Egypt toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

The 149,000-ton Kairos, formerly flagged as Panamanian, Greek and Liberian, was built in 2002. It was sanctioned by the EU in July this year, followed by the U.K. and Switzerland.

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The ship entered Bulgarias territorial waters on Friday under tow by a Turkish vessel, but the mission was abruptly abandoned, leaving the tanker to drift across the sea without power like a ghost ship before stranding less than a nautical mile off the shore.

On Saturday, Rumen Nikolov, in charge of rescue operations at the Bulgarian Maritime Agency, said that it must be established through diplomatic channels why the tanker was brought into Bulgarias territorial waters.

Nikolov explained that the empty tanker is stable despite the bad weather, adding that there is no danger to either the crew or the environment. He said that all 10 crew members, of different nationalities, are in good condition and have enough food and water for about three days. When the weather calms down, the ship will be towed to a safe place, he added.

The head of border police, Anton Zlatanov, told the Nova TV channel, that communication was established with the crew, who had complied with orders and dropped anchor, and the ship is currently stable in a position off Ahtopol. The crew expressed their desire to be evacuated, but this must be done in the safest way possible, Zlatanov added.

Zlatanov noted that the tanker is being monitored by a radio communication system, thermal cameras from the shore, and a radar system, while communication with the crew is being maintained.
As rising global temperatures continue to melt more Arctic sea ice, nitrogen is expected to play a bigger role in supporting organisms in regions never thought possible.

What's happening?

In a recent study first published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen took a closer look at nitrogen fixation, a process in which bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into usable fuel for algae growth. They uncovered a remarkable discovery that could have a substantial impact on the planet.

The persistent loss of Arctic sea ice is increasing nitrogen fixation, which could trigger blooming algae in the Arctic Ocean. Not only would this support the Arctic marine food web, but it could also potentially increase the Arctic's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. This could ultimately play a positive role in fighting future global temperature rise.

Why is an increase in nitrogen fixation in the Arctic Ocean important?

The study was led by Lisa W. von Friesen, a postdoctoral researcher in marine ecology at the University of Copenhagen. She offered valuable insights into her team's findings and explained why the discovery of nitrogen fixation under melting Arctic sea ice came as a surprise.

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"Until now, it was believed that nitrogen fixation could not take place under the sea ice because it was assumed that the living conditions for the organisms that perform nitrogen fixation were too poor. We were wrong," von Friesen said in a news release.

As the melting of Arctic sea ice continues, more algal blooms may be produced in the coming years. The non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs that feed on dissolved organic matter produced by these algae can then release fixed nitrogen, especially along the edges of ice sheets. This can create a symbiotic relationship that has the potential to support an even more robust marine food web.

"In other words, the amount of available nitrogen in the Arctic Ocean has likely been underestimated, both today and for future projections. This could mean that the potential for algae production has also been underestimated as climate change continues to reduce the sea ice cover," added von Friesen.

What's being done about predicting future global conditions?

Despite the potential benefits, the increased rates of nitrogen fixation under melting Arctic sea ice could also create some uncertainty for researchers. Now equipped with a more detailed understanding of nitrogen fixation, climate researchers will likely need to adjust future climate models for more accurate predictions of the changing conditions in and around the Arctic.

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"For the climate and the environment, this is likely good news. If algae production increases, the Arctic Ocean will absorb more CO2 because more CO2 will be bound in algae biomass," said Lasse Riemann, biology professor at the University of Copenhagen and senior author of the study. "But biological systems are very complex, so it is hard to make firm predictions, because other mechanisms may pull in the opposite direction."

Currently, rising global temperatures have been linked to more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Warmer temperatures have also led to rising sea levels, threatening coastal communities around the globe.

"We do not yet know whether the net effect will be beneficial for the climate. But it is clear that we should include an important process such as nitrogen fixation in the equation when we try to predict what will happen to the Arctic Ocean in the coming decades as sea ice declines," added Riemann.



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If you see low-flying helicopters through mid-February along the Front Range, including in urban areas and the Eastern Plains, the government isn't spying on you, but it is spying on deer and elk.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff will be conducting annual deer and elk herd classification flights during this time to collect information on size, age and sex information.

The annual aerial surveys allow the agency to gather data to help assess Colorados wildlife populations, which is used in part to determine the number of hunting licenses to allow.

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Colorado has the largest elk herd in the world with an estimated 300,000 elk, and 400,000 deer, according to the agency.

The agency generates more than 90% of its funding from sources other than taxes and the state's general fund. The agency brought in $378 million in fiscal year 2024-25, with 58% generated from licenses, passes, fees and permits, according to the agency.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: The reason Colorado residents may see low-flying helicopters in winter
MARSHALL, Texas (KETK)  U.S. Senator for Texas John Cornyn spoke to graduating students at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall on Saturday.

U.S. Senator Cornyn discusses Pell Grant expansion, Big Beautiful Bill at SFA

Cornyn has served as one of two U.S. Senators for Texas since he was first elected to the position in 2002. Hes currently running to be reelected to the Senate in 2026 against fellow Republican Primary candidates Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt.

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Cornyn discussed several issues on Saturday like the economy, healthcare, education and Affordable Care Act healthcare premiums, which he said are going up by 18% for Texans.

As it turns out, about 20% of that money goes directly to insurance company profits and overhead and what were trying to do is figure out how can we make put all of the money that the federal government uses to help subsidize these health care programs to go directly to consumers and patients, Cornyn said.

He also said that one solution could be to start hospital-based insurance coverage for operations and hospital stays.

If Cornyn wins the 2026 Republican Primary in March, hed face the winner of the Democratic Party Primary in the November election. Several Democratic candidates have already declared for their partys primary, including State Rep. James Talarico and U.S Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.

You can now stream KETK and FOX51 News live 24/7 on your smart TV with KETK+, our brand-new app! No antenna, cable, or satellite neededwatch for free, anytime. Just download it on your Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV and start streaming.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
Individuals named Chadburne are often perceived as possessing a unique blend of traditional values and independent thinking. They typically exhibit strong leadership qualities combined with a deep connection to nature and family heritage. Chadburnes are known for their reliability, steadfastness in their convictions, and ability to navigate both conventional and unconventional paths with equal grace. Their personality often reflects the name's origins - containing both the wild, independent spirit of the wildcat and the steady, life-giving quality of flowing water.



In social settings, Chadburnes tend to be reserved yet confident, often serving as pillars of their communities. They demonstrate loyalty to their principles and those they care about, while maintaining the adaptability to handle changing circumstances. The combination of wildcat symbolism and brook imagery creates individuals who are both fierce protectors and nurturing supporters. They typically excel in roles that require both strategic thinking and practical implementation, making them effective in leadership positions across various fields from education to business to community service, while maintaining their distinctive character and moral compass.
COTONOU, Benin (AP)  Benin President Patrice Talon on Sunday condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the country's army in his first public comments since sporadic gunfire was heard in parts of the administrative capital, Cotonou.

A group of soldiers appeared on Benin s state TV earlier Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, which would have been the latest of many in West Africa. The group called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation.

Later, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced in a video on Facebook that the attempted coup had been foiled, but Talon, whose location was unclear, did not comment.

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I would also like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the victims of this senseless adventure, as well as to those still being held by the fleeing mutineers, the president said in a televised address to the nation that ended his silence. "I assure them that we will do everything in our power to find them safe and sound.

The coup attempt is the latest in a string of military takeovers and attempted takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo after a contested election in which both he and the opposition candidate declared themselves winners.

Talon did not provide figures on casualties or hostages in Sunday's attempted coup.

In the early morning of Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny to destabilize the state and its institutions, Seidou said. Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic.

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The regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, said it ordered the deployment of troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana to support Benin's army to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin.

ECOWAS earlier called the attempted coup a subversion of the will of the people of Benin.

Nigerias President Bola Tinubu praised the Nigerian armed forces for their involvement in restoring the government in Benin. In a statement by the Nigerian government's spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga said Benin's government made two separate requests for air and ground forces.

It took some hours before the governments loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV, Onanuga said in the statement.

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Local media reported the arrest of 13 soldiers who took part in the coup earlier on Sunday, citing sources close to the presidency. It remained unclear if Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, the coup leader, had been apprehended. Gunfire was heard and soldiers were seen patrolling in some locations in Cotonou, but the city has been relatively calm since the coup attempt was announced.

The Military Committee for Refoundation earlier said that Tigri was appointed president of the military committee.

Following its independence from France in 1960, the West African nation witnessed multiple coups. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kerekou.

The signal to the state television and public radio, which was cut off, was later restored.

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Talon has been in power since 2016 and is due to step down next April after a presidential election.

Talons party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is the favorite to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.

In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.

Last month, the countrys legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.

___

Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.
Benin's president has appeared on television to reassure citizens of the West African nation that the situation was now "totally under control" following an attempted coup earlier in the day.

"I would like to commend the sense of duty demonstrated by our army and its leaders, who have remained... loyal to the nation," Patrice Talon said, looking calm during the live evening broadcast.

The government said it had thwarted the mutiny hours after a group of soldiers declared a takeover on national television.

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Later in the afternoon, huge explosions were heard in Cotonou, Benin's largest city and seat of government. They were thought to have been the result of an air strike.

The soldiers appeared on state TV early on Sunday morning to say they were suspending the constitution [BTV]

Prior to the explosions, flight-tracking data showed that three aircraft had entered Benin's airspace from neighbouring Nigeria before returning home.

A spokesman for Nigeria's president later confirmed that its fighter jets had gone in to "take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the national TV and a military camp where they had regrouped".

There have been a series of coups in West Africa before Sunday's thwarted attempt in Benin, heightening fears that the security of the region could worsen.

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Benin, a former French colony, has been regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies. But Talon has faced accusations of suppressing criticism of his policies.

The nation is one of the continent's largest cotton producers, but ranks among the world's poorest countries.

Nigeria, Benin's large neighbour to the east, has described the coup attempt as a "direct assault on democracy".

"This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these opportunists and avert disaster for our country. This treachery will not go unpunished"", Source: Patrice Talon, Source description: President of Benin, Image: Patrice Talon on national TV

The 67-year-old president said in his address that loyalist forces had "cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers".

"This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these opportunists and avert disaster for our country. This treachery will not go unpunished," he added.

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"I would like to reassure you that the situation is completely under control and therefore invite you to go about your business peacefully this evening."

It is not clear if there have been casualties, but the president expressed his condolences "to the victims of this senseless adventure, as well as to those still being held by fleeing mutineers".

Earlier, government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji told news agency Reuters that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the attempted coup.

A journalist in Benin told the BBC that, of those reportedly arrested, 12 are believed to have stormed the offices of the national TV station - including a soldier who had previously been sacked.

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Eyewitnesses told the BBC gunfire was heard near the presidential residence early on Sunday morning, as a group of soldiers announced on national TV that they were suspending the constitution.

They also said some journalists working for the state broadcaster had been held hostage for a few hours.

The French and Russian embassies urged their citizens to remain indoors, while the US embassy's advice was to stay away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential compound.

The rebel soldiers, led by Lt Col Pascal Tigri, justified their actions by criticising Talon's management of the country, complaining first about his handling of the "continuing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin".

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Benin's army has suffered losses near its northern border with insurgency-hit Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years, as jihadist militants linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda spread southwards.

The soldier's statement cited "the ignorance and neglect of the situation of our brothers in arms who have fallen at the front and, above all, that of their families, abandoned to their sad fate by Mr Patrice Talon's policies".

The rebels also hit out at cuts in health care, including the cancellation of state-funded kidney dialysis, and taxes rises, as well as curbs on political activities.

Talon, who is regarded as a close ally of the West, is due to step down next year after completing his second term in office, with elections scheduled for April.

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A businessman known as the "king of cotton", he first came to power in 2016. He has endorsed Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his successor.

Talon has been praised by his supporters for overseeing economic development, but his government has also been criticised for suppressing dissenting voices.

In October, Benin's electoral commission barred the main opposition candidate from standing on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.

Last month, constitutional amendments were passed by MPs, including the creation of a second parliamentary chamber, the Senate.

Terms for elected officials were extended from five to seven years, but the presidential two-term limit remained in place.

Soldiers were seen patrolling some streets in the main city of Cotonou after the government said the takeover had been foiled [Reuters]

Sunday's attempted coup comes just over a week after Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was overthrown - though some regional figures have questioned whether this was staged.

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In recent years, West Africa has also seen coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger, prompting concerns about the region's stability.

Russia has strengthened its ties with these Sahel countries over recent years - and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left the West African regional bloc Ecowas to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States.

News of the attempted takeover in Benin was hailed by several pro-Russian social media accounts, according to BBC Monitoring.

Ecowas and the African Union (AU) have both condemned the coup attempt.

A contingent from Ecowas's standby force is to be deployed to preserve the "constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin", the regional bloc has said in a statement.

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AU Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Yousouf reiterated the pan-African organisation's "zero tolerance stance toward any unconstitutional change of government, regardless of context or justification".

[BBC]

You may also be interested in:

[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

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The Trump administration offered states a deal: pledge to enact White House-favored policies for a chance to win a bigger share of the $50 billion aimed at transforming the nation's struggling rural health care systems.

The battle for those funds is now underway.

In pitches submitted in November to the Rural Health Transformation Program that Congress and President Donald Trump created in July, state officials described a crisis in rural America  an explosion of chronic illnesses, hours-long drives for basic services, a scourge of addiction  and laid out their plans for turning things around.

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But in a bid to get better scores on their applications, and thus more funding, several also vowed to change their own laws  making promises, for example, to restrict low-income people from using food benefits to buy junk food or to expand telehealth, that they may not be able to keep in the coming years.

Democrats and health advocates described the Trump administrations criteria for doling out the money as highly unusual, and some fear it could be wielded to favor political allies.

I've been working in government and health policy for 20-plus years, and I can't recall another scenario where it was quite this direct in terms of, If you work on these policy changes at the state level, we will give you funding, said Carrie Cochran-McClain, the chief policy officer for the National Rural Health Association, which represents state and local officials who work on rural health.

When the Trump administration begins distributing the money at the end of the year, it will divide half of the $50 billion among all states that apply evenly, regardless of population  giving smaller states vastly more money per capita. It will also dole out a quarter of the funds based on factors like the size of a states rural population, how much free health care its providers give to people who cant afford to pay, and how large its land area is.

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The rest is up to the discretion of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services based on how well states plans align with the Trump administrations vision for the program.

And $3.75 billion of that, or 7.5 percent of the total , hinges on whether states pass a series of policies. States will receive full credit for laws theyve already changed, and partial credit for pledges to make those changes. But if states dont implement those promised policies by the end of 2027, or 2028 for some of the more complex ones, the Trump administration has threatened to claw back a portion of the money.

Some of the incentivized policies are popular across the political spectrum, like expanding access to telehealth and requiring medical students to study nutrition. Others are popular with conservatives and reviled by many progressives, including food stamp restrictions and the deregulation of cheaper-but-skimpier short-term insurance plans.

Several of the policies are designed to advance the food and fitness goals of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s Make America Healthy Again movement. Others are divisive within the medical community but not partisan, like allowing nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and EMTs to provide services previously restricted to doctors. None of the policies are specific to rural residents, and would impact states entire populations.

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An analysis of 40 state applications to the Rural Health Transformation Program obtained by POLITICO found that states across the political spectrum are promising to enact the less controversial policies the program favors. For instance, 23 states  including eight run by Democrats and 15 by Republicans  told the Trump administration they would start requiring nutrition education in medical schools.

But states were sharply divided on other laws they saw as more partisan or contentious.

A dozen predominately conservative states boasted in their applications that they have already restricted low-income people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding from buying candy, soda and other non-nutritious food and drinks, while another 11 promised to do so in the future. Only a handful of blue states, including Colorado, Connecticut and Hawaii, have embraced the SNAP policy  a long-sought conservative goal.

No states, meanwhile, pledged to deregulate short-term insurance plans that Democrats have long criticized as junk plans, though more than a dozen said they had already done so.

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In a statement to POLITICO, a CMS spokesperson stressed that state policy is just one of the programs many components, that no state is forced to adopt any policy, and that states will get significant baseline funding regardless of what laws they do or dont adopt.

The incentive structure, the spokesperson added encourages alignment with evidence-based policies that have been shown to improve health care access, outcomes, and efficiency.

Using federal funding as a cudgel to compel states to adopt particular policies is controversial, but not unprecedented. In the 1980s, for example, highway funding was contingent on states raising the drinking age from 18 to 21. And any hospital in the country that turns people away in an emergency risks being kicked out of Medicare.

Utahs GOP Gov. Spencer Cox told POLITICO that he appreciates that the program pressures his and other states to test out new solutions to problems that have long plagued their rural populations.

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Health care is such a sticky wicket, he said, citing years of work with experts through the One Utah Health Collaborative that havent yet yielded meaningful results. We still haven't brought down the cost of health care in Utah. It still continues to go up significantly. So I don't know that anybody has all the answers here, but I'm willing to try just about anything to try to make a difference.

But the policy incentives in the Rural Health Transformation Program  which was quickly cobbled together this summer to win over holdouts in Congress and secure passage of Republicans megabill that slashed taxes and Medicaid spending  are drawing scrutiny, even ire, from Democrats.

It's a bad way to care for human beings, and it's bad for rural economies, said Matt Klein, an internal medicine doctor and Democratic state senator who is running for Minnesota's only open  and most competitive  House seat. And if that rural hospital fund is tied to sort of blackmail policy initiatives that are unacceptable to the people of Minnesota, we'll have to figure out our own pathway to care for our members.

We're not going to sell ourselves out

Most states have made their applications public , including details on which of the Trump administrations favored policies they will embrace or reject. A few others shared documents with POLITICO upon request. A handful, however, kept that information confidential or released only a general summary that did not include which laws and regulations they would or would not adopt.

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Additionally, though the Trump administration was clear that it would only reward hard commitments, there was a great deal of variation in the firmness of states vows to enact the incentivized policies.

Tennessee, for example, pledged in its application to pass legislation in 2026 requiring implementation of the Presidential Fitness Test by 2028. New Hampshire, in contrast, pledged to expand school-based wellness and promote physical activity, but offered no timeline or specific bill.

CMS is set to grade states at least four times over the coming years on whether theyve met their commitments, and will adjust funding accordingly. For example, state promises to mandate the Presidential Fitness Test and add nutrition counseling to their medical school requirements wont be considered as part of their score until November 2026, and theyll have until the end of 2027 or 2028 to implement those promises.

Meanwhile, even with billions of dollars hanging in the balance, many states flatly refused to even consider enacting some policies. Those jurisdictions were primarily, but not exclusively, Democrat-led.

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For example, Delaware  which is seeking more than $100 million to establish its first medical school  pledged in its application to remove regulatory hurdles for providers to establish new facilities in rural areas, but declined to make any changes to the SNAP.

We're not going to sell ourselves out to do this for $1 here, $1 there, Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, told POLITICO. We need to look in the mirror as a state and decide if this is what we want to do. If it makes sense to do this, we should do it.

Meyer added that hes not a huge fan of putting policy requirements like these in grant applications, arguing they step on local control.

An additional complicating factor: states had just a few weeks to put together their applications this fall  a time when almost all state legislatures were not in session.

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Even some aligned with the Trump administrations vision felt trapped in a Catch 22. If they were too specific in their policy promises, without knowing what state lawmakers would be willing to pass over the next few years, they risked being deemed noncompliant and having some money recouped. But if they werent specific enough, they jeopardized their chances of getting extra points on their application.

It was a challenge to have a very short timeline, and deadlines that certainly precede the reconvening of our state legislature in January, said Daniel Edney, the leader of the Mississippi State Department of Health. We had as much of a conversation with stakeholders in the very short amount of time that we were all given to try to get buy-in and understanding.

Making matters more difficult, states have just a few years to make good on their policy promises  a narrow window for complicated legislative and regulatory moves that some states have fought over for more than a decade.

Having to wait for your state legislature to pass a policy, no matter who you are, is a real, precarious requirement, said Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a physician who consulted with the Trump administration on the creation of the rural health program. We have heard from the administration that they want to see results in the first year, and they're going to judge them. But look, I was a legislator for 14 years. And, for example, it took us 12 years to pass a law to provide insurance coverage for children with autism. Twelve years!

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North Dakota, one of several states where the legislature only meets every other year, convened a select committee this fall to draft legislation for a special session aimed solely at fulfilling the Trump administrations health policy requests  anxious about failing to meet the programs deadlines.

In late October, just days before applications were due, the state also sought to restrict certain SNAP purchases to address root causes of chronic disease like obesity.

MAHA moves

While Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will decide how billions in rural health funding gets distributed, Kennedys Make America Healthy Again movement is setting much of the agenda.

States were even told to direct any questions they had about their applications to the email address MAHARural@cms.hhs.gov.

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Kennedy spent much of his first year in office visiting states that adopted SNAP waivers, removed food dyes and ultraprocessed foods from school meals, and banned fluoride in public drinking water  putting a spotlight on efforts in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

But when governors grilled Kennedy at the Western Governors Association conference in November about how the billions in the rural health fund will be distributed  with Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs describing some of the criteria as arbitrary  Kennedy appeared to distance himself from the program.

That formula, as you know, was decided through negotiation in the legislatures, the Senate and the House, to pass the big, beautiful bill, he said. So as HHS Secretary, I really have no way of altering that formula.

Kennedy added that money will be awarded based on an independent review process that is supposed to be free of any kind of political manipulation or pressure. Yet some state officials see the decision to condition some funding on MAHA initiatives and other health policies as coercive.

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Theyre holding our rural health as a hostage, essentially, for these broader policy goals, and that's a problem, said Priya Sundareshan, a Democratic state senator in Arizona, one of the dozen states that refused to adopt SNAP restrictions. Sundareshan called the incentivized food stamp rules, in particular, a paternalistic policy.

People are making do with what they can, and what we need to do is let them put together the resources to feed their families, she said. If that involves a little bit of joy because they've splurged on something that is not necessarily what we would all think is the most helpful, then that's fine.

She added that shes concerned the structure of the program will penalize states like hers that have a divided government  in Arizonas case, a Democratic governor and Republican-dominated state legislature  where its difficult to pass major health policies of any kind.

Its basically guaranteeing that our state will have a harder time accessing those funds, she said.
ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith blasted President Trump for calling the affordability crisis a Democratic con job, saying that he wants to act as if theres no concern.

He has to say that right now because its an issue and a concern for the American people, the host of SiriusXMs Straight Shooter with Stephen A. said on ABCs The View on Thursday. And he wants to act as if there is no concern because everything hes doing is just so beautiful and so marvelous and what have you.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed concerns related to rising costs, insisting that energy and grocery prices are low and that Democrats have manufactured an affordability issue.

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The Democrats are good at a few things, cheating on elections and conning people with facts that arent true, he told reporters after the November elections.

After last months contests, Democrats won several high-profile races  including the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races  by wider margins than expected, which experts have attributed to their campaigns focuses on affordability.

Several prominent Republican politicians, including Vice President Vance and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), have acknowledged that affordability has emerged as a prominent concern for voters. Greene in particular has directly pushed back against the presidents characterization that grocery prices are falling.

Grocery prices remain high. Energy prices are high, Greene told CNN in November. She added that she believed the issue of affordability had contributed to the GOPs recent election losses.

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But Trump has sought to minimize the issue even as it is poised to play a role in next years midterm elections.

Smith praised Democrats for forcing Trump to play ball and figure out a way to beat them.

Theyre gaining some momentum, Smith said, referring to Democrats. Well see what happens from there.

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The 6-1 decision by the Supreme Court overturns a precedent set only months earlier, and restores the Interior Ministrys longstanding interpretation of the law.

The Supreme Court, in a rare seven-justice panel, ruled on Sunday that non-Jewish minors do not automatically receive Israeli citizenship just because their parent immigrated under the Law of Return. Instead, those children must go through the regular, slower naturalization process.

The six-one decision overturns a precedent set only months earlier and restores the Interior Ministrys longstanding interpretation of the law.

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At the heart of the case are two distinct legal routes to citizenship in Israel. One is the Law of Return, which gives Jews, children and grandchildren of Jews, and most converts an almost automatic right to immigrate (make aliyah) and receive citizenship. It is designed specifically to bring Jews to Israel and grant them status quickly.

The other is the Citizenship Laws naturalization process for non-Jews who want to become Israeli citizens. This is a slower, more demanding route. It requires years of living in Israel, proof of the applicant's settlement in the country, basic Hebrew proficiency, and a full review by the interior minister. Children of someone who naturalizes this way are usually entitled to citizenship alongside the parent.

The key dispute in this case was whether children of a Law of Return citizen  who did not go through the long naturalization route  should still get the same automatic benefit. Last June, the Supreme Court said they should. Now, in this expanded rehearing, the court has said no.

ALIYAH EMBRACE, Bnei Menashe. Photo from Laura's exhibition. (credit: LAURA BEN DAVID)

Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, writing for the majority, said that the two tracks serve different purposes and should not be mixed.

The Law of Return, a generational reality

The Law of Return is meant to open the door for Jews; it is not meant to create a shortcut for non-Jewish children. Letting children of Law of Return immigrants jump automatically to citizenship, he wrote, would essentially expand the Law of Return beyond what the Knesset had ever intended for it.

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Other justices in the majority said that each track  the Law of Return and naturalization  has its own rules for handling family members. Merging the two, they said, creates confusion and stretches the Law of Return far beyond its purpose.

Justice Yosef Elron added that the broader interpretation would risk encouraging people to misrepresent their personal status during the aliyah process, knowing that it would later grant their children automatic citizenship.

Justice Ruth Ronen dissented, arguing that the laws purpose is to keep families unified under the same legal status and to protect children from becoming stateless.

If a parent is a citizen, she wrote, the child should not be left in limbo simply because the parent entered through the Law of Return rather than the naturalization track. She warned that the majoritys approach creates unnecessary and harmful status gaps between parents and their children.

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The case concerned the Clement family, longtime residents of Dimona belonging to the African Hebrew Israelite community. The father, Eliezer Clement, converted to Judaism in the United States and immigrated under the Law of Return, but during the aliyah process, he falsely stated that he had no wife and children.

Over the years, the couple had eleven children. Four were eventually recognized as citizens; the remaining seven  some born abroad, some in unregistered home births  were left without citizenship and in some cases, without any nationality at all.

After paternity was legally established, Clement asked the Population and Immigration Authority to grant citizenship to these seven children. The state refused, saying that the Citizenship Law applies only when a parent naturalizes under the long, civilian track, not when a parent enters through the Law of Return.

A lower court accepted that view; in June 2024, the Supreme Court reversed it; and now the expanded panel has reversed it again, reinstating the states position.

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The ruling means that non-Jewish children of Law of Return immigrants must now apply for citizenship through the regular naturalization system, rather than receiving it automatically. While these children can still become citizens, the process is lengthier and discretionary, requiring the Interior Ministrys approval.

The majority of justices urged the state to use the humanitarian tools available under the law to avoid leaving children without legal status. But for now, the court made clear that any broader change to how these families are handled must come from the Knesset, not from the bench.
The Swedish navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea on an almost weekly basis, its chief of operations has said, and is preparing for a further increase in the event of ceasefire or armistice in the Ukraine war.

Capt Marko Petkovic said Moscow was continuously reinforcing its presence in the region, and sightings of its vessels were a regular part of life for the Swedish navy. Its very common, he said, adding that the number of sightings had increased in recent years.

The Baltic Sea region is facing an increasing range of threats, including suspected hybrid attacks from drones, alleged sabotage of underwater infrastructure and a steady flow of ageing oil tankers in the form of shadow fleet ships carrying crude oil from Russia.

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Last month, the British defence secretary said that a Russian spy ship had entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, warning that the UK faced a new era of threat from hostile countries.

Sweden recently hosted a major Nato anti-submarine warfare exercise, Playbook Merlin 25, featuring nine countries, including Sweden, Germany, France and the US, in which hundreds of personnel practised their submarine-hunting skills in the unique conditions of the Baltic to prepare for possible underwater attack.

The hilly underwater landscape of the Baltic near Sweden makes it difficult to detect submarines because they can hide.

Petkovic said Russia was increasing its capabilities and was producing one Kilo-class submarine a year in St Petersburg and the Kaliningrad enclave, positioned between Poland and Lithuania. He said it was undergoing a deliberate and constant modernisation programme of its ships.

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Once a ceasefire or armistice is eventually in place in Ukraine, you can only assess, and we do assess that Russia will reinforce its capabilities in this region, said Petkovic. So with that said, the [Swedish] navy needs to continuously grow and focus on the overall picture.

Related: Putin trying to negotiate an end to Ukraine war as he cannot win it on battlefield, says EUs Kallas  Europe live

He said Russias shadow fleet of civilian-flagged oil tankers was also a concern and did not rule out the potential for such ships to be used to launch drones.

The shadow fleet in itself is not a military problem, but the shadow fleet could affect our nations from a military perspective, Petkovic said.

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The varying challenges of underwater conditions  including shorter visibility than above water, salinity and temperature  mean that underwater infrastructure was especially vulnerable in the Baltics, he said. This was especially the case for Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania, he said, which were fully dependent on the sea lines for communication, for our sustainment of our societies.

However, he believes that increased Nato vigilance is having an impact. He said that since Operation Baltic Sentry was established in January, we havent seen any cable incidents in this region at all.

He added: First of all it shows that the alliance works, cohesion. And we are closing ranks against one particular threat. The Baltic Sentry has proven that point. Regardless of whether any of the incidents have been state-sponsored or if its been bad seamanship, or anything in between, it has raised awareness amongst the merchant fleet that they should be a bit more cautious when travelling our regional waters.
The U.S. Attorneys Office says a Tacoma woman was sentenced for her involvement in a scheme to steal money from victims accounts.

Aneicia Ford was accused of stealing account information of 23 victims from a credit union that she was employed by from.

The scheme started only weeks after Ford began her job.

Ford worked a customer service agent for the credit union where she was allowed to work from home.

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She would gather customer information and develop an account takeover scheme.

Ford would hand over the information to the people working on the scam with her.

She would supply them with fake IDs to access the accounts.

The group stole as much as $345,014 from victims accounts by withdrawing up to $25,000 in cash or by ordering cashiers checks and money orders.

Ford was sentenced to a little over two years in prison on May 20, 2025

U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said during Fords sentencing, What you did was serious Your employer trusted you with access to customers more personal information. Real people suffered real harm from the actions that you took.
DAKAR. Senegal (AP)  Dozens of people who have fled Mali tell The Associated Press that a new Russian military unit that replaced the Wagner mercenary group this year is carrying out abuses, including rapes and beheadings, as it teams up with Malis military to hunt down extremists.

The refugees said the Africa Corps, which reports to Russia's Defense Ministry, is using the same tactics as Wagner. Their accounts, collected during rare access to the Mauritanian border, have not been reported by international media until now.

West Africas vast Sahel region has become the deadliest place in the world for extremism. The military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in recent years have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating the fighters affiliated with al-Qaida or the Islamic State group.

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The Africa Corps replaced Wagner six months ago. That sparked hope for less brutality among weary civilians who the United Nations says have been abused by all sides. But refugees described a new reign of terror by the white men in the vast and largely lawless territory. The AP spoke to 34 refugees. Most spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Here are takeaways from the AP investigation.

A scorched-earth policy

Two refugees showed videos of villages they said were burned by Africa Corps. Two others said they found bodies of loved ones with liver and kidneys missing. Previous AP reporting has tracked social media channels, likely administered by Wagner members, that shared images of men in military uniform butchering corpses of what appear to be Malian civilians, hacking out organs and posing with severed limbs.

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Its a scorched-earth policy, said a Malian village chief who fled to Mauritania last month for the second time. The soldiers speak to no one. Anyone they see, they shoot. No questions, no warning. People dont even know why they are being killed.

He added: There is no difference between Wagner and Africa Corps.

Malian authorities never publicly acknowledged Wagners presence, and have not acknowledged Africa Corps. But Russian state media in recent weeks have published reports from Mali praising Africa Corps for defending the country from terrorists," and Russias Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the unit is active at the request of the Malian authorities, providing ground escorts, search-and-rescue operations and other work.

Russias Defense Ministry did not respond to AP questions.

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Questions around Africa Corps

Reported abuses against civilians intensified when Wagner teamed up with the underfunded Malian army in 2021. According to private security analysts, Mali paid Russia about $10 million a month for Wagners assistance. While the group was never officially under the Kremlins command, it had close ties to Russias intelligence and military.

Moscow began developing the Africa Corps as a rival to Wagner after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash in 2023 following his brief armed rebellion in Russia that challenged the rule of President Vladimir Putin.

It is unclear whether Malis agreement remains the same for Africa Corps. Much is unknown about the unit's operations, including the number of fighters, which analysts estimate at around 2,000.

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Not all Africa Corps fighters are Russian. Several refugees told the AP they saw Black men speaking foreign languages. The European Council on Foreign Relations in a recent report said the unit recruits from Russia, Belarus and African states.

Civilians are between a rock and a hard place

The hunt by Africa Corps and Malian forces for militants intensified in September, when JNIM fighters imposed an unprecedented blockade on fuel into Mali from neighboring countries.

Experts say its impossible to know how many people are being killed and assaulted in Mali, especially in remote areas, while journalists and aid workers have limited access to the country.

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There is a lot of people raped, attacked, killed. Families are separated, there is no doubt about that, said Sukru Cansizoglu, the representative in Mauritania for the U.N. refugee agency. But it is sometimes difficult to really pinpoint who are the perpetrators.

Civilians, under pressure from both the militants and the Africa Corps and Malian fighters, are between a rock and a hard place, said Heni Nsaibia from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

As one refugee put it: If you dont tell the army you saw jihadists, the army will kill you. But if you tell them, the jihadists will find you and kill you.

Direct accountability of the Russian state

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Legal experts said the shift from Wagner to Africa Corps makes the Russian government directly accountable for its military unit's actions.

Despite the rebranding, there is striking continuity in personnel, commanders, tactics and even insignia between Wagner and Africa Corps, said Lindsay Freeman, senior director of international accountability at the UC Berkeley School of Laws Human Rights Center, which has monitored the conflict in Mali.

Because Africa Corps is embedded in Russias Ministry of Defense, it can be treated as an organ of the Russian state under international law, Freeman said. That means any war crimes committed by Africa Corps in Mali are, in principle, attributable to the Russian government under the rules on state responsibility.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Pickleball is growing in popularity across the Tampa Bay area, but now, dozens of customers of a not-yet-opened indoor pickleball business say they paid membership deposits, only to find that the company has disconnected its phone line.

Many called 8 On Your Sides Better Call Behnken for help getting answers.

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From the outside, Divine Iron Gym  located inside the former Dicks Sporting Goods space at WestShore Plaza  appears ready to open.

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Workout equipment is visible through the windows, and upstairs is advertised to be Division 1 Pickleball, a space with indoor courts for members who pay a monthly fee.

Tampa code enforcement director fired after cashing lottery ticket for employee

Janice Fisher said she and at least 20 others in her pickleball circle jumped at the chance to lock in discounted fees and play out of the sun. She said playing outside over the summer was brutal, and the location along Westshore Boulevard was centrally located to many who live and work in neighboring communities.

Between the rain and the heat, it was bad, Fisher said.  So who wouldnt want to go for $79 a month indoors?

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Debbie Cagnina said she and her pickleball group, dozens of people, responded to social media advertisements in June and took advantage of an offer for the first 100 customers to lock in a $75 monthly rate.

The companys Instagram page currently lists memberships at $109 a month. Cagnina said some members also secured deals for the gym.

Supposedly somewhere, I believe it was upstairs, there was going to be 12 indoor pickleball courts, Cagnina said. If you go to their Instagram page, they are actually showing construction and giving you a timeline of how everything is going in there, so it looks totally legitimate.

But now, she said, its unclear whether the facility will ever open. After several delays, communication has stopped, and phone numbers have been disconnected.

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In October was the last email we all received, and they said they were dealing with permitting issues and were waiting for their fire marshals supervisor, Cagnina said. They were saying all the right things to kind of keep you strung along to see if they were going to open or not.

State records show that both Divine Iron Holdings LLC and Division 1 Pickleball LLC filed to dissolve on Nov. 21. Owner Luis Valero listed ran out of funding and difficulty opening as the reason.

Meanwhile, Fisher urged customers to dispute charges with their credit card companies.

They were able to give me my money back, and I blocked any further payments, she said. Unfortunately, some other people werent as lucky. But yeah, I dont think well ever see that money. I think it went into the gym, which I think was their main focus.

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Behnken reached company owner Luis Valero by phone, and he said he assures me he plans to return membership money.

He said members will receive an email Friday morning with options to get your money back or transfer memberships to another gym.

He said his business plan ran into trouble with permitting issues with the city.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A Tesla traveling the wrong way collided head-on with a dump truck in Scottsdale on Dec. 2, sending both drivers to the hospital, police said.

The crash occurred just before noon in a residential area near Cactus Road and 74th Street. Scottsdale officers restricted traffic around the large crash scene, according to the Scottsdale Police Department on X.

Officer Aaron Bolin, spokesperson for the Scottsdale Police Department, said a Tesla was heading east on Cactus Road when it veered left across the center median and into the westbound lanes, striking the dump truck.

The aftermath of a crash in central Scottsdale that left two people hurt and involved a Tesla and a dump truck on Dec. 2, 2025.

The impact sent the dump truck to the left, where it sideswiped a Nissan Maxima before continuing through the eastbound lanes and crashing into a home's block wall, according to a preliminary police investigation.

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Both the Tesla driver and the dump truck driver were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, according to Bolin.

Scottsdale police said impairment and speed did not appear to be factors, and investigators estimated the Tesla was traveling at the posted speed limit.

The Tesla driver was cited for driving left of the center median under Arizona Revised Statute 28-721(A) and for failing to control speed to avoid a collision under ARS 28-701(A), according to Bolin.

The Teslas driving mode at the time of the crash remained part of an active investigation, Bolin said.

Rey Covarrubias Jr. covers grocery shopping, business and breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@gannett.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.

What we know: Police say a phone tied a Phoenix man to 2 deadly shootings. Here's how

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tesla, dump truck crash head-on in Scottsdale
Individuals named Cheyanne are often perceived as possessing a unique blend of strength and grace, reflecting the name's dual cultural heritage. They tend to be independent spirits with a deep connection to nature and a strong sense of personal identity. Many Cheyannes exhibit natural leadership qualities combined with emotional sensitivity, making them both resilient and compassionate. Their personality often includes a adventurous streak, a love for freedom, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining their core values.



These individuals typically value authenticity and have a strong intuitive sense, often being drawn to creative pursuits or careers that allow them to express their individuality. The name suggests someone who is both grounded and visionary, capable of bridging different worlds while remaining true to themselves. Cheyannes are often seen as reliable friends and partners who bring stability while encouraging growth and exploration in those around them. Their combination of practical wisdom and spiritual depth makes them valuable members of any community.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  Three boys are in custody after multiple vehicles were hijacked Saturday morning.

Two 14-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy were arrested on charges including aggravated vehicular hijacking, said Sgt. Amy Dotson with the Peoria Police Department.

At 8:17 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, officers went to the 11000 block of North Oakwood Drive after receiving a report of a stolen 2024 GMC Sierra with a snowplow attachment.

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Dotson said officers found the GMC in the 1700 block of West Candletree Drive with five teens inside. The driver allegedly drove away from the officers, ignoring multiple traffic control devices.

She said officers did not chase the vehicle out of concern for public safety and the suspects inside the vehicle.

Officers later found the vehicle traveling north on Knoxville Avenue, north of Pioneer Parkway. Police slowed the vehicle to a stop in a parking lot in the 8600 block of North Knoxville Avenue.

All five teens allegedly got out of the stopped GMC and ran in various directions.

Dotson said two of the boys ran up to a black Genesis at the Northpoint CEFCU ATM, one allegedly armed with a gun, and jumped into the vehicle with the driver still inside.

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One of them allegedly sat on the drivers lap, forcing the vehicle to be driven. The vehicle struck the building as well as a support post in the parking lot, prompting the teens to run out of the vehicle.

One ran inside CEFCU, where he was taken into custody. A firearm was also recovered during the arrest.

The second teen ran to the Hardees parking lot, saying he had a weapon, before he forced the driver out of a black Nissan and drove off in the stolen vehicle.

Dotson said the Nissan, originally thought to have a victim still inside, was seen driving at high speeds on Illinois Route 6, U.S. Route 150 and the wrong way onto I-74 off-ramps.

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Officers later found out that there was no victim inside the vehicle. However, due to the dangerous speeds and driving, Dotson said the pursuit was discontinued.

The Nissan was later found and recovered near Lexington Hills.

Three teens were taken into custody and transported to the Peoria Police Department to be interviewed. All three were accepted at the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is hitting back at President Donald Trumps repeated comments targeting the states Somali immigrant community.

During a press conference on Dec. 4 announcing Minnesota's new budget forecast, Walz called the president's series of social media posts and public remarks "vile" and "racist lies."

This creates danger, Walz reportedly said during the news conference. We know how these things go, they start with taunts, they turn to violence.

President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump's notes as he attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. The misspelled name card for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is seen during a meeting of Trumps' Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks alongside (L-R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Also pictured, from left, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary for Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (C) speaks during a Cabinet Meeting held by President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. (L-R) Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and secretary of Interior Doug Burgum look on as President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (2nd-R) looks on as President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks, during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump (L) during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Trump holds December Cabinet meeting as Hegseth faces scrutiny 1 of 13 President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025.

In recent weeks, Trump has zeroed in on swaths of Somali people in the state, issuing several insults toward Somalia, the Somali-American immigrant population and some of Minnesota's Democratic lawmakers.

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Starting on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, Trump posted about a massive fraud and money laundering investigation in the state, in which a group of people allegedly perpetuated what the state's district attorney's office called the "largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country." Many of those accused in the scheme, though not all, are of Somali descent.

More: A 'volcano' of controversy has hit the Minnesota Somali community

Trump falsely said "hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota," and used the "r-word" slur to describe Walz. A few days later at a Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting, the president called Somali immigrants garbage." The posts and comments attracted widespread condemnation from critics, including over the "r-word" slur. Many Minnesota officials called his attacks on the Somali community racist and un-American.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight Committee hearing with U.S. governors about state policies regarding undocumented migrants, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 12, 2025.

During the Dec. 4 press conference, Walz condemned what he called Trump's conflation of the individuals accused in the fraud scheme with an entire population.

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"You commit crimes, you go to jail. Doesn't matter what your race is, what your ethnicity, religion," Walz said. "But demonizing an entire group of people by their race and their ethnicity? A very group of people who contribute to the vitality  economic, cultural  of this state, is something I hoped we'd never have to see."

More: Trump calls Somalis 'garbage,' which Minnesota officials call racism

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali immigrant community in the country, estimated to be between 60,000 and 80,000 people.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tim Walz says Trump's comments on Somalis are 'vile,' create danger
Runways are undesirable locations for military aircraft.

Being tied to miles of concrete gives jet aircraft a built-in vulnerability as well as restricting their flexibility. At sea, it is extremely difficult (and dangerous) to operate aircraft from the pitching deck of an aircraft carrier with its limited amount of deck space.

So, it is hardly surprising that designers have made great efforts in trying to produce vertical take-off-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft able to operate like helicopters. But creating such an aeroplane is exceptionally hard. These almost inevitably doomed projects have put some fascinating shapes into the sky. Demonstrating how fiendishly hard it is to develop a jump jet, is the fact that only three on this list of ten made it into service!

10: VFW VAK 191B

VFW VAK 191B

As with several aircraft on this list, the 192 million VAK-191 was an entry in NATOs huge competition for a supersonic VTOL strike aircraft. The propulsion system, developed with the help of Rolls-Royce, used a Rolls-Royce/MAN Turbo RB.193 (similar to the Pegasus engine of the Harrier in concept) and two lift jets. The aircraft had an internal weapons bay.

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When the NATO requirement was scrapped (after being technically won by the British Hawker P.1154), the VAK-191 flew on for research purposes as part of an ambitious USWest German fighter project. When this project was also canned, it was hard to justify the project, and the VAK-191 was axed by the West German government in 1972.

10: VFW VAK 191B

VFW VAK 191B

The best feature of the VAK 191B was the simple-to-implement propulsion system, using the Harriers approach of steerable jet thrust, plus two fixed lift-engines. It was a neat configuration, with much higher fineness-ratio than the tubby Harrier. The Fineness Ratio is the ratio of the length of a body to its maximum width, and a higher fineness ratio will be a skinnier aircraft better suited to high-speed flight.

Its worst features were its low thrust-to-weight ratio and its small wing, so wing-borne landing would have been tricky and its manoeuvrability extremely poor. It made a successful flight, but it would have needed substantial development to become an effective operational system. The requirement eventually became irrelevant and was filled by the Tornado.

9: The Pentagon Easychair Ryan X-13 Vertijet

The Pentagon Easychair Ryan X-13 Vertijet

One way approach to vertical take-off and landing was the tail-sitter. The X-13 was more successful than its turboprop tail sitting brethren but was championing the wrong approach. This plane featured a Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine.

9: The Pentagon Easychair Ryan X-13 Vertijet

The Pentagon Easychair Ryan X-13 Vertijet

In an attempt to promote the aircraft, the X-13 once crossed the Potomac River and landed at the Pentagon, but it didnt do much good as the military decided that it didnt need the capability at the time.

8: Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird

Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird

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Intended as a target-spotting aircraft for the US Army, this is probably the worst aircraft on this list in terms of its effectiveness. The vertical lift came from thrust being vectored downward through multiple nozzles, but the thrust generated was far less than expected, which is perhaps why the concept moved from vertical to merely short take-off.

It was however the first real first demonstration of an ejector-augmentor VTOL propulsion system, in the XV-4A An ejector-augmentor is a device for increasing the thrust of a primary propulsive nozzle through the clever use of fluid dynamics. This seemed like a free lunch but proved disappointing.

8: Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird

Lockheed XV-4 Hummingbird

Vertical take-off was obtained by channelling the engine flow down through multiple nozzles, augmented by a flow of cold air. Subsequently, four lift jets plus a propulsion engine were added for the XV-4B. XV-4A had a relatively pedestrian top speed of 518 mph.

The ejector-augmenter propulsion system produced a thrust-to-weight ratio of only 1:04  totally inadequate. Both the Hummingbird prototypes crashed, one killing the test pilot. The XV-4A was essentially a failure; the XV-4B propulsion system occupied the whole fuselage, leaving little opportunity for an operationally useful load.

7: Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger

Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger

The much-maligned Soviet Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger was only intended as an interim aircraft and shouldnt be judged too harshly. Also, considering it is one of only three Vertical Take-off and Landing fast jets to have actually entered service, it deserves a little more respect.

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This equivalent to the British Sea Harrier, but with a higher maximum speed, served the Soviet Navy from 1976 to 1991 and served in the SovietAfghan War. It laid the foundation for the fast, agile and considerably more impressive Yakovlev Yak-41.

7: Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger

Yakovlev Yak-38 Forger

The whole thing was a neatly packaged concept with two lift-engines plus a cruise engine with thrust-vectoring for landing. It featured an automatic ejector seat that would launch the pilot free from the aircraft (without his consent required) if certain parameters were exceeded, an approach later adopted by todays F-35B stealth fighter.

The Yak-38s worst feature was its vulnerability to any lift-engine failure in the hover, hence the need for an auto-ejection seat. Other than the Harrier and the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, it was the only crewed VTOL to enter service, with a total of about 200 produced. It also had a poor range and load-carrying ability.

6: Ryan XV-5A Vertifan

Ryan XV-5A Vertifan

The perky little Ryan XV-5A was built to answer the US Armys need to research technologies required for a close-support aircraft. Attempts to develop it into a combat rescue capability were not encouraging, however; in trials, a dummy was ingested by one of the wing fans. The idea of using a lift-fan for vertical flight is still in practice today, and can be seen on the F-35B.

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Its best feature was its novel fan-in-wing lift system which showed the benefits of moving large volumes of air more slowly. These produced three times the thrust that would have been provided by a conventional nozzle. But it was also its worst feature as the novel fan-in-wing lift system  with its complex doors above and below, and nose-fan for balance and control  proved difficult to manage, particularly in transition.

6: Ryan XV-5A Vertifan

Ryan XV-5A Vertifan

The aircraft was difficult to control, with poor low-speed handling and suffered from poor acceleration. It might possibly have worked, but it is doubtful whether the resulting combat rescue system would have been more effective than the rugged Bell UH-1 Huey.

Sadly, this challenging aircraft project suffered multiple fatal crashes killing several test pilots.

5: EWR VJ 101

EWR VJ 101

Heinkel and Messerschmitt teamed up with Bolkow to produce this six-engined, rather sexy, monster. Unlike other aircraft featuring small jets, this does not feature a larger main engine, so its alarming to think what would happen in the event of an engine failure. The design was in many ways like the never-completed Bell XF-109.

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A test rig, called the Wippe (see-saw), was built in early 1960 to test the propulsion system. This rather comical-looking machine simple consisted of a simple cockpit on a horizontal beam. The lift engine was mounted at the centre of the beam. Its British counterpart was the earlier Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig, nicknamed the Flying Bedstead (and was the first VTOL aircraft).

5: EWR VJ 101

EWR VJ 101

It had a six-engine control system in jet-borne flight integrated to its throttle (providing collective thrust-modulation), stick and rudder, with roll control by differential modulation of tip-mounted engine thrust and yaw control by differential wing-nacelle tilt. Pitch control by simultaneous differential thrust from two nose-mounted lift engines and the four wingtip-mounted engines.

Sadly, for this promising design, use of an afterburner on the tip engines resulted in ground erosion and hot-gas ingestion problems. The propulsion and control system worked, and it reached a speed of Mach 1.14 (1408 km/h), which was an impressive achievement. Significant developments were proposed for operational aircraft against changing requirements, which were first met by the F-4, then the Typhoon.

4: Dornier Do 31

Dornier Do 31

As with the Royal Air Force, in the early 1960s the Luftwaffe became concerned about the vulnerability of aircraft operating from large airbases. The British developed and eventually deployed the Harrier; the Germans, in a frenzy of innovation, developed and flew  but did not put into service  two potentially supersonic VTOL fast-jets and even a big VTOL transport, the Do 31.

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They also experimented with a zero-length launch system for the Starfighter, the ZELL. As a production aircraft, the Do 31 was envisaged as supplying tactical, logistic support to the fast jets, itself using as forward-operating bases the airstrips on which the ZELL Starfighters were expected to land using arrester gear.

4: Dornier Do 31

Dornier Do 31

But it turned out that the tactical and logistic support of forward air operations could be well supported by another aircraft that was in development at the time  the Fiat G.222. This has now been developed into todays C-27 Spartan, which offers similar payload-range performance to the Dornier 31E, albeit with short take-off and landing rather than VTOL capability, and at a fraction of the cost, risk and complexity of a production Do 31.

The Dornier Do 31 was an impressive answer to a question that shouldnt have been asked. Technical progress and ambition had run ahead of operational analysis, resulting in flawed requirements. Theres no reason why this would not have worked, but short take-off utility and cargo aircraft provide a simpler and more rugged solution if the VTOL operational requirement is relaxed.

3: Yakovlev Yak-141/41/43/201 series

Yakovlev Yak-141/41/43/201 series

The USSR was often accused of stealing US aircraft concepts and technologies, but in reality, it was a case of give and take, as well as similar design solutions resulting from parallel teams working to solve similar problems. That US company Lockheed bought research from Yakovlev on the propulsion system of the Yak-141 is notable (the idea had also been explored earlier by US company Convair).

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The Yak-141s best feature was its swivelling rear thrust-vectoring nozzle, and impressive maximum speed of Mach 1.4, far faster than the Harrier. Its worst feature what its use of afterburning for vertical flight, resulting in deafening noise, ground erosion and the potential for sucking in highly heated air into the air intakes causing engine problems.

3: Yakovlev Yak-141/41/43/201 series

Yakovlev Yak-141/41/43/201 series

The programme was halted in 1991 due to economic conditions in the Soviet Union, but it would have been an impressive operational capability had development been continued. The Yak-141, impressive though it was, was merely planned as a stepping stone to the formidable Yak-43 fighter, which was never made.

The Yak-43 would have been far faster and more versatile than the Harrier, with a performance comparable to the MiG-29. In the 1990s, Yakovlev studied a more advanced stealthy version, the Yak-201, which would have been loosely analogous to the US F-35B Lightning II.

2: Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II

The F-35B is the STOVL variant of the F-35 stealth fighter family, and is a very impressive piece of engineering. The F-35B was the first supersonic jump jet to enter service  a highly impressive feat after more than fifty years of failed attempts by some of the worlds greatest designers.

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Vertical flight comes courtesy of the Rolls-Royce Integrated Lift Fan Propulsion System (ILFPS). This combines a shaft-driven lift fan and a Three Bearing Swivel Duct Nozzle (3BSD) which is essentially a jet nozzle that can bend like the mouthpiece of a drinking straw to steer the thrust downwards. There are also two roll posts which extend like arms from the engine and provide thrust under the wings.

2: Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II

The F-35B Lightning II has been adopted by the US Marine Corps, Italy, the United Kingdom and ordered by Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Thanks to its impressive sensor suite and pilot-machine interface (including an advanced helmet) the F-35B affords its pilots unprecedented levels of situational awareness as well a high degree of radar stealth.

The F-35B has about 30 per cent less internal fuel than the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A, due to the weight and volume of the STOVL systems. Because of this the F-35B is the shortest ranged of the F-35 Lightning family.

1: Harrier

Harrier

No surprises for guessing the No. 1 spot. The Harrier was the first operational Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing strike fighter, and the aircraft for which the nickname jump jet was coined (and strictly speaking, the only one that can be described as such). Key to the Harriers success was the simplicity of the propulsion concept.

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The engines thrust is steered through four movable nozzles. Unlike rival concepts, the wing and engine did not need to be swivelled for vertical flight, nor did it depend on extra lift engines (which were a weight burden in forward flight) or a specialised landing pad.

1: Harrier

Harrier

The Harrier was a lower-risk brother to the aborted P.1154, and was initially funded partly by the US Army (which was keen to develop an in-house fixed-wing close-support force) and partly privately, as British companies were then prohibited from developing manned military aircraft (as they were deemed obsolete).

The first-generation Harrier entered service with the RAF on 1 April 1969. Its final operator was the Indian Navy (pictured), which operated it, in Sea Harrier guise, until 2016. In British and American service, the Harrier was replaced by the bigger and more sophisticated Anglo-American Harrier II from the 1980s onwards. The Harrier II also serves with Italy and Spain.

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The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said Sunday that surveillance video of U.S. military strikes targeting an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Sept. 2 would contradict how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other Republicans have described it.

When they [the survivors] were finally taken out, they werent trying to flip the boat over. The boat was clearly incapacitated. A tiny portion of it remained, capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly, they were unarmed, Rep. Adam Smith, one of the Democratic lawmakers who saw the video, said. Any claim that the drugs had somehow survived that attack is hard, hard to really square with what we saw.

Smith called the video deeply disturbing and said it did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight.

ABC News - PHOTO: Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., appears on ABC's "This Week," December 7, 2025.

Thats counter to how Hegseth and Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee who also viewed the video, have described the circumstances preceding the second strike.

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Cotton told reporters he had no doubt about the legality of the strike and said he saw two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for the United States back over so they could stay in the fight.

On Saturday, Hegseth recounted what he had been told about the subsequent strike.

I was told, hey, there had to be a reattack, because there were a couple folks who could still be in the fight. Access to radios. There was a link up point of another potential boat, drugs were still there. They were actively interacting with them, the secretary said at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

New details emerge about controversial Sept. 2 strike on alleged drug boat that killed survivors

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Asked by This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos about Hegseth's comments, Smith said, That's ridiculous. There are no radios.

They ought to release the video, Smith said. If they release the video, then everything that the Republicans are saying will clearly be portrayed to be completely false. And people will get a look at it, and they will see. The boat was adrift. It was going where the current was going to take it, and these two were trying to figure out how to survive.

President Donald Trump has said the administration would have no problem releasing the video of the strike in question, but Hegseth was noncommittal when asked Saturday.

Whatever we were to decide to release, we'd have to be very responsible about it so were reviewing that right now., Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum. I'm way more interested in protecting that than anything else. So, we're viewing the process, and we'll see.

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Smith argued the strike video lawmakers were shown is no different than the strike videos the administration has already publicly released.

ABC News - PHOTO: Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., appears on ABC's "This Week," December 7, 2025.

It seems pretty clear they don't want to release this video because they don't want people to see it, because it's very, very difficult to justify, he said.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Republican member of the Armed Services Committee who has not seen the video, defended the administration in a separate interview on This Week.

The fact is, these cartels now, because the southern border is closed, they've gone to the high seas. So President Trump is acting with his core Article II powers. No serious legal expert would doubt that the president has authority to blow narco-terrorists out of the water, Schmitt said.

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The Missouri senator continued, President Trump has been delegated the authority by Congress to designate terrorist organizations. He's done that. He sent a letter to Congress saying he was going to initiate these strikes. We've had regular briefings about it.

VIDEO: Hegseth defends 2nd boat strike, supports admiral

Schmitt argued the criticism from Democrats amounts to politics and trying to take out Secretary Hegseth.

On Saturday, Hegseth said designating cartels as terrorist organizations makes them a target just like al-Qaida. But the legality of the entire operation targeting these vessels has been a central debate, and legal experts have questioned the administration's justification.

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If you say anyone who has drugs that they're intending to illegally transit to the U.S. is a legitimate target for deadly force, the amount of power that gives the president and the U.S. military is unprecedented, and something that ought to be concerning to all of the American people, Smith, the top Armed Services Democrat, said on This Week.

Schmitt, however, insisted the strikes are legal.

They're completely authorized. I reviewed the 40-plus page memo by the Office of Legal Counsel. There's [Judge Advocates General] officers in these rooms, George, every time there's a strike, Schmitt said.

The opinion by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has not been made public. Democrats have called for it to be released.

Trump's pardon of Honduran ex-president

Schmitt was also asked about Trumps decision to pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who was serving a 45-year sentence in the United States on multiple counts of drug and weapons trafficking in 2024.

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Do you support this pardon of the former Honduran president? Stephanopoulos asked Schmitt.

I'm not familiar with the facts or circumstances, but I think what's telling here is to try to imply that somehow President Trump is soft on, on drug smuggling is just ridiculous, Schmitt said. "It's totally ridiculous. He's the  he's provided border security like we've never seen before."

Andy Buchanan/Pool via AP, Files - PHOTO: Honduras' President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during the opening ceremony of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday Nov. 1, 2021.

But pressed by Stephanopoulos on whether he supported the pardon, Schmitt said that the discussion about Hernandez was a distraction from the administrations military campaign against alleged drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

What we're talking about here are the narco-terrorists poisoning Americans, Schmitt said. This attempt to try to focus on a pardon is classic because you've lost the debate now on the narco-terrorist question.

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Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez freed from prison after Trump pardons drug trafficking conviction

But Smith said that he believed the pardon was part of the administrations bid to exert additional control on South American politics.

It's more about what Trump released with their national security strategy a couple days ago, three days ago now, where he wants to assert dominance over the Western hemisphere, Smith said.

The Honduras thing seems to have to do with the presidential election that's going on down there and the party that supports Trump or the party that doesn't support Trump, he added. "So, it seems to be much more about that than any legitimate desire to stop what, by the way, is a huge problem; drugs in the U.S. are a huge problem.
Turning Point USA is sharply criticizing a Christian university in California for revoking official recognition of its TPUSA chapter under a newly adopted policy restricting student groups labeled religiously, ideologically, and politically driven.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Vanguard University in Costa Mesa informed student chapter president Sadie Burnett that the organization would lose its status on campus. In a Dec. 2 Substack post, Burnett said administrators were unable to give consistent definitions for what qualifies as an ideological or political organization, even as several racial and cultural clubs continue to operate with full recognition.

TPUSA Issues Strong Response

Turning Point USA has now issued a formal response condemning the schools decision.

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It is deeply disappointing to see a Christian university distance itself from student groups it considers politically or ideologically driven. Charlies mission has long emphasized encouraging Christians to live out their faith actively, both within their churches and in the public square, TPUSA said in a statement to The Dallas Express.

Institutions tasked with shaping the next generation of Christian professionals should be cultivating thoughtful engagement, not restricting it.

The organization also suggested Vanguards move reflects a broader trend among Christian campuses distancing themselves from conservative student groups.

Vanguard is unfortunately not the first Christian university to cowardly deny a TPUSA chapter, and sadly, will most likely not be the last. However, they can change their decision to approve our group as they have in the past, and be a beacon of strength to other like minded institutions, TPUSA said.

University Silent

The Dallas Express reached out to Vanguard University for comment but did not receive a response.
The Massachusetts Transit Police have located the individual who allegedly pushed an elderly woman onto the train tracks at North Station on Thursday night.

50-year-old Nyleamah Kinsey was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a person over 60-years-old.

According to police, they believe Kinsey is a homeless individual who often frequents the area.

The woman was taken to the hospital.

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Tom Homan, the Trump administrations border czar, seems unfazed by recent viral examples of federal agents targeting American citizens.

Over the past week, at least two videos circulated widely online and in the media showing immigration agents detaining or pursuing women as they cried out that they were U.S. citizens.

In Louisiana on Thursday, a 23-year-old mother was chased by agents while walking home from a corner store. She repeatedly told them, Im a U.S.-born citizen. I was born and raised here. This is my home. My babys waiting for me.

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And in Florida on Wednesday, a health care worker was detained during a traffic stop on her way to work. Despite intending to comply, she was threatened and forcibly removed from her car, she said. Footage captured by a Miami Herald reporter shows her being detained, yelling: Im a U.S. citizen. Please help me! This is unfair. Why are you doing this to me?

On CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, host Dana Bash confronted Homan with these two incidents.

I cant tell you how many times an illegal alien claims to be a U.S. citizen, the border czar said, appearing comfortable with agents inflicting traumatic experiences on citizens as collateral damage in Trumps mass deportation agenda.

Homan went on to confess that he does not think theres been zero U.S. citizens that have been detained for questioning because reasonable suspicion said they may be in the country illegally. However, he claimed, as soon as that questionings over, if theyre a U.S. citizen, theyd be released.

A recent ProPublica investigation identified more than 170 U.S. citizens who were detained by federal immigration agents. About 24 of them were reportedly held for more than a day, unable to call lawyers or their friends and family.
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a move to get rid of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem  and potentially replace her with a soon-to-be former governor.

According to the Bulwark, two unnamed former DHS officials  who served under both Biden and Trump administrations and are still plugged in with current staff say Trump is indeed considering moving on from Noem  potentially really soon. A third ex-DHS official who also served under Biden and Trump did describe the situation as fluid.

Trump, according to the report, personally likes Noem. But the report also states top White House officials have been frustrated with her leadership  specifically her employment of chief advisor Corey Lewandowski, who has been characterized with having an outsized role at DHS. (Lewandowski denied the report in a statement to the Bulwark, writing none of that is true.)

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But a big-name Republican could soon be waiting in the wings. Term-limited Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has reportedly been floated as a replacement after he leaves office in mid-January. CNN previously reported Youngkin expressed more interest in an economic or business portfolio, rather than one focused on immigration but would still be excited by the prospect of any Cabinet post.

Outwardly, Noem certainly appears to be trying to stay in Trumps good graces. During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the DHS secretary heaped fawning praise upon Trump.

You made it through the hurricane season without a hurricane, Noem told Trump. She added, in a widely-mocked comment, You kept the hurricanes away, we appreciate that.

Still, one of the former DHS officials the Bulwark spoke with for its story said things are fucked in the department.

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Its horrible,' the official told the Bulwark  relaying the sentiments of a current DHS official. Theyre going to destroy this place. Im just hoping the new secretary gets here in time.



The post Trump Considering Move to Oust Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem: Report first appeared on Mediaite.
Donald Trump has slammed Democrat Henry Cuellar's "lack of loyalty" for not defecting to the Republican party after he was pardoned by the US president.

In issuing his pardon on Wednesday, Trump said the Texas representative - who was charged last year with bribery and money laundering - had been politically targeted by the Biden administration after he "bravely spoke out against Open Borders".

Hours after he was pardoned, Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat, dashing Republicans' hope that he might switch parties and pad their narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

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"Such a lack of LOYALTY," Trump wrote of Cuellar on social media. "Oh' well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!"

The Justice Department, under the Biden administration, charged that Cuellar and his wife had accepted $600,000 (450,600) from Azerbaijan's state-owned oil company and an unnamed Mexican bank in exchange for advancing their interests in Congress.

The couple, who have maintained their innocence, were charged with 14 counts in 2024, including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and violating a ban on acting as agents of a foreign organisation.

In his Sunday social media post, Trump accused "radical left" Democrats of "mercilessly" going after Cuellar - who is a moderate Democrat - in an "evil quest" to "destroy" him and his family "all because Henry strongly wanted, correctly, BORDER SECURITY!"

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Trump said in the lengthy post that he had never spoken to the congressman or his family but "felt very good about fighting" for his family because they were "treated sooo BADLY!"

Trump added that despite his pardon, Cuellar decided to run again as a Democrat, "continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison - And probably still do!"

And that "lack of loyalty", Trump wrote, would not sit well with Texas voters or with Cuellar's daughters, who had written a letter to the president urging him to pardon their parents.

Still, Cuellar doubled down on his intentions to remain in the Democratic party, telling Fox News on Sunday: "I'm an American, I'm a Texan and I'm a Democrat - in that order."

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When asked to respond to Trump's social media post, Cuellar said: "I am a conservative Democrat, but I will work with the president."

Cuellar added that Trump was on his mind while he attended church on Sunday morning.

"I prayed for the president," he said. "I prayed for his family, and I prayed for the presidency because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds."

Trump's attack on Cuellar is the latest example of the president expecting loyalty from those he helps.

A group of federal labour unions filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last month over what they called a "loyalty question" included in thousands of federal job applications. The question asks applicants to identify Trump policy initiatives that are significant to them, and to describe how they personally would advance Trump's agenda.

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Trump has long that said loyalty is the most important thing to him.

"I value loyalty above everything else - more than brains, more than drive, and more than energy," he once said.
President Donald Trump is starting to grow weary of the ongoing controversies plaguing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a new report.

While the president has stood by Hegseth in public, he has shown less enthusiasm behind closed doors, The Atlantic reported Friday, citing several unnamed sources familiar with White House discussions.

[Trump] is starting to tire of the scandals surrounding Hegseth and does not push back when others suggest Hegseth is not up for the job, an outside adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official told us, The Atlantic reported.

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An unnamed senior administration told the outlet its been a rough week for Pete.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

The presidents apparent dissatisfaction comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny for authorizing a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2. The follow-up strike  referred to by some as a double tap  was launched after two survivors were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.

The Secretary of Defense has faced increased scrutiny after a double strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (AP)

On Thursday, Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley, the Navy SEAL officer who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, showed lawmakers footage of the lethal strikes and answered questions.

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Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters the footage was one of the most troubling things Ive seen in my time in public service. In contrast, Tom Cotton, GOP chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the strikes righteous and entirely lawful.

Hegseth, on Tuesday, said the attack took place within the fog of war and said Bradley acted within his authority and the law.

Beyond the double-tap controversy, Hegseth has drawn broader criticism for his campaign targeting suspected traffickers, which has resulted in at least 86 deaths. Some lawmakers and human rights organizations have labeled the attacks illegal, alleging they are being used to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Republicans, however, have largely backed the strikes, arguing they help stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

This week, the Defense Departments inspector general also released the findings from an investigation into Hegseths use of a Signal chat to post details about a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report concluded that the former FOX News anchors actions could have put U.S. personnel in harms way. In a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Saturday, Hegseth said he doesnt live with any regrets over the his use of Signal.

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President Trump has publicly backed the Pentagon chief, telling reporters Tuesday that Pete is doing a great job. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the militarys second strike in September. However, behind closed doors, things could be different, The Atlantic report claims.

On Thursday, Hegseth ordered a new strike that killed four alleged drug traffickers (X/@Southcom)

Trump has not been happy that a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are using Hegseths record as a reason to stand up to the White House, a further sign of cracks in what had until recently been unwavering GOP fealty to Trump, the outlet said.

This week, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CNN that Hegseth was wrong to claim the inspector generals report on his use of a Signal chat had exonerated him.

No one can rationalize that as an exoneration, Tillis said. We know that mission information was outside of the classified setting that it was trusted to be in.

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On Friday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called on Hegseth to testify under oath about the boat strikes.

I think that Congress, if they had any kind of gumption at all, would not be allowing this administration to summarily execute people that are suspected of a crime, he told The Independent.

Still, a number of Republicans have stood by Hegseth and have argued the Pentagon is operating fine under his leadership. And a senior administration official told The Atlantic that the president cannot afford to fire Hegseth and endure another Senate confirmation battle.

The people around the president have always sensed that Hegseth isnt really qualified for the job, this official said. But hes redeemed himself in the eyes of the president because he is truly devoted to Trump.

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They added: That goes a long way. Taking Pete, with all his baggage, is just how its gonna be.

At the same time, Trump has given no indication the boat strikes will slow down. Instead, he suggested the military campaign could escalate.

Very soon were going to start doing it on land too, the president said on Wednesday.
Individuals bearing the name Clodoveo are typically characterized by a strong sense of purpose and natural authority. They possess an innate leadership quality that often places them in positions of responsibility, whether in professional, family, or social contexts. These individuals tend to be strategic thinkers who approach challenges with careful planning and long-term vision. Their decision-making is typically guided by a combination of practical considerations and moral principles, making them respected figures in their communities. Clodoveos often exhibit a protective nature, especially toward family and close associates, and they take their responsibilities seriously.



In interpersonal relationships, Clodoveos are generally loyal and dependable, though they may sometimes come across as reserved or formal. They value tradition and stability but are not necessarily resistant to changerather, they prefer to implement change in a controlled, deliberate manner. Their communication style tends to be direct and authoritative, yet they typically listen carefully to counsel before making important decisions. While they can be ambitious, their ambition is usually tempered by a sense of duty and ethical constraints. The historical weight of the name often seems to influence its bearers toward careers in leadership, education, law, or public service, where they can exercise their natural talents for organization and guidance.
Trump image via Screenshot/Cuellar via Mark Schiefelbein/AP

President Donald Trump fumed about a House Democrat  who he just pardoned  choosing to remain with the party rather than defect to the Republicans.

In a blistering post to Truth Social early Sunday, the president bashed Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) for announcing his intent to run for re-election as a Democrat, despite receiving a pardon from the president. Cuellar was facing charges for allegedly taking over $600,000 in foreign bribes. (The congressmans wife, Imelda, was also charged in connection with the scheme.)

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Can you imagine??? Trump wrote. The Democrats, under the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, who always use extreme force and jail-time to destroy their political opponent, wanted to put Congressman Henry Cuellar, and his wife, Imelda, in PRISON, for 15 years, which I predicted these Radical Left Lunatics would do  And they never stopped wanting to fulfill this evil quest! The Dems mercilessly went after Henry with everything they had! They were looking to destroy him, his lovely wife, his two young daughters, and anyone close to them. When the Democrats overwhelmingly lost the 2024 Presidential Election, and power with it, they, regardless, did everything they could to keep going after the Cuellar family. The Dems were vicious, and all because Henry strongly wanted, correctly, BORDER SECURITY!

The president went on to cite a letter hed received from Cuellars two daughters  who pleaded for a pardon for their parents.

It was all very unfair what they were doing to him and his family, so much so that his daughters wrote me a beautiful letter about their parents (Just posted on TRUTH!), Trump wrote. After reading it I decided, in the interest of justice, and based on the daughters loving request, that I would give Henry and Imelda a Full and Complete Pardon. I never spoke to the Congressman, his wife, or his daughters, but felt very good about fighting for a family that was tormented by very sick and deranged people  They were treated sooo BADLY!

But Trump quickly changed his tune.

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Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be running for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas (a State where I received the highest number of votes ever recorded!), as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison  And probably still do! Trump wrote. Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like. Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!

Cuellar, on Wednesday, said Nothing has changed  Im a good old conservative Democrat.



The post Trump Rages Against House Democrat He Just Pardoned: Such a Lack of LOYALTY! first appeared on Mediaite.
Days after issuing him a pardon, Donald Trump criticized US House member Henry Cuellar of Texas for deciding to run for re-election as a Democrat.

Trump pardoned Cuellar and the congressmans wife on Wednesday as they faced bribery charges. They were alleged to have accepted thousands of dollars from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank in exchange for advancing their interests.

Shortly after the pardon, Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat and said he had no intention of changing his party.

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Trump suggested on Sunday that Cuellar was targeted by Democrats for being critical of the partys position on immigration  before the president went on to say that the congressman was not loyal.

Related: Trump pardons Democratic representative charged with bribery and conspiracy

The statement constituted another example of how Trump expects loyalty from those who benefit from him.

I never spoke to the Congressman, his wife, or his daughters, but felt very good about fighting for a family that was tormented by very sick and deranged people  They were treated sooo BADLY! Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday. Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like. Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!

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Cuellar is considered one of the more conservative members of the Democratic caucus in the US House. His south Texas district is one of several that state Republicans redrew earlier in August as part of an effort to make it more friendly to Republicans  though Cuellar is an established incumbent and has realistic chances of winning re-election during the 2026 midterm elections.

The US supreme court allowed Texass map to go into effect on Thursday, a major boon to Republicans as they seek to retain control of the House in the midterms.
President Donald Trump rebuked Rep. Henry Cuellar on Sunday for a lack of loyalty, just days after pardoning the Texas Democrat.

Cuellar, who along with his wife was charged in 2024 with accepting $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities, filed to run for reelection as a Democrat in his battleground South Texas district on Wednesday  the same day he received a pardon from Trump  quelling speculation that the moderate lawmaker intended to switch parties.

Only a short time after signing the Pardon, Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be running for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas  as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison - And probably still do! Trump wrote in a Sunday morning post to his Truth Social platform.

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He lambasted Cuellar for a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like. At the same time, he criticized Democrats for mercilessly attempting to destroy Cuellar and his family in the post, adding that he had not spoken with Cuellar nor his family about the pardon but was moved by a letter written by his daughters.

The Dems were vicious, and all because Henry strongly wanted, correctly, BORDER SECURITY, he wrote in the post.

In the November letter, which Trump posted to TruthSocial on Sunday morning, Cuellars two daughters pleaded with the president to show mercy and compassion to our parents. They specifically cited their fathers willingness to speak his mind about border security, referring to an encounter at a White House picnic in which Trump apparently called Cuellar a good man.

Cuellar told reporters Wednesday that nothing has changed in the wake of the pardon, adding that he was still a good old conservative Democrat.

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Trump, in a Truth Social post announcing the pardon, accused former President Joe Biden of weaponizing the Justice Department against his opponents. Cuellar told POLITICO on Friday that he hopes his Republican colleagues will investigate the prosecutors who charged him and his wife with bribery.

The pardon  which Cuellar said came as a surprise even to him  was issued just a day after Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a former Democrat who was widely seen as the GOPs top recruit to challenge Cuellar, announced his campaign for the 28th District as a Republican.

Cuellar, long a top target for Republicans, is set to defend his seat in a district made more competitive for the GOP under Texas newly drawn congressional map.

A spokesperson for Cuellar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Look across any airport boarding area and you'll see travelers scrolling through their phones and charging their devices before flights, but federal authorities have urged travelers to be careful on both counts.

Hackers can install malware at USB ports, the Transportation Safety Administration posted on Facebook earlier in 2025. So, when youre at an airport do not plug your phone directly into a USB port. Bring your TSA-compliant power brick or battery pack and plug in there.

More: Spirit Airlines bringing back New York City-area non-stop route to PBIA

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More: Flying 20-minute taxi rides from Miami to West Palm could start in 2026

Heres what else travelers should know before their next flight:

Is charging your phone at the airport safe?

It depends on how its done.

The Federal Communications Commission has also recommended using portable chargers or external batteries on X.

If you have to plug into a public power source, the FCC suggested using an AC outlet or "consider carrying a charging-only cable, which prevents data from sending or receiving while charging, from a trusted supplier."

Is it safe to join public Wi-Fi?

TSA suggests avoiding it.

Dont use free public WiFi, especially if youre planning to make any online purchases, the TSA warned. Do not ever enter any sensitive info while using unsecure Wi-Fi.

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Anytime youre exchanging some sort of password  you want to be cautious of the networks that youre on, Eric Plam, an executive at mobile hotspot company SIMO, told USA TODAY in 2024. Password manager tools can protect and encrypt passwords.

But Plam also advised using a VPN, or virtual private network, when possible. Its not a very big investment  and adds an extra layer of security from your computer to whatever server youre accessing.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: TSA warns travelers: Don't use airport USB chargers or public Wi-Fi
Albuquerque police canceled an Amber Alert Saturday after announcing the two children in the early morning advisory were found safe and a suspect was in police custody.

Duwayne Morgan, 23, was arrested without incident by Albuquerque and New Mexico State Police Saturday morning after, officers allege, he went to his ex-girlfriends house and attacked her before driving off with two of her kids in her vehicle and another child on the hood of the car as he drove away.

In a charging affidavit, Albuquerque police say they were called to a northeast Albuquerque apartment around 2 a.m. in responding to a domestic violence incident in which a woman claiming to be Morgans ex-girlfriend said he showed up to her apartment highly intoxicated and she allowed him inside to sober up.

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An argument then started, she told police, leading him to motion as if he was going to hit her, which led to her pepper-spraying him.

As he washed his face in her bathroom, the woman told police, she collected her three children in the apartment to leave the house. She told police Morgan then began attacking her and grabbing her by the hair; officers wrote they found clumps of her hair in the apartment trash cans.

He dragged her outside, she told police, before putting two of her kids in the car. A third jumped onto the hood of the car, she told police, in an attempt to stop Morgan from leaving with the two others, the criminal complaint states. Doctors at University of New Mexico Hospital told police the child had a broken collarbone and was scheduled to go into surgery.

Officers sent out an Amber Alert alerting local residents, including Santa Feans, around 6 a.m.

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The woman told officers Morgan had no custodial guardianship over the children and told police a friend found her vehicle a roughly 10-minute drive away, the complaint states.

Officers located the vehicle, according to the complaint, without anyone inside. They then pinged Morgans cellphone, leading them to a residence a few streets away.

After multiple calls to Morgans phone, police wrote, a separate woman answered it to say she was with Morgan and the children and they were safe. She later exited the building with the children around 7 a.m. and reversed her story, reportedly telling police Morgan was not inside and that officers did not need to check her apartment. However, police wrote, they confirmed with one of the children that Morgan was inside.

Morgan was charged by police with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of battery on a household member, three counts of child abuse and one count of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

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Morgan has a lengthy history of criminal charges, according to online state court records. Over the last five years he has been charged in myriad cases accusing him of domestic violence, child abuse and battery against police officers.

Morgan appears to have been on probation prior to his arrest Saturday, stemming from a July 15 incident in Valencia County in which he was accused of shoving an officer and fleeing the scene after a traffic stop.
Despite ongoing talks on a peace solution, Russia again carried out airstrikes on Ukraine overnight, local media reported early on Sunday.

The central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk in the Poltava region was reportedly attacked with dozens of drones and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said, according to the RBC-Ukraine news agency. Explosions were heard in the city, and residents reported disruptions to electricity and heating.

No official figures on casualties or the extent of the damage were immediately available, and the reports could not be independently verified.

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Earlier, overnight into Saturday, another large-scale Russian airstrike hit Ukraine's power grid, causing injuries and emergency power outages in several regions. President Volodymyr Zelensky again accused Moscow of attacking civilian infrastructure.

The US-based CSIS institute estimated the attack involved about 653 drones and 51 missiles and cruise missiles, making it likely the third-largest aerial assault of the war.
University of Oregon has responded to a $16.3 million lawsuit filed by a former student who was injured when a tree fell on her earlier this year.

During a wind storm on Feb. 24, a tree fell on Olivia Rose Edwards while she was walking near University Hall. The incident left her with "severe and permanent injuries" including fractures to her spine, hips, ribs, legs, ankle, elbow and wrist, according to a complaint filed on Oct. 28.

In its response filed Dec. 2, UO denied any fault or negligence as alleged in Edwards' complaint, according to court records.

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UO denied the tree fell on Edwards. According to Edwards' complaint, a 50-foot white pine fell on her. UO asserted in its response the white pine fell and hit a nearby maple tree, and a branch from that maple tree fell on Edwards. And while UO admitted Edwards was injured in the incident, it said it could not substantiate the "nature, extent and potential permanency" of her injuries.

A tree fell on the east side of University Hall, injuring a student at the University of Oregon campus on Feb. 24, 2025.

Regarding negligence of tree care or inappropriate disposal of the fallen tree, UO denied all allegations. Edwards' representation demanded the tree be preserved for forensic arborist examination on Feb. 25, the day after the incident. UO claimed it had already begun the removing the tree before receiving those communications. UO stated the tree branches and trunk were removed Feb. 25, before Edwards' attorneys contacted the university.

Edwards claimed she was unable to continue her studies at UO due to her extensive injuries. UO said in its response it would welcome her back whenever she is ready to return.

The lawsuit states Edwards has already incurred $1.3 million in medical expenses and expects to spend another $5 million in future medical expenses. She is seeking an additional $10 million in compensation for physical suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life.

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Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on X @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: University of Oregon denies fault in $16.3M suit over tree falling on student
A team of researchers at the University of Utah was awarded $8 million to launch the nations first center dedicated solely to prison education research and leadership.

Its huge. Im not sure its completely sunk in yet, said Erin Castro, co-founder of the Utah Prison Education Project and associate professor of educational leadership and policy at the U.

Castro and her team will use the $8 million awarded by the Ascendium Education Group to establish the Prison Education Action Research Lab (PEARL) to advance educational justice for people and communities impacted by incarceration.

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A release from the U. said the lab will serve as a vital resource in a growing field in need of the next generation of researchers, leaders and practitioners focused on prison education.

Castro has been focused on prison higher education and the pathways incarcerated people take to postsecondary education after incarceration for the past decade-plus.

She cofounded the Utah Prison Education Project  a program aimed at advancing educational equity through on-site higher education, research and advocacy  and in 2023, Castro was awarded a $750,000 grant from the Ascendium Education Group to support planning for what is now the PEARL.

Castro said the current understanding of postsecondary education in prisons largely comes from the field of criminology. The fact that this lab will be housed in the U.s College of Education represents a distinct disciplinary and pedagogical approach to the work that situates incarcerated people as college students.

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We have such a proliferation of our community with criminal convictions, and for most, accessing college or postsecondary education broadly is not only difficult, but it is near impossible. I think what were positioned to do well, certainly at the University of Utah, is to provide a model of, you know, weve got a flagship research-intensive state institution enrolling incarcerated people inside the prison and starting to build that pathway to campus, Castro said.

PEARL aims to further postsecondary education in prisons through three strategic focal points:

Develop and deliver a professional online credential for prison education program leaders and practitioners, led by Pamela Cappas-Toro, PEARLs director of teaching and learning.

Provide a model of high-quality programming through the Utah Prison Education Project and the STEM Community Alliance Program, directed by Andy Eisen, PEARLs director of prison education.

PEARLs anchor project, called the Prison Education Research Initiative, is a first-of-its-kind multi-institutional study that will address urgent policy- and practice-relevant research questions.

The Prison Education Research Initiative, which will be led by Castro and Jason Taylor, associate professor of educational leadership and policy, will collect systematic and longitudinal data on a diverse range of prison education programs, their students and their outcomes in partnership with at least 22 other higher education institutions.

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Specifically, Castro said the hope is to work with the institutions to learn more about the academic indicators of incarcerated students  think enrollment, GPA, completion rate  and how they experience higher education.

These are questions that we can readily answer for non-incarcerated students across various identities, and unfortunately, we cant yet do that for incarcerated college students, Castro said. This benchmarking, kind of baseline project, is an attempt to try to answer some of those questions.

She hopes this foundational research will ultimately improve the educational opportunities made available to incarcerated people.

Providing learning opportunities to incarcerated populations, Castro said, carries societal impacts that extend far beyond the walls of a prison and even generationally through family.

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We know that increased postsecondary educational attainment improves community safety. We know that providing postsecondary education to incarcerated adults increases the postsecondary aspirations of children of incarcerated students, Castro said. We know that access to postsecondary education during incarceration increases the likelihood that when someone is released, theyre able to access jobs with living wages, jobs with some dignity, and theyre able to support their families and to pay their debts and whatever they need to do.

As the lab grows, Castro thinks the information it puts out will be helpful to policymakers to enhance state and federal policies supporting incarcerated students.

Theres been some movement of the legislature in this space. Theres been some movement with USHE (Utah System of Higher Education) in this space, and I think this presents some really lovely opportunities to collaborate across the state and to elevate the work of college and prison here in Utah, Castro said.
By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - White House border czar Tom Homan on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota, saying the state is home to a large illegal Somali community despite local officials' comments that the vast majority of Somalis in the U.S. are American citizens.

Homan denied, however, that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had stepped up its deportation campaign in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in response to Trump's comments last week about Somali immigrants, whom the president called "garbage" that should be removed from the country.

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Homan also said ICE agents are not targeting people based on their appearance.

"I'm not aware of what President Trump was thinking when he said that," Homan told CNN's "State of the Union" program. "But I agree with President Trump. From day one, he has said we are concentrated on public safety threats and national security threats."

"We also know there's a large illegal Somali community there, that there's a large illegal alien community there," he said, without providing evidence. "We're going to arrest every illegal alien that we find there."

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Somali community's most high-profile member and a target of Trump's ire, on Sunday reiterated her criticism of the president's comments about Somalis.

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"It's completely disgusting," Omar told the CBS "Face the Nation" program, echoing comments she made to Reuters earlier this week. "These are Americans that he is calling garbage, and we feel like there is an unhealthy obsession that he has on the Somali community and an unhealthy and creepy obsession that he has with me."

About 80,000 Somalis live in Minnesota, mostly in the Twin Cities metro region. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said the vast majority are U.S. citizens.

Most Somalis born outside the United States came as refugees from Somalia's brutal, decades-long civil war, which triggered an exodus of more than 1 million people starting in 1991. The United States began issuing visas to Somali refugees in 1992.

Trump's immigration crackdown has largely been met with open support or side-stepping of the issue by Republicans who control the Senate and House of Representatives.

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U.S. Senator John Curtis, a Utah Republican, said on Sunday that ICE operations are leading to unnecessary fear in U.S. communities.

"I think that to the extent that ICE is not transparent, it brings this fear into a community, and we've got to get rid of that fear," he told CNN.

Asked to comment on Trump's disparaging remarks about Somalis, Curtis called for a more deliberate effort to make immigrants feel welcome and to make life better in the United States: "If more of us would do that, it would matter less what an individual said."

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Sergio Non and Edmund Klamann)
WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar defended his party ties on Sunday as Republican President Donald Trump blasted the Texas lawmaker for maintaining his allegiance after being granted a pardon last week.

Trump, in a social media post earlier on Sunday, said he signed the pardon for the congressman and his wife Imelda without talking to Cuellar first only to see the lawmaker then announce plans to seek re-election as a Democrat.

"Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!"

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The Cuellars were indicted last year on allegations that they accepted close to $600,000 in bribes in two schemes meant to benefit an Azerbaijani state-owned energy company and an unnamed bank based in Mexico. Cuellar has maintained that he and his wife are innocent.

In an interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures" show, Cuellar said his party ties don't dictate his decisions. "I don't vote party," said Cuellar, who is seeking his 12th term in Congress. "I vote for what's right for the country."

Asked if he would consider switching parties, Cuellar added: "Look, I'm a Democrat."

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004, he has the reputation of being the House's most conservative Democrat and recently fended off primary challenges from more progressive candidates in the party.

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He told Fox News that Trump was on his mind when he attended church earlier in the day.

"I prayed for the president. I prayed for his family, and I prayed for the presidency because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds," Cuellar said.

Democrats are seeking to wrest control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the November 2026 election halfway through Trump's second term in the White House. Republicans, who have a narrow margin in the House, have redrawn Texas' congressional map to be more favorable for their party.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Crowell has deep roots in English Christian heritage, originating from the village of Crowell in Oxfordshire, England. This small settlement dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period and appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Crawehelle', meaning 'crow spring'. Throughout medieval England, the name became associated with families living near this location and gradually spread as a surname. During the Protestant Reformation, several Crowell families were noted for their strong Christian convictions, with some members becoming prominent in local church leadership.



The name carries the weight of English rural tradition combined with Christian steadfastness, representing a connection to both the land and faith that characterized much of English religious history. As English settlers migrated to America, the name traveled with them, often carried by families seeking religious freedom and maintaining their Christian identity in the New World. The persistence of the name across centuries reflects the enduring nature of both English cultural identity and Christian faith traditions, making it a symbol of continuity and heritage in an ever-changing world.
Russia has welcomed US President Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy, calling it "largely consistent" with Moscow's vision.

The 33-page document, unveiled by the US administration this week, suggests Europe is facing "civilisational erasure" and does not cast Russia as a threat to the US.

Combatting foreign influence, ending mass migration, and rejecting the EU's perceived practice of "censorship" are mentioned as other priorities in the report.

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Several EU officials and analysts had pushed back on the strategy, questioning its focus on freedom of expression and likening it to language used by the Kremlin.

"The adjustments we're seeing... are largely consistent with our vision," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview published by Russia's state news agency Tass on Sunday.

"We consider this a positive step," he said, adding that Moscow would continue to analyse the document before drawing strong conclusions.

The strategy adopts a softer language towards Russia, which EU officials worry could weaken its stance towards Moscow as it pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine.

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In the document, the EU is blamed for blocking US efforts to end the conflict and says that the US must "re-establish strategic stability to Russia" which would "stabilise European economies".

It appears to endorse efforts to influence policy on the continent, noting that US policy should prioritise "resistance to Europe's current trajectory within European nations".

The new report also calls for the restoration of "Western identity", and claims that Europe will be "unrecognisable in 20 years or less" and its economic issues are "eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilisational erasure".

"It is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies," the document states.

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In stark contrast, the document celebrates the influence of "patriotic European parties" and says "America encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit".

As the EU engages in ongoing talks with the Trump administration to set out a peace deal in Ukraine, some officials emphasised their lasting relationship with the US, while raising "questions" over the document.

"The US will remain our most important ally in the [Nato] alliance. This alliance, however, is focused on addressing security policy issues," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Friday.

"I believe questions of freedom of expression or the organisation of our free societies do not belong [in the strategy], in any case at least when it comes to Germany."

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In a social media post addressed to his "American friends", Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that "Europe is your closest ally, not your problem" and noted their "common enemies".

"This is the only reasonable strategy of our common security. Unless something has changed."

Meanwhile, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt wrote that the document "places itself to the right of the extreme right".

The Trump administration has fostered links with the far-right AfD party in Germany, which has been classified as extreme right by German intelligence.

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Promoting an "America First" message, the strategy says the US intends to target alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, considering possible military action in Venezuela.

The US also calls on an increased defence spending from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan.

Democrats in Congress warned that the document could shatter US foreign relations.

Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, who sits on House committees overseeing intelligence and the armed forces, called the strategy "catastrophic to America's standing in the world".

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New York Representative Gregory Meeks said it "discards decades of value-based, US leadership".

[BBC]

Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
Venezuela acknowledged Sunday an opposition figure died while in custody, as the Trump administration slammed Caracas as "vile" and the South American country's army swore in thousands of new soldiers amid mounting US military pressure.

Leftist President Nicolas Maduro has called for stepped-up military recruitment after the United States deployed a fleet of warships and the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.

Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns," which it declared a terrorist organization last month.

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Under President Donald Trump, US forces have carried out deadly strikes on more than 20 alleged drug-smuggling vessels, killing at least 87 people.

But the passing of former opposition governor Alfredo Diaz, who rights groups said died in prison Saturday having been detained on charges of terrorism and incitement, has amplified the human rights dimension of the crisis.

"The death of Venezuelan political prisoner Alfredo Diaz, who was arbitrarily detained in the Maduro's torture center of El Helicoide, is yet another reminder of the vile nature of the criminal Maduro regime," the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in a post on X.

Venezuela's interior and justice ministry said in a statement that Diaz suffered a heart attack Saturday and attempts to revive him in a hospital failed.

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- 887 political prisoners -

With the United States cranking up military pressure on the oil-producing country, and Maduro asserting the American deployment aims to overthrow him and seize the country's oil reserves, Venezuela's army swore in 5,600 soldiers on Saturday.

"Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force," Colonel Gabriel Rendon said Saturday during a ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas.

According to official figures, Venezuela has around 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.

Diaz, reportedly age 56, was at least the sixth opposition member to die in prison since November 2024.

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They had been arrested following protests sparked by last July's disputed election, when Maduro claimed a third term despite accusations of fraud.

The protests resulted in 28 deaths and around 2,400 arrests, with nearly 2,000 people released since then.

Diaz, governor of Nueva Esparta from 2017 to 2021, "had been imprisoned and held in isolation for a year; only one visit from his daughter was allowed," said Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners.

The group says there are at least 887 political prisoners in Venezuela.

Opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado condemned the deaths of political prisoners during Venezuela's "post-electoral repression."

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"The circumstances of these deaths -- including denial of medical care, inhumane conditions, isolation, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment -- reveal a sustained pattern of state repression," Machado said in a joint statement with Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate she believes won the election.

The pair also called Diaz's death "a crime for which the regime bears full responsibility."

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BOSTON (AP)  A Harvard visiting law professor from Brazil who told police he was shooting at rats when he fired a pellet gun near a synagogue during Yom Kippur has left the United States after his visa was revoked, federal officials and his lawyer confirmed on Thursday.

After Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Carlos Portugal Gouvea on Wednesday, officials said he agreed to depart the United States voluntarily instead of being deported. He arrived in Brazil on Thursday, according to a statement from his attorney, Joseph D. Eisenstadt.

Homeland Security officials described the incident in October as antisemitic, but in a social media post days afterward, Temple Beth Zion in the Boston metropolitan area town of Brookline said it did not appear to be motivated by antisemitism. Police initially told the synagogue that the individual was unaware that he lived next to, and was shooting his BB gun next to, a synagogue or that it was a religious holiday. We were told he said he was shooting rats.

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In a statement, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called working and studying in the United States a privilege, not a right.

There is no room in the United States for brazen, violent acts of anti-Semitism like this," she said, calling it an affront the the nation's core principles and "an unacceptable threat against law-abiding American citizens.

According to the Brookline Police's arrest report, law enforcement was called to Temple Beth Zion for a report of a person with a gun just after 9 p.m. on Oct. 1 during Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day for Jews who spend it seeking to atone for sins and seek forgiveness.

Private security assigned to guard the temple during holiday services said they'd heard at least two loud shots fired" and spotted Gouvea behind a tree holding a pellet rifle, according to the report.

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An officer began to approach Gouvea and the professor set the pellet gun down against the tree before "the two began to get in a brief physical struggle, falling to the ground after Mr. Gouvea lunged towards the rifle," the arrest report reads.

According to the arrest report, Gouvea told officers he used the pellet gun to hunt rats in his neighborhood.

Gouvea initially pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor and one felony charges: illegally discharging a BB/pellet gun, vandalism, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.

David Linton, spokesperson for Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, said all charges against Gouvea but the misdemeanor illegal BB/pellet gun discharge charge were dismissed last month.

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As part of a plea agreement, Gouvea was placed on pretrial probation for six months on the one charge and was ordered to pay restitution of $386.59 to a person whose car window he broke with a pellet. He did not change his plea from not guilty.

After the six months, if he doesn't break any laws, that final count will be dismissed administratively. Gouvea will not be required to go before a judge.

DHS said Gouvea's J-1 visa, a nonimmigrant visas for people participating in exchange visitor programs, was revoked by the State Department on Oct. 16 following an anti-Semitic shooting incident in October.

Harvard Law Schools website lists Gouvea as a visiting professor of law for the fall 2025 semester. He was teaching two courses: Corruption and Inequality Seminar: Unraveling the Vicious Circle and Sustainable Capitalism. The site says Gouvea is an associate professor at the University of Sao Paulo Law School and CEO of the Global Law Institute, a think tank on environmental and social justice in Brazil.

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Harvard did not have a comment on Gouveas case.

In a statement after Gouveas arrest in October, University of Sao Paulos Law School Director Celso Fernandes Campilongo repudiated the malicious and distorted insinuations against Gouvea, noting his history of advocating for human rights and his affinities, including family ties, to the Jewish community.

__ Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland. AP journalist Gabriela Sa Pessoa contributed from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Sunday urged Beijing to use its influence on Moscow during consultations on a ceasefire in Ukraine, ahead of his inaugural visit to China.

"No other country has as much influence on Russia as China and is able to use its weight for ensuring that Russia is at last prepared for serious negotiations on respecting Ukraine's sovereignty," Wadephul said in Berlin.

"It is in our interests for China to contribute to achieving a just and durable peace in Ukraine," Wadephul added. China has been accused by the West of supporting the Russian war effort, while insisting on being neutral.

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Wadephul said engaging with China was essential in times of growing international tensions and that freedom, security and prosperity were closely linked to Beijing.

"That means that conducting this dialogue lies in our interest  in direct exchange and with fairness," he said.

While in China, Wadephul is to address Beijing's restrictions on the export of the rare earths essential for much of German industry.

Wadephul is to be received by Vice President Han Zheng, while also holding talks on key issues with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Trade Minister Wang Wentao. He will also meet Liu Haixing, minister in the international section of the central committee of the Communist Party.

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Germany's top diplomat will also raise the situation in the Middle East, as well as concerns regarding the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. A change to Taiwan's status could only occur by agreement and by peaceful means, he stressed.

He said that China, as a permanent UN Security Council member, bore responsibility for peace and stability and for upholding the principles of the UN Charter.

Wadephul had intended to visit China at the end of October as the first minister to do so in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government but withdrew after failing to receive confirmation of appointments with key leaders.

Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil was the first to visit in mid-November. Merz plans to travel to Beijing at the beginning of next year.
Phil Farnsworth has captured the most vulnerable  from victims of the Rwandan genocide to those in war torn countries in Bosnia, Chechnya, Haiti and Kosovo to homeless people in Hartford.

The award-winning photographer of more than four decades said he aspires to share his pictures with the world to spread empathy for the people who have suffered both in wars and life on the street.

Farnsworth began photographing the homeless in 1984 in Harford, winning acclaim for his book Under the Bridge, which profiled those who lived under the I-84 overpass behind the train station in downtown Hartford.

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Now back in Hartford, he is again photographing unhoused people in a project he is working on with state Sen. Saud Anwar, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, to document the humanity of those suffering on the streets and call attention to the need for more resources and funding to fight homelessness.

I want people to have more empathy and understand that this could be them, he said. I want them to feel, smell and see what it is like to be homeless and have the empathy to do something.

Anwar, who has called for more funding for the homeless and 211, slept outside for one night last month in collaboration with the nonprofit Hartford Bags of Love to spotlight homelessness. This was his seventh year participating.

The collaboration with Farnsworth, Anwar said, is an important chance to humanize homelessness.

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I want to see the eyes and faces of the people, which humanizes the actual situation, said Anwar. If you spend enough time with individuals who are unhoused, anyone in society is vulnerable should a major challenge occur in your life.

He spoke of a man who had a three-bedroom house in an affluent town when his son passed away.

He was in deep shock and trauma and he could no longer work and no longer interact normally with individuals, he said. He lost his job and relationships and his house and started to live under a bridge.

Homelessness in Connecticut has increased by 10% in the past year, with hundreds of children living in homeless shelters, people living in tents and cars and more seniors going without shelter. There are 3,735 people recorded as unhoused in the state.

What homelessness feels, smells and looks like

Farnsworth photographs unhoused people in numerous areas around the city including parks and under bridges.

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He described what homelessness feels, smells and looks like.

If you look at peoples eyes you can feel their tears and empathy, he said. I often go into tears myself.

The smell around the homeless tents and encampments is damp and musty, Farnsworth said.

The amount of trash under some of these bridges looks like someone pulled up and dumped 30 trucks of trash and people are living in that, he said. It reminds me of Port-au-Prince Haiti.

There is trash everywhere. Anything you use is under those bridges such as computers and vacuums. Everything we all use as a society shows up in all shapes and forms from a dresser with deer antlers to a fence and kitchen table.

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Those living in the tents and encampments report gunshots at night from random cars which make them terrified, Farnsworth said. The tents and encampments also include dogs.

I got chased by three pit bulls and thought I would be torn to bits, he said.

There are also many who are struggling with mental illness, Farnsworth said, making it hard to communicate with them.

The faces of heartbreak

So far, Farnsworth has profiled eight people who are unhoused, describing their heartbreaking stories.

Living paycheck to paycheck, Geoff and Jillian were doing everything possible to make ends meet.

She worked at a department store and he was a mechanic. Together for 19 years, they are always together holding hands and long to be with their three children who are now with their grandmother.

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Their lives were turned upside down when the landlord sold their building, giving them little notice and not enough funding to find a new home.

They were left homeless, Farnsworth explained. He photographed them recently living in a tent in Hartford.

One of the main themes he has seen in stories like Jeffrey and Gillians is immense hopelessness, Farnsworth said.

The couple, who were never drug users, were now surrounded by fentanyl and ended up using the drugs in desperation, Farnsworth said.

It is really completely giving up, he said, explaining that people surmise that they cant get out of the situation so they begin using drugs.

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It is complete desperation, Farnsworth said. Once you are labeled homeless there is a whole attitude that they are there because they want to be.

Compared to the 1980s, Farnsworth said, encampments where he once saw people drinking alcohol now there are now people using fentanyl and drug dealers lurk around.

The fentanyl abuse is off the rails, he said. It is horrible. I am photographing people shooting fentanyl and smoking crack like it is nothing.

He said there are also a lot of women and men living in tent encampments all around the city which he never saw before four decades ago.

Geoff and Jillian recently went to rehab for five days to overcome their addiction, Farnsworth said. He now wonders what happened to them.

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The problem, Farnsworth said, is when people leave rehab, they have no place to go except back to the tents and right back to the fentanyl again.

Turning 63 and homeless

Kenny Nelson turned 63 on Black Friday living underneath a bridge by the Farmington River in Unionville, where photographed him. Farnsworth said that he had graduated high school with Nelsons sister.

In 1986 Nelson became seriously injured in a construction accident and couldnt sustain a living. He lived with his mother until she died in 2022 but there was a reverse mortgage on her home and the bank swooped it up, according to Farnsworth.

For the last three years Nelson lived under the bridge.

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Kenny isnt a stranger to this community, Farnsworth wrote in a Facebook post about Nelson. He grew up here. He worked here. He knows half the people who drive over that bridge and they know him too. But somehow, hes still out there alone, trying to make it through nights like this.

After seeing Farnsworths photographs, shared on Facebook, Memorial United Methodist Church in Avon contributed money to get Nelson an apartment right across the street from where he used to live under the bridge. Nelson sleeps on a long cat bed and through the posts of Farnsworths photos on Anwars page, he has received additional furniture. Farnsworth worked this week to help paint Nelsons new home.

Nelson told the Courant that he is relieved that he now has a home.

I dont have to worry about getting sick, he said.

Increasing need and not enough funding

Sarah Fox, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, has said the state has seen a 45% increase in unsheltered homelessness, meaning more than 800 people are sleeping outside in freezing temperatures, often in tents or cars. The increase is from the 2024 point-in-time count, when volunteers each year count unsheltered people they can find outside, to the count in 2025.

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Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation last month to begin to address the states housing shortage, which has forced many into homelessness and made it more difficult for people to escape it.

The CT Mirror reported that the new law expands fair rent commissions, eliminates most off-street parking requirements for smaller housing developments and requires towns to create housing growth plans, among other measures.

But Anwar said the new law does not address the dire need for immediate housing for unhoused people. CCEH said the number of people who are homeless in Connecticut is projected to at least double under recent actions of the Trump administration.

I was critical of the housing bill, Anwar said. It is not taking care of the situation right now. It is a move in the right direction but for the homeless situation it is not going to do anything in a meaningful manner.

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He said with the increasing number of people unhoused, it is critical to work with hotels and motels to provide shelter for those in need, similar to what occurred during the pandemic.

It is quite clear that the existing resources will not be enough, he said.

He also cited problems with 211, which he said has inadequate staff and not enough funding.

They have staffing based on the historical need but the needs have been increasing, he said. They are just doing intakes. They dont have a place or shelter or house they can transfer a person to. There is a problem where the people are calling and they cant get a human to listen to their concerns and stories.

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David Bednarz, spokesman for the governor, said the administration is currently reviewing funding requests from various agencies and providers.

The governor will release his midterm adjustments for fiscal year 2027 in February, which will safeguard essential safety nets and fulfill his commitment to increasing affordability for all residents, he said.

At the state level, investments have been made for in-person services for homeless people but not for long-term solutions that put people in housing.

Farnsworth said he wants to continue to profile the homeless people in Hartford and has started a gofundme page to help him continue the work; he has said he lives on Social Security while taking care of his 87-year-old mother.

I am trying to make people aware that this is an issue that isnt just here in the holidays, he said. This is an issue that goes on all year round.
As a woman in her 30s, the cost of childcare is one of the biggest stressors for my friends and peers.

Paying for childcare is comparable to paying for college tuition for many families. And yet, childcare providers earn very little for their important work.

I spoke with parents who want the best for their children, yet struggle to find an affordable childcare option. That search is even harder for parents of children with disabilities, families who live in Appalachia or rural Ohio or guardians who work second or third shift.

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I talked with childcare providers and managers who love their jobs but could earn more money at a local restaurant or big box store. One woman felt she couldn't afford to have children while working in the childcare profession.

What's clear is that childcare in Ohio isn't a sustainable business model. Something's gotta give.

On the bright side, an increasing number of people in positions of power understand the problem. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce has thrown its weight behind finding solutions for affordable, accessible childcare. Gov. Mike DeWine prioritized it in his final budget and most recent State of the State speech. At the local level, communities are banding together to build childcare centers or invest in training programs.

But nearly all of the statewide solutions are expensive, and no one wants to pay.

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It's expensive to make it easier for low-income families to access free or reduced-cost childcare. It's costly to offer families a tax credit for their children's expenses. It's not cheap to provide free childcare for childcare workers or offer businesses money to offset their workers' childcare bills.

But there's a cost of doing nothing as well. And it's paid by Ohio's families and children.

State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why I wrote this story: Childcare solutions are expensive. Who will pay?
Just in time for holiday shopping, dining and cooking, the long-awaited Eataly Italian Market has opened in the heart of West Palm Beach's CityPlace. The doors to what once was the Harriet Himmel Theater opened to the public Friday, Dec. 5. Within its 23,000 square feet Eataly houses two restaurants, several quick service counters and a retail section. For those hoping for a little more action, there is space for cooking school and a performance stage for demonstrations  a first for an Eataly in North America.

West Palm Beach is Eataly's second location in South Florida, following the summer opening of an Eataly market in Aventura. The Italian food company was founded in Torino, Italy in 2007 and now has headquarters in Italy and New York City with more than 40 locations across the world. In the U.S., those locations include New York City, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Pastries and desserts at Eataly Italian Market at CityPlace on December 5, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Eataly Italian Market West Palm Beach food hall grand opening
Police arrested a woman in connection with several burglaries in Trenton, New Jersey.

Antaysha Watson has been charged with Home Invasion Burglary and making Terroristic Threats.

Officers were called to a burglary in progress Friday on Cuyler Avenue.

The victim identified Watson as the person who allegedly broke into the home and held them at knifepoint before stealing several items.

Officers say those items were found in her possession during the arrest.

The 44-year-old was also wanted for three other crimes.
Dec. 7One man charged in inmate fight, another indicted for fighting deputy

The Lawrence County Grand Jury has returned indictments for November and there were several cases beyond the usual array of drug charges.

A Chesapeake woman is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and endangering children.

According to an indictment against Micalah D. Powers, 31, of Chesapeake, on or about Sept. 15, has been charged with first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, third-degree felony reckless homicide and endangering children.

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According to Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson, the charges stem from "the death of her four-month old baby. The autopsy showed it was positional asphyxiation. It suffocated, basically."

He added he couldn't give any further details since the case is not in court yet.

An arraignment has not been set yet for Powers.

Jason Edward Fritz, 47, Ironton, was indicted for 17 counts of second-degree felony pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or an impaired person on 17 dates between April 24, 20025 and June 22, 2025.

Anderson said the allegations is that Fritz possessed child pornography and could not give further details. No arraignment date has been set.

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Charles R. Wallace, 45, of South Point, was indicted for fourth-degree felony assault on a Lawrence County deputy as well as fifth-degree felony vandalism, fifth-degree felony obstructing official business, first-degree misdemeanor resisting arrest and fourth-degree felony disorderly conduct on Aug. 26.

"Those charges are for fighting the deputy upon arrest," Anderson said.

No court date has been set.

David Allen Vance, 37, of South Point, was indicted for third-degree felony strangulation and first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly attempting to physically harm a family or household member.

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No arraignment date has been set at this time.

Ashton D. Martz, 31, of South Point, has been indicted on a fifth-degree felony assault charge allegedly assaulting another inmate in the Lawrence County Jail on Oct. 25. Not court date has been set yet.

Other people indicted and their charges are:

Roger D. Minor, 41, Catlettsburg, Kentucky, second-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and second-degree felony aggravated trafficking in drugs.

Richard Riffe, 38, fourth-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and fourth-degree misdemeanor failure to disclose one's personal information.

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Wesley Luke Wright, 44, Proctorville, unclassified felony open dumping or burning.

Bobbie Joe Cox, 61, unclassified felony open dumping or burning.

Kenny M. Ingles, 63, South Point, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, and first-degree felony aggravated burglary.

Mickey R. Wilson, no address, fifth-degree felony possession of fentanyl related compounds.

Larry. G. Alltop, 40, Kitts Hill, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs.

Sonya Alltop, 30, Kitts Hill, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs.

Heather Marie Webb, 41, Huntington, West Virginia, fourth-degree felony failure to appear.

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Gary L. Rouse, 31, Detroit, fourth-degree felony failure to appear.

Jared Ray Meredith, 31, South Point, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer

Samuel S. Bays, 46, Milton, West Virginia, two counts of third-degree felony burglary.

Dominik P. Fraley, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and fourth-degree misdemeanor criminal trespassing.

Floyd C. McCann, 67, third-degree felony driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Sunday for allies to ramp up their support for his country following massive airstrikes by Moscow, in a post on social media.

Ukraine is continuing to work with its partners, "to ensure that, in response to these attacks, our defenses grow stronger," Zelensky wrote on X.

"The priority is clear: more air defense systems and missiles, and more support for our defenders," he added, calling for every agreement to be implemented faster.

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Russia again bombarded Ukraine over the weekend with multiple drone and missile strikes. He said people were killed in Sloviansk in the east and in Chernihiv in the north, while damage was reported in seven regions.

According to the Ukrainian Civil Defence, a 50-year-old man was killed in Novhorod-Siverskyi in the Chernihiv region and another person was killed in Sloviansk. A 15-year-old was also injured in Sloviansk.

Zelensky wrote that the Russian military launched more than 240 drones and five ballistic missiles.

Overall this week, he said Russian forces deployed more than 1,600 attack drones, about 1,200 guided aerial bombs and almost 70 missiles of various types.

"The primary targets of these strikes are infrastructure that keeps everyday life going," he wrote.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for nearly four years.
Individuals named Cruadhlaoich are typically characterized by remarkable resilience and inner strength that belies any external appearance. They possess a warrior's spirit adapted to modern lifeshowing exceptional determination when facing obstacles, unwavering loyalty to their principles, and a protective nature toward those they care about. These individuals often develop profound wisdom through overcoming challenges, making them natural leaders and trusted advisors. Their strength is not merely physical but emotional and intellectual, allowing them to endure difficulties that would overwhelm others.



Despite their formidable nature, those named Cruadhlaoich often exhibit deep compassion and understanding, having learned empathy through their own struggles. They tend to be thoughtful and measured in their actions, preferring to observe before acting, but once committed to a course, they pursue it with relentless determination. Their combination of strength and sensitivity makes them uniquely equipped to handle complex situations, and they often serve as pillars of stability in their communities. The name suggests someone who transforms perceived weaknesses into sources of power, embodying the Celtic ideal that true strength comes from character rather than circumstance.
It Happened Here: Valley responded to Pearl Harbor with acts of patriotism, along with suspicion of Japanese community
Cultural & Historical Significance

Cwentun is a name with deep roots in early Christian Anglo-Saxon England, originating from the Old English elements meaning 'queen's estate' or 'queen's settlement.' The name reflects the integration of Christian values with traditional Germanic social structures during the conversion period of England. It was particularly popular among noble families who had embraced Christianity while maintaining their ancestral landholdings and status.



Throughout medieval history, bearers of the name Cwentun were often associated with religious foundations, monastic patronage, and the establishment of Christian institutions. The name symbolizes the transition from pagan Germanic traditions to Christian civilization in Britain, representing individuals who bridged these cultural worlds. Its usage declined after the Norman Conquest but experienced occasional revivals among families seeking to emphasize their Anglo-Saxon Christian heritage.
Armed Forces Flag Day is celebrated annually on Dec 7. The day is celebrated to honour the martyrs and the men in uniform who valiantly fought on our borders. In 1949, the govt had set up a committee to collect donation for families and dependents of armed forces personnel.
To date, 15 Indian elements have been inscribed on the Unesco Representative list, and the country has served on the Unesco Intergovernmental Committee for three terms, a Ministry official said in a statement.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Davynn represents a modern Christian feminine name that carries forward the rich heritage of the name David while adapting to contemporary naming conventions. The name connects to the biblical King David, one of the most significant figures in Judeo-Christian tradition, known as 'a man after God's own heart.' This connection gives Davynn deep spiritual resonance within Christian communities, symbolizing a beloved relationship with God and carrying forward David's legacy of faith, courage, and devotion.



The 'ynn' suffix represents a modern feminine twist that has become popular in recent decades, blending traditional biblical roots with contemporary styling that appeals to parents seeking meaningful yet distinctive names for their daughters. Within Christian naming traditions, Davynn fits into the pattern of creating feminine forms of significant biblical male names, allowing families to honor spiritual heritage while giving their daughters names that feel both timeless and current. The name's modern creation reflects how Christian naming practices continue to evolve while maintaining connection to foundational faith stories.
Women named Elisamarie are often perceived as graceful, intelligent, and deeply principled individuals who combine emotional depth with practical wisdom. They typically exhibit a natural elegance and diplomatic nature that allows them to navigate complex social situations with ease. The dual heritage of the name suggests someone who balances spiritual devotion with earthly compassion, often displaying remarkable empathy and intuition in their relationships. Elisamaries are frequently described as having strong moral compasses and unwavering loyalty to their beliefs and loved ones.



These individuals tend to be creative problem-solvers who approach challenges with both logic and heart, making them effective leaders and trusted confidantes. Their composed exterior often masks a passionate inner world and sharp intellect that emerges in meaningful conversations and creative pursuits. The combination of Elisabeth's steadfastness and Marie's nurturing qualities creates a personality that is both resilient and compassionate, capable of providing strength to others while maintaining personal boundaries. Elisamaries often excel in fields requiring both analytical thinking and emotional intelligence, such as education, healthcare, and the arts.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Elivina emerged as a distinctly Christian feminine name during the early medieval period, particularly in Celtic Christian communities where it blended pre-Christian elven folklore with Christian virtues. The name gained prominence among monastic communities in Britain and Ireland, where it symbolized the Christianization of native spiritual traditions. Throughout the Middle Ages, Elivina represented the ideal of Christian femininity combined with natural grace, often given to girls believed to possess both spiritual devotion and earthly wisdom.



The name experienced revivals during the Victorian era's romantic medievalism and again in the 20th century as part of the Celtic Christian revival movement. In contemporary Christian contexts, Elivina continues to represent the integration of faith with nature, appealing to families who value both traditional Christian values and ecological awareness. The name's enduring appeal lies in its ability to connect ancient spiritual concepts with modern Christian practice, making it a bridge between different eras of Christian cultural expression.
NEW YORK , Dec. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Business Advice has recognized QuickBooks as the Best HR and Payroll Software (2025) for its accuracy, team management capabilities, and ease of use. The recognition reflects how essential reliable HR and payroll systems have become for organizations navigating a more complex regulatory and workforce environment.

Best HR and Payroll Software

QuickBooks - known for payroll automation, accurate tax filings, and HR tools that help businesses manage employee information, compliance, and team operations from one system.

Mistakes that were once small administrative concerns can now create financial penalties, compliance risks, and operational setbacks. Businesses are seeking tools that simplify these responsibilities without expanding administrative workloads or hiring additional personnel.

The Growing Need for Reliable HR and Payroll Systems

Workplace expectations have shifted in recent years. Hybrid schedules, distributed teams, and a rising number of contract workers have introduced new administrative challenges. Regulations governing payroll, taxes, and hiring are also evolving. Errors in any of these areas can lead to fines, late payments, delayed onboarding, and internal frustrations. The need for systems that keep payroll accurate and HR processes compliant has become central to how businesses operate. As organizations scale and add employees, the infrastructure that supports pay, documents, and compliance must evolve at the same pace.

Payroll Accuracy That Supports Business Growth

QuickBooks Payroll provides a foundation for paying employees correctly and on schedule. Payroll calculations run automatically, and the system files taxes on behalf of the business with an accuracy guarantee. Users can schedule payroll runs and leave the software to manage calculations in the background. For companies that want predictability, same-day direct deposit helps maintain cash flow while ensuring employees receive their salaries on time.

The software also helps reduce administrative work. Automatic payroll reduces repetitive processes and removes the need to reenter data. Time tracking information flows directly into payroll, which decreases errors and shortens payroll runs. These features support companies that want to scale without increasing the administrative burden of managing more employees.

Time Tracking Built Into the Workflow

QuickBooks Time, included in the Premium and Elite payroll tiers, provides a connected workflow for tracking employee hours. Rather than relying on manual timesheets, workers clock in using the QuickBooks Workforce app from a phone, tablet, or browser.

Managers can review timesheets and approve hours when ready, ensuring payroll records reflect actual time worked. Businesses gain visibility into who is working, where they are assigned, and how long specific tasks take. The software can reduce payroll costs by helping companies spot inefficiencies and simplify approval cycles. Real-time visibility supports job costing, forecasting, and planning.

HR Support for Compliance and Growth

Managing payroll is only part of the operational challenge. Hiring, onboarding, and compliance have become significant responsibilities for business owners. QuickBooks offers HR services that provide templates, tools, and access to certified HR advisors through Mineral, Inc. This ensures users can create job descriptions, onboarding checklists, and employee handbooks that reflect current labor laws.

Staying compliant with wage regulations and state-specific rules matters more than ever. Mistakes can be costly, and documentation must reflect correct policies and requirements. QuickBooks HR support helps businesses avoid errors in areas such as overtime, employee termination, and hiring practices. By combining payroll automation with HR expertise, the platform reduces the complexity small businesses often face when they begin hiring full-time staff.

Benefits Administration that Scales

QuickBooks also supports employee benefits. Businesses can offer medical, vision, and dental plans through partners available within the platform. Retirement plan options, such as 401(k) contributions, are accessible as well. These features allow small companies to provide benefits more commonly associated with larger organizations, helping them stay competitive in recruiting and retention.

By centralizing payroll, time tracking, HR tasks, and benefits, QuickBooks reduces the need for multiple platforms. Employees can access pay stubs, tax forms, and personal information without requesting documents from managers, which decreases administrative interruptions.

Plans for Every Stage of Business

QuickBooks Payroll comes in three plans tailored to different business needs, which can also be bundled with bookkeeping software :

Payroll Core focuses on essential payroll functions. It supports automated payroll, tax filing, 1099 e-filing, and access to a self-service employee portal. It suits startups and small teams that want full-service payroll without additional HR features.

focuses on essential payroll functions. It supports automated payroll, tax filing, 1099 e-filing, and access to a self-service employee portal. It suits startups and small teams that want full-service payroll without additional HR features. Payroll Premium adds time tracking, same-day direct deposit, e-signatures for documents, automated I-9 verification, and access to the HR Support Center. It is designed for growing companies that need more oversight and structure in managing employees.

adds time tracking, same-day direct deposit, e-signatures for documents, automated I-9 verification, and access to the HR Support Center. It is designed for growing companies that need more oversight and structure in managing employees. Payroll Elite includes advanced tracking features, tax penalty protection, and access to a personal HR advisor. Elite is intended for companies that want proactive support and added protections as they scale.

Each tier supports the same core strategy: reduce administrative work, improve accuracy, and help businesses handle payroll and HR tasks as confidently as they handle operations.

Why the Recognition Matters

The acknowledgment from Better Business Advice highlights a larger trend. Businesses are moving away from manual HR processes and isolated payroll tools. They want systems that provide accuracy, visibility, and compliance without requiring specialized expertise. Payroll mistakes have become one of the most preventable sources of financial loss for companies. HR missteps can lead to disputes, onboarding delays, and legal issues. Platforms that eliminate those risks stand out.

QuickBooks addresses these pressures by merging HR and payroll functions into one workflow. The software helps organizations operate with fewer interruptions, fewer errors, and fewer barriers to hiring. Its structure supports day-to-day work, payroll schedules, and long-term growth plans. The recognition reflects how QuickBooks is not only a payroll processor but an operational backbone for modern businesses that need transparency, accuracy, and predictable performance.

The Outlook for 2025 and Beyond

The business landscape continues to evolve, and HR and payroll responsibilities are becoming more digital and data driven. Owners want tools that handle the work behind the scenes so they can focus on strategy and growth. QuickBooks provides features that adapt to changing expectations, whether a business is hiring its first employee or expanding across multiple locations.

Accuracy, compliance, and automation have become essential, not optional. QuickBooks offers a practical path forward by simplifying these demands and consolidating them into one ecosystem. As companies face increased scrutiny and shifting regulatory conditions, software that can keep pace with operational and legal requirements will play a critical role in their success.

Better Business Advice has recognized QuickBooks for delivering on these needs and providing a platform that meets the realities of a modern workforce.

The full review can be read at Better Business Advice .

About Intuit

Intuit is the global financial technology platform that powers prosperity for the people and communities we serve. With approximately 100 million customers worldwide using products such as TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to prosper. We never stop working to find new, innovative ways to make that possible. Please visit us at Intuit.com and find us on social for the latest information about Intuit and our products and services.

About Better Business Advice: Better Business Advice covers the news and strategies driving modern business success. The information provided by Better Business Advice does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. As an affiliate, Better Business Advice may earn commissions from services mentioned in the links provided.

SOURCE BetterBusinessAdvice.com
Individuals named Fayette are often perceived as possessing a unique blend of ethereal charm and practical determination. They typically exhibit creative, imaginative qualities reminiscent of their 'fairy' meaning, often displaying artistic talents, intuitive understanding of others, and a natural grace in social situations. Their fairy-like association suggests someone who is adaptable, quick-witted, and able to navigate complex social dynamics with ease. This imaginative quality often manifests as innovative problem-solving and the ability to see possibilities where others see obstacles.



At the same time, the historical connection to Lafayette imbues the name with qualities of courage, loyalty, and principled action. Fayette's often demonstrate strong moral convictions and a willingness to stand up for their beliefs, much like their namesake revolutionary hero. This combination creates individuals who are both dreamy idealists and practical activistspeople who can envision a better world while having the determination to work toward making it reality. They tend to be excellent communicators, bridging different perspectives with diplomatic skill, and often serve as mediators or connectors within their social circles, embodying both the magic of possibility and the strength of conviction.
People named Fineen are often characterized by a natural dignity and presence that commands respect without being overbearing. They tend to be thoughtful individuals who value tradition and cultural heritage, often displaying a deep connection to their roots. Fineens typically possess strong communication skills and intellectual curiosity, making them excellent storytellers and preservers of knowledge. Their inherent leadership qualities are tempered by empathy and understanding, creating a balanced personality that others find both inspiring and approachable.



The name's meaning of 'handsome' often manifests in Fineens as an attractive personality that combines physical presence with inner grace. They tend to be artistic or creative in some capacity, whether through traditional arts, music, writing, or intellectual pursuits. Fineens are usually reliable and steadfast, with a strong moral compass that guides their decisions. Their combination of traditional values and forward-thinking perspective makes them effective bridges between generations and cultures, able to honor the past while embracing the future.
Men named Garroway are typically characterized by a unique combination of strength and sensitivity, reflecting the name's warrior heritage and Christian foundations. They tend to be natural protectors who approach challenges with strategic thinking and moral clarity. Their personality often displays a quiet confidence rather than overt aggression, with a deep sense of responsibility toward family, community, and faith. These individuals are frequently seen as pillars of strength in times of crisis, offering both practical solutions and emotional support. The spear-fighter symbolism suggests someone who is focused and direct when necessary, but also capable of careful deliberation. They often excel in leadership roles where principle and action must align, demonstrating the Christian virtues of courage, faithfulness, and service. Their protective nature extends beyond physical safety to include emotional and spiritual guidance, making them valued members of their communities who embody the concept of strength guided by conscience.
Individuals named Glais are typically characterized by profound wisdom and a natural inclination toward mentorship. They possess the patience and insight of elders who have witnessed generations pass, making them excellent counselors and guides. Their personality often reflects the stability of ancient mountains and the clarity of flowing streams, combining steadfast principles with adaptive understanding. They value tradition and lineage but approach these with thoughtful consideration rather than rigid adherence.



Glais personalities demonstrate strong protective instincts toward family and community, often serving as the moral compass for those around them. They exhibit quiet strength rather than overt power, preferring to influence through wisdom rather than force. Their communication style tends to be measured and thoughtful, with a tendency to listen deeply before offering guidance. While they respect established ways, they also possess the insight to recognize when change is necessary, balancing conservation with progress in a manner that benefits their broader community.



These individuals often display a deep connection to nature and history, finding solace and inspiration in natural settings and ancestral stories. They tend to be reflective rather than impulsive, drawing on accumulated knowledge and experience when making decisions. Their loyalty to family and tradition is matched by their commitment to truth and integrity, making them trusted figures in their social circles. The Glais personality represents the ideal of the wise elder  someone who guides not through authority but through earned respect and demonstrated wisdom.
Women named Hanrietta typically exhibit a blend of strength, elegance, and practical intelligence that makes them natural leaders in both personal and professional settings. They possess a commanding presence tempered with warmth and nurturing qualities, living up to their name's meaning of 'ruling the home' by creating stable, harmonious environments wherever they go. Hanriettas are often methodical problem-solvers who approach challenges with both emotional intelligence and logical precision, making them excellent managers, organizers, and caregivers.



Their French origins often manifest in refined tastes, cultural appreciation, and social grace, while their inherent strength shows in their resilience and determination. Hanriettas tend to be loyal, reliable individuals who value tradition but aren't afraid to innovate when necessary. They balance family responsibilities with personal ambitions effectively, often excelling in careers that allow them to exercise both their organizational skills and their nurturing instincts. While they may appear reserved initially, they form deep, lasting relationships and are known for their steadfast support of those they care about. Their combination of traditional values and independent thinking makes them respected figures in their communities.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Heskovizenako holds deep significance within Cheyenne culture as a name representing the synthesis of two powerful animal spirits. The porcupine symbolizes defensive wisdom, patience, and the ability to protect oneself without aggression, while the bear represents raw power, healing, and introspection. This combination reflects the Cheyenne worldview that values both strength and wisdom, aggression and restraint. Traditionally, such names were earned rather than given at birth, often bestowed upon individuals who demonstrated particular qualities in battle, hunting, or community leadership.



The name embodies the Cheyenne concept of balanced power - the idea that true strength lies in knowing when to be formidable like the bear and when to be strategically defensive like the porcupine. During the 19th century, names like Heskovizenako gained particular importance as the Cheyenne people faced increasing pressures from westward expansion. Bear warriors were often seen as protectors of their communities, while the porcupine aspect reminded them to use their strength judiciously. This name continues to represent cultural resilience and the preservation of traditional values in modern Cheyenne communities.
Individuals named Howel are often perceived as possessing strong leadership qualities combined with a deep sense of tradition and heritage. They tend to be principled, determined, and capable of making difficult decisions when necessary, reflecting the name's royal associations. There's often an air of authority about them, whether in professional settings or personal relationships, and they typically command respect through their competence and integrity rather than through overt displays of power. Their connection to Welsh culture often gives them a strong sense of identity and purpose.



At the same time, Howels often demonstrate a complex blend of strength and vulnerability. The Arthurian connection suggests someone who may face significant challenges or conflicts in their life journey, potentially experiencing dramatic rises and falls. They tend to be loyal to their causes and people, but this loyalty can sometimes lead them into difficult situations. There's frequently a philosophical or reflective side to their nature, as if carrying the weight of historical legacy while navigating modern complexities. Their personality often balances traditional values with the need to adapt to changing circumstances.



In social contexts, Howels are typically seen as reliable and steadfast, though they may sometimes struggle with the expectations that come with their strong-willed nature. They often possess a quiet confidence that doesn't need constant validation, and they're usually more interested in substantive achievements than superficial recognition. The historical weight of their name can inspire them to live up to its legacy of leadership and cultural significance, while the Arthurian tragedy reminds them of the importance of wisdom in exercising power.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Idelle has Celtic origins, deriving from the Old Germanic name 'Ida' which means 'work' or 'labor,' but evolved in Celtic cultures to carry connotations of bounty and generosity. The name gained particular resonance in medieval Celtic regions where the concept of abundance was closely tied to feminine deities and maternal figures who represented the earth's fertility. Throughout Celtic history, names suggesting prosperity and generosity were highly valued, reflecting cultural priorities around community welfare and natural abundance.



In Celtic folklore and tradition, names with meanings related to bounty often connected the bearer to concepts of hospitality, generosity, and the nurturing aspects of nature. The evolution of Idelle through various Celtic languages and dialects demonstrates how naming traditions preserved cultural values while adapting to different regional influences. The name maintained its association with positive attributes of provision and care, making it a meaningful choice that honored both individual identity and community values.
Women named Izabelle are often perceived as graceful, intelligent, and spiritually inclined individuals with a natural elegance that draws people to them. They typically possess strong intuitive abilities and emotional intelligence, allowing them to navigate complex social situations with poise and diplomacy. Izabelles are known for their creative expression and artistic sensibilities, often excelling in fields that require both aesthetic appreciation and intellectual depth.



Their devotion to personal relationships and spiritual growth makes them loyal friends and compassionate partners who value meaningful connections over superficial interactions. While they may appear delicate, Izabelles often possess inner strength and resilience that enables them to overcome challenges with grace and determination. They tend to be reflective individuals who seek deeper meaning in life's experiences and often serve as sources of wisdom and comfort for those around them, embodying a balance of traditional values and modern perspectives.
Individuals named Jael are often perceived as resilient, determined, and fiercely independent, reflecting the mountain goat symbolism of their name. They typically demonstrate remarkable adaptability to challenging situations and possess an innate ability to navigate difficult circumstances with grace and precision. These individuals tend to be strategic thinkers who carefully assess situations before acting, yet when decisive action is required, they can move with surprising speed and effectiveness.



Their strength often manifests as quiet confidence rather than overt aggression, and they frequently display loyalty to their principles and communities. While they may appear reserved initially, those named Jael often reveal deep emotional intensity and strong protective instincts toward those they care about. Their combination of patience and sudden, decisive action mirrors the biblical Jael's calculated approach to her historic confrontation, creating a personality profile marked by both contemplative depth and remarkable capability when action is necessary.
Issued on behalf of GoldHaven Resource Corp.

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Equity Insider News Commentary  Gold re-emerged trading above $4,200 per ounce, marking sustained strength in the precious metal as investors maintain safe-haven positions[1]. Drilling programs across multiple jurisdictions are advancing systematic resource expansion efforts, with explorers reporting high-grade intercepts and development milestones throughout November[2]. These conditions create opportunities for investors to gain exposure to companies positioned to convert ounces and advance projects toward production, including GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF), Liberty Gold Corp. (TSX: LGD) (OTCQX: LGDTF), West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF), Scottie Resources Corp. (TSXV: SCOT) (OTCQB: SCTSF), and Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF).

Federal Reserve rate cut expectations now stand at 87% for the December 9-10 meeting, following October's 25-basis-point reduction that brought rates to the 3.75-4% range[3]. Wall Street forecasts point to $4,900 gold by late 2026, with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan both projecting the $5,055 level as lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets and the weakening dollar makes gold more attractive to international buyers[4].

GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF) has expanded its maiden diamond drilling program at the Copecal Gold Project in Brazil to nine holes after intersecting encouraging sulphide mineralization at the East Target. The company has reported that eight diamond drill holes totaling 889.55 meters have been completed across both the East and West targets, with the ninth hole now in progress to follow up on the promising pyrite-chalcopyrite interval discovered in hole COPE-PDH-004.

"We are encouraged by the progress made during this initial drill campaign at Copecal," said Rob Birmingham, CEO of GoldHaven Resources. "The sulphide interval intersected in Hole COPE-PDH-004 is the strongest subsurface evidence we've seen to date supporting the robust gold anomalism outlined at surface. Our decision to add a ninth follow-up hole is a direct response to this promising development and underscores our disciplined approach to advancing high-priority targets."

The program has delivered GoldHaven's most significant subsurface confirmation to date that surface gold anomalies are connected to a deeper mineralized system. Hole COP-004 successfully cut through disseminated fine-grained pyrite and chalcopyrite across a 21.25-meter interval from 79 meters to 100.25 meters depth, occurring within a sheared biotite granitoid that displays phyllic alteration characterized by quartz-muscovite-sericite-calcite assemblages. This geological signature indicates that GoldHaven has penetrated the hydrothermal system driving gold mineralization in the region.

The reconnaissance drilling tested high-priority gold targets outlined by soil and auger geochemistry supported by geophysical surveys. Four holes at the East Target totaled 441.7 meters, while four holes at the West Target totaled 447.85 meters. The current ninth hole is designed to test the depth extension of the mineralized zone intersected in hole COPE-PDH-004 and is planned to reach 200 meters downhole. Once completed, all drill cores will be geologically logged, sampled, and submitted for assay.

Beyond its Brazilian operations, GoldHaven continues expanding its footprint in British Columbia. The company is advancing its Magno Project in the Cassiar region, recently securing the Hamel claims to consolidate a district-scale land package exceeding 36,000 hectares.

GoldHaven now commands a diversified exploration portfolio spanning 123,900 hectares across two premier mining jurisdictions. With sulphide mineralization confirmed in drill core and an expanded drilling program underway, the company presents investors with substantial scale paired with active discovery momentum, all underpinned by a comprehensive 43-101 Technical Report.

CONTINUED Read this and more news for GoldHaven Resources at:

https://equity-insider.com/2025/10/02/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-historic-gold-district-exploration-2/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market include:

Liberty Gold Corp. (TSX: LGD) (OTCQX: LGDTF) has achieved a major permitting milestone as the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management determined its Mine Plan of Operations for the Black Pine Oxide Gold Project in southern Idaho is administratively complete under federal regulations. The completeness determination confirms the MPO meets applicable requirements to advance through the US federal permitting process, with Stantec appointed as independent third-party contractor to prepare the Environmental Impact Study.

"Acceptance of our Mine Plan of Operations is a major permitting achievement for Liberty Gold and for Idaho," said Jon Gilligan, CEO of Liberty Gold. "It is the product of years of technical, environmental and community work culminating in a high-quality submittal that meets the rigorous federal standards for mine development. This milestone brings us one step closer to a construction decision as we continue to demonstrate that Black Pine is one of the most significant oxide gold development opportunities in the Great Basin."

The USFS and BLM will publish the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, initiating formal stakeholder engagement and drafting of the EIS over a 24-month period. Liberty Gold continues to advance Idaho state-level permits in parallel, including water rights, air quality, mine reclamation, and cyanidation permits under Idaho's Strategic Permitting, Efficiency, and Economic Development Act.

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) has commenced a fully funded 3,000 metre drill program at its 100% owned Fork Deposit located approximately 250 metres southwest from its Madsen Mine in the Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario. The Fork Deposit currently contains an Indicated mineral resource of 20,900 ounces grading 5.3 g/t gold with an additional Inferred resource of 49,500 ounces grading 5.2 g/t gold, with infill drilling focused on a shallow, high-grade, low-plunging zone of gold mineralization defined over an area of 400 metres by 250 metres.

"Once considered a somewhat diffuse, intermediate-grade portion of the satellite resource inventory at Madsen, the core of Fork has been re-envisioned as a high-grade near-mine resource expansion target that is a priority for immediate advancement," said Shane Williams, CEO of West Red Lake Gold. "As an unmined and near-surface deposit sitting just 250 metres from Madsen, Fork offers a non-remnant zone of mineralization that could be accessed within a few months of development and sequenced into the mine plan with ease, providing additional optionality and ounces in the near term."

The shallow nature of the deposit will allow for systematic and efficient infill and expansion drilling from surface with holes averaging 170 metres depth. With Madsen nearing commercial production in Q1 of 2026, the company is actively pursuing a hub-and-spoke growth model with simultaneous surface drilling programs at Fork and Rowan to advance additional high-grade gold opportunities within the Red Lake district.

Scottie Resources Corp. (TSXV: SCOT) (OTCQB: SCTSF) has successfully completed its Bulk Sample program at the Bend Vein pit, generating approximately $9 million in net revenue while demonstrating the scalability of its Direct Ship Ore pathway at the Scottie Gold Mine Project in British Columbia. An estimated 4,588 wet tonnes have been prepared for export to an Ocean Partners facility in Taiwan with better-than-expected average preliminary assays of 15.89 g/t gold and 42.28 g/t silver, with a 90% upfront payment to be received five days after sailing at a gold price of US$4,100/oz and silver price of US$49.50/oz.

"We are extremely pleased with the success of this season's Bulk Sample program," said Dr. Thomas Mumford, President of Scottie Resources. "In addition to generating approximately $9 million in net revenue, we've gained invaluable technical and logistical insights. From permitting to mining, crushing, transporting, shipping and sale of the product, we will have executed the project in under a year, effectively demonstrating a scaled 'dry run' of our DSO concept. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund our upcoming Feasibility Study and permitting work."

The vessel has been booked and is expected to be loaded between December 10th and 12th 2025, with the Bulk Sample tonnage representing roughly 10 days of full production when the Scottie Gold Mine Project reaches full production. The company also completed valuable engineering test work including Bond Rod Work Index measurements and grade-to-size fraction analysis to optimize future processing design and sorting performance.

Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF) has closed an upsized private placement through the issuance of 16,665,868 units at $0.15 per unit for gross proceeds of $2,499,880.20, increasing the offering from 13,333,333 units due to strong investor demand. Each unit consists of one common share and one-half warrant exercisable at $0.25 per share for two years, with an acceleration clause if shares trade at or above $0.35 for ten consecutive trading days after the four-month hold period.

Gross proceeds from the offering will be used for general working capital purposes and exploration at the company's Santa Fe Mine and West Santa Fe Projects. The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 ounces gold equivalent grading 0.99 g/t gold equivalent and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 ounces gold equivalent grading 0.76 g/t gold equivalent, all pit constrained, with past production of 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995.

Article Sources:

https://equity-insider.com/2025/10/02/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-historic-gold-district-exploration-2/ and https://equity-insider.com/goh-profile

CONTACT:

Equity Insider

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(604) 999-4849

DISCLAIMER: : Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. Equity-Insider is wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). This article is is being distributed for Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY"), who has been paid a fee of $75,000 for an advertising campaign. MIQ has not been paid a fee for GoldHaven Resources Corp. advertising or digital media, but the owner/operators of MIQ also co-owns BAY. There may also be 3rd parties who may have shares of GoldHaven Resources Corp. and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ on behalf of BAY has been approved by GoldHaven Resources Corp. The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document have been reviewed and approved by two Qualified Persons (QPs). The Copecal Technical Report identifies Jean-Marc Lopez, B.Sc., FAusIMM, as the Qualified Person responsible for the report. The report "GoldHaven Resources Completes Summer Exploration Programs" states that the technical information has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, B.Sc. Hons, FAusIMM, an independent Qualified Person and Country Manager of GoldHaven. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

SOURCES CITED:

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Women named Jameelah are often perceived as possessing a natural elegance and grace that extends beyond physical appearance to their mannerisms and interactions. They typically exhibit strong aesthetic sensibilities, appreciating beauty in art, nature, and human relationships, which often makes them creative, diplomatic, and socially adept. Their beauty-oriented name frequently correlates with a desire for harmony in their environments, leading them to be peacemakers who avoid conflict and seek balanced solutions.



Jameelahs often demonstrate emotional intelligence and empathy, making them excellent listeners and trusted confidantes. Many develop a refined taste and attention to detail that serves them well in both personal and professional contexts, while maintaining the humility and inner strength that prevents their external grace from becoming mere superficiality. This combination of qualities often makes them influential in social circles and successful in careers requiring interpersonal skills and creative problem-solving. The name seems to inspire a lifelong pursuit of balancing external elegance with internal virtue.
Individuals named Jeanae are often perceived as spiritually grounded yet modern in their outlook. They typically exhibit a balance between traditional values and contemporary thinking, reflecting the name's blend of historical roots and modern formation. Many Jeanaes are known for their intuitive nature and strong sense of purpose, often feeling that they have a special calling or mission in life that aligns with the name's meaning of 'God has answered.'



Common traits include resilience, compassion, and a natural ability to provide comfort to others. The spiritual foundation of the name often manifests in a deep sense of empathy and understanding. Jeanaes tend to be creative problem-solvers who approach challenges with both practical wisdom and spiritual insight. They frequently demonstrate strong communication skills and an ability to bridge different perspectives, making them effective mediators and community builders.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Josephina emerged as a prominent feminine form of Joseph during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in French and Spanish-speaking cultures. The name gained significant traction during the Napoleonic era through Empress Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife, who became a fashion icon and cultural trendsetter across Europe. Her influence elevated the name's status from a simple feminine derivative to a name associated with elegance, sophistication, and French aristocratic style.



In Catholic traditions, Josephina and its variants became popular due to veneration of Saint Joseph, with the feminine forms honoring his legacy through female descendants and devotees. The name spread throughout European colonies, particularly in Latin America where it maintained its religious connotations while adapting to local linguistic patterns. Throughout the 19th century, Josephina represented both religious devotion and European refinement, making it a popular choice among aristocratic and middle-class families seeking to convey both faith and cultural sophistication.
The Keres carry profound symbolic weight as representations of inevitable fate and the aspects of existence that cannot be avoided or negotiated. They symbolize the concept that certain outcomes are predetermined and must be faced with dignity and courage. Metaphorically, they represent the challenges, losses, and transformations that ultimately shape human character and destiny. In psychological terms, they can be seen as manifestations of the shadow self - those difficult aspects of our nature and experience that we must integrate to achieve wholeness. The Keres also symbolize the tension between human agency and cosmic determinism, reminding us that while we have free will, there are larger forces at play in our lives. Their association with blood and battle gives them additional symbolism related to sacrifice, the costs of conflict, and the price of glory. In modern interpretation, they can represent the necessary endings that make new beginnings possible, and the courage required to accept life's harsher truths without being destroyed by them.
Individuals bearing the name Kermode are often perceived as possessing strong leadership qualities and intellectual depth, reflecting their namesake's warrior heritage and scholarly associations. They tend to exhibit analytical thinking, articulate expression, and a natural authority that commands respect. The name suggests someone with both practical wisdom and creative insight, capable of navigating complex situations with grace and determination. These individuals often demonstrate loyalty to their principles and communities, much like the original Diarmaid's legendary faithfulness to his companions. Their personality typically blends traditional values with modern perspectives, creating a unique balance of heritage and innovation that serves them well in both personal and professional realms.



Beyond these core characteristics, Kermodes are often seen as independent thinkers with a strong sense of justice and fairness. They tend to be perceptive observers of human nature, with an ability to understand multiple perspectivesa trait that may stem from the name's association with critical analysis through figures like Frank Kermode. While they can be reserved in unfamiliar situations, they exhibit warmth and generosity within trusted circles. The name also suggests resilience and adaptability, qualities necessary for a patronymic that has survived centuries of cultural change. These individuals often feel a connection to history and tradition while remaining firmly engaged with contemporary issues, making them effective bridges between past and present.
Individuals named Kivi are often perceived as resilient and nurturing, with a strong protective instinct toward others. They tend to be emotionally intelligent and create safe spaces for those around them, embodying the name's meaning of protection. Kivis are typically reliable and trustworthy, often serving as confidants and supporters in their social circles.



Their personality combines strength with compassion, making them natural caregivers who balance independence with deep connections to family and community. They often demonstrate quiet confidence and the ability to weather challenges while maintaining their caring nature. This unique blend of traits makes Kivis particularly effective in roles requiring both emotional support and practical problem-solving, as they intuitively understand how to provide protection while encouraging growth and self-reliance in others.
Individuals named Kubas are typically perceived as determined and resourceful, with a strong sense of practicality and hands-on problem-solving abilities. They often exhibit the 'supplanter' quality through their competitive nature and ability to overcome obstacles through persistence rather than brute force. These personalities tend to be grounded and community-oriented, valuing family ties and traditional relationships while demonstrating quiet leadership in group settings. Their strength lies in strategic thinking and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, making them effective in both professional and personal challenges. Many display a blend of traditional values with innovative approaches to problem-solving, often serving as bridges between established methods and new possibilities. The name suggests someone who builds gradually but steadily, earning respect through consistent performance rather than flashy displays of talent.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Lawley has deep roots in English history, originating as a locational surname from the village of Lawley in Shropshire, England. The name first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Lavelie,' indicating its Norman origins following the Conquest. Throughout medieval England, Lawley became established as a prominent family name among the landed gentry, with the Lawley family maintaining significant influence in Shropshire politics and society for centuries. The name carries strong associations with English rural aristocracy and the preservation of traditional landholding families.



In Christian contexts, Lawley represents the connection between faith and the natural world, embodying the biblical principle of stewardship over creation while maintaining a humble connection to the earth through its 'hill meadow' meaning. The name's evolution from surname to occasional given name reflects the Christian tradition of honoring family heritage and geographical roots, while the imagery of the hill meadow resonates with biblical themes of pastures, shepherds, and places of spiritual significance where heaven and earth meet.
Individuals named Leil are often described as possessing a calm, introspective nature that reflects their name's nocturnal origins. They tend to be observant and thoughtful, with a natural inclination toward contemplation and deep thinking. Many Leils demonstrate strong intuition and emotional intelligence, able to read situations and people with remarkable accuracy. Their nighttime association often translates to creativity and imagination, with many excelling in artistic pursuits, writing, or problem-solving that requires unconventional thinking.



While they may appear reserved initially, Leils typically form deep, meaningful relationships and show remarkable loyalty to those they trust. Their combination of quiet strength and perceptive nature makes them excellent confidants and advisors. The name's connection to night also suggests resilience - just as night inevitably follows day, Leils often display enduring strength through life's challenges. They frequently become the steady, reliable presence in their communities, offering wisdom and support during difficult times while maintaining their characteristic grace and composure.
Individuals named Lilly often embody a blend of gentle strength and creative sensitivity that reflects their floral namesake. They typically possess natural empathy and emotional intelligence, making them excellent communicators and trusted friends who intuitively understand others' feelings. This emotional depth often pairs with artistic talent or appreciation, whether expressed through visual arts, music, writing, or other creative outlets. While Lillys may present as quiet or reserved initially, they reveal considerable inner resilience and determination when pursuing their goals or protecting loved ones. Their combination of grace and strength enables them to navigate challenges with poise and adaptability.



Socially, Lillys tend to value quality over quantity in relationships, cultivating deep, meaningful connections rather than extensive social networks. They often serve as peacemakers in group settings, using their diplomatic skills to resolve conflicts and maintain harmony. Their intuitive nature makes them particularly attuned to atmosphere and subtle social dynamics, though this sensitivity can sometimes lead them to require periods of solitude for emotional recharging. Many Lillys demonstrate a lifelong curiosity about the world, combined with a practical wisdom that helps them balance idealism with reality. Their name's association with purity and beauty often manifests in their personal values and aesthetic preferences, though each Lilly develops these qualities in her unique way.
Company named "Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company (Achieving Greater than $1 Billion in Annual Sales)" and "Outstanding Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Company" simultaneously

Accelerates recovery from market downturn leveraging world-class HBM leadership; Global management performance recognized

Reflects company's technology leadership and customer-centric execution

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won emphasizes: "Technological competitiveness must remain unwavering in challenging times"

Commits to driving new customer value and leading global AI market growth as a "Full-Stack AI Memory Creator"

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has been named the winner of the Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company Award (Achieving Greater than $1 Billion in Annual Sales)[1] and the Outstanding Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Company Award[2] at the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA)[3] Awards 2025, held on December 4 PST in Santa Clara, California.

Justin Kim, President & Head of AI Infra at SK hynix (second from left), and Sungsoo Ryu, President of SK hynix America (third from left), pose for a photo with event officials at the GSA Awards 2025.

[1]The Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company Award: A category recognizing public semiconductor companies based on financial soundness and operational efficiency. Awards are presented in two categories  annual sales over $1 billion and annual sales under $1 billion  and are considered among the most authoritative honors in the global semiconductor industry. [2]Outstanding Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Company Award: A special category recognizing semiconductor companies headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region based on comprehensive evaluations including product excellence, business vision, leadership, and market success. [3]GSA(Global Semiconductor Alliance): A global CEO-level semiconductor organization serving as a hub for technological information sharing across more than 25 countries and over 250 corporate members.

The GSA Awards, organized annually since 1996, are regarded as the most prestigious honors in the global semiconductor sector, recognizing outstanding performance in leadership, financial results and industry reputation. SK hynix secured its second win in the financial management category following 2017, and its first recognition as the top Asia-Pacific semiconductor company. The dual achievement reinforces the company's reputation as a leading global technology innovator.

While the semiconductor industry faced a severe downturn just two years ago, the company has been the fastest to rebound thanks to its advanced AI memory technologies including HBM. This performance has resulted in global recognition for its operational excellence and financial execution. SK hynix plans to continue building sustainable growth with its dominant leadership in the AI memory market.

The awards reflect the company's proactive delivery of groundbreaking HBM solutions and its steadfast commitment to customer-centric performance in surging global AI demand. SK Chairman Chey Tae-won has consistently emphasized that securing technological competitiveness must remain unwavering, especially during challenging times. This long-term focus on technology investment and global cooperation network has contributed to the company's improved performance and reinforced financial health.

Driven by this strategy, SK hynix has recorded historic performance throughout 2025. For the first three quarters, the company reported revenue of 64 trillion won and operating profit of 28 trillion won in total, positioning it well to surpass its previous full-year earnings record set in 2024 (66 trillion won in revenue and 23 trillion won in operating profit).

Financial health has also significantly strengthened. As of the end of the third quarter, cash and cash equivalents reached 27.9 trillion won, up 10.9 trillion won quarter-over-quarter, while interest bearing debt decreased to 24.1 trillion won successfully transitioning into a net cash position of approximately 4 trillion won.

To secure long-term leadership in AI memory, SK hynix is accelerating major investments. The Cheongju M15X fab, which opened its cleanroom earlier than planned in October, is on track to begin HBM mass production in the first half of next year. Construction of the first fab in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, launched in February, is also progressing ahead of schedule.

With its recent financial achievements and continued expansion, SK hynix is expected to further solidify its AI memory leadership going forward.

SK hynix was represented at the ceremony by Justin Kim, President & Head of AI Infra at SK hynix, and Sungsoo Ryu, President of SK hynix America. "It is a great honor to receive this award." Kim said, "We will continue to lead the market and create new value for customers as a Full-Stack AI Memory Creator, driving growth across the global AI ecosystem."

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world's top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAM") and flash memory chips ("NAND flash") for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company's shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

SOURCE SK hynix Inc.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Madge originated as a medieval English diminutive of Margaret, which traces back to the Greek word 'margarites' meaning 'pearl.' The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages when St. Margaret of Antioch became one of the most venerated saints in Western Christianity. As a pet form, Madge reflected the English tendency to create affectionate nicknames, similar to how Margaret became Peggy, Maggie, and Meg. During the Victorian era, Madge experienced a resurgence as part of the trend for 'sweet' and 'homey' names that evoked domestic virtues and simplicity.



The name carries particular significance in British and American cultural history. In 19th-century England, Madge was often associated with wholesome, rural characters in literature and theater. The name saw its peak popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States and United Kingdom, before gradually declining in usage. Its connection to the pearl symbolism from its Greek origins has maintained a thread of elegance and value throughout its evolution, even as the name itself became more associated with everyday charm rather than formal grandeur.



Madge also holds significance in feminist history as many women bearing this name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were among the first generations to access higher education and professional careers. The name's simplicity and strength made it suitable for women navigating changing social roles, embodying both traditional values and progressive aspirations.
Women named Marceline are often perceived as possessing a unique blend of strength and grace. They tend to be resilient individuals who approach challenges with quiet determination and practical wisdom. Their 'pillar' quality manifests as reliability and emotional stability, making them natural supporters and confidantes to those around them. Marcellines typically exhibit refined tastes and intellectual curiosity, often drawn to artistic pursuits or humanitarian causes that allow them to express their depth of feeling and commitment to meaningful work.



In social settings, Marcellines often display a warm but reserved demeanor, preferring deep connections over superficial relationships. They possess an innate dignity and self-possession that commands respect without being imposing. Their longevity symbolism translates to patience and long-term perspective in both personal and professional endeavors. While they may appear traditional at first glance, many Marcellines harbor surprising creativity and unconventional thinking, making them innovative problem-solvers who honor tradition while embracing progress.
Individuals named Melaina are often perceived as mysterious, deep-thinking, and emotionally complex. They tend to possess an air of quiet intensity and introspection, with a natural inclination toward philosophical or artistic pursuits. Their 'dark' namesake often manifests not as negativity, but as depth of character, intuition, and the ability to understand complex emotional landscapes. Melainas are typically observant and perceptive, noticing details others might miss. They often have a strong sense of independence and may prefer meaningful connections over superficial relationships.



While they can appear reserved initially, those who earn their trust discover loyal, passionate individuals with rich inner worlds and creative talents. Their strength lies in their ability to navigate both light and dark aspects of life with wisdom and grace. Melainas often possess a natural elegance and poise that others find compelling, combined with a sharp intellect that allows them to excel in fields requiring deep analysis or creative problem-solving. They tend to be drawn to careers in psychology, arts, writing, or research where their intuitive understanding of human nature and their ability to work with complex concepts can flourish. Despite their serious nature, they often have a dry wit and appreciate intelligent humor.
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Mukonry holds deep roots in Irish mythology and clan history, where hounds were revered as symbols of loyalty, protection, and hunting prowess. In ancient Irish society, the 'hound of prosperity' represented not only physical guardianship but also the spiritual protection of a family's wealth and well-being. Many Irish clans used animal symbolism in names to denote characteristics they valued, and the hound was particularly esteemed for its combination of fierce loyalty and hunting skill. Throughout Irish history, bearers of this name were often associated with leadership roles in their communities, serving as protectors of their people and guardians of tradition. The name reflects the Celtic reverence for the natural world and the belief that certain animals embodied divine qualities that could be channeled through naming practices.



The cultural significance of Mukonry extends beyond mere symbolism to practical aspects of Irish life. In a society where clan loyalty and territorial protection were paramount, the qualities represented by this name were essential for survival and prosperity. Historical records suggest that families who bore hound-related names were often entrusted with important protective duties within their communities. The name's enduring appeal lies in its connection to both the practical realities of Irish life and the rich mythological traditions that continue to influence Irish cultural identity today.
Women named Muthoni are often perceived as strong, resilient, and deeply connected to their cultural roots. They typically exhibit leadership qualities, determination, and a strong sense of responsibility toward their families and communities. This perception stems from the historical and cultural associations of the name with women who have shown remarkable strength in both traditional and modern contexts. There's an expectation of wisdom and groundedness that comes with the name, often leading bearers to develop these qualities as they grow.



In social settings, Muthonis are often seen as dependable and wise, frequently serving as pillars in their communities. They tend to balance traditional values with modern perspectives, making them effective bridges between generations. Their strength is not just physical or emotional but also culturalthey often become keepers of family histories and traditions while simultaneously embracing progress and change when it benefits their communities. The name carries an implicit expectation of integrity and cultural stewardship that many bearers consciously or unconsciously fulfill throughout their lives.
Women named Nanine are typically characterized by their graceful demeanor and refined sensibilities. They possess a natural elegance that manifests in both their appearance and their approach to life, often displaying poise and composure in various situations. Nanines tend to be perceptive and intuitive, with a keen eye for beauty and harmony in their surroundings. Their personality combines strength with gentlenessthey are determined and principled but express these qualities through diplomatic means rather than confrontation. They value deep, meaningful relationships and are often described as loyal and devoted friends who provide thoughtful advice and emotional support. Nanines typically have artistic or creative inclinations and appreciate cultural pursuits, from literature and music to visual arts. While they may appear reserved to strangers, those who know them well appreciate their warmth, intelligence, and subtle sense of humor. Their balanced nature allows them to navigate both traditional and modern contexts with equal grace, making them adaptable yet grounded individuals.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Necahual holds profound significance in Nahua culture as a name embodying resilience and survival. Historically, it was often given to girls born during times of conflict or upheaval, symbolizing their ability to endure and preserve cultural identity despite adversity. The name reflects the Nahua worldview that values strength through hardship and the importance of carrying forward ancestral traditions. In pre-Columbian Mexico, women bearing this name were often respected for their role in maintaining family and community continuity during periods of war, migration, or natural disasters. The name carries echoes of the Nahua concept of 'nepantla' - existing between worlds - representing those who bridge past and future while honoring their heritage.



During the colonial period, the name gained additional layers of meaning as it came to represent indigenous resistance and cultural preservation under Spanish rule. Many women named Necahual became keepers of traditional knowledge, passing down language, healing practices, and spiritual traditions secretly within their communities. This historical context transformed the name into a symbol of quiet defiance and cultural endurance. Today, the name continues to represent the unbroken thread connecting modern Nahua people to their ancestors, serving as a reminder that indigenous identities and knowledge systems have survived centuries of challenges.
Individuals named Nickolaus are often perceived as natural leaders with strong protective instincts and a deep sense of responsibility toward others. They typically exhibit a balanced combination of strength and compassion, making them effective in positions where they can guide and support their community. Their inherent desire to 'conquer' challenges often manifests as determination and resilience in personal and professional endeavors. These individuals tend to be strategic thinkers who approach problems with both practicality and moral consideration.



Socially, Nickolaus bearers tend to be charismatic and influential, capable of inspiring loyalty and cooperation from those around them. They often possess excellent communication skills and a natural authority that others respect. The name's historical association with gift-giving and protection suggests personality traits of generosity, reliability, and a nurturing nature, particularly toward family and close associates. They typically value tradition while being progressive enough to adapt to changing circumstances, making them effective mediators between established customs and innovation.



In personal relationships, those named Nickolaus often demonstrate steadfast loyalty and a protective nature toward loved ones. Their 'victorious people' meaning translates into a personality that seeks to uplift and empower those around them rather than dominate. They frequently show patience in adversity and a capacity for forgiveness, reflecting the saintly qualities associated with their namesake. Their leadership style tends to be inclusive and community-focused rather than authoritarian.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Norward emerged as a Christian name during the medieval period, particularly in northern European regions where Christianity was spreading. The name combines Old English elements 'nor' (north) and 'weard' (guardian), reflecting both geographical identity and spiritual protection. In Christian communities, it symbolized the idea of being a guardian of faith in northern territories, often given to children born in northern regions or to families with northern heritage.



During the Christianization of Scandinavia and northern Britain, names like Norward represented the fusion of local cultural identity with Christian values of protection and guardianship. The name carried connotations of steadfast faith and regional pride, often associated with families who maintained Christian traditions in predominantly pagan northern areas. Throughout the Middle Ages, it remained popular among Christian communities in England and Scandinavia, particularly in regions where maintaining Christian identity required resilience against competing religious influences.
Individuals named Otthild are often perceived as strong-willed, resilient, and fortunate in their endeavors. They typically exhibit a blend of traditional values with inner strength, showing determination in overcoming challenges while maintaining a sense of grace and dignity. Their fortunate nature isn't merely luck but often stems from their practical wisdom and ability to make sound decisions under pressure.



Otthilds are frequently seen as natural leaders who combine strategic thinking with emotional intelligence, making them effective in both personal and professional relationships. They tend to be protective of those they care about while maintaining independence and self-reliance. Their warrior spirit manifests not in aggression but in perseverance and the ability to defend their principles and loved ones. This combination of traits often makes them respected figures in their communities, known for their reliability and capacity to handle responsibility with both strength and compassion.
Chemotherapy-free approaches could offer comparable efficacy with less toxicity

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Targeted therapies and immunotherapies are increasingly offering viable alternatives to the chemotherapies that have stood for decades as a mainstay of treatment for individuals living with blood cancers, according to studies presented at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

"These studies point to the departure of traditional chemotherapy and shedding traditional approaches," said Laura Michaelis, MD, professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, who moderated the press briefing Emerging Therapies and Immunotherapies in Blood Cancers. "Researchers are focused on therapeutic approaches that can offer the same or better responses with less toxicity  meaning fewer early deaths, less organ damage, and better quality of life for patients."

In the first study, a combination regimen of azacitidine and venetoclax led to better responses and improved event-free survival in patients who were fit enough to undergo conventional induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. The results suggest the combination can lead to better outcomes with substantially less hospitalization and a lower symptom burden for patients with intermediate-to-high-risk disease.

The second study reports that a chemotherapy-free combination of epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody, and rituximab and lenalidomide, an immunotherapeutic combination, brought a robust and lasting response, showing promise as a chemotherapy alternative for patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.

The third and fourth studies reflect the expanding role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which target particular enzymes to inhibit cancer cell growth. One study suggests a non-covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, pirtobrutinib, may offer equivalent or better outcomes compared with the older covalent BTK inhibitor, ibrutinib, for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma. The final study  focused on a combination therapy that included ponatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and blinatumomab, an immunotherapy  offers evidence that chemotherapy can be omitted from frontline treatment for Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia without sacrificing efficacy or safety.

AzacitidineVenetoclax Combination Outperforms Standard Care in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Eligible for Intensive Chemotherapy

6: Results from paradigm - a phase 2 randomized multi-center study comparing azacitidine and venetoclax to conventional induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed fit adults with acute myeloid leukemia

In a new trial, patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) fared significantly better with a combined regimen of azacitidine and venetoclax compared with conventional induction chemotherapy. The azacitidinevenetoclax combination (known as aza-ven) is the standard of care for older adults who are not fit enough for intensive chemotherapy. The trial is the first to test the superiority of this regimen to intensive induction chemotherapy, the current standard for fit patients.

"Our study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that aza-ven improves event-free survival. It also leads to higher rates of overall response and composite complete response than intensive induction chemotherapy in younger, intensive-chemotherapy-eligible patients," said lead study author Amir Fathi, MD, director of the Center for Leukemia at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "A greater proportion of patients successfully proceeded to transplant following response with less early mortality, significantly improved quality of life during initial treatment, and less time in the hospital."

AML is a cancer of the bone marrow that causes an overabundance of abnormal white blood cells and impedes the production of healthy blood cells. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can cure AML, but this option is not available to everyone, and almost all patients must undergo initial treatments to reduce cancer in the bone marrow before proceeding to transplant. Intensive induction chemotherapy with cytarabine and anthracyclines has long stood as the standard frontline treatment, but this treatment requires patients to spend about a month in the hospital and carries a high risk of infection, bleeding, and other complications and side effects.

Azacitidine is a chemotherapy drug that has been used for years, in injectable forms, for older patients with AML. Venetoclax is an oral targeted therapy that inhibits the BCL-2 protein, which is involved in cancer cell survival. The two agents are generally well tolerated and can be administered and managed safely on an outpatient basis over time.

In the trial, 172 adult patients were randomly assigned to receive either aza-ven or standard intensive induction chemotherapy. The results were significantly better in the aza-ven arm for the trial's primary endpoint, event-free survival (EFS), with events defined as relapse, disease progression, disease refractoriness prompting change in therapy, or death. With a median follow-up of just under 22 months, EFS was significantly longer in the aza-ven arm; the median EFS was more than 14 months among those receiving aza-ven compared with a median of just over six months for those receiving induction chemotherapy. The effect of aza-ven remained protective even after adjusting for other variables, and at one year, 53% of those in the aza-ven arm met criteria for EFS compared with 36% of those in the control arm.

Patients whose cancer had certain characteristics, including core binding factor fusions, FLT3 mutations, or NPM1 mutations (unless age 60 or over), were excluded from the trial. As a result, the study reflects a patient population of predominantly intermediate-to-high-risk AML, although all patients were fit enough to undergo intensive induction chemotherapy.

"I believe the data support the use of this treatment in this population," said Dr. Fathi. "It applies to adverse risk and intermediate risk patients who don't have FLT3 mutations. That doesn't mean that other patient populations may not benefit, but they require their own focused study."

Participants receiving aza-ven experienced a higher overall response to treatment than those receiving induction chemotherapy, with 88% of those in the aza-ven arm seeing an overall response and 78% seeing a composite complete response, compared with 62% and 54% in the control arm, respectively. They were also more likely to progress to a transplant, which occurred in 61% of those receiving aza-ven and 40% of those receiving induction chemotherapy.

The rate of grade 3 or 4 therapy-related adverse events was similar between study arms. No patients who received aza-ven died within 60 days, while 5% of those in the control group died by this timepoint. Hospitalization was also longer among patients in the control group. Ten percent of patients in the induction arm required admission to the intensive care unit during their index hospitalization, compared with zero in the aza-ven arm. Patients in the aza-ven arm also reported a lower symptom burden and lower rates of depression at two weeks, according to quality of life assessments.

The researchers plan to conduct further analyses to compare costs, the rate of infectious complications, and other factors that may inform treatment decisions for this patient population. In addition, they will assess the use of measurable residual disease status to provide key prognostic and predictive information across arms of the study and inform the optimal amount of treatment needed for aza-ven prior to transplant.

The study was investigator-initiated; Genentech and AbbVie Inc. (maker of venetoclax), provided the study drug and funding to support research staff.

Amir Fathi, MD, of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 3:45 p.m. Eastern time during the Plenary Scientific Session in West Hall D2 of the Orange County Convention Center.

Adding Epcoritamab to Standard Second-Line Therapy Improves Follicular Lymphoma Outcomes

466: Primary Phase 3 results from the epcore FL-1 trial of epcoritamab with rituximab and lenalidomide (R2) versus R2 for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma

In a new trial, patients with follicular lymphoma had a significantly higher response to treatment and a nearly 80% reduction in the risk of death or disease progression if they received epcoritamab in addition to the standard second-line regimen versus the standard regimen alone. The study is the first reported randomized controlled trial to test a bispecific antibody combination in follicular lymphoma and suggests the combination could offer an effective alternative to chemotherapy that can be safely administered on an outpatient basis.

Based on the study results, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved epcoritamab with rituximab and lenalidomide for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma in November 2025.

"The addition of epcoritamab to rituximab and lenalidomide very substantially increased the response rates, depth of response, and duration of benefit and therefore may represent a new standard of care in patients with follicular lymphoma," said lead study author Lorenzo Falchi, MD, assistant attending physician in the lymphoma service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "We are at a point in time when chemo-free approaches based on immunotherapy can seriously challenge chemotherapy as the standard of care. We will not know for a long time if [this regimen] is curative, but it's certainly the beginning of a bright era for chemo-free therapy for follicular lymphoma."

Follicular lymphoma is a slow-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma that can progress to a more aggressive form. Patients who see their cancer return after an initial round of treatment have limited options and often experience subsequent relapses.

The immunotherapeutic combination rituximab and lenalidomide (known as R2) has become a standard second-line treatment for follicular lymphoma, while epcoritamab, a bispecific antibody, was more recently approved for follicular lymphoma that is relapsed or refractory (R/R) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. R2 and epcoritamab operate through different mechanisms to enhance the ability of a patient's immune system to recognize and eradicate cancer cells.

The study randomized 488 patients with R/R follicular lymphoma to receive epcoritamab plus R2 or R2 alone for up to 12 cycles. At a median follow-up of just under 15 months, the group receiving epcoritamab plus R2 showed a significantly higher overall response rate (95.1% versus 79.2% among the control group) and a significantly longer progression-free survival (85.5% versus 40.2% at 16 months), meeting both of the trial's primary endpoints.

Epcoritamab plus R2 also outperformed R2 alone for the trial's secondary endpoints, with 82.7% of patients in this arm seeing a complete response (CR) to treatment versus 49.8% among those who received R2 alone. Participants who received epcoritamab plus R2 also showed a significantly longer duration of response and CR. The results were consistent across all subgroups analyzed.

Additionally, researchers noted that very few patients who received epcoritamab required subsequent treatments during the study period, suggesting that the new regimen can help patients avoid or delay further treatments and their associated toxicities. At 16 months, 92.8% of patients in this group remained free from new anti-lymphoma treatments, compared with 64.9% among those who received R2 alone.

"A time-limited therapy that is not followed by another therapy for a long time is certainly a very good value for patients," said Dr. Falchi.

Participants who received epcoritamab plus R2 experienced a higher rate of adverse events, with grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurring in 90.1% of patients receiving epcoritamab and 67.6% of patients in the control group. This increase was driven largely by a higher rate of low white blood cell counts and infections among those receiving epcoritamab. There was no evidence of neurological toxicity and no reports of grade 3 or 4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS). According to researchers, this suggests that the combined regimen is safe to administer in a variety of medical settings.

"There has been some hesitancy to use bispecific antibodies in a community setting because of CRS," said Dr. Falchi. "The prospect of a subcutaneous, completely outpatient treatment that does not result in a significant rate of CRS is good news for giving more patients the best opportunity for a response."

The study also tested two different step-up dosing regimens for the epcoritamabR2 combination, showing that three initial smaller doses resulted in a reduced rate of low-grade CRS compared with a course of just two initial smaller doses.

Given the study's relatively short median follow-up time to date, the researchers will continue to track participants to assess longer-term outcomes. In addition, a separate study is underway to test the epcoritamabR2 combination in a frontline setting. Dr. Falchi added that epcoritamab could also be investigated as a single-agent treatment for patients who are not candidates for R2.

The study was funded by Genmab and AbbVie Inc. The results were simultaneously published in the Lancet.

Lorenzo Falchi, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 10:15 a.m. Eastern time in West Hall D2 of the Orange County Convention Center.

Non-Covalent BTKi Pirtobrutinib Shows Promise as Frontline Therapy for CLL/SLL

683: Pirtobrutinib vs ibrutinib in treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL: Results from the first randomized phase III study comparing a non-covalent and covalent BTK inhibitor

Pirtobrutinib, a non-covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, met the primary endpoint for non-inferiority in terms of overall response rate in the first head-to-head comparison with ibrutinib, a covalent BTK inhibitor. Based on the study results, researchers suggest pirtobrutinib shows promise as initial BTK inhibitor therapy, including in the frontline setting, for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Non-covalent BTK inhibitors were initially developed to overcome resistance to covalent BTK inhibitors. This study is the first phase III clinical trial to directly compare a non-covalent BTK inhibitor to a covalent BTK inhibitor in patients with CLL or SLL. It included patients who had not received any previous treatment, a first for any phase III study directly comparing BTK inhibitors, as well as patients who had their cancer come back (relapse) or not respond (refractory) after receiving treatments other than a covalent BTK inhibitor.

"Pirtobrutinib was clearly non-inferior to ibrutinib, and the response rate actually favors pirtobrutinib in the total cohort," said lead study author Jennifer Woyach, MD, Bertha Bouroncle, MD, and Andrew Pereny, chair of medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "This shows that pirtobrutinib is a reasonable choice in both the treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory settings."

CLL and SLL are slow-growing forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that develop when lymphocytes grow out of control and abnormal B cells build up in bone marrow (CLL) or lymph nodes (SLL). BTK inhibitors work by blocking the BTK enzyme, which plays a role in B-cell growth and proliferation.

The study enrolled 662 adult patients with CLL or SLL. Of these, 225 had not received any prior treatments, and 437 were R/R to prior treatments and had not received any BTK inhibitors. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either pirtobrutinib or ibrutinib and remain on their assigned therapy unless their disease progressed or they experienced unacceptable side effects.

The study's primary endpoint, non-inferiority of pirtobrutinib for overall response rate (ORR), was achieved in the full study population. Of 662 participants, the ORR was 87.0% among those receiving pirtobrutinib and 78.6% among those receiving ibrutinib. The results consistently favored pirtobrutinib across the majority of subgroups, including those who were treatment-naive, relapsed/refractory (R/R) to prior treatments, and those with various high-risk disease characteristics.

Survival without disease progression, the study's secondary endpoint, will be formally assessed at a later time. Early results suggest that pirtobrutinib may offer some benefit over ibrutinib for this endpoint as well, showing 18-month progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 86.9% in the pirtobrutinib arm and 82.3% in the ibrutinib arm. Preliminary results suggest treatment-naive participants saw the most pronounced benefit for this endpoint.

"The PFS is still a little bit immature at this point, but trends toward favoring pirtobrutinib in all of the groups  in the total cohort, in the R/R group, and, importantly, in the treatment-naive cohort," said Dr. Woyach. "That's really important, because given the safety of pirtobrutinib, it suggests that this might be a good option in the future for some patients with frontline CLL/SLL."

The rates of treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) and treatment discontinuation due to AEs were overall similar between arms. However, those receiving pirtobrutinib experienced lower rates of AE-related dose reductions, treatment discontinuation due to progressive disease, and certain cardiovascular AEs including hypertension and development of atrial fibrillation or flutter.

These results may indicate pirtobrutinib is especially suitable for use in older or more frail patients. "While the efficacy and safety of pirtobrutinib have been very clearly established when given after a covalent BTK inhibitor, there are likely going to be subgroups of patients where pirtobrutinib is a more attractive option instead of the covalent BTK inhibitors," said Dr. Woyach.

In addition to continuing to track outcomes from this study, Dr. Woyach said that future clinical trials could help refine the use of pirtobrutinib alone or in combination with other therapies as a frontline treatment. She added that researchers are also continuing to investigate possible mechanisms through which cancer may become resistant to non-covalent BTK inhibitors to further optimize treatment strategies.

This study was funded by Eli Lilly and Company, maker of pirtobrutinib. The results were simultaneously published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Jennifer Woyach, MD, of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time in W224ABEF of the Orange County Convention Center.

New Findings Support a Chemo-Free Approach for Treating Ph+ ALL

439: First results of the Phase III GIMEMA ALL2820 trial comparing ponatinib plus blinatumomab to imatinib and chemotherapy for newly diagnosed adult ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients

A chemotherapy-free combination treatment outperformed a combination of targeted therapy and chemotherapy among patients with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a new study. The phase III trial, which included adult patients with no upper age limit, is the first formal comparison of the efficacy and safety of these two approaches in newly diagnosed patients with Ph+ ALL.

Researchers say the findings offer reassurance that chemotherapy can be omitted without detrimental effects and suggest that a chemo-free targeted agent and immunotherapy combination could become the new standard of care for this patient group.

"The chemo-free approach significantly reduced the rate of death in addition to increasing the rate of complete remission," said lead study author Sabina Chiaretti, MD, associate professor at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. "The significance was very impressive, a more than 20% difference in terms of molecular response achievement [a sensitive test for residual cancer cells following treatment], so this approach truly is better."

ALL is a fast-growing type of leukemia affecting white blood cells, while Ph+ ALL is a genetic subtype characterized by the causal genetic abnormality in the Philadelphia chromosome. Patients with Ph+ ALL have historically faced a poor prognosis and increased resistance to chemotherapy, pointing to a need for improved treatments. In recent years, targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immunotherapies have brought promising results, with good efficacy and fewer side effects than chemotherapy. Researchers have sought to identify the optimal combination of therapies among TKIs, immunotherapies, and chemotherapy.

For the trial, researchers enrolled 236 adult patients with Ph+ ALL, ranging in age from 19 to 84 years. Two-thirds of participants were randomly assigned to the experimental arm and received a TKI plus immunotherapy; one-third were assigned to the control arm and received a TKI plus chemotherapy. Patients in the experimental group received an initial course of steroids, a 70-day induction with the TKI ponatinib, and two to five cycles of the immunotherapy blinatumomab. Patients in the control group received the TKI imatinib along with either four or six cycles of chemotherapy for patients older or younger than age 65, respectively.

Patients in the chemo-free experimental arm had a significantly higher rate of event-free survival and a better response to treatment. At a median follow-up of 23 months, event-free survival was 87% in the experimental arm and 71% in the control arm, while the rate of death was 3.5% in the experimental arm and 10% in the control arm. The relapse rate was similar among arms (6% in the experimental group and 8% in the control group), although about half of the relapses in the experimental group occurred in patients who had discontinued their treatment.

Complete remission was achieved in 94% of those in the experimental arm and 79% of those in the control group. The chemo-free treatment regimen also resulted in a higher rate of negative measurable residual disease (MRD) status, an indicator that all or nearly all cancer cells have been eradicated. While only 49% of those in the control group achieved MRD-negative status, 71% of those in the experimental group achieved MRD-negative status after two cycles of blinatumomab, and 80% reached this status after five cycles.

"The more cycles with blinatumomab, the more the molecular remission rate increased," said Dr. Chiaretti. "This suggests that patients really should receive the planned five cycles. This is important because we have been working with blinatumomab for years, but we did not yet know how many cycles should be recommended."

Participants randomized to the control group were offered the option to cross over to the experimental arm if their disease was MRD-positive. About 37% of patients in the control arm eventually received the experimental treatment regimen, and 62% of these patients subsequently achieved MRD-negative status.

Most of the deaths occurred in older patients, and infections were a primary cause of death among those that occurred in the experimental arm. The safety profiles were consistent with those expected for each therapy involved in the study, and researchers said that most adverse events were successfully addressed by reducing dosage.

While the study was conducted exclusively in Italy, Dr. Chiaretti noted that the results should be applicable in any country. She added that a chemo-free treatment approach can bring economic benefits by reducing the need for hospitalization and allowing patients to continue working while undergoing cancer treatment.

A separate study is now underway to determine whether patients with sustained MRD-negative status can discontinue TKI treatment without raising the risk of a relapse.

Sabina Chiaretti, MD, of Sapienza University of Rome, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time in W224A-F of the Orange County Convention Center.

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (hematology.org) is the world's largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. Since 1958, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. Join the #Fight4Hematology by visiting hematology.org/fight4hematology.

The Blood journals (https://ashpublications.org/journals) are the premier source for basic, translational, and clinical hematologic research. The Blood journals publish more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journals worldwide.

SOURCE American Society of Hematology
Individuals named Pureza are often perceived as having calm, centered personalities with strong moral compasses. They tend to be thoughtful and introspective, valuing honesty and transparency in their relationships. Many exhibit a natural grace and dignity that others find comforting and trustworthy. These individuals often possess a quiet strength and resilience, approaching challenges with clarity and purpose rather than emotional reactivity. They typically value deep, meaningful connections over superficial relationships and may have a strong sense of justice and fairness.



While sometimes reserved in new situations, Purezas demonstrate genuine warmth and compassion toward those they trust. Their name often influences them to maintain high personal standards and to seek authenticity in all aspects of life. They are frequently drawn to creative or helping professions where they can express their values through action. The expectation of living up to their name's meaning can create a sense of responsibility to embody purity of intention and action, though this is typically balanced by a practical understanding of human complexity. Their combination of moral clarity and emotional intelligence makes them valued friends and trusted advisors.
People named Ranon are typically characterized by their vibrant, optimistic nature and their ability to spread happiness to those around them. They possess a natural charisma that draws people to them and often serve as the emotional center of their social circles. Their joyful disposition is complemented by strong creative tendencies, with many Ranons showing talent in music, art, or other forms of self-expression that allow them to share their inner light with the world.



Beyond their cheerful exterior, Ranons tend to be deeply empathetic individuals who genuinely care about others' well-being. They have excellent interpersonal skills and are often described as good listeners who offer comfort and support when needed. This combination of positivity and emotional intelligence makes them valuable friends and community members. While they approach life with enthusiasm, they also demonstrate resilience and the ability to maintain their optimistic outlook even during difficult times, embodying the name's meaning of enduring joy rather than fleeting happiness.
Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Ricker has Christian cultural roots as a derivative of Richard, which means 'strong ruler' or 'brave power.' In Christian tradition, names conveying strength and leadership were often chosen to reflect spiritual virtues and the concept of being a 'soldier of Christ.' The name carries connotations of protection and guardianship, aligning with Christian values of strength in faith and moral courage. Historically, names like Ricker were popular among European Christian communities where martial virtues were respected and the idea of spiritual warfare against sin was emphasized.



The name's association with strength and army connects to biblical themes of God as a warrior and the armor of God described in Ephesians, making it a name that embodies both physical and spiritual fortitude. Throughout Christian history, names suggesting strength and protection have been favored for their symbolic representation of God's power and the believer's role in spiritual battles. This makes Ricker a name that carries deep religious significance while maintaining its original meaning of military strength and leadership.
Individuals named Seentahna typically exhibit strong leadership qualities combined with deep emotional intelligence. They are known for their resilience in facing challenges and their ability to inspire others through their determination and moral courage. These women often possess a quiet confidence that allows them to navigate difficult situations with poise and wisdom, making them natural problem-solvers and trusted advisors in their communities.



Their personality is characterized by a blend of traditional values and modern thinking, allowing them to bridge generational and cultural gaps effectively. Seentahna's are often described as compassionate yet firm, with a strong sense of justice and fairness. They tend to be protective of those they care about while encouraging independence and growth in others, embodying the perfect balance of strength and nurturing qualities that make them exceptional in both personal and professional spheres.



In social settings, Seentahna's are typically respected for their integrity and reliability. They approach relationships with sincerity and depth, valuing meaningful connections over superficial interactions. Their inherent strength often makes them pillars of support within their families and communities, while their courage enables them to stand up for their beliefs and advocate for positive change in their environments.
Individuals named Skene typically exhibit a distinctive blend of intellectual rigor and practical capability, reflecting the name's origins in precision craftsmanship. They often demonstrate sharp analytical skills and attention to detail, much like the daggers their name references. These individuals tend to be methodical in their approach to problems, combining traditional wisdom with innovative thinking. Their personality often shows strong leadership qualities tempered with a deep sense of responsibility toward family and community heritage. Many display natural aptitude for scholarly pursuits, legal professions, or technical fields where precision and analysis are valued.



Beyond intellectual capabilities, those bearing the Skene name often possess strong protective instincts and loyalty to their principles. They typically value tradition and history while remaining adaptable to modern circumstances. Their communication style tends to be direct and purposeful, avoiding unnecessary elaboration. In social settings, Skenes often project confidence without arrogance, drawing respect through competence rather than showmanship. The historical legacy of the name suggests individuals who balance respect for the past with vision for the future, making them effective bridge-builders between tradition and innovation. These personality characteristics have remained remarkably consistent across generations of those carrying the Skene name.
Individuals named Stancliff are often perceived as steadfast and reliable, reflecting the name's literal meaning of 'rocky cliff.' They typically exhibit strong moral convictions and a grounded approach to life, much like the stable geological formations their name references. These individuals tend to be protective of their loved ones and principles, demonstrating resilience in facing challenges. Their personality often combines traditional values with practical wisdom, making them natural leaders in community and religious settings.



While sometimes perceived as reserved or conservative, they possess deep inner strength and unwavering commitment to their beliefs. The name suggests someone who builds lasting foundations in relationships and endeavors, approaching life with determination and integrity. Their steadfast nature makes them dependable in crises, while their connection to cliff imagery implies both boundaries and elevated perspectives. This combination of stability and vision often results in individuals who maintain traditions while providing clear guidance to others.
Individuals named Vande typically exhibit strong independent streaks and natural curiosity about the world around them. They possess an innate restlessness that drives them to explore new ideas, places, and experiences, often making them adaptable and resourceful in unfamiliar situations. Their wandering spirit doesn't indicate aimlessness but rather a deep-seated need for growth through varied experiences and perspectives.



Vandes are often characterized by their open-mindedness and ability to connect with diverse people and cultures. They tend to be excellent problem-solvers who can approach challenges from multiple angles, drawing from their broad experiences. While they value their freedom and independence, they also form deep, meaningful connections with those who understand and appreciate their need for both roots and wings. Their combination of adventurous spirit and emotional depth makes them compelling companions and natural leaders in situations requiring innovation and cross-cultural understanding.
Cultural & Historical Significance

Zanetta has deep roots in Spanish and Italian Catholic culture, where it evolved as a diminutive form of names like Giovanna and Juana. The name carries strong religious connotations, often associated with Saint Zanetta (a lesser-known saint venerated in certain Mediterranean regions) and the concept of divine blessing. Throughout history, it has been particularly popular in Catholic families who wished to honor religious traditions while choosing a name with melodic, feminine qualities.



In Spanish culture specifically, Zanetta represents the blending of religious devotion with artistic sensibility, often appearing in families with connections to the arts or education. The name saw particular popularity during the Renaissance period in both Spain and Italy, where it was favored by aristocratic families for its elegant sound and spiritual meaning. The name's persistence through centuries demonstrates its enduring appeal as a bridge between traditional values and aesthetic beauty.
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India took a major step to strengthen its export ecosystem with the launch of the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), a unified framework approved in the Union Budget 2025-26. The Mission was designed to provide Indian exporters, especially MSMEs and first-time exporters, with simpler, faster, and more coordinated support. As per data from a government release, with an outlay of Rs 25,060 crore for FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31, the Mission aims to improve trade finance, strengthen market readiness and build competitiveness across regions and sectors. EPM brings together several fragmented schemes into one system so exporters can access support in a clear and predictable manner. The policy rationale behind EPM is rooted in the need for a more coordinated export-support structure. India already has programmes such as interest equalisation and market-access initiatives, but official assessments show that challenges remain in access to affordable finance, meeting international quality standards, coordinated branding and easing logistics gaps. Recent export trends also point to the need for stronger digital systems and a single mechanism that can respond quickly to global trade changes. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) will act as the implementing agency, which will run a digital platform for applications, approvals and disbursal. The framework brings together the Department of Commerce, the Ministry of MSME, the Ministry of Finance, Export Promotion Councils, financial institutions and state governments. The focus is on real-time monitoring, inter-ministerial coordination and outcome-based delivery. The Mission functions through two integrated components: Niryat Protsahan and Niryat Disha. Niryat Protsahan deals with financial support, including interest subvention, export factoring, deep-tier financing and credit enhancements. Niryat Disha focuses on non-financial needs such as testing and certification, branding, packaging, trade fairs, logistics help and district-level capacity-building. Alongside the Mission, the government has also expanded the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters with an additional support of up to Rs 20,000 crore. The scheme provides 100 per cent credit guarantee coverage, helping exporters, especially MSMEs, access collateral-free working capital. The Reserve Bank of India has added further support through the Trade Relief Measures issued in November 2025. These include moratoriums on loan repayments, extended credit tenures, flexible working-capital rules, regulatory forbearance and relaxed FEMA timelines for export realisation. "By merging fiscal incentives, financial facilitation, digital governance and regulatory flexibility into a single mission-mode framework, the government has created a powerful platform to enhance India's global trade competitiveness," the release said. (ANI)
The Minister was addressing the participants of the Two-day National Conference focusing on the use of AI/ML technologies in the power distribution sector, at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital today.

He noted that there was also a need to actively engage consumers. It is important to remove misinformation that sometimes surrounds new technologies and to win the valuable support of consumers for technology adoption in the sector, the Minister added.

Lal lauded the active participation of industry, states, innovators, academia, and technology partners at the National Conference. He appreciated the AI/ML solutions presented by Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs), Technology Solution Providers (TSPs) and Home Automation Solution Providers (HASPs).

He noted that the AI/ML based solutions, smart meter analytics, digital twins, predictive maintenance, theft detection intelligence, appliance-level consumer insights, automated outage prediction and GenAI-based decision support can transform both consumer experience and operational efficiency.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based applications will play a pivotal role in building intelligent, consumer-centric, self-optimising distribution networks, he stated.

Lal noted that the AI/ML based solutions highlight a powerful narrative of technology restoring trust, empowering households to manage their consumption better, preventing outages before they occur, protecting honest consumers from theft burdens and enabling DISCOMs to reduce losses, optimise power purchase costs and reinvest in stronger infrastructure--positioning India as a global leader in digital electricity reform and future-ready grid governance.

Addressing the National Conference, Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, highlighted the Ministry's commitment to strengthen digitalisation across DISCOMs and promote adoption of AI/ML-based solutions that deliver measurable operational and financial improvements.

He stressed the importance of capacity building, secure data-sharing frameworks, and interoperability to ensure that innovations showcased during the conference can be scaled nationwide to facilitate the energy transition across the country. (ANI)
Dinesh, father of the warehouse owner, said, "This godown was here for 1-1.5 years. There must be a minimum loss of Rs 5 to 7 lakhs. We have no idea how the fire broke out. The fire brigade worked very quickly."

The city fire department rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, on November 28, a massive fire broke out at Shree Rajlaxmi Commercial Complex in the Kalher area of Bhiwandi, Thane district.

The officials further said that no casualties have been reported so far. Speaking to ANI, Fire Officer Bapu Sonwane said the fire department reached the site shortly after receiving information about the blaze and began evacuating nearby residential areas as a precaution.

"We received information around 8 pm that a fire had broken out. We saw that a huge fire had broken out on the second floor when we reached it. There is a residential area nearby. We evacuated that area. We are working to put out the fire," Sonwane said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, and additional details are awaited. Residents have been urged to stay clear of the area until the situation is fully contained. (ANI)
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has asserted that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, does not respect constitutional institutions of the country, while pointing out that the Congress leader has skipped several important events, including the swearing-in-ceremony of the Chief Justice of India. The remarks of the Union Minister came in response to Rahul Gandhi's allegations that the LoP is not allowed to meet visiting dignitaries. "He was invited on three occasions to the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Justice of India, but he did not attend. There were many other occasions where he (Rahul Gandhi) did not show up. He does not respect the constitutional institutions of the nation," Meghwal said. The minister also reiterated the Centre's commitment to securing constitutional recognition for the Rajasthani language, a long-standing demand in the state. "We endeavour to get the Rajasthani language recognised in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, but we are trying to build consensus on this issue," he said. On the issue of large-scale flight delays and cancellations by IndiGo over the past two days, Meghwal said the matter was raised in Parliament and addressed appropriately by the government. "This issue was raised in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Our Civil Aviation Minister has also responded to it," he said. He added that corrective steps were already showing results. "There is considerable improvement today, and further improvements will occur rapidly," he assured. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has formally issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers--holding the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days and pointing to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management." (ANI)
Astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Sunday called for increasing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various space programs and research, as he urged on the younger generations on people to use such emerging technologies to solve the problems of society, and take responsibility for achieving the dream of Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047. While speaking at the curtain raiser event of 'Delhi AI Grind' event, Astronaut Shukla said "During my stay of 20 days, we did a lot of science. For the first time, Indian scientists got the chance to do experimentation in microgravity. We had taken 7 experiments with us, and got them back. I saw that AI is engraved in each and every aspect. It is a tool to do things, accomplish things, whether it is earth observation, conducting science on station, or reducing the workload of astronauts." Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Ashish Sood were also present at the event. Astronaut Shukla also highlighted an example of how AI could be used to sort through terabytes of data, especially after he collected multiple pictures and videos from his experiments on the space station. He said that AI could significantly reduce the time it took to process the data, something that had taken NASA a month. "One example I have in mind is that when I was in the (space) station, we took lots of videos to share. I collected around 6 terabytes of data. I had 4 others, so you can understand we had 20-22 terabytes of data total. NASA took one month to determine whether it meets the guidelines and whether it is okay to release these photographs. This process was manual; this is where AI can come in, replace this entire process and can become very effective," Group Capt Shukla said. "These are the unique ways in which you (younger generation) has to think, the problems of society how they can be solved," he added. Quoting Vikram Sarabhai's vision for India's advancement in technology, Shukla added, "When our space program was starting, our visionary Vikram Sarabhai's motto was 'India should be second to none in application of advanced technologies for the benefit of society'. I think this is where we are standing even today." Similarly, Shukla highlighted the importance of political will and a focus on such issues, saying that initiatives like the Delhi AI Grind could help achieve the dream of Viksit Bharat. "When I completed my mission and landed in Delhi, I think on 17 August, then our CM came herself to receive me at the airport. Even today, when I came here I was not aware what the event is for, but when I saw her, the education minister and all senior people, I cannot help but think where our leaders are focusing on. These are the areas where we need to focus, and it will get us to our dream of Viksit Bharat 2047," he said. While calling on young people to take responsibility for building a developed India, he said that the young generation needs to take ownership of developing the country themselves, solve societal problems, and advance technology. "We have already said that Viksit Bharat 2047 will happen, but how will it happen? You, younger generations, children sitting here, will do it. My call to action to all of you is this, you need to take responsibility, it is not anyone else, it is my job. If our younger generation takes the responsibility of fulfilling this dream, we will achieve it much before 2047," he added. Delhi AI Grind is the country's first city-centric AI innovation engine, on its scale and design. The six-month movement will connect classrooms, communities, and industries through geography-locked and problem-locked challenges, according to Delhi's department of education. Powered by art, empathy, and algorithms, it empowers over five lakh students to become thinkers, tinkerers, and transformers, shaping an AI-driven future. (ANI)
Professor BN Goswami, a Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardee and one of India's most cited climate scientists, has been selected for the ANRF Prime Minister Professorship, a flagship national programme aimed at strengthening research capacity in state universities. According to the release, the appointment was confirmed by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through an official communication issued by its CEO, Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, on December 5. Goswami had been formally nominated for this Professorship by Gauhati University earlier this year. The Professorship, awarded to only a few distinguished scientists across the country, is widely viewed as recognition of sustained academic excellence and national-level scientific contributions. Goswami has more than 20,000 citations and an h-index of 60, placing him among India's most influential figures in climate and atmospheric sciences. His selection is also being regarded as an important acknowledgement of the rising research profile of Gauhati University and the broader Northeast region. Gauhati University Vice Chancellor Professor Nani Gopal Mahanta said the appointment reflects a clear shift in how research potential in Assam is being recognised at the national level. "This selection adds a significant feather to our cap and showcases Gauhati University's emergence as a major hub of research and development, not only for Assam but for the entire Northeast. Having a scientist of Prof. Goswami's standing at the University will meaningfully strengthen our academic foundations and elevate our research ambitions," he said. Mahanta added that the Professorship aligns with the institution's long-term academic strategy. "The ANRF programme is designed to place highly accomplished scientists in environments where they can mentor, guide and transform the next generation of researchers. Prof. Goswami's presence at Gauhati University will contribute to a more rigorous and innovation-driven ecosystem for our young scholars," he said. The ANRF Prime Minister Professorship is a five-year initiative that provides a Rs 30 lakh annual fellowship, a Rs 24 lakh research grant and an institutional overhead of Rs 1 lakh. The scheme requires full-time engagement at the host university and is intended for senior, distinguished researchers aged 55 or more who have made significant contributions to their fields. Previous awardees of the Professorship have been associated with premier national laboratories, science academies and advanced R&D institutions, reflecting the selectivity and prestige of the programme. The inclusion of a recipient from Assam underscores the increasing scientific relevance of universities in the eastern and northeastern regions of the country. According to the ANRF's communication, procedural steps and documentation for the commencement of the Professorship will be initiated shortly. The appointment is being viewed as a milestone for Gauhati University as it expands its role in research, innovation and scientific leadership in the region. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday extended greetings to the Armed Forces personnel on Armed Forces Flag Day, recognising the sacrifices and selfless service of the people safeguarding our nation. He also urged people to donate to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) to show support for the armed forces personnel. "On Armed Forces Flag Day, I salute the valour and sacrifices of our armed forces. Their courage safeguards our nation, and their selfless service reminds us of a debt we can never repay. I urge everyone to contribute generously to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. Your support honours their dedication and strengthens those who protect us," the Defence Minister posted on X, while showing a picture of him wearing the Armed Forces Flag pin. Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed throughout the country on December 7 since 1949, to honour the men in uniform who fought and continue to fight on India's border. Flag Day brings to the forefront India's commitment to looking after our war disabled Soldiers, Veer Naris and the families of Martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the country. "Soldiers are one of the greatest assets of any country. They are the guardians of the nation and protect its citizens at all costs. To fulfil their duties, soldiers have sacrificed a lot of things in their lives," said the Ministry of Defence in an earlier statement. The country is forever indebted to these gallant heroes who lay down their lives in the service towards the motherland, the ministry said. Flag Day brings to the forefront our commitment to looking after our war disabled Soldiers, Veer Naris and the families of those who have sacrificed their lives for the country in the line of duty. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways also extended wishes to the servicemen on Armed Forces Flag Day. "Observing Armed Forces Flag Day, Indian Railways honours the courage, dedication, and sacrifices of our Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel who safeguard our nation with unwavering duty," the railway ministry said on X today. Earlier, on October 15, the Defence Ministry announced the rate of Financial Assistance given through AFFDF. According to the Department of Ex-servicemen welfare, the Penury Grant has been upped from Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000. The Marriage Grant and Education Grant have been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000; and from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, respectively. The revised rate came into force for applications submitted from November 2025 onwards. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said that suspended TMC leader Humayun Kabir should form his own party to help underprivileged muslims instead of trying to erect a mosque in the name of Babar. The BJP leader said that "society will never accept a mosque in the name of Babar", so he should focus on helping the muslims who are underprivileged in West Bengal. "I want to ask Humayun Kabir to make a different party and fight for the Muslims of West Bengal who are very unprivileged, and try to develop them. Don't make a mosque after the name of Babar, the society here would not accept it," Ghosh told ANI. On Saturday, the suspended TMC MLA, Humayun Kabir, laid the foundation stone for the construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad, amid widespread criticism from multiple political parties. He drew attention to the constitutional right to build places of worship and said that he is not doing anything unconstitutional, "as anyone can make a temple or church, so can I". Addressing the gathering, Kabir said, "I am not doing anything unconstitutional. Anyone can build a temple, anyone can build a church; I will build a mosque. It is being said that we cannot build the Babri Masjid. It is not written anywhere. The Supreme Court gave a judgment which stated that the Hindu people had demolished the Babri Masjid. Considering the sentiments of Hindus, the decision was taken to build a temple here." Kabir asserted that legal challenges would not deter the mosque's construction. "Five cases have been filed against me, but no one can stop someone with whom Allah is. The court has also clearly stated that it is written in the Constitution of India that one can build a mosque; it is a right," he said. Kabir added that a 300-crore budget has been allocated for the mosque, which will also include a hospital, guesthouse, and meeting hall. He reiterated his commitment to the project and said, "It is a promise of the Muslims, the Babri Masjid will be built, it will be built, it will be built." (ANI)
The Ghari Battalion of the Indian Army's Poonch Brigade on Sunday flagged off the National Integration Tour from Poonch to Dehradun, aimed at familiarising students with the diverse cultural and operational aspects of the Indian Army. Speaking about the initiative, a participating student told ANI, "Today, our National Integration Tour is going to Dehradun on behalf of the Poonch Brigade Army, and this is a huge opportunity for us. Two or three students from each school have gone... We will be taken to Dehradun, and the tour will be about 10 days. This will introduce us to the local culture, the different aspects of the Brigade Army, and all the things that happen in India..." Shaista Majid, another student, expressed her gratitude, stating, told ANI, "Today, the Poonch Brigade is offering a huge opportunity to all the children. We'll be taken from Poonch to Dehradun, where we'll be offered numerous opportunities... Even after Operation Sindoor, this is our first time going there. I would like to thank them for even taking such a big step for us..." Earlier, the Durga Battalion of the Indian Army's Poonch Brigade, in collaboration with Pritam Spiritual Trust, conducted a 3-day camp in Poonch, providing free artificial limbs, wheelchairs, and crutches to 200 specially-abled individuals. It was held as part of the 77th Poonch Link-Up Day celebrations. Chairman of Pritam Spiritual Trust, Jagbir Singh, stated that the Trust, in collaboration with the Indian Army's Poonch Brigade, provided walkers, prosthetics, hearing aids, and crutches, among other equipment. "The camp is a huge success. Our target was exceeded, and the greatest joy is that God kept the weather clear, so we didn't face any problems... Over 200 people come here. We've provided walkers, crutches, hearing aids, and prosthetics for specially-abled people... It is the beginning of a new life for them..." he said. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday stressed the Centre's commitment to holistic development of border areas saying that the constant effort of the government is to strengthen communication and connectivity in the border areas, including Ladakh. The Defence Minister asserted that the government and organisations like Border Roads Organisations (BRO) is working with full enthusiasm for the holistic development of border areas. "Our constant effort has always been that, including Ladakh, all border areas, our communication and connectivity with them should become even stronger. If I give another example in front of you, then just recently, during the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, I inaugurated a 200 kilowatt Green hydrogen based Microgrid power plant in Ladakh, which will be very beneficial not only for this region but also for the surrounding regions," said Rajnath Singh while addressing the inaugural ceremony of BRO Projects in Leh. "We are working with full enthusiasm for the holistic development of our border areas. Our government, our armed forces, and organizations like BRO stand with you, firmly connected to your hearts. We just need to keep strengthening this bond, so that our relationship is not affected by any external element," he added. Lauding the BRO for their efforts, Singh stated that the speed and efficiency with which BRO has developed infrastructure in border areas has provided a significant boost to national development. He said, "In the past few years, the speed and efficiency with which BRO has developed infrastructure in border areas has also provided a significant boost to national development. Through indigenous solutions, by successfully completing complex projects, BRO has today emerged as a synonym for 'Communication' and 'Connectivity'." Defence Minister underlined that communication and connectivity are not mere technical tools but essential pillars of societal and civilisational growth. "In a society where communication is empowered, democratic values, cultural diversity, and scientific temper get the opportunity to flourish. Thus, communication and connectivity are not merely technical mechanisms or tools but the foundational pillars of the continuous development of human civilization," Singh added. He emphasised that border infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and tunnels are not merely tools of connectivity but also serves as a lifeline for security, the economy, the mobility of armed forces, and disaster management. "For any country to develop, they need roads, bridges and tunnels... If we talk about border security, these tools of connectivity become more important. The roads built in the border area are not just roads; they serve as lifelines for security, the economy, the mobility of armed forces, and disaster management. The Shyok Tunnel, being inaugurated today in Ladakh, is a prime example of this," the Defence Minister stated. Highlighting the benefits of these infrastructures, he said, "There are various benefits of these infrastructures. First, it will enhance the mobility of our armed forces. Second, whenever needed, logistics can be delivered to our armed forces very smoothly. Third, such projects will also boost tourism. Fourth, our brothers and sisters here will get employment from that growing tourism, and economic activities will increase. Fifth, but most importantly, the faith of the people here in development, in the government, in the system, and in democracy will be strengthened." Singh further stated, "The increase in connectivity in border areas is impacting everyone in a multi-dimensional way. Today, our soldiers stand strong in difficult terrains because they have access to roads, real-time communication systems, satellite support, surveillance networks, and logistics connectivity. Every minute, every second of a soldier deployed on the border is extremely important. Therefore, connectivity should not be viewed merely as limited to networks, optical fiber, drones, and radars, but rather as the backbone of security." "If I am able to reach and meet our forces in any corner of the country, it becomes possible only because of strong Communication and Connectivity. As I had said earlier, communication should not be viewed merely in terms of infrastructure. It is a very broad term. Communication is also essential for the peace, harmony, and understanding of society," he added. (ANI)
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Sunday extended his greetings to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces, veterans, and Veer Naris on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day 2025, acknowledging their dedicated service and contributions to national security. In a post on X, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff highlighted the "resolute service, indomitable spirit and enduring contribution" of the armed forces in safeguarding India's sovereignty. The headquarters also paid tribute to the "unwavering commitment, exceptional valour and supreme sacrifices" of soldiers, sailors, and air warriors across all frontiers and domains. "On the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day 2025, General Anil Chauhan, CDS, extends his greetings to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces, our Veterans and Veer Naris, acknowledging their resolute service, indomitable spirit and enduring contribution to India's defence preparedness and national security. We honour the unwavering commitment, exceptional valour and supreme sacrifices of our soldiers, sailors and air warriors who have steadfastly safeguarded the Nation's sovereignty across all frontiers and domains," Integrated Defence Staff said. Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed throughout the country on December 7 since 1949, to honour the men in uniform who fought and continue to fight on India's border. Flag Day brings to the forefront our commitment to looking after our war-disabled Soldiers, Veer Naris and the families of those who have sacrificed their lives for the country in the line of duty. "Soldiers are one of the greatest assets of any country. They are the guardians of the nation and protect its citizens at all costs. To fulfil their duties, soldiers have sacrificed a lot of things in their lives," said the Ministry of Defence in an earlier statement. The country is forever indebted to these gallant heroes who laid down their lives in the service of the motherland, the ministry said. Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended greetings to the Armed Forces personnel on Armed Forces Flag Day, recognising the sacrifices and selfless service of the people safeguarding our nation. "On Armed Forces Flag Day, I salute the valour and sacrifices of our armed forces. Their courage safeguards our nation, and their selfless service reminds us of a debt we can never repay. I urge everyone to contribute generously to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. Your support honours their dedication and strengthens those who protect us," the Defence Minister posted on X, while showing a picture of him wearing the Armed Forces Flag pin. (ANI)
Despite the relaxation of flight duty time limitations rules, chaos across multiple Indian airports continued on Sunday morning, with atleast 400 flights cancelled across the country. Major air terminals, mainly at urban centres, have been hit the hardest, with a majority of cancellations concentrated at Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Delhi airports. Amid the chaos in airports, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has served a show cause notice to IndiGo's accountable manager. The worst hit, Telangana's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad saw 115 flights cancelled today, with 54 arrivals, and 61 departures affected. According to a statement from the Delhi Airport, at least 59 departures and 50 arrivals totalling to 109 flights have been cancelled today. Kolkata saw atleast 76 flights affected, with 53 departure cancelations, and 23 arrivals cancelled. According to a statement from the NSCBI Kolkata airport, between midnight and 10 AM today, out of the 43 departures, 14 have been cancelled. Out of the 17 arrivals scheduled, 2 had been cancelled, and 2 flights had been delayed for more than 30 minutes. Ahmedabad, another major urban centre for air travel, saw relatively low cancellations at 20 flights, with 12 arrivals and 8 departures cancelled. However, the airport also clarified that there were "no issues in terminal and airside," with passenger facilitation being taken care of. Out of a combined 226 arrivals and departures scheduled, atleast 33 per cent of IndiGo flights stood cancelled. In Pune, around 25 flights have been cancelled today, with flights whih were supposed to go across the country. Meanwhile in the northeast region, Agartala airport saw 6 IndiGo flights cancelled, with flights which were supposed to depart to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, and Bangalore and Imphal. In South India, Trichy airport saw 5 arrivals cancelled and 6 departures cancelled, with only 1 arrival and 3 departure flights operating till Sunday afternoon. Amid the large scale flight disruptions, the DGCA has served two show cause notices, with one being issued to the airline's CEO Pieter Elbers on Saturday, and another to the "Accountable Manager". The regulatory authority has said that such operational failures indicate "significant lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management, and is prima facie non-compliance on the part of the airport with the provisions of Rule 42A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, and the provisions of CAR Section 7, Series J, Party III Issue III (Rev 2) on Duty Period, Flight Duty Period, Flight Time Limitations and Prescribed Rest Periods - Flight crew engaged in Scheduled Air Transport Operations," the show cause notice read. Whereas, as the Post Holder Accountable Manager, you are responsible for ensuring overall operations are strictly in accordance with the approved manuals and in terms of para 8 of CAR Section 3, Series C, Part II and para 1 of its Appendix 3, the regulator said. The notice comes two days after IndiGo was exempted from one of the rules of the newly introduced rules for pilot safety, namely the rule which prevented airlines from substituting pilot's rest period as a leave. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol said that they are closely monitoring the situation and have taken immediate action against the airline for not adhering to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). Mohol assured that the government is taking the matter very seriously and that action will be taken after the investigation committee's report is submitted. According to sources, Parliament's Transport, Tourism & Culture committee is likely to summon representatives of IndiGo too. Meanwhile, IndiGo confirms that they have showed "further significant Operational improvement" and is "progressively restoring network stability" a day after they took up a system reboot for managing the cancelled flights, thereby improving the situation for passengers today. "Following the recent operational disruptions, IndiGo confirms that we are establishing further significant and sustained improvements across our network. The first step to this was taken yesterday, today next steps have been taken on this with lesser cancellations and a higher On Time Performance. Also, cancellations were made at an earlier stage, allowing us to inform our customers timelier," according the airline's press statement. As of December 7, IndiGo said they are on track to 1650 flights, over 150 more flights (from 1500) from Saturday. This has translated to over a 75 per cent on time performance, up from around 30 per cent on Saturday. Similarly, refund and luggage process is I "full action, both for direct bookings and indirect bookings" The airline has reiterated confidence its timeline of stabilising operations network by December 10, after giving a window between December 10- 15. An IndiGo spokesperson said, "We are grateful for the patience, trust and understanding shown by our customers and the tireless efforts of our employees and partners. We continue to work closely with all authorities and stakeholders to ensure a swift return to full normalcy." The airline said that they had formed a "Crisis Management Group" on day 1 of flight disrupts. The Board received a detailed briefing from the Management on the nature and extent of the crisis before holding a closed-door session exclusively for Board members. (ANI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based applications will play a pivotal role in building intelligent, consumer-centric, self-optimising distribution networks, said Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The Minister was addressing the participants of the two-day national conference focusing on the use of AI/ML technologies in the power distribution sector, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on Sunday. He noted that the AI/ML-based solutions, smart meter analytics, digital twins, predictive maintenance, theft detection intelligence, appliance-level consumer insights, automated outage prediction and GenAI-based decision support can transform both consumer experience and operational efficiency. According to an official release from the Ministry of Power, Manohar Lal lauded the active participation of industry, states, innovators, academia, and technology partners at the National Conference. He appreciated the AI/ML solutions presented by Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs), Technology Solution Providers (TSPs) and Home Automation Solution Providers (HASPs). The Minister urged all DISCOMs to work closely with ecosystem stakeholders to transition towards smart, reliable, and consumer-focused distribution systems. He remarked that there was also a need to actively engage consumers. It is important to remove misinformation that sometimes surrounds new technologies and to win the valuable support of consumers for technology adoption in the sector. Lal noted that the AI/ML based solutions highlight a powerful narrative of technology restoring trust, empowering households to manage their consumption better, preventing outages before they occur, protecting honest consumers from theft burdens and enabling DISCOMs to reduce losses, optimise power purchase costs and reinvest in stronger infrastructure--positioning India as a global leader in digital electricity reform and future-ready grid governance. Speaking at the National Conference, Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, highlighted the Ministry's commitment to strengthen digitalisation across DISCOMs and promote adoption of AI/ML-based solutions that deliver measurable operational and financial improvements. He stressed the importance of capacity building, secure data-sharing frameworks, and interoperability to ensure that innovations showcased during the conference can be scaled nationwide to facilitate the energy transition across the country. The conference involved a national call for innovation, and 195 applications were received from DISCOMs, AMISPs, Technology Solution Providers (TSPs), and Home Automation Solution Providers. After initial screening, 51 solutions were shortlisted for detailed jury evaluation on Day 1 (December 6, 2025) of the Conference. Following detailed evaluation, the TNPDCL (Tamil Nadu), MP East (MP) in the DISCOMs category, the Tata Power and Apraava in the AMISP category, the Pravah and the Flock Energy in the Solution provider category and Tata Power in the Home automation Solution category were declared the winners. Today, the winners made their presentations, which highlighted various data driven innovations like advanced smart meter analytics for revenue protection by Tamil Nadu, accurate consumer indexing to reduce Losses by MP East. AMISPs like TP Power Plus and Apraava Energy demonstrated behavioural demand response and AI-based operational automation, while TSPs such as Pravah and Flock Energy showcased unified real-time grid intelligence and consumer appliance analytics. Tata Power showcased futuristic and user-friendly solution for monitoring and controlling energy use. The winners were felicitated by the Minister of Power and he encouraged them to scale-up of such solutions across states. Manohar Lal, Minister of Power, also launched the STELLAR (Strategic Expansion for Long Term Load Adequacy and Resilience) developed by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) which will empower DISCOMs to carry out resource adequacy studies and prepare long term adequacy plans. Also, India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) presented the Handbook on AI, ML, AR/VR and Robotics Solutions and Roadmap for Electric Utilities highlighting 174 use cases, including 45 from Indian utilities. (ANI)
In a post on X, Kejriwal wrote, "I am going to Gujarat today for a three-day tour. I will participate in several programs there."

https://x.com/arvindkejriwal/status/1997568946845917560

Earlier today, in a post on X, Kejriwal expressed grief over the tragic fire at a club in Arpora, Goa, which claimed 25 lives. He offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured, hoping all those affected find strength during this devastating time.

https://x.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/1997512659751837910

Kejriwal wrote, "Deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident at Arpora, Goa, that has claimed several precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. May all those affected find strength and solace during this devastating time." (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated the top 12 winners of HT@100 My Country, My Lens, a nationwide photography contest organised as part of Hindustan Times' centenary celebrations. According to a release, the ceremony held on Saturday at the HT Leadership Summit 2025, PM Modi presented citations to the winning photographers in the presence of Hindustan Times Chairperson and Editorial Director Shobhana Bhartia. The contest, launched to mark 100 years of the Hindustan Times, invited citizens to capture India "through their own lens." It received an overwhelming 10,000+ entries from over 30 cities, submitted across four themes -- Borders, Rivers, Monuments and Communities of My Country. A jury featuring acclaimed photographers Rohit Chawla, Dhritiman Mukherjee and Ajay Aggarwal shortlisted the Top 100 entries, from which the Top 3 photographs in each category were selected for felicitation by the Prime Minister. After viewing the exhibition, PM Modi praised the creativity and depth of the winners' work."I watched the exhibition and will request everyone to see it. The photographer friends have captured moments in a way to make them immortal... believe it can become a source of great strength for photography in the country," he said. Bhartia noted that the contest was a way to honour not just HT's centenary but also India's diverse stories. "The photographs we received reflect the depth, diversity and dynamism of India and capture the spirit that has always inspired our journalism," she noted. The Top 100 photographs were unveiled as part of a special exhibition at the summit, where policymakers, global leaders, thinkers and artists experienced the visual narratives. The display formed a contemporary archive that showcased how Indians interpret their landscapes, communities, and national identity. The centenary celebrations also highlighted the newspaper's historical legacy. Founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1924, Hindustan Times emerged as a key voice of India's freedom movement, backed initially by the Akalis and later guided by leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malviya and GD Birla. Over the decades, HT provided a platform for towering figures including Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Martin Luther King Jr and MS Swaminathan. With the Prime Minister honouring the Top 12 photographers and the Top 100 exhibit unveiled at the summit, Hindustan Times officially concluded its year-long centenary celebrations. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Armed Forces Flag Day, presented a contribution of Rs 11,000 for the welfare of soldiers through an online QR code. The gesture was acknowledged by Brigadier Arun Nair, Sena Medal (Retd.), and Director of the Sainik Welfare Board, who presented the commemorative badge to CM Yadav. Earlier today, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan extended his greetings to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces, veterans, and Veer Naris on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day 2025, acknowledging their dedicated service and contributions to national security. In a post on X, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff highlighted the "resolute service, indomitable spirit and enduring contribution" of the armed forces in safeguarding India's sovereignty. The headquarters also paid tribute to the "unwavering commitment, exceptional valour and supreme sacrifices" of soldiers, sailors, and air warriors across all frontiers and domains. "On the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day 2025, General Anil Chauhan, CDS, extends his greetings to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces, our Veterans and Veer Naris, acknowledging their resolute service, indomitable spirit and enduring contribution to India's defence preparedness and national security. We honour the unwavering commitment, exceptional valour and supreme sacrifices of our soldiers, sailors and air warriors who have steadfastly safeguarded the Nation's sovereignty across all frontiers and domains," Integrated Defence Staff said. Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed throughout the country on December 7 since 1949, to honour the men in uniform who fought and continue to fight on India's border. Flag Day brings to the forefront our commitment to looking after our war-disabled Soldiers, Veer Naris and the families of those who have sacrificed their lives for the country in the line of duty. "Soldiers are one of the greatest assets of any country. They are the guardians of the nation and protect its citizens at all costs. To fulfil their duties, soldiers have sacrificed a lot of things in their lives," said the Ministry of Defence in an earlier statement. The country is forever indebted to these gallant heroes who laid down their lives in the service of the motherland, the ministry said. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed his deepest gratitude to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day. He said that the discipline, resolve, and indomitable spirit of the Armed Forces personnel protect the nation and strengthen its people. Their commitment, he noted, stands as a shining example of duty, discipline and devotion to the nation. The Prime Minister also urged everyone to contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund in honour of the valour and service of the Armed Forces. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, "On Armed Forces Flag Day, we express our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women who protect our nation with unwavering courage. Their discipline, resolve and spirit shield our people and strengthen our nation. Their commitment stands as a powerful example of duty, discipline and devotion to our nation. Let us also contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day fund." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1997534293623537704 Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed throughout the country on December 7 since 1949, to honour the men in uniform who fought and continue to fight on India's border. Flag Day brings to the forefront India's commitment to looking after our war disabled Soldiers, Veer Naris and the families of Martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the country. "Soldiers are one of the greatest assets of any country. They are the guardians of the nation and protect its citizens at all costs. To fulfil their duties, soldiers have sacrificed a lot of things in their lives," said the Ministry of Defence in an earlier statement. The country is forever indebted to these gallant heroes who lay down their lives in the service towards the motherland, the ministry said. (ANI)
Armed Forces Flag Day was celebrated across India on Sunday, with the Delhi government honouring the chiefs of all four forces for the first time. Brigadier Sujit Narain, Secretary of the Rajya Sainik Board, highlighted the significance of this day, where civilians show their support and donate to the welfare of war widows, ex-servicemen, veterans, and those disabled in the line of duty. "Armed Forces Flag Day is celebrated all over the country each year. Today, the civilians present their support and donate to support the widows, ex-servicemen, veterans and those who became disabled in the line of duty... For the first time in history, the Delhi government felicitated and respected the chiefs of all four forces... Some special civilians were also felicitated...," said Narain. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, all serve under the President as Supreme Commander. Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed throughout the country on December 7 since 1949, to honour the men in uniform who fought and continue to battle on India's border. The event was marked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message, expressing gratitude to the armed forces for their unwavering courage and sacrifice. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also lauded their valour, urging citizens to contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, "On Armed Forces Flag Day, we express our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women who protect our nation with unwavering courage. Their discipline, resolve and spirit shield our people and strengthen our nation. Their commitment stands as a powerful example of duty, discipline and devotion to our nation. Let us also contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day fund." Moreover, after the event, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, while speaking on India's responsive strike to Pakistan, "Operation Sindoor", said that the operation is only halted, not over, and the India armed forces are ready to respond to anyone who tries to cast an "evil eye" on the country. "Although Operation Sindoor has been halted, it is not over yet. You are also aware of the actions taken by the Indian government at that time... I realise that the citizens of this country are proud of the Armed Forces... If anyone tries to cast an evil eye on us, we will give them a befitting reply - we proved this during Operation Sindoor, and we will prove it in the future too..." he stated. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 202,5, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. The Operation was a targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated 125 major infrastructure projects across the country on Saturday. Among these, seven projects are located in Uttarakhand, with Chamoli district receiving the maximum benefit. Five important bridges in the Niti Pass border region were inaugurated virtually. The inaugurated bridges include the Suraithota Bridge, Pangti Bridge, Gurkuti Bridge, Ghamashali Bridge, and Niti Bridge. With the construction of these bridges, the movement of soldiers and paramilitary forces deployed along the India-China border will now become smoother than before. Strengthened connectivity in these remote and sensitive border areas will significantly enhance security arrangements. BRO's Colonel Ankur Mahajan, Major Vivek Soni, and Joshimath Block Chief Anoop Singh Negi were present at the inauguration program. Villagers and local public representatives described this initiative as a historic step toward the region's development. A wave of happiness was seen across dozens of villages in the frontier valley following the launch of these projects. Local residents said that completing these bridges will boost tourism in the region and create new employment opportunities for the local population. Colonel Ankur Mahajan stated, "In the border region of Uttarakhand, in the Joshimath block, there are five important bridges that will enhance the mobility of our armed forces... It will also enhance the tourism sector and ease the movement of people... today is a very proud day for Joshimath." Block Chief Anoop Singh Negi emphasised that the BRO will continue to provide development projects, including more bridges, to the common people and underlined that these bridges are not meant only to bring development but also to act as a catalyst for the army movement. "Today, 125 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh...The Suraithota Bridge, Pangti Bridge, Gurkuti Bridge, Ghamashali Bridge, and Niti Bridge have been dedicated to the public. In the coming days, the BRO will complete other projects that are currently under construction. More bridges will be dedicated to the public in the future..." he said. "This is not only essential for development but also contributes to national security, enabling the armed forces and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to reach border areas more quickly. The movement of heavy equipment will also become easier," he added. During the event, Colonel Ankur Mahajan also honoured ex-servicemen who have served in the border areas by presenting them with medals. The felicitation ceremony created an atmosphere of enthusiasm among the locals and former soldiers present at the venue. With the opening of these five bridges, Chamoli's border region is expected to witness a significant boost in strategic strength, connectivity, tourism, and overall economic activities. (ANI)
Twenty-seven missing mobile phones were successfully traced and handed over to their rightful owners in a formal programme held at the West Agartala Police Station on Sunday. The West Tripura District Superintendent of Police, Namit Pathak, said that 27 stolen mobile phones were traced, of which 22 were recovered through the CiR (Central Equipment Identity Register) Portal. SP Pathak said, "Today, at the West Agartala Police Station, 27 missing mobile phones were successfully traced and handed over to their respective owners. Twenty-two of these mobiles were recovered through the CiR Portal. CiR is a Government of India portal called the Central Equipment Identity Register, where, after a mobile phone is stolen, certain details can be submitted to help track, block, and perform other necessary actions." "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Officer-in-Charge of the police station, because nowadays a mobile phone has become an essential part of a person's identity. Today, the recovered phones were finally returned to their rightful owners," he said. West Tripura District Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak and Officer-in-Charge Rana Chatterjee personally handed over the recovered devices to the owners. Several mobile theft cases had been registered under the West Agartala Police Station. Officials expressed their appreciation for the efforts of West Agartala Police Station, noting that mobile phones have become an essential part of a person's identity in the modern day. The recovered phones were finally returned to their rightful owners, bringing relief to many. The Central Equipment Identity Register (CiR) is a Government of India portal where, after a mobile phone is reported stolen, essential details can be submitted to track, block, or take other necessary actions to prevent misuse. In November, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced that its digital safety initiative, Sanchar Saathi, has enabled the recovery of over 50,000 lost and stolen mobile handsets across India for the first time. The Ministry of Communications said in a release that Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as the top-performing states, each crossing 1 lakh recoveries; Maharashtra follows with over 80,000 recoveries. "Notably, monthly recoveries have surged by 47 per cent from June to October 2025, underlining the system's growing efficiency and reach. With the help of this system, more than one handset is being recovered every minute across the country," the release said. The ministry said this milestone reflects an unwavering commitment to securing citizens' digital assets and to public trust in technology-driven governance. The overall recovery nationwide has also crossed the 7 lakh milestone. (ANI)
Assam also joined the rest of the nation in observing the Armed Forces Flag Day as Lok Bhavan, Assam, celebrated the day under the leadership of Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at its premises in Guwahati on Sunday. It may be noted that since 1949, December 7 has been observed as the Armed Forces Flag Day throughout the country to honour the martyrs and the men in uniform who valiantly fought and continue to fight on the borders to safeguard the country's honour. On this occasion, Governor Acharya paid his rich homage to the valour and sacrifices of India's soldiers at a special ceremony held at Lok Bhavan. Addressing an assembly comprising Veer Naris, disabled soldiers, veterans, serving personnel and senior dignitaries on the occasion, Governor Acharya, paying his unparalleled gratitude to the brave hearts who laid down their lives in service to the nation, said that the day serves as a reminder of every citizen's duty to acknowledge the immense contributions made by the armed forces. Honouring the spirit of sacrifice that defines the life of a soldier, the Governor emphasised that from guarding the borders in treacherous conditions to leading relief and rescue efforts during disasters, the armed forces remain the embodiment of courage, discipline and compassion. He moreover said that the bravery of soldiers inspires the nation, their sacrifices humble all citizens, and their dedication ensures the safety of the country. Reaffirming Assam's commitment to the welfare of veterans and their families, the Governor noted that the state is home to around 41,968 ex-servicemen, 10,361 Veer Naris. He acknowledged the continuous efforts of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and the 21 District Sainik Welfare Offices, which are working around the year to support the veteran community. During the programme, the Governor released a wall and table calendar showcasing the activities of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and the welfare initiatives for the ex-servicemen community carried out by the Directorate. Five veteran achievers from the state were also felicitated for their notable contributions. A major highlight of the day was the launch of the visionary initiative 'Sainik Tujhe Salaam', under which Armed Forces veterans aged 90 and above, as well as Veer Naris and Veer Mothers across the state, will be honoured at their homes by the District Administration and Zila Sainik Welfare Offices every year on Armed Forces Flag Day. The Governor expressed pride that Assam received special commendation from the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the National Conference in New Delhi on 29-30 September for exemplary efforts in ex-servicemen welfare. He further elaborated on the Lok Bhavan's initiative, the 'Assam Governor Rashtriya Kritagyata aur Jagrrokta Yojana', which aims to inspire the youth by connecting them with the lives and experiences of soldiers through programmes organised in schools and colleges. Appealing to the people of Assam to generously contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, the Governor stated that though nothing can compensate for the sacrifices of the armed forces, generous contributions by the countrymen can assuage the hardships faced by the soldiers and their family members. On the occasion, he exuded his confidence that the state will continue working tirelessly for the well-being of the soldiers and their next of kin. (ANI)
The Anand Vihar Police of Delhi has arrested a woman for allegedly cheating people on the pretext of sending them abroad. The accused woman has been identified as Mallika Chaudhary, whose father had already been arrested earlier by Gurugram Police. The FIRs against the accused, Mallika, are registered at the Anand Vihar and New Friends Colony Police Station, after which she was arrested at the Delhi Airport. The woman and her father are accused of running a fraud racket under the guise of a tours and travels company, duping people on the pretext of booking vacation packages abroad. Currently, multiple cases are registered against them in Delhi, Gurugram, and Jammu & Kashmir. The woman was arrested at Delhi Airport while attempting to leave for Dubai. However, the Anand Vihar Police had already issued a LOC (Look Out Circular) against her. Further details are yet to be revealed in this case. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Crime Branch Cyber Cell has also busted a major cyber syndicate operating through multi-layered shell companies and cross-border financial channels linked to Chinese handlers, following the investigation into an online investment fraud case involving a 61-year-old senior citizen who lost Rs 33.1 lakh. According to the release, the probe into E-FIR revealed that a significant portion of the cheated amount, Rs 10,38,000, had been routed to accounts linked to a fake firm, BELCREST INDIA PVT LTD. The company was allegedly operated by Shivam Singh and Lakshay, who were identified as its key directors. Accused Lakshay was arrested on November 19, 2025. Police said he confessed to creating the fictitious company, opening multiple bank accounts, and handing over bank kits and SIM cards to co-accused Shubham and others in exchange for a monthly payment of Rs 20,000. A series of raids was carried out across Delhi-NCR to trace Shubham, who constantly switched SIM cards to evade surveillance. Persistent tracking by the Cyber Cell led to his arrest from Tilak Nagar on December 6, 2025. The police recovered one laptop, two mobile phones, five chequebooks and six debit cards during the operation. During interrogation, Shubham disclosed that he operated under a handler who supplied him with third and fourth-layer shell company accounts. He also revealed that he regularly received USDT, cryptocurrency, from the handler, which he sold to a Chinese-controlled firm named Kool Pay. (ANI)
Former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, Talmiz Ahmad, criticised the US for its reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the era of US hegemony is over. Speaking with ANI, the former Indian envoy highlighted India's growing assertiveness and resistance to perceived US interference in its internal affairs. Ahmad stated that the US has lost credibility due to its failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. "After the Cold War was over, you had only one, you had a unipolar world order, and the United States was the hegemon. But much has happened since then. The United States has lost credibility due to its misadventure in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. They are no longer the credible people power that they used to be when they were asserting hegemony. In the meantime, other players have entered the global scenario," Talmiz Ahmad told ANI. This comes following the recently concluded Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India and the United States, alleging that India laid out the red carpet for a war criminal. The former Indian diplomat further said that the world is now multipolar, with countries like China and India asserting their strategic autonomy. "You have got China, which is challenging the Americans in various areas, particularly with regard to economy and technology and logistical connectivity. And you have various other countries, roughly referred to as middle powers, which are important in their region and are asserting a role for themselves in that regard. So this is why we call it a multipolar world order, where many countries, usually middle powers, are seeking to assert their views and roles in world affairs. And the days of hegemony are done." He further said that this scenario is not a new Cold War but rather the rise of a multipolar order. "Within the multipolar order, countries assert strategic autonomy. Earlier, we used to use the term non-aligned movement. Once the Cold War was over, it made no sense to use the term 'Non-Aligned'. So scholars started using the term strategic autonomy. When Dr. Jaishankar became the minister, he started talking about plurilateralism, minilateralism, etc. We are building positive, constructive relationships with certain countries, which are informal, subject-oriented, and based on informal consultations. And we take positions which serve our interests. Minilaterals, plurilaterals. Ahmad emphasised that India's decisions are driven by national interest, not by pressure from the US or any other country. He questioned the US's right to dictate what India should or shouldn't do, citing the US's own chaotic, unpredictable leadership. "Americans have been saying that going close to Russia or to China challenges the so-called liberal world order. The countries don't believe that. We are not challenging anybody. The days of hegemony are gone," he said. Ahmad pointed out that many countries, including EU members, continue to engage with Russia, and that the US itself trades with Russia and China. He stressed that foreign policy should be based on seriousness, not emotional rhetoric or jingoism. "United States' top leadership exemplifies chaos, anarchy, unpredictability. It has shifted very sharply to the right wing and is today pandering to the lowest common denominator, which means the lowest common intellectual capacity. Large sections of the European Union are engaged with Russia. Many of them are buying Russian energy. The Americans are interacting with the Russians and the Chinese and are building very substantial trade relations. Putin has reminded us that the Americans are purchasing nuclear fuel from Russia. Different countries are purchasing rare earths all the time. How dare they presume to tell India or any other country what we should do or what we should not do? We don't tell anyone else," Talmiz Ahmad further added. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday attributed the success of Operation Sindoor against nine Pakistani terror outfits to the strong connectivity in border areas. The Indian army launched Operation Sindoor in response to the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Kashmir. While addressing the inaugural ceremony of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) projects in Leh, he said that the Indian armed forces showed patience along with valour and did only what was required, even though it "could have done a lot". "When our armed forces conducted Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attacks carried out in Pahalgam, we saw what they did to the terrorists. Though we could have done a lot, our forces showed not just valour, but patience as well and did only as much as was needed. Such a huge operation could take place because our connectivity was strong and the border area connectivity brought historic success to Operation Sindoor," Singh said. He further stressed the Centre's commitment to the holistic development of border areas, saying that the constant effort of the government is to strengthen communication and connectivity in the border areas, including Ladakh. The Defence Minister asserted that the government and organisations like BRO are working with full enthusiasm for the holistic development of border areas. "Our constant effort has always been that, including Ladakh, all border areas, our communication and connectivity with them should become even stronger. If I give another example in front of you, then just recently, during the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, I inaugurated a 200-kilowatt Green hydrogen-based Microgrid power plant in Ladakh, which will be very beneficial not only for this region but also for the surrounding regions," said Rajnath Singh. "We are working with full enthusiasm for the holistic development of our border areas. Our government, our armed forces, and organisations like BRO stand with you, firmly connected to your hearts. We just need to keep strengthening this bond, so that our relationship is not affected by any external element," he added. Lauding the BRO for their efforts, Singh stated that the speed and efficiency with which the BRO has developed infrastructure in border areas has provided a significant boost to national development. He said, "In the past few years, the speed and efficiency with which BRO has developed infrastructure in border areas has also provided a significant boost to national development. Through indigenous solutions, by successfully completing complex projects, BRO has today emerged as a synonym for 'Communication' and 'Connectivity'." Defence Minister underlined that communication and connectivity are not mere technical tools but essential pillars of societal and civilisational growth. (ANI)
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, in reference to the laying of the foundation of Babri Masjid in Beldanga, West Bengal by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, said on Sunday that there is no fault in building a temple or mosque, unless the purpose is to spread religious 'frenzy'. Manjhi said that such a purpose can disturb the concept of Sarva Dharma Sampann (equality and harmony of all religions). "There is no fault in building a temple or a mosque, but if they are building Babri Masjid to spread religious frenzy, then it is wrong. There is no issue in building a temple; many temples and mosques are being built. But if appeasement or communal politics is involved, then the concept of Sarva Dharma Sampann (equality and harmony of all religions) will be disturbed," Manjhi said. Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) leader and MLC Khalid Anwar rejected the Babri Mosque foundation event in West Bengal led by suspended TMC leader Humayun Kabir, terming the latter as "Fringe elements" of the society. Anwar said that the leaders like Kabir can build this mosque in Hyderabad, Bengal, or anywhere else as their political office, but not as a mosque. "They are fringe elements of society. A place of worship cannot be built on religious tension or dispute. I am glad that Indian Muslims are rejecting Humayun Kabir's decision. They may build this mosque in Hyderabad, Bengal, or anywhere else as their political office, but not as a mosque..." he stated. Kabir laid the foundation stone for the construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad on Saturday, amid widespread criticism.He had drawn attention to the constitutional right to build places of worship and said that he is not doing anything unconstitutional, "as anyone can make a temple or church, so can I". Addressing the Murshidabad gathering, Kabir said, "I am not doing anything unconstitutional. Anyone can build a temple, anyone can build a church; I will build a mosque. It is being said that we cannot build the Babri Masjid. It is not written anywhere. The Supreme Court gave a judgment which stated that the Hindu people had demolished the Babri Masjid." Kabir asserted that legal challenges would not deter the mosque's construction, "Five cases have been filed against me, but no one can stop someone with whom Allah is. The court has also clearly stated that it is written in the Constitution of India that one can build a mosque; it is a right." Kabir added that a 300-crore budget has been allocated for the mosque, which will also include a hospital, guesthouse, and meeting hall. He reiterated his commitment to the project and said, "It is a promise of the Muslims: The Babri Masjid will be built, it will be built, it will be built."(ANI)
December 7, 2025: Ukrainian special operations forces have been busy this year. Details of most operations remain secret, t0 prevent the Russians from obtaining a more accurate picture of whatever the Ukrainian commandos did to them. Details of some attacks can be revealed. Last September, Ukrainian operators, as special operations troops are known, ventured into Russia. There they destroyed supply and ammunition storage sites as well as unoccupied weapons emplacements and unattended military equipment. Another group infiltrated Russia with trucks secretly carrying UAVs, then launched those to destroy about half of Russias heavy bombers. Ukraine has created a tradition of spectacularly successful special operations undertakings.

For example, the Ukrainian special forces has a unit called Shaman led by an officer known by his call sign of Shaman. This unit has been active for ten years and is still carrying out attacks on the Russians. Eleven years ago Shaman worked with the Cyborg group to defend the Donetsk airport from the Russians. The Cyborgs earned their nickname with their stalwart defense of the Donetsk airport for eight months. The Cyborgs were a motley force consisting of Ukrainian soldiers, Territorial Defense troops, and volunteers from various paramilitary organizations. The Cyborg numbers varied between 100 and 200 throughout their battle. They were periodically supported, resupplied and reinforced by nearby Ukrainian Army units, the closest of which were located two kilometers away from the airport terminal building. The support included lots of artillery fire, which was very effective thanks to the Cyborg's forward position and excellent observation posts, especially the airfield's air traffic control tower. In additi

This setup has functioned reasonably well for the defenders, creating the Cyborg's legend, which in turn provided a great symbol, example and morale boost for all the Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine made serious efforts to preserve the international support it enjoyed, while the Russian rebels, since late 2014, began ignoring any ceasefire terms. That meant more rebel artillery fire on the Cyborgs in addition to moving tanks and regular army troops directly from Russia into this battle. This allowed the rebels to launch an offensive that surrounded the airport while also hitting the Cyborgs with continuous artillery and rocket fire. This advance made resupply and reinforcement efforts extremely risky, as the Ukrainian armored vehicles risked being fired on by the tanks and antitank missiles the rebels had moved forward in violation of the ceasefire.

Noticing the rapidly deteriorating situation of the airport defenders, the Ukrainian Army attempted a desperate, poorly organized counterattack against the rebel positions. The Russian troops and their local allies expected this and the attack failed with significant Ukrainian losses. The attack might have succeeded had senior Ukrainian generals, far from Donetsk, not gotten involved with directing the operation. The main problem was that the counter attacking force was too small and the interference by senior commanders led to poor coordination and communication between the attacking units and bad tactical decisions that doomed the relief effort.

Another key element in this was the Russian communities in the east Ukrainian Donbas region that supplied the armed rebels to fight the Cyborgs. This was a key element in defeating a Cyborg counterattack. Cut off from friendly forces, and the territory they held was pretty much limited to the terminal building, which itself was not the greatest defensive position. Recently built, it had a modern, light structure, which limited the cover provided by it, forcing the defenders to rely on improvised fortifications. The only truly effective cover from artillery fire was provided by the Soviet era tunnels beneath the airfield, which also had to be defended from separatist infiltration attempts.

The Ukrainian Russian rebels used tanks to attack the terminal building. This succeeded in part because of some unexpected fog. After taking parts of the terminal, the local Russians used demolition charges to collapse parts of the terminal's first floor ceiling, peppering many defenders with a rain of debris which killed and wounded many of them. By the end of the day both sides claimed control of the airfield. But two days later Ukraine admitted that the rebels had overrun the area. The rebels claimed to have taken 44 of the defenders alive.

What the rebels won was nothing more than a ruin. There was barely a metal skeleton left where the terminal, built for the Euro 2012 Games at the cost of almost a billion dollars, once stood. Other buildings were also heavily damaged by the shelling, and the runways are full of craters created by constant artillery bombardment. This kind of economic damage took years to repair, which was difficult because Ukraine had little cash to spare.

In 2022 the Shaman commandos were determined to defeat a Russian attack on Hostomel Airport outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The Russians sought to quickly seize the airport with a surprise attack and fly in reinforcements to take Kyiv. The Shaman commandos were sent to thwart the Russian plan. The Shaman counterattack succeeded and two months later a Shaman force attacked a Russian oil refinery. This was similar to the August 2024 Ukrainian attack in Russias Kursk province.

The Shaman force is still standing by to carry out whatever task it is given to preserve Ukrainian independence.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken rapid and decisive steps to address the disruption caused by the recent IndiGo operational crisis and to ensure that passengers do not face continued inconvenience, according to a MoCA press release. Air travel operations across the country are stabilising at a fast pace. All other domestic airlines are operating smoothly and at full capacity, while IndiGo's performance has shown steady improvement today, with flight schedules moving back towards normal levels. IndiGo's flight operations have increased from 706 on December 5 to 1,565 on December 6 and are likely to reach up to 1,650 by the end of today, the statement added. In light of recent cancellations leading to a shift in demand and temporary surge in airfares, the Ministry intervened and introduced a cap on airfares with immediate effect. This measure ensures fairness and affordability for travellers. Since the implementation of this order, fare levels across affected routes have moderated to acceptable limits. All airlines have been instructed to comply strictly with the revised fare structure, the ministry said in the release. To ensure passenger financial protection, the Ministry issued strict directives to IndiGo requiring that all refunds for cancelled or severely delayed flights be completed by 8:00 PM today. IndiGo has so far processed refunds totalling Rs 610 crore. No additional fees are permitted for rescheduling travel impacted by cancellations. Dedicated support cells have been created to proactively assist passengers so that refund and rebooking issues are resolved without delay or inconvenience, as per the statement. The Ministry has also instructed IndiGo to trace and deliver all baggage separated from passengers due to disruptions within 48 hours. Continuous communication is mandated throughout the process. With this push, IndiGo has successfully delivered 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers across India as of yesterday, the statement added. The statement further added that airport Directors from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Goa have confirmed normal conditions across terminals today. Passenger movement remains smooth with no crowding at check-in, security, or boarding points. On-ground support has been strengthened through enhanced monitoring and timely deployment of assistance by airport operators and CISF. The MoCA's 24x7 Control Room continues to function as an integrated coordination hub, overseeing flight operations, airport conditions, and passenger support requirements. Passenger calls are being promptly attended to and the necessary assistance is provided. Our teams remain deployed on the ground to supervise operational planning, crew rostering, and passenger handling standards, ensuring full compliance, it said. The Ministry of Civil Aviation wishes to reassure the travelling public that passenger safety, convenience, and dignity remain the Government's highest priorities. The aviation network is moving swiftly toward full normalcy, and all corrective measures will remain in place until operations stabilise entirely. The Ministry will continue vigilant monitoring to ensure full protection of passenger rights and interests, and further updates will be shared as required. (ANI)
A devastating fire broke out at a restaurant-cum-club in North Goa's Arpora, claiming 25 lives and leaving several others injured. The incident occurred around midnight, with emergency teams rushing to the scene to control the blaze. Goa Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane visited Goa Medical College to assess the situation, stating that 25 bodies have been brought to the facility, with seven post-mortems conducted and 12 bodies identified. Five people are currently undergoing treatment, and the government is providing the best possible care. He told ANI, "As of now, 25 bodies have been brought to Goa Medical College. Seven post-mortems have been done. Twelve bodies have been identified, and five people are under treatment. We are giving the best possible treatment to the injured...." On asking about compensation, he said," I cannot say anything about the compensation right now, for that you need to ask the chief minister." The fire is believed to have been caused by a cylinder blast, and an investigation is underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and 50,000 for the injured. Goa AAP president Amit Paleka on Sunday held the state government directly responsible for what he described as an "avoidable tragedy." "I visited the hospital just now. Five people are under treatment there, one of them critical... 25 people have died," Palekar said, accusing the administration of allowing the club to operate illegally. "The manner in which the incident occurred, and the government admits that the club didn't have permission and was running illegally. So, was the administration sleeping? What is the value of human life in the eyes of the Goa BJP government?" Palekar alleged that repeated warnings about unlicensed nightlife establishments had been ignored. "I have been saying for a year that extortion is ongoing, that the clubs operate without permission, and money is collected. But the government did nothing," he said, adding that the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was now "shedding crocodile tears" while announcing a magisterial inquiry. The AAP leader demanded that the state immediately compensate the families of the deceased. "You can avoid making one or two events that you do and can compensate the victims with that money," he said. Palekar also criticised the emergency response, claiming some families struggled to get ambulances and vowed never to return to Goa after their ordeal. "The administration is very poor... There is no value for the life of the people," he said. Palekar insisted that the Chief Minister should resign for what he termed a complete administrative failure. According to him, most victims died due to suffocation because the club lacked proper exits. "This shows there were no proper plans as required as per norms. Why has the CM not visited these victims so far?" he questioned. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and assured strict action against those responsible. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited the site earlier in the day, expressed deep grief, calling it a "very painful" and "unfortunate" incident for the state. He announced a thorough inquiry into the exact cause of the fire and assured that "stringent action" would be taken against those responsible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his condolences, describing the tragedy as "deeply saddening." Authorities have begun a detailed investigation, with efforts underway to support the injured and assist the families of the deceased. (ANI)
Durga Stalin, wife of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Sunday visited Kanchipuram and honoured the artisans who crafted the golden chariot for the Ekambaranathar Temple by presenting them with shawls. Earlier in the day, she visited the Maha Periyava Manimandapam at Orikkai near Kanchipuram, where she was welcomed with poorna kumbha honours by the administrators of the Ekambaranathar Temple Charitable Trust. In front of the Manimandapam, Durga Stalin offered fruits to the elephant of the Dharmapuram Adheenam and received its blessings. She was then briefed about the architectural significance of the Manimandapam by its trustee, Mani Iyer, before offering prayers to the Mahaperiyava Swamigal inside the mandapam. Later, she commenced the yagasala pujas connected to the golden chariot ceremony and offered prayers. Following the rituals, she honoured the sculptors who worked on the golden chariot with traditional shawls. The event was attended by Thondai Mandala Adheenam Chidambaranatha Gnana Desika Paramachariyar Swamigal, Kanchipuram Mayor M. Mahalakshmi Yuvaraj, DMK Executive Committee Member MS Sukumar, Ekambaranathar Temple Charitable Trust Administrator Mahalakshmi Subramaniam, and members Velasai Jayaraman and Padmanabhan, among several other party leaders. Meanwhile, MK Stalin, today, highlighted the state's economic progress at the Tamil Nadu Rising Investors' Conclave 2025, highlighting confirmed investments of Rs 11,83,000 and employment opportunities for 34 lakh people since his government assumed office. The conclave also saw the laying of foundation stones for seven new projects worth Rs 17.17 crore and the inauguration of 63 completed projects costing Rs 2,630.88 crore, underscoring the state's push to attract investment and boost regional development. Addressing the conclave, CM Stalin said, "We undertook several consultations to improve the weakened Tamil Nadu economically. We travelled abroad to attract investments, and met with investors in Singapore, Japan, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom." He further added, "Since we came to power, we have brought in confirmed investments worth Rs 11,83,000. We have ensured employment opportunities for 34 lakh people." He also outlined the government's plans to establish a new airport in Ramanathapuram district to boost regional connectivity. On women's empowerment, the Chief Minister added, "To strengthen women's economic status, we are implementing various initiatives. Tamil Nadu is the state in India where the highest number of women are employed in factories." (ANI)
The Madhya Pradesh government held a one-day workshop on the theme "Implementation, Challenges and Opportunities of National Education Policy-2020 in Madhya Pradesh" on Sunday. The workshop had Governor Mangubhai Patel as the chief guest and Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav as chair, according to official statement. The workshop commenced with the national anthem at the Kushabhau Thakre Auditorium. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar, School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh, and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minority and Backwards Classes Welfare Krishna Gaur were also present. Governor Patel said that Madhya Pradesh must make efforts with clear direction, defined goals, and a coordinated work culture to become a leading state in educational transformation. The National Education Policy-2020 is a symbol of the confidence that youth hold in transforming society and the nation. It is a visionary plan to give a new direction to India's future, rooted in the principle of holistic development. He appreciated the collective initiative to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities of implementing the NEP in the context of Madhya Pradesh's unique circumstances. Governor Patel said that the policy's provisions, such as the Integrated Undergraduate Program, the Multiple Entry and Exit System, the Academic Bank of Credits, and a research-oriented environment, offer opportunities to make higher education more flexible, modern, and globally competitive. For this, the state's higher education institutions must strengthen innovation, quality faculty development, digital infrastructure, and industry-academia partnerships in a time-bound manner. He emphasised the need to promote foundational literacy and numeracy through mother-tongue-based experiential learning, improved teacher training, modern technology, and innovative pedagogies. Governor Patel said that to prepare students for the 21st century, it is essential to build skills through artificial intelligence, digital literacy, and new dimensions of self-learning--requiring 'out-of-the-box' thinking. He stated that the successful implementation of the policy is not merely an administrative exercise but a collective national effort. He cited Gujarat's Doodh Sanjeevani scheme, noting that providing milk to students improved both nutrition levels and school attendance. He said that sending children to school does not absolve parents of responsibility--parents also play a crucial role in children's overall development. Chief Minister Yadav stated that Madhya Pradesh is a leading state in implementing the NEP-2020. The state views the NEP not merely as an educational reform but as a means to enhance skill development, innovation, and cultural resurgence. He said that by addressing university vice-chancellors as "Kulaguru," the state has integrated the ancient Gurukul ethos with modern academia. Chief Minister Yadav noted that great personalities who changed the course of history were shaped by their teachers: Maharshi Vishwamitra, who nurtured Lord Rama's capabilities; Acharya Sandipani, who enriched Lord Krishna's knowledge; and the scholars of Emperor Vikramaditya, who contributed to his governance. He also referred to Raja Bhoj's engineering marvel, the 'Bhoj Tal', which continues to be a subject of study to this day. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NEP has opened new avenues for youth to enhance and expand their capabilities. He highlighted that the state has established 370 Sandipani Schools, which combine the dignity of the Gurukul system with the efficiency of the digital era. Prime Minister Excellence Colleges have been started in every district, and higher education institutions are being named after great personalities of the state. The Sandipani Schools of Indore and Ratlam have earned global recognition. Various innovations have enhanced the quality of education and improved learning outcomes across the state. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan thanked the state government for prioritising education and acknowledged Madhya Pradesh's significant contribution to preserving India's cultural and knowledge traditions. He said that scientific approach, philosophical clarity and spirituality have always been core elements of Indian education. The NEP aims to restore the Indian ethos in the education system, which Macaulay's model disrupted. Minister Pradhan emphasised the need to introduce New-Age Skills such as Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence in academic institutions. He stressed the need to ensure that students continue their education consistently up to Class 12, to link research with local needs, to enhance community participation in educational institutions, and to make institutional management more socially accountable. He also encouraged replacing expensive bouquets at events with fruit baskets and suggested involving the community in campaigns to provide nutritious food to children. He said that employment-oriented and innovation-driven education must be transformed into a mass movement. Minister Dharmendra Pradhan thanked the state government for prioritising education and acknowledged Madhya Pradesh's significant contribution to preserving India's cultural and knowledge traditions. He said that scientific approach, philosophical clarity, and spirituality have always been core elements of Indian education. School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Yadav, continuous efforts are underway to provide better resources, education, and encouragement to students. Madhya Pradesh has become the second state in the country to implement the dual-examination system. The state has seen remarkable improvement in Class 10 and 12 results over the last decade. Activities are in progress to implement the NCERT curriculum in state schools, and book distribution camps have been organised at the block level for private schools at affordable prices. Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar said that implementing the NEP in the state integrates Indian knowledge traditions. Special efforts are being made to promote employment-oriented education. Facilities have been provided to upload mark sheets and degrees on DigiLocker. Initiatives are being undertaken to study the state's agricultural heritage and tribal knowledge systems. School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar highlighted Raja Bhoj's creativity, noting Madhya Pradesh's long history of education and intellectual pursuits. He said that the NEP is being implemented to enhance learning outcomes, promote curiosity and innovation, and achieve practical excellence in emerging technologies. The workshop began with the screening of a short film on the Sandipani Schools run in the state. Mayor of Bhopal Municipal Corporation Malti Rai, MLAs Rameshwar Sharma and Bhagwandas Sabnani, Director of the Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy Ashok Kadel, senior officials, vice-chancellors of government and private universities, principals, educationists, and students were present. (ANI)
Two persons, Akhash and Abhijith, were seriously injured in a violent knife attack at the City Palace Bar in Wandoor on Sunday, according to the police. According to the management, a youth identified as Shibin barged into the Darbar Restaurant section of the bar and launched an attack on the staff without warning. Two employees, Akhash and Abhijith, sustained severe abdominal injuries and were immediately rushed to the hospital. Medical authorities confirmed that both remain in critical condition. Witnesses and staff members said the attacker went on a destructive spree during the assault, smashing nearly 40 litres of liquor, soda bottles, utensils, chairs, tables, and windowpanes. CCTV cameras were also damaged, and the cash counter was ransacked. Police officials stated that it is yet to be ascertained whether any cash was stolen. The staff managed to lock him inside the bar until police arrived, and he was taken away in an ambulance. As the attacker began threatening other customers, staff members, following instructions from police over the phone, locked him inside the premises to prevent further harm. Officers arrived at the location shortly after receiving the alert, and the Circle Inspector evacuated the accused to an ambulance. Officials said the youth also made suicide threats during the standoff. The bar management has estimated losses of approximately Rs 60,000, in addition to heavy disruption to business as the incident unfolded during peak hours. Police have launched an investigation, and further details are awaited. (ANI)
Ten Maoists of the Kanha-Bhoramdeo (KB) division, along with its most wanted commander Kabir, on Sunday surrendered in the presence of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Balaghat remains an area affected by Naxalism. Therefore, Kabir's surrender and that of his squad can be seen as crucial for the Indian government's resolve to end Naxalism in the coming year. CM Yadav reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve to eliminate Naxalism and said that either they will surrender or will be wiped out. "Today, our police have done a big job. We pledge that by January 2026, either the Naxalites will surrender or we will wipe them out. Many Naxalites have surrendered. Prime Minister Modi and our resolve is that we will eliminate Naxalism from our land," he told reporters here. Meanwhile, the worst insurgency-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh is scripting a new chapter of development as the administration is making extensive efforts to increase the income of people through the 'Aam Bagicha Project'. With the Aam Bagicha initiative, the situation is now changing, and this wind of change is becoming visible in villages nestled deep within the forest, where livelihood opportunities were once limited. The intent of the government, coupled with the administration's continuous efforts, has sown new hope for a harvest in rural life through orchard-based initiatives. "As per the directives of the Chhattisgarh government, we are working regularly to boost the livelihood of people in the area. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has given clear instructions in this connection, and at the same time, the move is in meeting the vision of the Central Government's ambitious Lakhpati Didi programme. Our effort is to enhance the livelihoods of people living in rural areas," said Sukma Collector Devesh Kumar Dhruv. The Collector further elaborated that we are implementing the 'Aam Bagicha project' so that people can earn through other activities, apart from agricultural activities. As Sukma is suitable for the cultivation of mangoes and other seasonal fruits, local communities have been motivated to plant Mangoes and other varieties of fruit on the land available to them. "Collector Sir came to the village, met people and explained to us the benefits of planting mango, coconut, lemon and other seasonal fruits," said local Markam Dula, adding that, after learning about the advantages, villagers decided to go with the idea. (ANI)
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Sunday said that a "poisonous" atmosphere has been created across the country under the Narendra Modi government. He further accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of believing in "fanaticism". Bhagat was responding to the recent controversy over suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir laying the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid in Murshidabad on the 33rd anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. "The BJP believes in fanaticism. The constitution grants the fundamental right to freedom of religion, but there should be no malice and politicisation. The way things have been done, a poisonous atmosphere has been created across the country under the Modi government," Bhagat told ANI. The Congress MP further criticised the Civil Aviation Ministry for "losing control" over everything amid the IndiGo fiasco. "How the government had no clue about these issues. The aviation ministry seems to have lost control over everything. Flight ticket fares are skyrocketing, and the situation is truly unfortunate," Bhagat said. On Saturday, Kabir laid the foundation stone for the construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad and said that he wasn't doing anything unconstitutional. He drew attention to the constitutional right to build places of worship and said that he is not doing anything unconstitutional, "as anyone can make a temple or church, so can I". Clause (a) of Article 26 in the Indian Constitution grants every religious denomination the fundamental right "to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes". This is subject to public order, morality and health. Addressing the gathering in Murshidabad, Kabir said, "I am not doing anything unconstitutional. Anyone can build a temple, anyone can build a church; I will build a mosque. It is being said that we cannot build the Babri Masjid. It is not written anywhere. The Supreme Court gave a judgment which stated that the Hindu people had demolished the Babri Masjid. Kabir asserted that legal challenges would not deter the mosque's construction, "Five cases have been filed against me, but no one can stop someone with whom Allah is. The court has also clearly stated that it is written in the Constitution of India that one can build a mosque; it is a right." Meanwhile, a proposed Ram Mandir is being built in Alankar village of Sagardighi. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the same on January 22. After TMC suspended him, Kabir said that he might announce his own party on December 22. (ANI)
SP leader and MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Sunday raised concern over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), stating that voters may lose their voting rights if they're not present during the Booth Level Officer (BLO)'s visit. Yadav explained that BLOs are under pressure due to time constraints and rely on Booth Level Agents (BLAs), who are party workers, to complete the process. He urged the Election Commission to address the mistakes occurring during the SIR process. "There are many misconceptions and doubts among people with respect to SIR. If a family is not present during a BLO's visit, they may be marked absent and risk losing their voting rights. BLOs are under pressure, as the time given to them is very limited. They cannot complete the entire process alone without the support of BLAs, who are party workers attached to every booth. Mistakes are appearing in the process, which we are bringing to the notice of the Election Commission..." Yadav told ANI. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India will conduct the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union Territories, with the final voter list scheduled to be published on February 21, 2026. The first phase of SIR was completed in Bihar in September ahead of the Assembly elections. The exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. According to the ECI, printing and training for the exercise were conducted from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November 4 to December 4. Draft Electoral Rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objections period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 2026, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026. (ANI)
As the national song completes 150 years, the Parliament is set to hold a special discussion on 'Vande Mataram' in both lower and upper houses tomorrow and the day after, respectively. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed 'Vande Mataram' and first published it in the literary journal Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875. It was first used as a political slogan in August 1905 by students who protested against the British Crown, demanding freedom near the town hall in Calcutta (Kolkata). This student procession promoted the idea of 'Swadeshi' and boycotting British goods. From 1905 to 1947, many who fought for freedom raised 'Vande Mataram' as a political slogan against the British, inspiring a sense of patriotism. In other words, the slogan became a political war cry, especially among nationalists, after the death of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The year 1905 remains essential for the Partition of Bengal, announced by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, who divided the province under the pretext of administering it more effectively. However, the actual reason was to weaken the Indian nationalist movement. The Congress, in its 1937 Faizabad session, used only the first two stanzas of the poem Vande Mataram to keep it secular, since Chatterjee had invoked Hindu goddesses in the later stanzas. Even though it became a political slogan, it wasn't until January 24, 1950, that Vande Mataram was adopted as the national song by the Constituent Assembly. A political storm is brewing, and a special debate in Parliament follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusation that the Congress removed significant verses from 'Vande Mataram'. The PM had claimed that this removal "sowed the seeds for partition". "In 1937, significant verses of 'Vande Mataram', the very essence of its spirit, were removed. Stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' were broken up. Today's generation needs to understand why such injustice was committed against this great mantra of nation-building. Because that same divisive mindset continues to pose a major challenge for the nation even today," the Prime Minister said on November 7. However, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hit back at PM Modi for his remarks, saying that it was a decision of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that included many iconic leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, among others. "The Prime Minister has insulted this CWC as well as Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. That he should have done so is shocking but not surprising since the RSS had played no role in our Freedom Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi," Ramesh had posted on X on November 9. Lok Sabha will hold a special discussion on December 8 to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, during which several important, lesser-known historical facets of the iconic national song are expected to be highlighted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to initiate the debate at 12 noon on Monday, marking the formal beginning of the proceedings. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to speak at the conclusion of the discussion. The BJP-led NDA government has been allotted three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate, while a total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion, as the debate will also take place in the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday, December 9. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to open the discussion in the Upper House. Eight leaders from Congress will also speak in the Lok Sabha, which includes Deputy Lok Sabha LoP Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deepender Hooda, Bimol Akoijam, Praniti Shinde, Prashant Padole, Chamala Reddy, and Jyotsna Mahant. The Winter session of Parliament commenced on December 1 and will continue till December 19. (ANI)
Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Anu Kumari on Sunday stressed specific arrangements for voters, including women, children, and disabled persons, ahead of the Kerala local body polls. The District Collector stated that eight pink booths, a feeding room, a play area for kids, etc., which will be managed by the female staff, have been set up. "We have got eight pink booths which will be managed completely by our female staff, and there will be specific arrangements for the voters coming there, including a feeding room, play area for small children..." she said. DC Kumari further underlined the "Young Booths" which will be handled by the staff below the age of 30, including the presiding officer. Special arrangements for the disabled have been made. "Then similarly, we have a concept of Young Booths... On this, all the staff would be below 30 years of age, including the presiding officer... We have one model booth in our district... Special arrangements are there for disabled people, for feeding mothers..." Anu Kumari added. Meanwhile, the Kerala State Election Commissioner, A Shajahan, divulged that 75,643 candidates are contesting for 23,576 wards across the state. The election process is being conducted in two phases: 11,168 wards in the first phase and 12,408 in the second. All necessary preparations have been made, including the distribution of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and polling materials. "The polling will happen from 9th December and 11th December, and counting will happen on 13th December. We have a total of 11,168 wards in the first phase and 12,408 wards in the second phase going for poll... 75,643 candidates are contesting this time for the local body wards... All the preparations have been made, and all the polling stations have been arranged," he said. Emphasising the preparations, he said that the distribution of EVMs and polling material will begin on Monday. "Distribution of EVMs and polling materials will start tomorrow...," he said. Elections are to be held in 1199 of the total 1200 local bodies in Kerala on December 9 and 11, with counting scheduled to be held on December 13. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule for Kerala by one week in view of the upcoming local body polls in the state. According to the ECI, the new enumeration period in the state has been extended till December 18, pushing it back from the earlier date of December 11. The draft electoral roll will be published by December 23, after which claims and objections can be filed till January 22, 2026. The final electoral roll will now be published on February 21, 2026, instead of February 14, 2026. (ANI)
December 7, 2025: Hamas, a militant and aggressive Palestinian terrorist militia, has been around since the 1980s. Hamas is a perennial loser in its battles with Israel. One exception was the October 2023 surprise attack that had three thousand armed Hamas members leave their Gaza hiding places and attack unprepared Israelis. Over a thousand Israelis and foreigners in the area for a music festival were killed. This was the largest number of Jews killed in a single incident since the World War II Nazi German efforts to eradicate all Jews.

Hamas in Gaza and Fatah, an older Palestinian terrorist organization, in the West Bank, were long-time rivals for Palestinian leadership. Neither was able to overcome the other and form a united Palestinian government. That changed with the October 2023 attack where Hamas took the initiative but failed to overcome Fatahs nominal government in the West Bank.

The recent fighting in Gaza, a region south of Israel, has left thousands of Hama fighters dead, destroyed most of their weapons stockpiles and tunnels used for hiding fighters and munitions. Currently Hamas is fighting a guerrilla war with groups of Hamas fighters entrenching themselves while staging ambushes of any Israeli soldiers to come near. Hamas fighters will move at night or whenever there are no Israeli soldiers present. Hamas only attacks when they have a numerical or surprise advantage, placing remotely detonated explosives on roadsides or abandoned buildings. If possible, they place small explosive devices on top of Israeli military vehicles and hope they are not noticed before they are detonated remotely or via a timer. So far this year about 70 Israeli soldiers have been killed and several hundred wounded.

Hamas forces dress as civilians and some will approach Israeli soldiers and then pull out a pistol or grenade and try to kill as many Israelis as they can before they are shot dead. Hamas survives by extorting food and other supplies from Palestinian civilians and persuading young men to join them and kill Israelis and become a martyr to the cause of Palestinian statehood. That goal is difficult to achieve because a Palestinian State implies the elimination of Israel.

Most Palestinians see Hamas as more of a threat than a liberator. The threats and extortion Palestinian civilians endure from Hamas are made worse by Hamas recruiting Palestinians to fight a die for the cause. Several hundred thousand Palestinian civilians remain in Gaza, believing they have nowhere else to go. At the same time they are victimized by Hamas which steals food aid and hides among them. This makes Hamas unpopular with Palestinians as well as Israelis.

Peace talks last August between Israel and Islamic terrorist group Hamas continue to not happen. Hamas has been interfering with Israeli and foreign efforts to bring food to the starving Gazans. Because of this the hungry Palestinians turned on Hamas, accusing them of prolonging the hunger. Israeli troops continue to fight Hamas while attempting to get more food into Gaza. Over a hundred Palestinians have been killed or wounded, along with some aid workers and Israeli troops.
Despite the Madras High Court permitting the lighting of the traditional beacon at the Deepathoon (beacon pillar) in Tirupparankunram Hill to uphold an ancient Tamil practice, the DMK government has continued to impose restrictions, hurting the spiritual sentiments of the devotees. Condemning this, the office-bearers of the Thoothukudi South District Bharatiya Janata Party and members of Hindu Munnani staged a massive protest. This protest took place this evening at the VVD Signal in Thoothukudi, organised by Hindu Munnani and BJP. When the protesters attempted to breach the police barricade, negotiations between the police and the protesters escalated, leading to pushing and commotion at the spot. Senior state and district office-bearers of the BJP, mandal leaders, various wing functionaries, party workers, and members of Hindu Munnani participated in large numbers in the protest. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Justice GR Swaminathan, hearing a contempt petition filed hours before the annual Karthigai Deepam lighting ceremony, observed that the authorities had "beyond dispute" breached the court's December 1 order directing the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple management to facilitate the lighting of the Deepam at the lower peak of the hillock, known as Deepathoon. Although the temple had lit the lamp at Uchi Pillaiyar Temple at 6 pm on Wednesday, the court-recorded directive to light the Deepam at Deepathoon had not been complied with. The judge noted that the contempt plea was moved on Wednesday after the petitioner alleged that no arrangements had been made to honour the court's order, raising the possibility of a breach during the evening's ritual. When the matter was taken up at 5 pm, the Additional Advocate General argued that the plea was "premature", prompting the court to adjourn it to 6.05 pm. When the hearing resumed, the judge remarked that the violation was clear, as the Deepathoon Deepam remained unlit. The court also noted that the temple's Executive Officer had filed a writ appeal only on December 2, and that, too, in a defective format, suggesting, according to the judge, an attempt to delay compliance. The judge observed that the Dargha, which the court said would be the truly aggrieved party, had not filed any appeal, adding that the temple itself had no reason to oppose the December 1 order. Reacting to the Karthigai Deepam row, Petitioner Rama Ravikumar asserted that the police are disrespecting the court's order on voting, and that the problem lies with the government. "We gave the temple administration a copy of the court order and all the items required for lighting the lamp, and informed them that, as per the court order, the lamp must be lit on the Deepa Stambam located at the top of the hill. But by 2 p.m., no work had been done on the lamp post. The court said that the petitioner and 10 others were allowed to light the lamp with CISF protection," the Petitioner told reporters. "However, the police are saying that due to the Section 144 prohibitory order, they will arrest even the CISF officers if they proceed. Do Hindus not have the right to worship in this country? We have no issues with the Muslims in this town. The problem lies with the government. They are disrespecting the court order for votes. We will face this legally. According to the law, the Thiruparankundram Deepam will be lit," he added. (ANI)
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah releases the Gujarati edition of the book 'Chunotiya Mujhe Pasand Hai' ('Challenges I Like'), based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Sunday. On this occasion, several dignitaries were present, including the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel and the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel. Addressing the book release event, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that this book beautifully chronicles Anandiben's entire life and her work. He said that the book narrates the journey of a daughter born in a lower-middle-class family. The book vividly portrays the whole journey, from a time when educating daughters was a struggle, to becoming the first woman Chief Minister of a progressive state like Gujarat, serving as a Member of Parliament and Governor of three states, and now holding the position of Governor of Uttar Pradesh - India's largest state. Shah said that all of Anandiben's struggles, the challenges she faced, and the inspiration she drew from those struggles are beautifully captured in this book. If the essence of this entire journey were to be expressed in one sentence, it would be: 'Leadership is not for a position or a post; leadership is for a purpose. Amit Shah said that it is very difficult for a person to remain bound by a single principle from birth to death and to pursue a single goal throughout their life. It is difficult even when the goal is for oneself, but it becomes far more challenging when that goal is for the benefit of society. He said that, looking at Anandiben's life journey, it can be said with certainty that she has dedicated her entire life to fulfilling goals set to better society. Union Home Minister said that at that time, there were only three science colleges in the entire Mehsana district, and MSc studies were offered in just one of them. In those days, for a daughter to pursue an MSc in science while staying in a hostel required courage, which was rare among parents. He said that in that college hostel, Anandiben was the only female student; all the others were male students. Imagine that era, when Anandiben pursued her studies despite societal norms. Amit Shah said that he has worked very closely with Anandiben. He said that in 2014, when the party set the goal of expansion, they identified gaps in 1 lakh, 86 thousand booths, and increased membership, and today the party has reached from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Dwarka to Kamakhya. The core foundation of this achievement was the work at the booth level. What once seemed impossible became possible through a small beginning. The fundamental idea was laid by Modi Ji during the organisational campaign at that time. Anandiben was in charge of that organisational campaign, and he was responsible for tracking the data. Together, we advanced that work. He said that sometimes, sitting alone at night, he often reflects on how much the booth structure has changed from then to now and how far the party has come. 'There should be documentation of each booth, noting which booths are weak' -- this idea became the most significant source of inspiration for the party's growth. Later, with the resolve of 'Ideological Booth, Ideological Worker,' the party accelerated its journey from 2014 onwards. Union Home Minister said that Anandiben faced struggles throughout her life -- as a student, as a teacher, as a social worker, and later in politics at every step. He said that Anandiben became a legislator, Education Minister, Revenue Minister, Chief Minister, and then Governor of three states. Amit Shah said that Modi Ji revitalised the Governor's institution by linking it to various initiatives such as TB elimination, reducing dropout ratios, achieving 100 per cent enrollment, sanitation, and natural farming. He added that he himself had prepared the team to implement all these ideas. However, wherever Anandiben served as Governor, she carried out all these tasks with the perfection and discipline of a teacher, not only completing them but doing so excellently. As a result, qualitative changes occurred in the social life of those states. In a vast state like Uttar Pradesh, raising the standard of education and ensuring that all universities obtain NAAC accreditation -- today, the highest number of NAAC A+ graded universities are in Uttar Pradesh -- is a significant achievement. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Narmada project was completed during Modi Ji's tenure as Prime Minister and Anandiben's tenure as Chief Minister. When Anandiben was the Revenue Minister, the land acquisition was carried out so efficiently that even today, the Narmada project holds the record in India for acquiring the largest amount of land for any major project at the lowest cost. Overcoming numerous obstacles, the dam's height was completed, gates were installed, and water reached not only Kutch but also Rajasthan -- the primary credit for this goes to Anandiben, who was the Revenue Minister at the time. Amit Shah said that this book describes many poignant incidents. Each incident reflects Anandiben's capability, determination, and immense affection. He said that, even at 85, the speed and energy with which Anandiben is working in Uttar Pradesh would make any young person feel humbled. This serves as a great inspiration for everyone. He expressed confidence that when this book reaches millions and crores of people, it will certainly become a source of inspiration for them as well. (ANI)
The 75th anniversary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj's tenure as the head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha was celebrated with the Pramukh Varni Amrut Mahotsav at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. This grand and divine ceremony was graced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi. On this occasion, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah remarked that the virtues of Pramukh Swami Maharaj embody the essence of life, offering valuable lessons for leading a meaningful and purposeful life, an official statement said. He further mentioned that along the banks of the Sabarmati River, 75 virtues of Pramukh Swami Maharaj's life were displayed through boats, offering inspiration and guidance for leading a purposeful life. In terms of Pramukh Swami Maharaj's life and contributions, he not only widely spread spirituality and the Vaishnav philosophy but, more importantly, made them practical and relevant to everyday life. By harmoniously combining devotion and service, he brought to life the Vedic principle of 'seeing Narayan in every human' without needing to utter a single word, the statement said. Shah stated that through his compassion, Pramukh Swami Maharaj revived the ancient Rishi tradition of uplifting others' lives, making a profound contribution not only to the Swaminarayan sect but to the entire Sanatan Dharma. Without giving any sermons, he imbued the essence of the saintly tradition across various Sanatan Dharma sects and reinforced the monastic system of the saintly community. Shah stated that as faith in Bhagwat devotion gradually waned in society, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, together with thousands of saints, revived it by exemplifying and spreading the message of Sanatan Dharma through their own conduct. He further stated that, over its several thousand-year journey, Sanatan Dharma has faced numerous challenges. After independence, one of the greatest crises was the waning faith of people in saints and spiritual institutions. To address this, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, without delivering a single sermon, exemplified a noble path through his own conduct and that of his disciple saints--a path that today serves as a guiding example for all monks of Sanatan Dharma." Shah hailed the banks of the Sabarmati River as a witness to the devotion of saints. He cited the example of Rishi Dadhichi and observed that it was from these very banks that Mahatma Gandhi led the nation to freedom through the weapon of Satyagraha. He stated that it was in Ambli Vali Pol, Ahmedabad, that Pramukh Swami Maharaj assumed the responsibilities of the Pramukh position, and the work he accomplished from 1950 to 2016 has since become a shining example for all sects across the country. He was confident that today's event would make Ambli Vali Pol, not only a landmark for Gujarat and India but also an unforgettable destination for visitors from across the world. He added that the uniqueness of the Swaminarayan sect lies in its program, which is not intended to glorify the sect but to educate society and address various social evils. It provides an essential lesson on the life of a saint and the values that can be learnt from it. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated that as people depart from this ceremony, they will take with them the virtues of dedication and service demonstrated by the volunteers. Many attendees have internalised Satsang's values in their own lives, as reflected in the selfless service of these volunteers. He said that these virtues in the devotees have been nurtured through the association with Pramukh Swami Maharaj and other saints. Even if one were to hire people for service, such dedication could not be achieved. Here, however, millions of devotees contribute both their money and their efforts. Among the volunteers, there is a genuine spirit of 'what one does, Hari does.' He explained that when people succeed, they often take the credit themselves, and in times of failure, they remember Hari. The true essence, however, is to recognise that everything that happens is by God's will. The essence of Satsang lies in understanding the purpose of life, and it is through the guidance of saints that one attains this understanding. On this occasion, MLA and BJP State President Jagdish Vishwakarma remarked that the life of Pramukh Swami Maharaj is a shining beacon of virtues, beyond what words can convey. To truly comprehend the personality of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, who dedicated every breath of his life to the welfare of others, one lifetime would be insufficient. He added that simply chanting or remembering the name of Pramukh Swami Maharaj fills the heart with peace. "On this occasion, BAPS His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, while bestowing his blessings, said that even as the Pramukh, Pramukh Swami Maharaj devoted his entire life to selfless service, and the virtues of his life remain truly unmatched." Recalling his youth, Mahant Swami shared memories that showcased the virtues of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, including his unwavering commitment to vows and his spirit of selfless service. The ceremony also featured cultural performances by the youth. Senior saints and devotees of BAPS attended the event in large numbers. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep grief over the death of three Assam residents in the Arpora fire incident in Goa, calling the loss "tragic" and offering condolences to the families. In an X post, the Chief Minister said he was shocked by the news and mourned the loss of the three victims from Assam. "Deeply anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the Arpora fire incident in Goa, where three of our own lost their precious lives. Shri Rahul Tanti, Cachar; Shri Manojit Mal, Cachar; Shri Diganta Patir, Dhemaji. Offering my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the swift recovery of all those injured," CM Sarma said. https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/1997724579750674553?s=20 On Sunday, following the deadly fire at a restaurant-club in North Goa's Arpora that claimed the lives of 25 people, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed the arrest of four people related to the tragic incident, further announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the victims' kin and Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the mishap. At least 25 people lost their lives in the blaze that erupted in the early hours of Sunday, with four of them identified as tourists and fourteen others as staff members. The emergency teams rushed to the spot, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while authorities worked through the night to bring the situation under control. According to the Goa police, a total of 25 deceased persons have been shifted to GMC Bambolim, and the process of identifying the bodies is underway, and all efforts are being made to establish the identities at the earliest. "Of the six injured persons, one has been discharged, while five continue to remain admitted and are under treatment," the police said. "An offence has been registered at Anjuna Police Station u/s 105, 125, 125(a), 125(b), 287 r/w 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The senior Police officers of Goa police are camping at Anjuna police station and closely monitoring the investigation. Postmortem examination of the 17 bodies held. Five bodies have been handed over to the relatives for final religious rites," the Goa police added. An eyewitness claimed that the blaze could have erupted from a spark on their wooden roof after a pyro gun was shot. Atleast 25 people were killed and many others injured in the fire at "Birch By Romeo Lane" in Arpora, North Goa, in the early hours on Sunday. Speaking to ANI, an eyewitness said, "The dancer was entertaining everyone and songs were being played. In between, a pyro gun was shot, and I believe because of it, there was a spark on their wooden roof. People thought it would be taken care of, but within two minutes, the fire spread and people could not come out. They have their kitchen in the basement, and there is no scope of exit.." Another eyewitness who sustained injuries said that the incident took place around midnight when the party was going on. "The incident took place around midnight. Almost all the guests managed to come out. There were some people trapped inside. I came here around 11 PM. Some people tried to control the fire. Around 70-80 people were present there. There was only one exit from where everyone came out," the eyewitness said. Four people have been arrested in connection with the deadly fire at the nightclub in North Goa's Arpora, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed on Sunday. The Goa CM said that the other club by Romeo Lane has been sealed."At present, four people have been arrested. We have already sealed the other club of Romeo Lane. The government does not promote any illegal nightclub," Sawant said while addressing a press conference here. Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar said an FIR has been registered against the owners, Saurav Luthra and Gaurav Luthra." The arrested persons include Rajiv Modak, Chief General Manager; Vivek Singh, General Manager; Rajveer Singhania, Bar Manager; and Priyanshu Thakur, Gate Manager. FIR has been registered against the owners, Saurav Luthra and Gaurav Luthra," DGP Kumar said. The Goa government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the victims' kin, who lost their lives in the deadly fire at a restaurant-club in North Goa's Arpora. CM Pramod Sawant said that Rs 50,000 each will be given to those injured in the mishap. CM Sawant said that a team comprising police personnel and health authorities has been constituted to transport the deceased to their respective homes. The Goa CM informed that the government will ensure that disciplinary action is taken against the culprit. "The ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakhs will be provided to the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured will be sanctioned through the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) fund. The government shall provide complete assistance for the transportation of the deceased to their homes. A dedicated team comprising the SDM, Police and Health Authorities have been constituted for the same. I also directed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to take disciplinary actions," Sawant said. The Goa government has constituted a committee comprising the District Magistrate (DM) and other top officials from the police, forensic, fire, and emergency services. Sawant said that a decision has been taken to conduct a Magisterial inquiry into the fire incident. The government has directed that the report into the procedural lapse that led to the incident be submitted within a week. "I have convened an urgent and high-level meeting today with my concerned officers including Chief Secretary, DGP, IGP, Secretary, Revenue Collector, North SP, I have discussed regarding the cause of the incident and after having the detailed discussions I have taken the decision to conduct the Magisterial Inquiry through the committee comprising of the District Magistrate, SP South, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services, Director Forensics regarding the procedural lapses that resulted in the mischief and to submit the report to the government within a week. DGP has directed to take the strict punitive actions against the culprit, including the owner, manager of the club and those who have issued the permissions," Sawant said. "The committee shall be constituted under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Revenue for conducting the audit of such clubs, business establishments, etc., which are operating without valid permissions and wherein there is a likelihood of gathering of people in large numbers," he added. The Goa CM said that the government-appointed committee has framed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to deter such mishaps in the future. "An SOP has been framed by this committee for all such establishments to ensure such incidents shall not be repeated in future. The advisory issued by SDMA for all clubs, restaurants and other commercial establishments wherein the likelihood of significant footfall is there to ensure and operate with valid permissions and adequate safety provisions," Sawant added. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased in the fire mishap in Arpora, Goa. The injured will be given Rs 50,000 from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). (ANI)
Trump's remarks followed the charging of an illegal immigrant in a stabbing on a Charlotte light rail that took place on Friday.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote, "Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. What's going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!!"

According to Fox News, court records show that 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano was arrested in connection with the attack and faces several charges, including attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury.

A release order stated that bond was not set because Solarzano had previously been deported.

Police responded to the assault call at around 4:49 p.m. on Friday and found the victim, identified as Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie, with a stab wound.

Court documents cited by Fox News said Solarzano allegedly broke into a railroad car "with the intent to commit a felony" and, while intoxicated, challenged Dobie to a fight, shouting "unintelligible and slurred words."

Fox News also noted that Solarzano was assigned a Spanish interpreter, and records listed several aliases.

He is scheduled to appear in court on December 8 and will later be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

Reacting to the incident, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X, "Apparently, the death of Iryna Zarutska wasn't enough. What is it going to take for @CLTMayor to remove violent criminals off the streets and protect her constituents? The time to act is NOW." (ANI)
Calm returned to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Chaman on Saturday after heavy clashes a day earlier, Dawn reported. At least three civilians were injured on Friday night and taken to the district hospital in Chaman. On the Afghan side, five people were wounded, according to Afghan government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat. Officials said Afghan forces fired mortar rounds on the Badani area, prompting Pakistani security forces to retaliate. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding. A statement issued on Saturday morning said, "A short while ago, the Afghan Taliban regime resorted to unprovoked firing along the Chaman border. An immediate, befitting & intense response has been given by our armed forces." It further stated, "Pakistan remains fully alert & committed to ensuring its territorial integrity & the safety [of] our citizens." A senior official in Quetta said on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire began around 10 pm and continued late into the night. The incident took place amid stalled negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan after three rounds of talks in Istanbul failed to make progress, Dawn said. Border tensions first erupted on October 11, and relations have remained strained as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains a key issue between the two countries. Pakistan has repeatedly called on Kabul to take measures to curb cross-border terrorism. Earlier, the Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated Pakistan's willingness to continue talks with Afghanistan. A temporary ceasefire was announced on October 15 following discussions in Doha, Dawn noted. After the Doha meeting, both sides agreed to reconvene in Istanbul to pursue arrangements for lasting peace and stability. A second round of talks took place on October 25 in the Turkish capital. However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated in a post on X on October 29 that the talks "failed to bring about any workable solution." Mediators Turkiye and Qatar intervened and issued a joint statement on October 31 saying that "further modalities of the implementation will be discussed and decided" during a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6. But following the November 7 discussions, Defence Minister Khawaja said talks addressing cross-border terrorism were "over" and had "entered an indefinite phase" after negotiators were unable to resolve major differences. After talks collapsed, the Afghan Taliban suspended trade ties with Pakistan. Pakistan had already halted cross-border trade soon after the clashes. (ANI)
Pakistan's legal fraternity sounded an alarming warning, declaring that the nation "stands in its darkest hour" amid what they described as systematic attacks on democracy, constitutional freedoms, and the rule of law. The statement came during the All Pakistan Lawyers' Convention (APLC), organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA), as reported by The Express Tribune. According to The Express Tribune, the gathering at the Javed Iqbal Auditorium of the Lahore High Court brought together senior members of the legal community, including Senator Hamid Khan, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, former Supreme Court Bar president Ali Ahmad Kurd, Lahore High Court Bar President Asif Niswaana, and several other legal luminaries. The convention was convened to denounce the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments and the formation of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), which lawyers argued would weaken judicial independence and undermine the Constitution. The APLC passed a unanimous resolution rejecting both amendments and the FCC, describing them as attempts to consolidate power at the expense of democracy. PTI-affiliated lawyers delivered powerful speeches, condemning the establishment's stranglehold over political and civil institutions. Advocate Salman Akram Raja lamented that Pakistan was gripped by unemployment, a collapsing education sector, and a broken healthcare system, asserting that "nothing in the country is functioning properly." He added that Pakistan was witnessing an "unprecedented crisis" on political, economic, and social fronts. Raja further accused the government of creating an environment where "truth has no space" and of turning the country into "a prison under the illusion of development," as cited by The Express Tribune. Former Lahore High Court Bar Vice President Rabia Bajwa stated that Pakistan now stands divided between "the people and the institutions," arguing that lists from GHQ and the Senate now dictate who is a traitor and who is celebrated as a hero. Veteran lawyer Ali Ahmad Kurd and PTI Senator Hamid Khan also rebuked the military's interference in politics. Khan labelled the generals' recent press conference as "deeply shameful," asserting that the armed forces had overstepped their constitutional boundaries, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)
United States' Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States Allison Hooker will visit New Delhi and Bengaluru from December 7 to 11, a statement by the US Embassy said. Under Secretary Hooker's visit will focus on advancing the US-India strategic partnership, deepening economic and commercial ties, including increasing American exports, and fostering collaboration in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and space exploration. While in New Delhi, Under Secretary Hooker will meet with senior Indian officials to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, and shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific, including through the Foreign Office Consultations with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. In Bengaluru, she will visit the Indian Space Research Organisation and meet leaders from India's dynamic space, energy, and technology sectors to promote innovation in US-India research partnerships and to explore opportunities for expanded cooperation, as per the statement. Under Secretary Hooker's visit marks another step forward in advancing US President Donald Trump's priorities for a strong US-India partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific, as per the statement. Meanwhile, on December 6, India and the United States have unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism, including in the UN, Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The two countries held the 21st Meeting of the India-USA Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) and the 7th Designations Dialogue here on December 3. The two sides called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa'ida affiliates, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers, under the UN 1267 sanctions regime, ensuring their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo. India and the United States strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and the recent heinous terror incident near the Red Fort, New Delhi, on November 10 and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable. The meetings underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, reflecting the spirit and breadth of the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, a Ministry of External Affairs release said. (ANI)
Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, known for his work on the Hubble Space Telescope and who flew on two space missions, has weighed in on one of humanity's biggest questions: Are we alone in the universe? The veteran astronaut--who flew on two space missions, conducted four spacewalks, and spent an astonishing 30 hours and 44 minutes working outside the spacecraft--shared that while we have no proof of alien contact, the possibility of life beyond Earth remains strong. Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Massimino said that despite popular speculation, "We have no proof that we haven't been contacted or visited. There's no evidence of that." But he emphasised that the sheer scale of the universe makes extraterrestrial life plausible. "There are billions of galaxies with billions of stars in each," he explained, noting that most of those stars have multiple planets of their own. "We have seen some of the building blocks of life as we know it, even within our own solar system. We haven't discovered any life or any life form yet, but there's certainly possibilities out there somewhere." Addressing recent NASA studies suggesting aliens might even be listening to Earth, the astronaut said the real challenge isn't the existence of life--it's the ability to connect with it. "The distances are really great between stars where we would think planets might, where planets are that we think maybe there's some sort of life somewhere. So it's not so easy to get to these places, to communicate to these places. And they're so far away that even at the speed of light, it takes a long time for a radio wave to travel if we were to try to make contact somewhere." For now, he says, humanity's search continues--limited not by imagination, but by physics. The astronaut also gave a straightforward reponse to the viral question circulating on social media on whether or not "can people have sex in space?" "I don't see why not," he said with a smile. "I don't know if it's ever been tried--I've seen no evidence of it. But eventually we're going to be sending families to space, and that's going to be something." Just like aliens, Massimino noted, "There's no proof but no physical reason preventing it."Weighing in on prospects of reaching Mars in the next 20-25 years, the astronaut said it's expensive and extremely challenging--but achievable. Several countries and organizations, inclding Elon Musk's SpaceX, have established ambitious, multi-stage plans to achieve the goal of going to Mars. "Mars is much further away. The moon is always kind of close to Earth; we can get there any day of the year. But with Mars, you have to wait for the planets to align--only certain times of the year you can even launch." He highlighted the communication delays as a major operational hurdle. "On the space station, you say 'Houston, we have a problem,' and get an answer in a second. On the moon, it's about three seconds. On Mars? You say, 'We have a problem,' and 20-30 minutes later someone will say, 'What did you say?'" Despite the obstacles, he believes a human expedition is feasible, though astronauts would need to stay about a year on Mars while waiting for planetary alignment for the return trip. "It's going to be a hard problem, but I don't see why we couldn't solve it." Addressing one of the world's most persistent conspiracy theories on Area 51, Massimino said, "Area 51 is a secure area where there's classified work going on. There are no aliens there, as far as I know. You're not even allowed to fly over it." He stressed that hiding an alien visitation would be impossible: "There's no way we could cover that up." Still, the veteran former NASA astronaut, who has now transitioned into the role of one of the most compelling voices in the world of space exploration, said that he remains hopeful about extraterrestrial contact--though not in the Hollywood style. "One day we'll make contact. Maybe through communication, not visiting. But they'd need to be a lot smarter than us, because we're not close to being able to do that yet." (ANI)
Cyclone Ditwah has resulted in relentless rain, flash floods and landslides across the island, causing river levels to rise to historic highs, submerging entire towns and causing loss in critical infrastructure.

According to Daily Mirror, 190 individuals remain missing as rescue and search efforts continue. Furthermore, the adversarial weather has affected all 25 districts, impacting 2,179,138 people from 611,530 families.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Water Supply said that the assessment of damage to houses caused by Cyclone Ditwah will begin tomorrow and the process will be carried out by a committee appointed under the Presidential Secretariat which will focus on identifying households eligible for government support.

In these challenging times, India continues with its rescue and relief operations under Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka.

A statement from the Sri Lankan Army mentioned that the medical team comprising 73 personnel from Indian Army which had arrived in Sri Lanka on December 2 has continued its support.

Amidst ongoing disaster relief efforts in Mahiyanganaya, the Indian Army has established a fully functional field hospital on 05 December 2025 onwards, to support affected communities.

The statement mentioned that the medical team is providing essential treatment to civilians affected by injuries, illness, and other emergency health needs arising from the calamity. Staffed with doctors, nurses and rapid response facilities, the hospital is offering outpatient care, minor surgeries and emergency services.

In a post on X, the Indian Army shared that its field hospital has treated over 1250 people, conducted major emergency surgeries and inducted three Bailey Bridges to accelerate relief efforts and support restoration of critical connectivity in the wake of the destruction caused by cyclone Ditwah. (ANI)
Awarding the winner of the 7th race, known as the HH The President Cup for Arabian Purebred Horses (Group 1), the richest race of the evening with a prize purse of AED8 million, he highlighted that the UAE President Cup embodies the leadership's commitment to preserving the nation's equestrian heritage.

He also praised the event for strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a global hub for Arabian horse racing and for attracting elite participants from around the world.

He also commended the event's contribution to supporting the equestrian sector and promoting the sustainability of authentic heritage for future generations.

The evening was also attended by Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Arabian Horse Society; Ahmed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation; and Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wajib Volunteer Association. (ANI/WAM)
The Chavara Cultural Centre marked the fifth edition of Kristu Mahotsav 2025 in Delhi, reinforcing its message of cultural harmony, inclusion and interfaith dialogue through a gathering that brought together religious leaders, diplomats, artists, educators and families from diverse backgrounds. Over the years, the festival has evolved into a platform celebrating compassion and human dignity. This year's edition was attended by West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, Bishop Stephen Fernandes, and ambassadors from Portugal, Malta, Timor-Leste, Peru and Guatemala along with a large community of well-wishers. Welcoming the gathering, Roby Kannanchira CMI, Director of the Chavara Cultural Centre, described the event as a movement of compassion. He said the specially-abled and underprivileged children were at the heart of the celebration and spoke of creating a space where no child is forgotten and every individual is treated with dignity and love. Governor Bose reflected on the deeper meaning of Christmas and the message of unity that the festival sought to convey. He said the presence of specially-abled children served as a reminder of the strength of shared humanity and emphasised that in a diverse world of faiths, there is room for everyone under the same divine light. The programme featured musical performances, a choir presentation and a children's march, creating an atmosphere of warmth and participation. A highlight of the evening was the formal release of the book Kristu Mahotsav, authored by Governor Dr. Bose. Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto spoke about the spiritual essence of the occasion, saying the true celebration of Christmas lies in standing in solidarity with the poor, the marginalised and specially-abled children, and that the spirit of service has the power to unite people across religions. Visiting ambassadors also shared their messages. Malta's Ambassador to India, Reuben Gauci, described India as a land enriched by harmony and faith traditions, while Portugal's Ambassador, Joo Ribeiro de Almeida, praised the Centre's work in promoting peace, inter-religious dialogue and cultural understanding, calling the festival a reflection of the true spirit of Christmas. The celebration concluded with a vote of thanks by Mathew Koikal, Deputy Secretary General of the CBCI acknowledging the efforts of dignitaries, volunteers and participating institutions. (ANI)
Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit, former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, Talmiz Ahmad, on Sunday said the West must understand that India retains the right to shape and structure its ties with other countries. He also advocated for the use of "strategic autonomy" for India amid social media criticism by Americans for hosting Putin, who is heavily criticised by the Republicans and Democrats alike for waging a war against Ukraine. In an interview with ANI, Ahmad, former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, said that Putin's visit to India remains significant but comes at a time of "deep divide". Although he added that there has been a divide between West and East since the Cold War, the West has resorted to "demonising" Russia while suggesting that other countries take definite sides. "The visit is significant, obviously. We have very substantial ties that go back several decades. These have been constantly reaffirmed. But the visit now took place at a time of deep division. There's a divide between the West and the East reminiscent of the Cold War. And the West is mobilising all its resources, political, military, diplomatic, to demonise Russia somehow and to suggest that either you are with us or against us," Ahmad said. The former Diplomat said that countries like India have asserted that they shouldn't be forced to make such choices and should be allowed to decide on their partnership with different countries. "Countries like India have been constantly saying that don't force us to make choices like this. We don't want a new Cold War. We want to retain the right to decide our own kind of relationship with different people. We are not hostile to the West, but we retain the right to shape and structure our ties with other countries," Ahmad said. Talmiz Ahmad prefers using "strategic autonomy" rather than Jaishankar's "plurilateralism, minilateralism" to argue that India is an independent state that takes decisions in the national interest without being influenced by other countries. He said that the majority of the international community practices and advocates strategic autonomy. He said that the term 'non-aligned' also had a similar meaning, but its use remained relevant before the end of the Cold War. "Strategic autonomy says precisely what I wish to imply. And that is, I am an independent state. I want to make my own decisions. Other countries' decisions will not influence me. I will make decisions in my national interest. That's what I'm asserting," Ahmad said. "Large sections of the European Union are engaged with Russia. Many of them are buying Russian energy. The Americans are interacting with the Russians and the Chinese. Putin has reminded us that the Americans are purchasing nuclear fuel from Russia. Different countries are purchasing rare earths all the time. How dare they presume to tell India or any other country what we should do or what we should not do," he added. Ahmad further asserted that the days of US hegemony were over and blamed the Americans for creating a scenario of a possible new Cold War. "It is the Americans who have created this scenario of a possible new Cold War, where either you are with us or against us. The background is very clear. After the Cold War ended, you had only one: a unipolar world order, with the United States as the hegemon. But much has happened since then. The United States has lost credibility due to its misadventure in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. They are no longer that credible power that they used to be when they were asserting hegemony," he said. The former diplomat spoke about the emergence of countries he called "middle powers," adamant about advancing their views in a multipolar world order. "In the meantime, other players have entered the global scenario. You have got China, which is challenging the Americans in various areas, particularly in the economy, technology, and logistics. And you have various other countries roughly referred to as middle powers, which are important in their region and are asserting a role for themselves in that regard, in their region," Ahmad said. "This is why we call it a multipolar world order, where a large number of countries, usually middle powers, are seeking to assert their point of view and their role in world affairs. And the days of hegemony are done. Now, this scenario is not a new Cold War. It is basically the rise of a multipolar order. Within the multipolar order, countries assert strategic autonomy," he added. (ANI)
Other parts of Asia are also grappling with the scale of destruction, with combined casualties across the region now exceeding 1,800.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) cautioned that ongoing monsoon storms were making hillsides increasingly unstable, particularly in the central highlands and the northwestern midlands. Officials said the extreme weather has compounded the suffering of more than two million people -- nearly 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's population -- affected by last week's climate crisis-driven floods and landslides triggered by the island's worst cyclone this century, as per Al Jazeera.

With many communities cut off by landslides, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were deployed on Sunday to deliver emergency supplies to remote pockets in the central region.

The Sri Lanka Air Force confirmed that Myanmar had sent a planeload of relief materials, marking the latest international assistance to reach the country.

According to the government, 627 deaths have been confirmed so far, including 464 in the central tea-growing belt. Another 209 people remain missing, according to Al Jazeera.

The DMC said the number of displaced residents in state-run camps has fallen to 100,000 from a peak of 225,000 as floodwaters gradually receded.

Damage assessments show more than 75,000 homes have been affected, with close to 5,000 destroyed. Early estimates from senior officials indicate that recovery and reconstruction could cost up to USD 7 billion.

On Friday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was reviewing Sri Lanka's request for an additional USD 200 million to support rebuilding efforts.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock on its own.

Elsewhere in Asia, the death toll from floods and landslides that hit Indonesia's Sumatra island has reached more than 900, according to authorities. (ANI)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Berlin's support for the creation of a Palestinian state during his first official visit to Israel, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his firm opposition to such a move, Al Jazeera reported. Speaking at a joint press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, the two leaders outlined sharply different views on the future of Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Merz's trip is playing out under the shadow of Israel's "genocidal war" on Gaza - although Merz, leader of one of Israel's staunchest supporters, does not consider it a genocide, as per Al Jazeera. Merz said Germany, one of Israel's most unwavering allies, wanted a new Middle East that recognised a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, and that negotiations on the creation of such a state must begin now. Netanyahu, however, dismissed the idea outright. He said that the Israeli public overwhelmingly opposed a two-state solution and noted that annexation of the occupied West Bank -- a concern Merz raised and something even the administration of US President Donald Trump has rejected -- remained part of Israel's internal debate, even if no immediate changes were expected. "The purpose of a Palestinian state is to destroy the Jewish state," Netanyahu claimed without expanding. The Israeli leader said the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan was "nearly complete" and that he expected "very important conversations" later in December on the next phase. He added that he would meet Trump later this month as discussions continued, according to Al Jazeera. Before he met with Netanyahu, Merz visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, where he reiterated Germany's historic commitment to Israel's security. He said Germany "must stand up for the existence and security of Israel," acknowledging his country's "enduring historical responsibility" for the Holocaust. Merz arrived in Israel on Saturday and was welcomed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who described him as "a friend of Israel." He later met President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, continuing a packed schedule focused on the region's shifting political landscape. (ANI)
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said on Sunday that after the Cyclone Ditwah havoc, Sri Lanka is rising stronger and looks forward to welcoming Indian tourists. The High Commission said that key routes are now accessible. In a post on X, it said, "Sri Lanka is rising stronger and looks forward to welcoming Indian tourists, who make up the largest number of visitors to the island. Key roads and routes are now accessible, making travel across the island easier for visitors." https://x.com/IndiainSL/status/1997565398728978645?s=20 https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1997649171411804530?s=20 As India's rescue and relief efforts continue in full swing in Sri Lanka, the Indian Army shared that its field hospital has treated over 1250 people, conducted major emergency surgeries and inducted three Bailey Bridges to accelerate relief efforts and support restoration of critical connectivity in the wake of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah. In a post on X, the ADGPI said, "Update on Indian Army's Humanitarian Assistance to Sri Lanka- The Indian Army's Field Hospital has treated over 1,250 people so far, including five major emergency surgeries; three Bailey Bridges have been inducted into Sri Lanka. In coordination with the Sri Lankan administration, suitable locations have been identified for their construction to accelerate relief efforts and support restoration of critical connectivity and Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, visited the Field Hospital and interacted with the medical team. He thanked India for the swift response and its efforts in delivering critical medical care to affected communities." https://x.com/adgpi/status/1997553333817528491?s=20 Earlier on Saturday, in a post on X, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, wrote, "Operation Sagar Bandhu: Relief operations continue! The 4th C17 aircraft, third one carrying Bailey Bridge units arrived in Colombo today. It had about 55 tonnes of Bailey Bridge stores, a JCB and 13 personnel from Engineer Corps." As India continues to deploy critical support equipment, its medical assistance on the ground has also expanded. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday underscored India's longstanding commitment to protecting global cultural traditions as he addressed the inaugural session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi. Jaishankar said it was "fitting" that the committee had convened in a country with a deep civilisational legacy across diverse cultural forms. "It is fitting that you are assembled in India, which has so much to contribute to the world in regard to such heritage," he said. He noted that India, as a founding member of UNESCO, had "actively advanced UNESCO's objectives of promoting global peace and understanding through deeper cooperation in education, science and culture." Emphasising the importance of heritage in shaping collective human progress, he added, "In each of these domains, humankind has benefited from the legacy of its forebears. As we forge ahead in the shared quest for progress and prosperity, it is essential that we nurture this inheritance, build on it and pass it on to future generations." Jaishankar highlighted UNESCO's central role in global heritage preservation and stressed that India had long recognised and supported this mission. "UNESCO's role in heritage preservation is particularly important and one that has long been recognised by India. We have contributed to its endeavours while drawing strength from its best practices," he said. Pointing to the breadth of India's cultural engagement, the minister recalled that India is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has undertaken several conservation and preservation initiatives abroad. He underlined that intangible cultural heritage--ranging from languages and rituals to music, craftsmanship and performing arts--deserves equal attention. "A key dimension of that engagement is preservation of intangible heritage," he said. "In doing so, we acknowledge that traditions, languages, rituals, music, craftsmanship, festivals and performing arts are invaluable aspects of human inheritance. In many ways, they are the most democratic expression of culture owned by all, guarded by many and enriched by each generation." "Our ambassador to UNESCO has spoken about our commitment to the 2003 Convention on Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage," he said Highlighting India's contributions to the UNESCO Representative List, he said the country was celebrating its cultural practitioners whose traditions form the backbone of India's civilisational continuity. "With multiple elements from the representative list, we are celebrating our weavers, storytellers, healers, dancers and artisans whose lives are the actual repositories of human continuity," he said. Jaishankar described recent global recognitions as significant milestones. "The addition of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni's Natya Shastra to the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register is truly notable," he said. He also pointed to India's culinary heritage, which has gained wider attention, noting the inclusion of Lucknow in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. "Lucknow has recently joined Hyderabad as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, which has also been widely appreciated in this country," he said. Emphasising the broader impact of UNESCO recognitions, Jaishankar added, "Each recognition of intangible heritage has ripples well beyond the immediate decision," indicating how such acknowledgements strengthen cultural identity, boost community pride and enhance international awareness of diverse traditions. (ANI)
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday reiterated that the United States has no intention of altering the status quo in Taiwan, stressing that the focus is on defence and deterrence rather than confrontation with China, Taipei Times reported, citing CNA. Speaking at the Reagan National Defence Forum in Simi Valley, California, Hegseth outlined four core missions for the Department of Defence. These include protecting the US homeland, deterring China through strength, increasing allied burden-sharing, and rebuilding the defence industrial base. On US-China relations, Hegseth emphasised that the Trump administration seeks stable peace, fair trade, and mutual respect between the two nations. He noted that recent high-level contacts between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have opened opportunities for further progress, according to Taipei Times. Hegseth said reciprocal visits planned for next year could help ease tensions, provided both sides maintain open communication channels. He added that the Department of Defence is expanding direct communication with the People's Liberation Army to reduce risks and avoid misunderstandings, according to Taipei Times. Highlighting the role of deterrence, Hegseth said US capabilities ensure that Beijing cannot dominate Washington or its allies, while keeping trade relations open and fair. "We are not trying to strangle China's growth," he said. "We are not trying to dominate or humiliate them, nor are we trying to change the status quo over Taiwan." Hegseth stated that the department's priority is to preserve peace in the Indo-Pacific while ensuring the US can negotiate from a position of strength and uphold long-term strategic and economic interests. (ANI)
President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, on Sunday backed the US leader's plan to target Somali immigrants in Minnesota, even as Trump described the community as "garbage". During an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union", Homan said he was "not aware of what the president was thinking" when Trump said he wants Somalis removed from the country but added, "I agree 100 per cent with what he's doing." Homan pointed out that Trump "has said we're concentrating on public safety threats and national security threats", adding that Trump was elected "to run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen." He stated, "That's exactly what we're doing. That's what American people voted for." Trump, in comments last week, called Somali immigrants in Minnesota "garbage" and said they should go "back to where they came from". His remarks sparked criticism, with many calling the language "racist", including Rep. Ilhan Omar. Trump later doubled down, claiming Somalia is "the worst country on earth", accusing Somali immigrants of having "destroyed the country", and personally targeting Omar and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Homan dismissed the idea that Trump's personal statements influenced enforcement actions, claiming "there's a large illegal alien community" in the state. He said, "Even we don't know how many illegal Somalis there are because, remember, under the last four years of Joe Biden, there's over 2 million known gotaways people caught on video." Homan also rejected accusations that ICE agents are using harsh tactics during detentions, saying, "I'm not in every arrest. I'm not in every operation. I trust the men and women of ICE and border patrol do the right thing." Some Republicans raised concerns about the handling of ongoing operations. Senator John Curtis said compassion has diminished on both sides during immigration raids, stating, "If I were mayor, the very first thing I would do is I'd sit down with ICE, and I'd say, 'I want the bad guys out of my city, and I want my citizens to feel safe.'" He added, "Too much of that isn't happening. It's like us against them." (ANI)
Local public transporters in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have announced a wheel-jam strike today, rejecting the administration's request to postpone their protest against a new traffic ordinance that significantly raises fines for heavy vehicles, Dawn reported. The strike call came from the Punjab Public Transport Association. Before the announcement, representatives from the association, along with the Goods Transporters Association, met City Traffic Police officer Farhan Aslam and Regional Transport Authority Secretary Asad Shirazi to discuss the issue. Officials urged transporters to reconsider, but the appeal was turned down. Shirazi said, "We tried to convince the transporters not to go for a wheel-jam strike, but they demanded to abolish the new amendments, and it was beyond our authority to do anything about it." He added that provincial authorities had been informed of the demands and that negotiations would be held with the United Transport Association in Lahore. Mutahida Transport Federation of Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad Chairman Raja Muhammad Riaz told Dawn that rising fines had created severe financial strain for transport workers. He said, "Transporters were facing problems due to heavy fines, and it was difficult to manage their household budgets." "Heavy fines from PKR 5,000 to PKR 20,000 had become routine, and it destroyed their business," Riaz said, claiming the government was shifting its economic burden onto transport operators already dealing with high fuel and spare-part costs. He demanded a substantial reduction in fines and an end to policies that "destroyed the sector." According to Dawn, traffic police agreed during discussions not to impose penalties on vehicles that held valid fitness certificates. President of the Goods Transport Association Shakeel Qureshi said freight and goods operators in Rawalpindi would join Monday's strike. "We will join them in the decision of the Pakistan United Transporters Committee to strike on December 8," he said. Qureshi added that transport bases would remain completely shut and criticised the new legislation, saying, "Amendments to the customs laws that will be made are tantamount to economic murder of transporters." He further argued that authorities should consider stakeholder concerns before making policy changes, telling Dawn that decisions "should not be that decisions are made by listening to one side and making laws without consulting stakeholders." Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) Rawalpindi district has extended support to the strike called by the Transport Action Committee over heavy fines. Party spokesperson Hafiz Ziaullah said the new penalties imposed by Punjab authorities had made life harder, especially for low-income motorcyclists. He urged the Punjab chief minister to "adopt a people-friendly policy and reduce the unnecessary and unfair burden of fines." (ANI)
BEIJING, Dec 08 (News On Japan) - Chinas major airlines have extended the period during which Japan-bound tickets can be cancelled free of charge, with carriers announcing by today that the deadlineinitially set to run through the end of this yearwill now continue until March 28th 2026.

The move comes as the Chinese government steps up calls for citizens to avoid travelling to Japan after reacting sharply to Prime Minister Kishidas remarks in November regarding a potential Taiwan contingency, heightening political tensions between the two countries.

With the new deadline now covering the Lunar New Year holiday period in February, one of Chinas biggest travel seasons, the policy shift could dampen demand for trips to Japan during the spring festivals extended holiday period.

Source: BIZ
OSAKA, Dec 08 (News On Japan) - Chinese tourists are disappearing from major destinations across the Kansai region as diplomatic tensions between Japan and China continue to deepen on the heels of comments by Prime Minister Takaichi regarding a potential Taiwan contingency, prompting Beijing to urge its citizens to refrain from traveling or studying in Japan.

The impact has spilled over into cultural events as well, with sudden cancellations of performances involving artists from both countries, further adding strain to bilateral relations.

Following Takaichis remarks, an event venue in Shanghai saw music abruptly cut during a Japanese artists performance, after which the performer was forcibly removed from the stage in an unprecedented scene. Other artists such as Hamasaki Ayumi and Yuzu also experienced rapid cancellations of their scheduled concerts. Beijing has since warned Chinese citizens against non-essential travel to Japan, raising concerns of a sizable economic impact. Chinese visitors traditionally account for about 24% of all inbound tourism spending, and some projections estimate potential losses from this wave of travel restraint at around 1 trillion yen.

To understand the current situation, reporters visited Shinsaibashi on a recent Sunday. The district appeared as crowded as ever, with many foreign tourists, especially from Asia. But despite the crowds, the number of Chinese visitors had clearly fallen. A shop employee said Chinese customers had dropped to less than half of previous levels since the travel warning, though increased traffic from Korean tourists and strong domestic demand had helped offset the decline.

Nearby, a long queue had formed at a popular onigiri specialty store frequented by foreign visitors. Its top-selling rice ball with meat soboro and egg topping, priced at 640 yen, attracted tourists from Thailand, Australia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Singapore, and Malaysia. Previously, roughly 20% of customers had been from mainland China, but on this particular day, none of the 24 people lined up were Chinese. Even so, the shop reported no drop in sales thanks to consistently full seating, while acknowledging that businesses relying heavily on Chinese clientele could face a difficult stretch.

In Kyoto, the same trend was apparent. Yodogiya, known for its aburatorigami blotting papers, said Chinese visitors had declined. Many Chinese customers are known for making large purchases  often spending several tens of thousands of yen  and losing this segment poses a risk. Yet strong demand from Japanese customers has kept overall revenue stable. Other businesses have not been as fortunate. One shop estimated monthly losses of around 3 million yen as half of its customers had previously come from China, illustrating how differently the downturn is affecting various sectors.

Across 20 stores surveyed in Osaka and Kyoto, only two reported experiencing a major hit to sales. Many businesses said that although Chinese visitors had fallen, tourists from other countries had effectively filled the gap.

Reporters then attempted to hear directly from Chinese tourists about why they chose to visit Japan despite Beijings travel warning. However, the effort proved challenging. Many declined to speak, suggesting discomfort with discussing political matters publicly. After hours of trying in Osaka and later in Kyoto, most Chinese tourists approached avoided political questions altogether.

One traveler who was willing to talk said they had booked their trip well before tensions escalated and wanted to follow through. They added that after arriving in Japan, they felt no particular cause for concern. They also said they enjoyed shopping because certain items sold in Japan, such as capsule toys, are not available in China.

Another traveler, approached after many attempts, said Japan and China are neighboring countries and should maintain people-to-people exchanges despite political shifts. They said that governments have their positions, but individuals on both sides should help correct misunderstandings when historical perceptions or cultural views diverge. They added that they enjoyed sushi and had been particularly impressed by an izakaya they visited the previous evening.

In the end, reporters spent more than eight hours speaking to visitors in Osaka and Kyoto, approaching 64 groups of Chinese tourists. Only four agreed to be interviewed, a result that highlights the sensitivity of the moment and may reflect the state of Japan-China relations today.

Source: KTV NEWS
OCP Green Energy recently commissioned the Oulad Fares photovoltaic plant in Khouribga, featuring 105 megawatt-peak capacity that makes it Moroccos largest solar farm of this type currently operational. The facility powers the worlds largest phosphate mine while injecting green electricity into the national grid.

The installation spans 168 hectares with thousands of solar panels converting sunlight directly into electricity. Unlike the Noor I concentrated solar power plant in Ouarzazate, which uses thermal technology with molten salt storage enabling post-sunset production, Oulad Fares employs photovoltaic panels requiring lithium-iron-phosphate batteries for energy storage.

This solar farm represents one of three sites, alongside Benguerir and Foum Tizi facilities, with combined 202 megawatt-peak capacity announced December 1 in Khouribga by OCP Group. The three plants deploy approximately 370,000 panels and hundreds of thousands of kilometers of electrical cables.

Beyond supplying green energy to Khouribgas phosphate mine for green fertilizer production, the plant injects electricity into the national grid. Panels collect electricity through cable networks channelling power to high-voltage substations, enabling delivery either directly to mining operations with minimal losses or through the national grid to other consumption sites, explained Omar Kadir, OCP Green Energy director general.

Production cost advantages prove significant. Hanane Mourchid, OCP Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, revealed kilowatt-hour production costs around 0.35 dirhams, below record market levels. This explains why we view sustainable development beyond just sustainability strategy as also a business strategy, allowing us to reduce energy costs and operational expenses while greening our operations, she stated.

Construction fits within OCPs 2023-2027 green investment program totaling 13 billion dollars, targeting increased green fertilizer production through renewable energy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. The group targets 1.2 gigawatts green energy capacity by 2027 and exceeding 2 gigawatts by 2032.
The Sudanese army recaptured the town of Mabsut in South Kordofan on December 2, following clashes with forces allied to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to media reports.

The Armys advance, west of Al-Abbasiya Tagali, also involved confrontations with the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). With Mabsut under its control, the army now holds all areas west of Al-Abbasiya Tagali, a strategically significant locality that links northern and southern South Kordofan and governs key routes affecting troop movements and civilian transit. Army personnel shared videos on social media confirming the takeover, though no official statements were made by the army or SPLM-N.

Earlier on 30 November, the Army had secured multiple areas west of Al-Abbasiya Tagali after engagements with the RSF. Currently, the RSF controls all five states of Darfur, while the army maintains authority over the remaining 13, including the capital, Khartoum. The ongoing conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has resulted in at least 40,000 deaths and displaced 12 million people, according to the World Health Organization.
A gunman who seized control of a small humanitarian aircraft in South Sudan on Tuesday, December 2, was apprehended hours later after the pilot executed an unscheduled landing in the northern town of Wau, Police confirmed. The incident ended without injuries, and authorities have launched a full investigation.

The Cessna Grand Caravan, owned and operated by the evangelical aid organization Samaritans Purse, had departed Juba in the morning with medical supplies destined for Maiwut County in the far northeast.

Police said the suspect, identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf from the disputed Abyei Administrative Area, had slipped aboard before takeoff and concealed himself in the rear cabin. His motive for the attempted hijacking and his demand that the aircraft be flown to Chad  a country within the region but not sharing a border with South Sudan remains unclear. After circling for several hours, the pilot informed the gunman that the aircraft required refueling, diverting safely to Wau where security forces detained the suspect.

Santino Udol Mayen, spokesperson for the Western Bahr el Ghazal police, said that the suspect wore a reflective vest bearing the logo of an air charter firm operating at Juba International Airport. However, the companys managing director, Paul Antrobus, said no employee by that name existed on their roster. Samaritans Purse spokesperson Melissa Strickland expressed appreciation for the swift intervention by security agencies, which ensured a safe resolution. The incident comes shortly after a separate tragedy on November 25, when a plane chartered by the same aid group and operated by Nari Air crashed in Unity State, killing all three crew members.
Libya has announced plans to accelerate the return of irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa to their home countries, while pledging that Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict will be granted access to public services on the same footing as Libyan citizens.

The policy shift was outlined on Tuesday, December 2, by Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi during a briefing in Tripoli attended by several foreign diplomats. Situated roughly 300 km from Italy, Libya remains a major transit point for tens of thousands of migrants attempting the perilous sea journey to Europe each year.

Trabelsi appealed for stronger backing from the European Union, the African Union and Arab partners, arguing that Libyas responsibilities far outweigh the assistance it has received to date. EU figures indicate that Brussels spent around 465 million euros on migration-related initiatives in Libya between 2015 and 2021, with an additional 65 million euros earmarked for border management and protection through 2027.

Trabelsi said an estimated three million irregular migrants have lived in Libya over the past decade and a half, many arriving with their families, which he said raises concerns about long-term settlement. He reiterated that Libya would not accept migrants intercepted at sea being brought ashore for long-term accommodation.

At the same event, EU ambassador Nicola Orlando stressed that Europe does not intend to settle migrants in Libya and urged expanded voluntary returns to countries of origin. Trabelsi confirmed that a national repatriation program launched in October is targeting the return of thousands of migrants this month, with scheduled flights prioritizing women, children and the elderly  including departures to Chad, Somalia and Mali.

The International Organization for Migration reports that about 25,000 migrants have been intercepted and sent back to Libya so far this year, among them over 2,000 women and nearly 1,000 children.

Turning to the influx of Sudanese nationals who have fled violence since the outbreak of war in April 2023, Trabelsi said up to 700,000 refugees have entered Libya. Under new government instructions, they will be treated as Libyans and granted access to healthcare, education and other essential services.
Marsa Maroc group is the 4th largest container port terminal operator in Africa, according to Global Container Terminal Operators report 2024 issued by British Drewry maritime research consultancy.

The Moroccan group has been recognized among the Big Four in Africa for the second consecutive time thanks to its sustained performance amid regional competition, confirming the Kingdoms key role in global logistic industry.

Drewrys report commends Marsa Maroc operational efficiency, investment in infrastructure, and market share in transshipment and maritime traffic.

Marsa Maroc operates 24 terminals nationwide and employs over 2,200 staff. It holds a 30-year concession for Container Terminal 4 (CT4) at Tanger Med, one of Africas busiest ports, and recently expanded at Casablanca with modernized facilities for 600,000 TEUs annually.

In 2024, the Moroccan group, which focuses on container handling, processed a total 2.9 million TEUs, a performance which enabled Marsa Maroc to maintain its 4th place in Africa dominated by DP World (operating in South Africa & Senegal), APM Terminals (serving in Nigeria and Egypt), and ICTSI (active in Madagascar and elsewhere).

To bolster its continental presence, Marsa Maroc signed agreements in 2024 to operate Terminals 1, 5, and 6 at Benins Port of Cotonou, adding multipurpose and container handling capacity. It also invested in Damerjog Oil FZE for an oil-and-gas port project in Djibouti.

The Moroccan company is set to commission two new container terminals at Nador West Med (Eastern and Western), with a combined capacity exceeding 5 million TEUs dedicated to transshipment. The Eastern Terminal alone (1,520 meters of quay, 18m depth) will require a 200 million investment and is slated for 2027 operations, potentially elevating Marsa Marocs total container capacity to 6.5 million TEUs.

According to Drewry report, Marsa Maroc is becoming a key player in Africas maritime logistic corridors, particularly along the Mediterranean and West African routes, consolidating the Kingdoms growing role as a regional transshipment hub.
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Algerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release veteran columnist Saad Bouakba, who was arrested on November 27 for comments on independence war.

He is facing charges of defaming late President Ahmed Ben Bella.

Bouakba was arrested in Algiers after Mahdia Ben Bella, daughter of Algerias first president, filed a complaint about the journalists interview broadcast on the local YouTube-based channel Vision TV News.

In the interview, Bouakba cited the former presidents unlawful distribution of funds belonging to the National Liberation Front (FLN), which led the struggle for independence from France during Algerias 1954 to 1962 war.

Jailing 79-year-old journalist Saad Bouakba over remarks on Algerias independence-era history is an alarming escalation in the countrys crackdown on critical voices, said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah.

Algerian authorities must free Bouakba and stop using vague laws on false news and offenses to national symbols to silence the press.

Freedom of expression in Algeria is severely restricted in practice, despite being formally guaranteed by the constitution. Algerian authorities use a range of legal and extra-legal measures to silence dissent, resulting in widespread self-censorship, arbitrary detentions, and prosecutions of journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens.

The Algerian regime regularly arrests and detains individuals for peaceful expression, often using anti-terrorism legislation to prosecute them. Journalists like Ihsane El Kadi and activists such as Mohamed Tadjadit have faced significant prison sentences for their work or social media posts.

Furthermore, the Algerian government maintains significant influence over media outlets through state ownership of printing facilities and the state advertising agency. Independent outlets, such as Radio M and Maghreb Emergent, have been shut down. The government also monitors online activities and has the capacity to block websites and prosecute social media users for critical content.

The Hirak protest movement, which began in 2019, has been met with increased repression, arrests, and the dispersal of demonstrations. A longstanding ban on demonstrations in the capital city of Algiers remains in effect.
Belgium added Morocco to its list of safe countries of origin for the first time following a decision by the Chamber of Representatives commission on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the federal parliament, despite unfavorable opinion from the General Commissioner for Refugees and Stateless Persons.

Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt stated that solid evidence suggests Morocco can be considered a safe country, as the human rights situation there has considerably improved in recent years. This designation carries significant procedural implications for Moroccan asylum seekers.

Under the new classification, asylum applicants from Morocco will be presumed not to require international protection. Processing of their protection requests can therefore be expedited, according to the General Commissioner for Refugees and Stateless Persons, consistent with procedures applied to countries considered generally respectful of fundamental rights.

Following individual examination, if applicants fail to present sufficient elements demonstrating international protection needs, their applications will be refused and may be deemed manifestly unfounded. This accelerated procedure applies specifically to countries on the safe origin list.

The decision reflects Belgiums assessment of Moroccos human rights improvements and democratic governance progress in recent years. Morocco has undertaken significant reforms across multiple sectors including justice system modernization, womens rights advancement, and civil society development.

Belgiums move aligns with similar designations by other European Union member states that have evaluated Moroccos political stability and human rights record. The classification does not prevent individual asylum seekers from presenting compelling personal circumstances warranting protection but establishes a presumption that most applicants lack valid protection grounds.

This administrative change streamlines asylum procedures while maintaining individual case review mechanisms. Morocco joins several other countries on Belgiums safe origin list, reflecting Brussels confidence in the kingdoms governance standards and human rights protections for its citizens.
The Spanish government has hailed UN Security Council resolution 2797 endorsing Moroccan Autonomy plan offered for the Sahara under the Kingdoms sovereignty.

In a statement adopted following the 13th High-Level Moroccan-Spanish Meeting, held in Madrid, Spain reaffirmed its position expressed in the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, and welcomed the latest UN development on the Moroccan Sahara issue, urging UN Sahara Envoy to conduct negotiations on the basis of the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco.

Morocco and Spain signed 14 cooperation agreements during the 13th High-Level Moroccan-Spanish meeting held under the co-chairmanship of Heads of Govt. Aziz Akhannouch and Pedro Sanchez.

Rabat and Madrid have agreed to enhance further their strategic partnership in diplomacy, public governance, justice, finance, social protection, agriculture, fishing, digital, education, training, sports, culture, scientific research and anti-hate speech.

With these new agreements, the Moroccan-Spanish partnership will serve as a leverage for shared stability, development and modernization for both shores of the Mediterranean
The Netherlands affirmed that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the most feasible solution to definitely put an end to the regional dispute.

This position, falling in the context of the international momentum created under the impetus of King Mohammed VI in support of Moroccos sovereignty over its Sahara and the Autonomy Plan, was expressed in the Joint Statement adopted by the Moroccan and Dutch Foreign Ministers, Nasser Bourita and David Van Weel, following a meeting in The Hague.

The Joint Statement also indicated that the Netherlands welcomes the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797 and expresses its full support to the efforts of the Secretary General and his Personal Envoy to facilitate and lead negotiations founded on the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, with the aim of reaching a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, as recommended by the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects a major copper deficit to emerge over the next decade, as demand for the metal rises sharply. Unless global mining for copper is expanded at an accelerated rate, demand could outstrip supply by as much as 30 percent. Meanwhile, several new copper powers are expected to emerge to counter Chinese dominance of the global copper market, with the development of new mining projects.

There could be a supply shortage of copper by as much as 30 percent by 2035 as global demand increases, mainly owing to the energy transition and artificial intelligence development, the IEAs critical minerals analyst, Shobhan Dhir, stated at the annual Critical Minerals Association conference in December.

There are several challenges facing the copper mining sector, including declining ore grades, rising capital costs, and lengthy project development timelines. This makes it more difficult to scale up copper production compared to other critical minerals. Dhir explained, Copper is the one we're really concerned about So, this is a really challenging mineral to ramp up supply quickly. So, we are particularly concerned, and I want to highlight that as one of the key global issues going forward.

Meanwhile, the International Copper Study Group announced in October that it expected the global refined copper market to experience a deficit of 150,000 metric tonnes in 2026, compared to the previously anticipated surplus of 209,000 tonnes, due to slower production growth.

Copper is used for a range of applications, such as electrical wiring, power transmission, plumbing, electronics, renewable energy technologies, and industrial machinery, thanks to its electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and malleability. The Copper Mining Market was valued at $9.24 billion in 2024 and is expected to rise to $13.93 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 3.8 percent between 2025 to 2035.

Chinas market dominance has led many countries to worry about the strength of their copper supply chains. In August, it was estimated that Chinas refined copper output would rise to a record high in 2025, as the growing strength of its smelting sector is putting overseas competitors out of business in the face of a global shortage of copper ore. At present, China contributes over half of the global refined copper production.

The global copper shortage began to take hold in late 2023, owing to mine closures and the rapidly expanding smelting capacity, which drove down processing fees  the fees that smelters are paid to turn concentrate into metal, thereby reducing profitability. Smelters in China have been able to increase output faster than concentrate imports by using existing inventories and using scrap from the governments consumer goods trade-in programmes, according to the Macquarie Groups commodities strategist Alice Fox.

To strengthen their supply chains, several countries are investing heavily in copper mining and refining activities. In November, the Canadian firm Ivanhoe Mines commenced operations at its 500,000-tonne-per-year copper smelter at Kamoa-Kakula in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which it says is the largest and greenest copper smelter in Africa. It expects its first feed of concentrates to be ready by the end of the year.

Ivanhoes founder Robert Friedland stated, The ceremony today is not just a ritual; it is the passing of a torch representing transformative change at Kamoa-Kakula From a site where we first discovered high-grade copper in 2008, we now harness a fire blessed by tradition to power a facility that will set a new global standard for copper smelting.

Canada is also growing its copper operations at home, with the revival of projects and the development of new mines. While output from British Columbias copper mines fell by almost 18 percent by 2023, compared to the peak, as deposits aged and permitting slowed, Canadas copper output has increased by roughly 6.2 percent since 2023. However, some projects have been delayed due to rising costs.

The CEO of the Mining Association of Canada, Pierre Gratton, recently stated, I expect copper to be making a big comeback in the next few years. This is reflected in the growing interest in restarting or extending copper production.

Operations at Teck Resources Highland Valley mine are being extended beyond 2040. Newmonts Red Chris mine is also continuing operations and could contribute to an increase in the national copper output by as much as 15 percent before 2030. Production at New Golds New Afton mine is expected to increase to 45,000 tonnes a year. Meanwhile, Foran Mining expects to commence operations at its McIlvenna Bay mine in Saskatchewan in 2026.

Growing copper deficits and Chinas increasing dominance of the copper market are threatening to destabilise global copper supply chains in the coming years, as demand for the critical metal continues to grow on a global scale. Unless several new large-scale mines come online over the coming decade, the copper deficit will continue to grow, which could stall the deployment of new renewable energy capacity worldwide.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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There is a rising global interest in extracting much-needed critical minerals from the Arctic to meet the growing needs for various metals and minerals. However, environmentalists are concerned about what impact the exploitation of vast untapped reserves in the region might have on wildlife and the environment. Despite potentially holding huge reserves of critical minerals, several countries have previously avoided mining activities and other invasive actions in the Arctic due to its fragile nature and the wide array of unknown challenges to development.

Several countries around the globe are looking to develop their critical mineral mining and refining capacity to counter Chinas dominance in the market. This has led some powers to look to the north to access vast untapped resources, with five in particular  Russia, Canada, the US, Denmark, and Norway  asserting their claims and advancing their strategic interests in the region.

The Arctic is seen as a source of a lot of different raw materials, not only oil and gas, but a lot of strategic materials and rare earths Greenland, right now, is a repository of a lot of base metals, precious metals, gemstones, rare earths, uranium  its all there. The problem is that up until recently, it was seen as completely unviable to actually mine them, the associate professor at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromso, Marc Lanteigne, stated.

But with climate change and the ability to navigate the Arctic Ocean much more frequently, especially during the summer months, Greenland is starting to be looked at much more carefully as a potential alternative source for a lot of these strategic materials to China, Lanteigne added.

Greenlands landscape is rapidly changing in response to global warming, with ice sheet and glaciers melting and leaving behind wetlands, shrubland, and bare rock. This means that accessing critical minerals that were previously extremely difficult to reach may now be possible, which is driving greater international interest in the region.

Earlier this year, United States President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. might take ownership of Greenland, stating upon his inauguration in January that U.S. ownership of the autonomous Danish territory is an absolute necessity for national security and freedom throughout the world. Greenlands Prime Minister Mute Egede quickly responded to Trump by saying the Arctic island is not for sale.

In October, the Trump administration discussed the possibility of purchasing an 8 percent stake in Critical Minerals Corp., which would provide the U.S. with a direct interest in the largest rare earths project in Greenland. This follows other moves by the White House aimed at increasing the U.S. critical mineral mining and processing capacity to counter Chinese dominance.

The Toronto-based mining and exploration firm Amaroq is currently developing projects in Greenland, aiming to exploit the countrys rare earths. Amaroq confirmed the discovery of commercial levels of germanium and gallium, which are widely used in electric vehicles and semiconductors, at its west Greenland hub in November.

Canada is pursuing greater Arctic investment to enhance its mineral mining capacity, looking to Ottawa to develop a national project. Prime Minister Mark Carneys new nation-building agenda could encourage more critical minerals, infrastructure, and defence development in the countrys Arctic region, particularly in response to Canadas increasingly strained relations with the United States.

Part of Carneys potential nation-building activities is a Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, which could mean the development of a road and port network linking communities, aimed at driving economic development and supporting the Canadian Armed Forces in the North, with a focus on critical minerals development.

Meanwhile, Russia is exploring its Arctic potential, as it holds approximately 40 percent of the total land area beyond the Arctic coastline and is home to almost three-quarters of the Arctic population. In 2020, Moscow announced its Arctic 2035 plan, which includes infrastructure financing, economic expansion, and strategic importance for national security in the Arctic region. Russia is currently constructing a new nuclear-powered icebreaker ship to access Arctic waters.

The Scandinavian energy superpower Norway has also shown interest in developing its Arctic assets, announcing plans last year to mine the seabed in Arctic-reaching territorial waters. However, development was halted after the small left-wing environmentalist group, the Socialist Left Party (SV), secured a deal to delay the initiative in return for its support for the national budget. The government had planned to issue its first deep-sea mining exploration licenses in early 2025, a move that attracted widespread criticism from around the globe.

As the race for countries to expand their critical mineral mining capacity hots up, governments worldwide are considering developing operations in previously untapped regions of the world, with little regard for the potential environmental repercussions. Many countries are increasingly concerned about strengthening their energy and resource sovereignty in the face of trade wars and other growing geopolitical tensions.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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The stock market is hitting record highs. GDP growth is in the green. Tech valuations are defying gravity... fueled by a promise that artificial intelligence is going to generate trillions of dollars in wealth.

And yet... everything feels kindaterrible?

Jobs are disappearing, not in a crash, but in a slow fade. Prices for essentials remain stubbornly high. The divide between the digital economy and physical reality has never been wider.

We are told this is just a transition period. We are told that "efficiency" is messy... but necessary.

But the unease you feel isnt irrational. The green arrows on the stock charts aren't measuring the health of the everyday economy anymore. They are measuring the success of a takeover.

We are watching a fundamental shift in how the state operates. Sovereignty is shifting from public institutions to a network of private entities. And in many ways, we are holding the door open for them.

When Silicon Valley Bought the State

For years, we talked about the "revolving door" between business and government.

The idea was that regulators would leave office and take cushy jobs at the companies they used to police. It was a conflict of interest... but one we understood.

That metaphor doesn't really fit anymore. This is more like a merger.

A specific network of billionaires and venture capitalists has moved beyond lobbying. They are now building the state infrastructure themselves.

They don't want to influence the rules. They want to be the ones writing the code that executes the rules.

Look at the players involved...

Peter Thiel: The billionaire founder of Palantir, who has explicitly stated that he no longer believes "freedom and democracy are compatible."

Elon Musk: Who uses his platforms to amplify "techno-populism" while securing massive government contracts.

Marc Andreessen: The venture capitalist whose "techno-optimist manifesto" calls for unlimited acceleration of technology, regardless of the social cost.

These aren't just businessmen. They are state-builders.

And theyve spent the last decade funding a pipeline of personnel to place into key government positions.

Thiels former chief of staff, Michael Kratsios, directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

An executive from Anduril, a defense contractor backed by Thiels Founders Fund, was nominated as Army under-secretary while still holding up to $1 million in company stock.

This pipeline has paid off. In late 2024 and 2025, we saw a massive consolidation of federal power into private hands.

SpaceX: The company secured a $1.8 billion classified contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to build a vast spy satellite network.

1789 Capital: A venture firm joined by Donald Trump Jr. backed a company called Vulcan Elements... which immediately landed a $620 million Pentagon contract.

Palantir: By late 2024, 55% of their revenue roughly $1.7 billioncame directly from government sales.

They have realized that the most profitable business model isn't just selling products to consumers. It is offering "governance as a service."

We look at this efficiency and applaud it. But it raises a difficult question: When a private company runs the software that powers the state, who is actually in charge?

Abundance for Them, Scarcity for You

This new system requires fuel. A lot of it.

The leaders of this shift love to talk about "abundance." Listen to Sam Altman or other AI evangelists, and they will tell you we are on the verge of a "fusion utopia." They promise that AI will eventually solve climate change and give us limitless, clean energy.

That is the sales pitch. And maybe, one day, it will be true. But the reality today is a story of immediate resource pressure.

To power the massive data centers required for their AI models, these companies are tapping into the American energy grid at an unprecedented scale.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), power consumption from data centers is projected to more than double... rising from 415 terawatt-hours in 2024 to 945 TWh by 2030.

To put that in perspective... that is roughly the equivalent of adding the entire electricity consumption of Japan to the global grid in just six years.

Where will this power come from?

Not from the magic fusion reactors of the future. It is coming from the grid you rely on today.

In the PJM electricity market, which covers 13 states from Illinois to New Jersey, the demand from data centers has already driven capacity prices up.

To meet this need, the government is pivoting. The Department of Energy is increasingly financing coal and natural gas expansion to keep the servers humming.

It creates a difficult dynamic:

Tech giants lock down "clean" baseload power... like Microsofts deal to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant solely for their own use.

The public grid is pushed to rely more on the volatile "spot market," often powered by gas.

Communities deal with the environmental cost... including the 6 billion gallons of water Googles data centers consumed in 2024.

It isn't necessarily maliciousIts just math. But the math ends with the public paying higher bills to subsidize yet another part of the AI boom.

How "Efficiency" Is Deleting the Middle Class

This shift isn't just happening on your electric bill. It is happening in the workplace.

The stock market is rallying on the promise of "efficiency." And let's be honest, technology does make things more efficient. But for the workforce, "efficiency" often looks like a closing door.

We often look at headline-grabbing layoff numbers. And they are significant. In the first few months of 2025 alone, over 126,000 tech workers lost their jobs, according to Crunchbase.

But the bigger story is what happens after the layoff.

It is a phenomenon called "silent firing."

Companies aren't just letting people go. They are simply... not hiring replacements. When a worker leaves, the role is dissolved, or the tasks are handed over to software.

According to a report by Zety and Allwork, 73% of workers reported experiencing "quiet firing" tactics in 2025... where support is withdrawn and roles are made redundant without a formal announcement.

The entry-level jobs are being automated first. If you are a junior analyst, a copywriter, or a coder fresh out of college... the job you would have taken five years ago is harder to find.

This flattens the middle class. It creates a gap where new careers should be. And the industry leaders know this is happening.

The Trap of Outsourcing Global Sovereignty

This isn't just an American dynamic. This new model of "privatized sovereignty" is being exported globally.

Europe, for example, talks a lot about "Digital Sovereignty."

They want to be independent. But building your own tech stack is expensive and slow.

A report by the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) estimates that achieving true digital independence would cost Europe 3.6 trillion.

Most nations aren't willingor ableto pay that bill. So, they sign contracts.

74% of publicly listed European companies now depend entirely on U.S. tech stacks.

Look at the United Kingdom.

The NHS signed a 330 million deal with Palantir to build its data platform. Its efficient. It works. But it means a U.S. company now manages the health data of the British public.

Look at Ukraine. Their defense relies heavily on Starlink. It has saved countless lives. But it also means their military communications rely on the goodwill of a single American company.

It is a trade-off. These nations get the best technology in the world. But they become 'client states' in the process. You cannot have a truly independent foreign policy when your defense infrastructure is leased from a company in California.

And if a G7 nation can be reduced to a client state, the individual American worker doesn't stand a chance.

The architects know this. That is why they have prepared a specific 'safety net' for the people they intend to make obsolete.

UBI Is a Trojan Horse

We need to talk about the "safety net" the architects are promising us.

Every tech billionaire has the same talking point: AI is going to take all the jobs, so we will need Universal Basic Income (UBI).

It sounds generous. It sounds inevitable. But if you look at their actions, it looks less like a safety net and more like a trap. While they preach UBI in the future, they are actively dismantling the machinery required to fund it in the present.

Elon Musk frequently claims that UBI will be "necessary" in an AI future. Yet, he lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative explicitly designed to slash federal spending by trillions.

You cannot have it both ways.

You cannot gut the federal budget, fire the administrators, dismantle the tax collection agency (IRS), and then claim you are going to distribute a monthly check to 330 million Americans.

And its not like hes going to give away his own money, either.

He recently stated: "The biggest challenge I find with my foundation is trying to give money away in a way that is truly beneficial to people."

He is literally telling us that he finds philanthropy "too difficult." If he can't figure out how to give away his own money, why should we trust him to build a system to give away the nation's money?

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, advocates for a "Moore's Law for Everything," where we tax capital to fund a citizen's dividend.

But his actual product, Worldcoin, reveals the true business model.

Worldcoin doesn't give you a dividend as a right of citizenship; it gives you a crypto token in exchange for scanning your iris. It creates a proprietary database of human biometrics owned by a private company.

This is a customer acquisition strategy. He wants to build a user base, not a social safety net.

And for figures like Peter Thiel, UBI isn't even meant to help the poor. They aim to delete the government.

UBI is the severance package for the "nanny state." The deal is simple: cut every citizen a check, and in exchange, eliminate Social Security, Medicare, and public infrastructure.

It sounds like freedom, but it is a bad trade.

Even if the check is large, it cannot replace the leverage of the state.

The government negotiates wholesale prices for healthcare and runs transit at a loss for the public good.

If you replace those systems with cash, you force individuals to buy "retail" in a market that knows exactly how much money they just received.

You are trading a durable right to services for a volatile subscription to them. And as any Netflix user knows, the price of the subscription always goes up.

Auditing the Myth of the "Self-Made" Empire

Before we talk about solutions, we have to look at the receipts. We need to audit the myth of the "self-made" techno-oligarch.

The narrative they sell is one of libertarian geniusthat they built these empires in a garage, fighting against the heavy hand of the state.

The reality is that the state was their angel investor.

Wewere their angel investor.

Tesla survived its most critical moments thanks to a $465 million Department of Energy loan in 2010.

SpaceX exists because NASA awarded them huge contracts when the private market wouldn't touch them.

Palantir was literally incubated by the CIAs venture arm, In-Q-Tel.

OpenAI is currently lobbying for a $500 billion infrastructure investment , asking for taxpayer-funded power grids and tax credits to build data centers.

On top of the direct cash, the founders and CEOs have benefited from a tax code designed to let them hoard it.

The 2017 tax cuts slashed the corporate rate from 35% to 21%, and loopholes allow them to borrow against their stock holdings to live tax-free, while the average worker pays income tax on every paycheck.

Then there is the hidden subsidy: resource extraction.

When a data center drains a local aquifer to cool its servers, forcing the local town to upgrade its water treatment plant... the town pays for that upgrade. The company gets the cooling; the public pays the bill.

But it isn't just water. It is the air itself.

Despite the 'net-zero' press releases, the dirty secret of the AI boom is diesel.

To guarantee 99.999% reliability, these facilities rely on banks of massive generators.

In some counties, data centers are permitted to burn enough fuel to rival a major airport, pumping exhaust into local lungs to ensure a chatbot in California never lags.

And it is the noise.

These things are massive, concrete fortresses emitting a constant, low-frequency roara mechanical drone that penetrates walls and disrupts sleep for miles. It is the sound of local quality of life being liquidated for uptime.

Then there is the infrastructure bill.

The enormous power draw requires billions in new transmission lines. But the tech companies often aren't the ones paying for those upgradesyou are.

We have socialized the risks, the infrastructure costs, and the pollution, but privatized the profits, the intellectual property, and the control.

Demanding a Return on Our Investment

So... where do we go from here?

The old social contract was simple: Corporations make money, and in return, they provide jobs.

That contract is void.

They are building systems explicitly designed to remove the need for jobs.

The "Return on Investment" for the public is no longer employment. And it certainly isn't UBI, which remains a distant fantasy while the tax base to pay for it is eroded.

If the public is going to put up the capital, and deal with the consequences of ballooning energy and resource use, the public should see a return.

We need a new model for ROI.

The Sovereign Equity Model

In the venture capital world, if an investor puts up the money to de-risk a technology, they get equity. They get a seat on the board. They get a share of the upside.

Yet, when the U.S. taxpayer does it, we call it a "subsidy."

The CHIPS Act alone funneled $52 billion into semiconductor manufacturing

While the taxpayers who funded this got nothing but the bill.

This is bad business.

We need to adopt a Sovereign Equity Model.

If a company wants a government loan, a tax credit, or a guaranteed energy contract, the government should take equity warrants in return. This isn't radical socialism Its basic capitalism.

It is exactly what Warren Buffett did when he bailed out the banks in 2008. He didn't give them free moneyhe bought warrants that eventually made Berkshire Hathaway billions.

We already have a successful blueprint for this in the Alaska Permanent Fund.

Since 1976, the state of Alaska has treated its oil reserves not as private bounty, but as a shared asset. When the oil flows, a portion of the revenue is deposited into a sovereign wealth fund, which then pays out an annual dividend to every resident.

We should treat our digital and energy infrastructure the same way.

The profits from these government-backed equity stakes shouldn't disappear into the black hole of the general budget; they should flow into a ring-fenced National Wealth Fund that pays dividends directly to the citizenry.

If the American people are taking the risk, we should own the upside.

Tax the Robots to Save the Tax Base

The U.S. tax code is currently rigged to favor machines over people.

If you hire a human, you pay payroll taxes, social security, and healthcare. If you buy a GPU cluster to do the same job, you get a tax write-off for "depreciation." We are effectively subsidizing our own replacement.

We need to rebalance the ledger with an automation adjustment.

This is not about punishing innovation Its about fiscal survival. Payroll taxes consistently account for roughly 30-35% of all federal revenue. If AI fulfills the promise of displacing millions of workers... that revenue stream collapses. The deficit explodes. The economy breaks.

Bill Gates, hardly a socialist, made this point explicitly: "Right now, the human worker who does $50,000 worth of work in a factory... that income is taxed... If a robot comes in to do the same thing, youd think that wed tax the robot at a similar level."

If a company replaces a human workflow with an AI agent, the economic output remains, but the tax contribution vanishes. We need to attach a levy to that output.

Data Dividends

Data is the new oil. We have heard the cliche a thousand times. But we aren't treating it like oil.

The AI models generating trillions in value were trained on the collective output of humanity. They scraped our journalism, our art, our open-source code, and our personal data. They harvested the "digital commons" for free... processed it... and are now selling it back to us at $20 a month.

In any other industry, this would be theft. If you drill for oil on someone else's land, you pay royalties. If you use someone else's timber, you pay for the lumber.

The generative AI market is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032.

The raw material that fuels that market cannot be priced at zero. If our data is the raw material for their product, we are the suppliers. And suppliers get paid.

Universal Basic Services

If we give everyone a $5,000 UBI check, but the price of housing, energy, and internet doubles... we haven't solved anything. We have just subsidized the landlords and the utility companies.

The smartest Return on Investment is to lower the "overhead" of being alive in America.

We should move toward Universal Basic Services (UBS). Use the proceeds from the equity stakes, the automation taxes, and the data dividends to fund the inputs of the modern economy:

Public Compute: Treat processing power like a public utility. Build state-owned clusters available to researchers and startups at cost, breaking the pricing power of the tech giants.

Green Public Transit: Make car ownership optional, removing a massive monthly debt anchor from the working class.

Digital Infrastructure: High-speed internet should be a right, not a subscription service dominated by regional monopolies.

We are hitting the physical limits of our energy grid. We are seeing the limits of the old labor model. We might have to accept that "infinite growth" isn't compatible with a finite planet.

But "no growth" doesn't have to mean poverty.

The vibes are off because deep down... we know the deal has changed. We are moving from a world of public institutions to a world of private platforms.

The "New Operating System" is being installed. And it is faster. It is more efficient. It is undeniably impressive.

But we have to decide if we want to be the owners of this new future... or just the users.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Spanish authorities said Saturday they are investigating five laboratories in an effort to find the source of an African swine fever outbreak that has unnerved Europe's leading pork-producing nation.

The probes were announced after Spain's agriculture ministry said on Friday that the virus identified was "very similar" to a strain frequently used in labs for testing infections.

Spain has deployed dozens of soldiers to help track and contain the outbreak, which occurred in the northeastern Catalonia region, where 13 cases have been detected since November 28.

The outbreak has led to a third of the 100 countries that import Spanish pork products halting shipments as a safety measure.

Swine fever does not affect humans but is highly contagious and lethal for pigs.

The five labs being investigated are located within a 20-kilometer (12-mile) radius of the outbreak, Salvador Illa, the regional Catalonia president, told a news conference.

He also said that the 80,000 pigs on the 55 livestock farms in the zone of risk were healthy and fit for human consumption, and that, gradually, "they will be able to be sold on the Spanish market in total safety."

The African swine fever outbreak is the first that Spain has experienced since 1994.

 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:

More than two million people, nearly 10 percent of Sri Lanka's population, have been affected by the floods and landslides.

Disaster-hit Sri Lanka has unveiled a major compensation package to rebuild homes damaged by a deadly cyclone, even as the island prepared on Saturday for further landslides and flooding.

The government has confirmed 611 deaths, with another 213 unaccounted for and feared dead, in what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called the country's most challenging natural disaster.

The Disaster Management Center (DMC) issued fresh landslide warnings in several areas of the worst-affected Central Province, with the northeast monsoon gathering over the island and bringing more rain.

More than two million peoplenearly 10% of the populationhave been affected by last week's floods and landslides, the worst this century.

Survivors will be offered up to 10 million rupees ($33,000) to buy land in a safer location and build a new house, the finance ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

They will also receive livelihood support, including cash to pay for children's school books, kitchen appliances, bedding and rent if they are not given accommodation by the state.

The government did not say how much the bold package would cost, a concern given the country's recent economic turbulence.

A senior official earlier said recovery and reconstruction might cost up to $7 billion.

The central bank has ordered commercial banks, both state-owned and private, to reschedule loans of affected people and not to impose penalties on defaulting borrowers.

The government is also offering one million rupees in compensation for each person killed or left permanently disabled.

Tens of thousands of homes were damaged by the floods.

The DMC said nearly 75,000 homes were damaged, including close to 5,000 that were completely destroyed by last week's disasters.

Around 150,000 people remain in state-run shelters, down from a peak of 225,000.

The air force said it was still using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on Saturday to supply communities cut off by landslides in the center of the country.

IMF request

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it was considering Sri Lanka's request for an additional $200 million, on top of the $347 million tranche the country was already due to receive this month.

"The IMF remains closely engaged with the Sri Lankan authorities... and is committed to supporting the country," the Washington-based lender said.

Cyclone Ditwah devastated swathes of Sri Lanka as it was emerging from its severe 2022 economic crisis, following a four-year, $2.9 billion bailout loan agreed with the IMF in early 2023.

Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery, but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock alone.

Despite assistance from the military and volunteers in flooded communities, fresh rains have hampered clean-up operations.

Residents evacuated from the landslide-prone central hills have been told not to return immediately, even if their homes were unaffected by the slips.

 2025 AFP
What'll it be  a daytime douse or a pre-sleep splash? Turns out, there's more at play here than you think.

What'll it be  a daytime douse or a pre-sleep splash? Turns out, there's more at play here than you think. (Getty)

For some, a morning shower and a cup of coffee go hand in hand. They can't imagine starting the day any other way. For others, a warm wash down before bed is the only way to end the night and ensure a peaceful sleep. Deciding when to shower is usually a matter of finding what works best for your lifestyle, but it's worth considering: Are there any advantages to showering in the morning or at night?

We talked to several doctors, and they all agreed on this: What's most important is that a person showers regularly, whether when they wake up, before their head hits the pillow, or somewhere in between. That said, there are reasons a morning shower is better for some people, while a nighttime drenching is preferable for others.

Why you should shower at night

You have dry skin

Dr. Eric Tepper, a board-certified family medicine physician in Sacramento, California, advises that individuals with dry skin should consider taking a shower before bed. "Skin permeability is higher in the evening, so the skin may absorb moisturizer more effectively at night," he explains.

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Evening showers are also optimum on a cellular level, says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician in Phoenix. "Cells turn over most at night, so it makes sense to shower in the evening and then moisturize to take full advantage of the benefits of cell regeneration," she says.

You get really dirty during the day

People who sweat a lot or work jobs that involve high levels of grime  think garbage collectors, construction workers  should opt for an end-of-day shower for "better skin health," says Dr. Asim Nazir Cheema, a board-certified internist and cardiologist based in Ontario, Canada. "Nighttime showers remove the day's accumulated pollutants, allergens and sweat from your skin." Without the nightly cleanse, "they spend eight hours pressed against your bedding."

You have trouble falling asleep

Not one of those people who dozes off within minutes of climbing into bed? Bathing in warm water may help, as it triggers a cooling process in your body. "Taking a shower at night will drop your core body temperature, which is actually a signal for your body to fall into sleep more easily. Studies show that warming the body through bathing, one to two hours before bedtime, improved sleep quality and helped people fall asleep about 10 minutes faster," explains Cheema.

Why you should shower in the morning

You need help waking up

Is the snooze button your BFF? Do you have to set multiple alarms just to make it to work on time? Starting your day with a dousing may be just the thing you need to give your body a kick-start. "Morning showers can wake you up and help those who feel sluggish in the morning," says Dr. Michael Chichak, a general practice doctor based in Ohio. Why? The sensation caused by air on your wet skin really does invigorate you. Explains Cheema: "When you step out of a shower into cooler air or use cool water at the end of your shower, the rapid decrease in skin temperature sends a message to your brain and causes a response in the sympathetic nervous system. It's a thermo-sensory shock that stimulates alertness."

You have oily skin

If you have naturally oily skin, it makes more sense to wash in the morning. "If someone with oily or acne-prone skin skips a morning cleanse, all of the bodys excess sebum gets mixed with sweat, dead skin cells and anything that has been left behind from the night before," Cheema explains. This can lead to clogged pores, resulting in whiteheads, blackheads and other types of breakouts. He recommends a quick morning rinse or gentle cleanse to remove that accumulated sebum before makeup, sunscreen and environmental pollutants get layered on top.

You start your day with a workout

Similarly, if you exercise in the morning, you'll want to wash the sweat off before embarking on your day. "The importance of removing sweat and bacteria from the skin immediately after a workout cannot be overstated," stresses Cheema. "Washing right away will help prevent skin conditions such as inflammation of the hair follicle and acne caused by heat, pressure and friction from physical activity."

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Additionally, from a purely practical point of view, a morning shower means not taking post-workout sweat  and the associated unpleasant odor  along for work, errands and whatever else the day brings.

The bottom line

So, once and for all, what's the best time of day to shower? "There is no universal best time to shower," says Chichak. "What there is, is a better time to shower, depending on your needs or goals." Whenever you decide to shower, remember that consistency is key. "Your body's circadian rhythms will adapt to whichever schedule you choose," Cheema says.

Editor-loved shower essentials

Amazon Body Restore Shower Steamers, 6-Pack Want to make your bathroom feel a bit more spa-like? Take a cue from Yahoo's resident gifting expert Amanda Garrity, and treat yourself to these top-rated shower steamers. She named them among the best gifts ever for 2025. Made with baking soda and essential oils, these scented melts take your bathing experience to the next level. Each scent targets a specific purpose: Lavender and Chamomile promote relaxation, Citrus Grove is a mood booster, Eucalyptus Mint is a refreshing wake-up, and so on. The steamers come in a pack of six, and each lasts for at least one shower. $16 at Amazon

Frontgate Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towels Unless air drying is your thing, you'll need something plush waiting for you when you step out of the shower. When it comes to the best bath towel, Senior Home Writer Kristin Granero put 18 top picks to the test, dunking them in buckets of water to assess absorption and running them through countless wash cycles to gauge durability. She ranked Frontgate's Resort bath towels No. 1. "It's a large and cushy, but still breathable towel that comes in a cornucopia of colors," she says. "It was among the softest towels I felt... and it maintained nearly all of its softness and color throughout the laundry process." $40 at Frontgate

Amazon Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber Nothing takes the fun out of showering quite like staring at soap scum and mold. If you want your tiles to sparkle, invest in this electric scrubber that Yahoo Senior Deals Writer Britt Ross gives high marks. "After just a few seconds of buffing, the orange grout stains [in my shower] disappeared before my eyes," she reveals. "A cleaning tool that gets the job done quicker and gives my arms a break? Um, yes, please! This is a gadget that belongs in your arsenal." Ross isn't the only fan of this small, but mighty gadget. Nearly 18,000 Amazon shoppers have given it a five-star rating. "This thing is amazing  whoever thought of this should get a Nobel prize, because its that good," one enthusiast raved. $21 at Amazon
A homeowner shared that they may have missed their chance to take advantage of federal tax credits for solar panel installations  but they were still intrigued by the possibilities.

"I got a quote from a reputable local solar installer in NJ," the original poster wrote in the r/solar Reddit forum. "I have read arguments such as the 1:1 net metering potentially ending meaning I should just get the system now without waiting to see what kind of price drops will happen next year."

New Jersey's net metering program allows homeowners with solar panels to obtain full retail credit for the clean, nonpolluting energy they send back to the main grid.

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While not every state has an equivalent net-metering program, solar panels remain one of the best ways you can lower utility bills and buck rising energy prices, regardless of location. The Cool Down's Solar Explorer can help you determine which solar path is right for you.

And with a warming climate fuelling extreme weather, pairing solar with battery storage will boost your home's climate resilience, potentially saving you even more.

As for the OP, they said every company they reached out to was booked through the end of the year, meaning their project wouldn't be underway in time to qualify for the 30% solar credit. They wanted to know: "Is it worth it without the federal tax credits?"

If this is also a looming concern for you, TCD's Solar Explorer can simplify the process by connecting you with vetted installers who may be able to save you up to $10,000 in installation costs. However, if you don't have space in your budget to purchase panels, Palmetto's LightReach leasing program can cut your utility rate by 20% and requires no money down.

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But if buying still feels like the right path for you, Solar Explorer partner EnergySage makes it simple to obtain curated bids from trusted installers  and can help you investigate which incentives are available to you.

Members of Reddit's solar community offered the OP advice and reassurances, with several emphasizing the importance of connecting with vetted providers to ensure a smooth process.

"Not a single person has ever regretted getting solar too early, but almost every single happy homeowner wishes they had gotten it sooner. (... Obviously homeowners who got ripped off or scammed wished they'd have never done it)," one person wrote.

"Ultimately there's no one right decision, but it's a decision for you," another said.

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And if you want to level up your long-term energy savings, TCD's HVAC Explorer can help you find an energy-efficient upgrade that fits your needs, saving you up to 50% on heating and cooling bills.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Stoya and Rich here. Its anonymous!

Dear How to Do It,

Im a girl in my university theater group and we celebrated our final night of performance with an after party. Ive been eyeing this cute guy a year below me and I asked his friends for help. We were both intoxicated (apparently he was more than me) and we flirted all night. We held hands and talked about first kisses and he fell asleep on my shoulder. It was an extremely soft, romantic moment I believe to be mutual!

Days later Im left on delivered and his friends tell me hes scared of me but he doesnt seem to be avoiding me. Do I confess my love or accept silent rejection? Do I push down the situation and continue grieving the most romantic moment of my life? Please send help.

Confess or Stress

Dear Confess or Stress,

This is very sweet, but what you describe sounds like a fleeting moment that probably owes a lot to the substances that were fueling it. If someone comes out of this situation scared of you, it doesnt necessarily mean that you did anything wrong, but it does mean that if you want to preserve any kind of dynamic with this person, you should ease off. I am inclined to trust his friends claims. They likely have his best interest in mind, and if he were into you, theyd probably be clamoring to hook you up. Friends typically have their friends best interest in mind. Right now theyre trying to keep you away from him. Granted, they could have nefarious motivation here that is targeting you for some reason irrespective of his feelings for you, but I doubt it.

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Now is not the time to confess your lovesome degree of it was loud and clear at the after party, and hes freaked out by it. You must realize that, He doesnt seem to be avoiding me, is hardly a ringing endorsement. It sounds like the minimum someone can do to remain civil with a peer?

With all that said, I dont think you have to accept silent rejection, either. At least, not yet. See how it plays out. He may be temporarily shook and come around. Sometimes when people react strongly to us, it has way more to do with them than us. The level of intimacy that he experienced that night may have overwhelmed him. Maybe he is not yet mature enough to be able to properly handle that kind of encounter. But it just as easily could have confirmed that he wants nothing to do with you romantically. Youre in uni, which means you are young. Its OK to be sad when something that you want doesnt work out, but try not to spend too much time grieving. This person may not be right for you, but theres probably several people who are. Its just about finding them. Learning along the way will only aid in that goal. The lesson here is to not lean into something when someone is trying to push away. Thats a self-defeating strategy as youre likely to only push him further.

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Get advicesubmit a question! Please keep questions short (<150 words), and dont submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication. Thanks! Your question has been submitted. Dear How to Do It, * Your letter signoff Your pronouns Your email (optional and confidentialplease include if you're open to How to Do It following up) Submit

Dear How to Do It,

Ive been with my boyfriend for nine years, and while our relationship is stable and loving, Ive always struggled with doubtspartly from feeling I missed out on dating and partly from comparing my relationship to others. About seven years ago, I formed a deep connection with a coworker who helped me through a difficult move. Though I wasnt physically attracted to him then, his emotional support and constant reassurance filled needs I didnt realize were unmet. Over time, this became an emotional affair, including sexting.

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I love my boyfriend and weve built a life together, but I still feel attached to this other man and get jealous when he dates. Im starting to wonder if I want him, or if Im attached to the validation he gives me. Now my boyfriend has proposed, and I feel torn and guilty. I want clarity so I can move forwardhow do I untangle these feelings and decide whats right?

Confused and Guilty

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Dear Confused and Guilty,

First of all, it looks like you already asked this question to Care and Feeding, our family advice column, and got some good feedback. But I will attempt to give you my own answer.

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Talk about wanting clarity: Is the emotional affair with the coworker still happening? I am going to assume it is as the validation he gives me is in the present tense. Thats a long texting affairseven years! Olivia Nuzzi has nothing on you. If Im right, and youre still actively communicating with this guy, well, of course youre confused. You may be in an inadvertently poly situation, but you arent actively engaging in the practices that healthy poly living requires, including going about things ethically.

But heres what really leaps out at me from your letter: You found, in a guy that you arent physically attracted to, with whom youre in a mostly screen-based relationship, needs that werent being met. This, I think, says a lot about your current relationship. Why is your boyfriend not providing sufficient emotional support and reassurance? Its practically impossible for one person to be everything another needs, but this seems like a fundamental flaw in the relationship. It may be that your boyfriend could be doing more in these areas, but it could also be that you need more than he can give. A direct conversation about this may be clarifying.

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At the same time, the coworker is clearly out there living his life, regardless of your interactions with him. Youre hung up on someone who is, at this point, unattainable. The emotional support and constant reassurance may feel good, but you should at least ask yourself how genuine they are coming from someone who isnt exactly focused on you in real time.

As things stand, neither of these guys seem like ideal partners for you, and your FOMO isnt going to magically abate. It sounds like you know what you need to do, which is to experience more of what life and the dating field has to offer. Of course this is possible while retaining your boyfriend (again, youd want to do the non-monogamy thing consensually), but Im going to discourage complacency here. Dont stay in something only because its where you are, and dont confuse love with comfort. Unless your answer to the question, Do you want to marry me?, is an enthusiastic yes, I dont think you should go forward with it. For now. The relationship with your boyfriend may be worth working on, perhaps via intense and frank conversations, in couples counseling, or both. But something needs to be said about the aspects of the relationship that arent serving you. If you were to talk to your boyfriend about your emotional affair with the coworker, you might come out of that feeling less guilty. Your boyfriend could also break up with you on the spot, but that would serve to untangle at least the logistics here. At this point, that sounds like a win/win to me.

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The columnists behind our advice column, Good Job, want to help you navigate your social dynamics at work. Does your colleague constantly bug you after hours? Has an ill-advised work romance gone awry? Ask us your question here!

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Dear How to Do It,

Were a late-70s couple still having great sex. But despite us paying lots of attention to cleanliness, my wife gets a UTI almost every time, with complications of leaking. So were out of commission most of the time. No anal involved these days. She does love partial fisting and requires lots of action on the clit to come, but its getting to the point where shes afraid of doing anything. What do you suggest? Urologist, gynecologist, gynecological urologist? Help!

We Miss It

Dear We Miss It,

Your wife should definitely see a doctor, and in case you are playing a role in the infection, so should you. You may both need to undergo a course of antibiotics if you havent already. A doctor may want to test her (or both of you) for underlying conditions that may be the cause of the recurrent UTIsfor example, theyre more common in people with type 2 diabetes. If she isnt urinating immediately after sex, cleaning her genital region before and after sex (wiping front to back), and staying hydrated, all of those things could help prevent the recurring UTIs. Cranberry tablets and juice (not the kind with added sugar), probiotics, and a supplement called d-mannose are other potential therapies that may help protect against UTIs (for more of these, check out this 2013 journal article). Your wife may want to look into pelvic floor therapy, as well, as there is data to suggest that its effective in treating recurrent UTIs (heres a 1998 study of girls suggesting as much). Kegel exercises could be a good place to start. A prophylactic antibiotic regimen is another possible way of preventing UTIs, but again, that would require a doctors prescription. A gynecologist should be fine to visit, but a urologist may also be helpful. Your wifes GP, for that matter, could be a good place to start. Just as long as she sees someoneyou, too.

 Rich

More Advice From Slate

I had one genital herpes outbreak as a teen, and I never told anyone about it. Not even my sexual partners. In fact, I refuse to bring it up. I have a whole bunch of really good reasons for doing this, and I feel confident that I dont need to disclose this, but is there anything Im missing? Do you have holes to poke in my argument?
In the fast-moving law of immigration sweeps, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell issued a major opinion on Tuesday limiting the warrantless arrests taking place in the District of Columbia. The Trump administration had relied on an earlier shadow-docket order, Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, which lifted an injunction prohibiting immigration officers from stopping people solely because of their presumed race, location, or use of Spanish. But Howell concluded that Noem addressed different issuesand that an unexplained shadow-docket order does not exactly bind her: The court majority merely issued a one-paragraph order granting a stay without any explanation for its holding, she wrote. Bluntly put, why the court ruled as it did remains unclearand without reasoning, this order cannot even be considered as persuasive.

On this weeks Amicus Plus bonus episode, co-hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discussed the reasoning behind Howells decision. Their conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Dahlia Lithwick: Judge Howell blocked warrantless immigration arrests without probable cause and held that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection have been systematically breaking the law by arresting people because they  pretty much just look Latino. The ruling came just before a Washington Post report that more than 80 percent of the 932 immigration arrests in D.C. during Trumps recent crackdown had no criminal record whatsoever. This is just a terror campaign. Its a terror campaign that is largely illegal. We talked about this case when the lawsuit was filed as the test of what have come to be known as Kavanaugh stops. The facts on the ground here are horrifying.

Mark Joseph Stern: The plaintiffs in this case are Latino residents of D.C. who are lawfully present in the United States. They were each racially profiled and arrested on suspicion of being an undocumented immigrantwhich meant that they were essentially abducted off the street by masked and heavily armed agents, many of whom were not even wearing uniforms or badges. Some of the plaintiffs literally thought they were being kidnapped because, in essence, they were. They were then brutalized and degraded for hours on end in detention. Agents starved them, denied them basic medical care, and forced them to sleep in freezing rooms with no bedding. Two different plaintiffs actually heard the agents bragging about the bonuses they would receive for their arrests thanks to Trumps policies. So while they were being tortured, they heard their torturers boasting about how much money they were going to make from it.

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The high court seems to have signaled that this kind of racial profiling is actually OK under the Fourth Amendment. So what did these plaintiffs argue here instead?

The Supreme Court case from earlier this yearwhich was so terrible and wronginvolved stops, which are supposed to be brief and fairly casual. This case involves actual arrests, which means handcuffs and significantly longer detention; its more serious. Now, in reality those two things get blurred, but they are different legal concepts. The plaintiffs here said: Lets set aside mere stops. The Trump administration is violating the federal statutes that govern immigration arrests. Those laws require agents to have probable cause two times over before arresting a person for allegedly being undocumented. First, they need probable cause that the individual is indeed an unauthorized immigrant. And second, they need probable cause that the individual poses a flight risk before agents will have a chance to obtain an administrative warrant that authorizes their detention.

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Judge Howell actually used the administrations own words to prove that the official policy of the government is to arrest anyone suspected of being undocumented without probable cause. CBP chief Greg Bovino, whom we talk a lot about on this show lately, literally said in public: You notice I did not say probable cause, nor did I say I need a warrant. We need reasonable suspicion of illegal alienage. Tricia McLaughlin, the principal communications adviser to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, said that agents only need reasonable suspicion to make arrests, not probable cause. In the courtroom, government lawyers actually told Judge Howell that these officials dont necessarily understand legal terms of art like reasonable suspicion and probable cause and that they were just misstating the policy.

Related From Slate The Supreme Court Is About to Hand Trump Insidious New Powers Read More

Howell had an incredible rejoinder to that. She wrote: This is a remarkable assertion. On its face, the governments defense appears to be that the individuals behind these statements are ignorant or incompetent, or both. These statements, however, were made by high-ranking officials  in their official capacity to the press, on DHSs official website, and on DHSs official social media account. And after a hearing in this very case, DHS issued an official statement contradicting the governments own lawyers. It said: No, we dont use probable cause, we only use reasonable suspicion. Everything on the record showed they are not using probable cause. So Judge Howell issued an injunction barring the arrest of immigrants in D.C. without probable cause that, at a minimum, they pose a flight risk if they arent immediately detained.

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Does Judge Howell, in her ruling, also require probable cause that a suspected immigrant is in fact undocumented?

No, which is a disappointing aspect of the decision. Judge Howell held that there is clearly a policy of arresting immigrants without probable cause of flight risk. But she was not yet prepared to say that this administration has an official policy of arresting people because they are undocumented. I know that that might sound strange given everything we know and everything the government has said. But Judge Howell is being really careful here because one of the governments strongest arguments in that Supreme Court case was that the district court had gone beyond blocking a policy and was ensnaring individual agents who made innocent mistakes.

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Howell doesnt want to open herself up to that kind of challenge. She said she wanted to avoid a never-ending flurry of contempt proceedings and micromanaging of agents in the field. She also saidalthough I kind of struggled to believe thisthat it was not yet clear whether agents had reason to believe the named plaintiffs were in the United States unlawfully prior to making warrantless civil immigration arrests. So she reserved judgment on that issue and will resolve the factual disputes in the future. I expect the plaintiffs will gather enough evidence to convince her soon enough, but for now, her injunction will still provide real protection for District residents who get racially profiled and threatened with arrest.

We can stand up Judge Beryl Howell as another judge who is not willing to be told by government lawyers that the sky is green. She seems willing to say: Actually, no, Im going to figure this out for myself, and also you are lying. So props to Judge Howell for that.
When Kevin Cummings won with Tymal Envoy in the ninth race at Batavia Downs on Saturday, Dec. 6, he registered the 5,000th win of his 36-year driving career.

The reinsman pulled the four-year-old Sam Smith-trained gelding from the pocket nearing three-quarters, and Tymal Envoy ($5.08) streaked away to a seven-length victory in 1:58, securing the milestone for Cummings.

Cummings comes from a family steeped in harness racing heritage. His father, John Cummings Sr., and brothers John Cummings Jr., Tony Cummings and Todd Cummings all trained and drove at Batavia Downs going back to 1979, with the brothers getting a hands-on education from their father at an early age.

After starting to drive at age 19 in 1989, Cummings developed into a stellar reinsman who has been near the top of the leaderboard almost every year since. Throughout his career, Cummings has been a high-demand driver and, as a result, has won a slew of driving titles in western New York, including five at Batavia Downs since the racino era began in 2005. He has also finished second five times at The Downs during that time period.

Cummings is not only a desired driver by local trainers; he also draws some of the best visiting horses during New York Sire Stakes season. He had the privilege of sitting behind the great seven-million-dollar man, Foiled Again, in 2016 when he won The Downs signature event, the Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace in 1:52.2. Cummings also won the 2006 Kane with Michael Scores in 1:52.1.

In 2021, when Cummings hit the 4,000-win mark, he reflected by saying It means a lot, its a good milestone and Id like to get to 5,000. But I dont know if that will happen. It only took four years to get there, and at 55 years old, 6,000 appears to be a very achievable goal for the savvy driving veteran.

Cummings' career numbers now show 5,001 wins from 28,741 starts with 4,678 seconds and 4,224 thirds, giving him a lifetime UDR of .313. He has recorded earnings of $28.2 million.

At the current Batavia meet, Cummings now sits second for dash wins with 80.

Despite his triple, his deficit to leader Drew Monti grew, as that reinsman was at the top of his game Saturday with six wins on the 15-race card. Monti won with Brushing Up (1:57.4, $23.88), Rock Me Always (1:55.3, $4.28), Somebodyitreasure (1:55.2, $2.84), Treasured Tee (1:59, $2.78), Soul Assassin (1:56.2, $7.56) and Kbssweetcaroline (1:58, $4.96).

The six wins pushed Monti to 105 wins for the current meet, which is 25 ahead of Cummings. Joe Chindano Jr. is third, only one back of second.

His big night came in large part as a combined effort with conditioner Sam Smith, as The Downs leading trainer extended his lead substantially with five wins on the program. Smiths victorious trainees were Brushing Up, Rock Me Always, Somebodyitreasure and Kbssweetcaroline, along with Tymal Envoy.

Smith now has 59 wins and is seven ahead of Shawn McDonough (52) with only four cards of racing remaining.

There were two $17,361 feature races on the evening, one on the pace and one on the trot, won by Livonjaxandqueens and Dougadougadew, respectively.

In the Open Pace, Flag Party (Joe Chindano Jr.) set a :28.2 quarter and :57.4 half, where Livonjaxandqueens (Denny Bucceri) pulled first-over and came to within a length of the leader at three-quarters in 1:25.2. Flag Party and Livonjaxandqueens paced side-by-side around the last turn, but when they entered the stretch, Livonjaxandqueens started to dart away and eventually won by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:55. Toreador Gb (Kyle Swift) closed for place over Flag Party.

The win was the 10th of the year in 31 appearances for the favoured Livonjaxandqueens ($3.72), who is owned by Howard Ouriel and trained by Jim Rothfuss. The five-year-old American Ideal-Its De Lovely stallion is now 24-for-88 lifetime.

In the Open Trot, El Toro Loco (Kevin Cummings) cut fractions of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:28.4 while Dougadougadew (Kyle Cummings) drafted third along the cones behind Gone Crazee (Monti). Straightening for home, Gone Crazee made a break, opening room for Dougadougadew to chugga-chugga-through the passing lane where he turned a 2-1/2-length deficit into a 1-1/2-length win in 1:58.4. El Toro Loco finished second, followed by a gaining Brookview Darius (Swift).

Dougadougadew ($4.76) took his third score of the year in 29 starts for trainer Tammy Cummings. Doug and Tyra Ackley own the six-year-old son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Fashionable Filly, who has now won 20 of 85 lifetime outings.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at a new, earlier post time of 5 p.m., which will be in effect for all race days through the end of the meet. There will be a carryover of $1,590 available in the Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the 13th race.

(With files from Batavia Downs)
The Joe Bongiorno-trained and -driven Go Go Grasshopper vaulted past opponents in the shadow of the wire to take the Saturday, Dec. 6 feature at The Meadowlands, a $24,306 high-end conditioned pace.

The three-year-old ridgling by Sweet Lou-Faster Faster, off a sparkling score from third a week ago, did the same thing again, only this time facing better company.

Go Go Grasshopper, Bondi Lockdown A (Brad Chisholm), and 3-5 favourite Sugar Man (Brett Beckwith) were all away from the gate well in the nine-horse field, with Go Go Grasshopper reaching the quarter first in :27. Sugar Man then vacated the three-hole and sprinted to the top just after the three-eighths before Lyons Steel (Jordan Stratton) then took the point while parked at the half in :55.2.

They lined up Lyons Steel-Sugar Man-Go Go Grasshopper as they went by three-quarters in 1:23.3.

I figured Id be in the two-hole behind Brett [Beckwith], but Jordan [Stratton] power-moved his horse," said Bongiorno." I wasnt surprised to see Jordan go to the lead, because that horse has a lot of speed.

When the field hit the top of the stretch, Sugar Man was out of the pocket and going after the leader with Go Go Grasshopper right behind him.

It ended up working out really well, said Bongiorno. Brett slid off on the last turn. The horse on the front was done and I got to stay on [Bretts] helmet. My horse has a big burst of speed and hes been looking for a trip for a while.

Go Go Grasshopper prevailed after securing the top nearing the finish. He won it by a half-length over Sugar Man with Lyons Steel third. The time for the mile was 1:50.1.

Things didnt work out for him this year, said Bongiorno. We missed most of the stakes season with him, but now, hes a top horse getting back into form.

Were looking forward to seeing whats ahead for him. Well stake him to the Graduate and then kind of just see how things are going.

As the 2-1 second choice, Go Go Grasshopper returned $6.20 to win. He now has six victories from 15 career starts and earnings of $306,221 for owners Let It Ride Stables, Odds On Racing and JB Racing.

Brett Beckwith shared the day's driving honours with Joe Bongiorno as they both took three wins on the 14-race card. Beckwith also topped the drivers on Thursday and Friday to finish the three-day race week with 11 victories, the most of any driver at The Big M for one race week this year. Mark Herschberger was the first to win 10 times over a race week, but there were only two cards contested after Thanksgiving Day. Bongiornos two winners on Saturday paced the trainers.

All-source handle on the card totalled $2,710,924. Racing resumes Thursday at 6:20 p.m.

(The Meadowlands)
Back in 2004, Toyota entered into a joint venture in China with the Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC), where two new entities were created. One was GAC Toyota Engine Co., Ltd. (GTE), and the other was Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., later renamed GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (GTMC). Toyota's new joint venture with GAC was initially for the production of the GAC Toyota Camry in 2006. This was followed by the production of the GAC Toyota Yaris in 2008. While GTE produced the Camry engines, starting with those for export models in 2005 and later with engines for the Chinese market in 2006, GTMC took care of the production of these vehicles.

Further projects of GAC Toyota included the building of an additional production line, on which would be produced the GAC Toyota Highlander in 2009 and the GAC Toyota Camry Hybrid in 2010. Since then, GAC Toyota has shown steady growth in the Chinese market, even as other non-Chinese brands have faltered. These other brands have failed largely due to the rise of both home-grown Chinese vehicle brands and the increasing market share being taken by Chinese-made new energy vehicles of various types.

As a response to this phenomenon, Toyota has adopted an 'if you can't beat them, join them' approach. The proof of this can be seen in its full self-driving EV, as well as two new vehicles that have been revealed by GAC Toyota at the Auto Guangzhou 2025 Show in November.

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Read more: 10 Toyota Models With Terrible Resale Value

The GAC Toyota is a RAV4 -- with a big difference

Front 3/4 View of GAC Toyota Wildlander with inset of China-developed intelligent cockpit - Toyota

The first vehicle revealed by GAC Toyota at Auto Guangzhou 2025 was the Wildlander, which may look familiar, since it's designated as the RAV4, the world's best-selling car, in non-Chinese markets. The big difference between the Wildlander and the RAV4 is that the Wildlander's intelligent cockpit was developed in China, the first time that Toyota has done this to a gasoline-powered vehicle. It uses a large language model with voice interaction that also incorporates more than 10 functions that are accessible through gesture controls. The intelligent cockpit features what GAC Toyota calls a "class-leading 15.6-inch ultra-narrow-bezel display."

Another major difference between the Wildlander and the current RAV4 that's available in the U.S. is that the Wildlander offers a non-hybridized powertrain. This is a 2.0-liter inline-four that is naturally aspirated and produces 169 horsepower that can be sent to either the front wheels or all four, if you specify all-wheel drive.

Two different conventional hybrid drivetrains are available as options. One uses a 2.0-liter four plus electric motors that produce 150 horsepower, with the other being a more powerful 2.5-liter four that works with additional electric motors generating a more generous 182 horsepower. The hybrid versions can also be had in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions. There has not been a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Wildlander announced for the Chinese market as of this writing. The Wildlander is an attempt to make internal-combustion vehicles more acceptable to the Chinese buying public by adding tech features.

The GAC Toyota bZ7 is a look into Toyota's Chinese EV future

Front 3/4 view of GAC Toyota bZ7 in studio setting - Toyota

The other vehicle Toyota unveiled at Auto Guangzhou 2025 is much more consequential for Toyota's future fortunes in China. This is the bZ7, Toyota's flagship Chinese EV with some pretty cool features. The bZ7 is a large sedan designed in China for the Chinese car-buying public. For comparison, the bZ7 is about five meters long, a little longer than a Tesla Model S. Its front-end 'hammerhead' styling places its looks right in line with its Camry and Prius siblings.

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Inside, the bZ7 uses Huawei's HarmonyCockpit, integrated with Xiaomi's smart ecosystem called "Human x Car x Home." This advanced system allows bZ7 owners to control their smart home appliances through either their smartphones or the bZ7's infotainment system. The occupants are treated to an upscale interior treatment that combines ambient lighting and tasteful wood accents with a large center touchscreen, supplemented by an instrument panel directly in front of the driver. Additional controls reside in a small console built into the roof, right between the sun visors.

Another innovative feature on the bZ7 is its LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) roof-mounted sensor, which works with the Momenta 6.0 smart driving system that is standard equipment on the top trim levels of the bZ7. The styling of the bZ7 is both elegant and sporty, with an aerodynamic sloping roofline that culminates in a ducktail spoiler. Energy flows from a Calb-tech lithium iron phosphate battery, while power comes from a 278-horsepower Huawei motor driving the rear wheels.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.
Calculators are more affordable than phones, and run on batteries and solar power (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)

Calculators are more affordable than phones, and run on batteries and solar power (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA) (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/AFP)

The humble pocket calculator may not be able to keep up with the mathematical capabilities of new technology, but it will never hallucinate.

The device's enduring reliability equates to millions of sales each year for Japan's Casio, which is even eyeing expansion in certain regions.

Despite lightning-speed advances in artificial intelligence, chatbots still sometimes stumble on basic addition.

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In contrast, "calculators always give the correct answer," Casio executive Tomoaki Sato told AFP.

But he conceded that calculators could one day go the way of the abacus.

"It's undeniable that the market for personal calculators used in business is on a downward trend," Sato said in Tokyo.

Smartphones and web browsers can handle everyday sums, while AI models achieved gold-level scores for the first time this year at a prestigious global maths contest.

But calculators are more affordable than phones, and run on batteries and solar power -- a plus for schools in developing countries, a potential growth area for Casio, Sato said.

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And people who do buy calculators prefer the way they feel, he argued.

Thitinan Suntisubpool, co-owner of a shop selling red bags and beckoning cats in Bangkok's Chinatown, said she loves how durable her big calculator is, having dropped it several times.

"It's more convenient in many ways," the 58-year-old told AFP.

"We can use it to press the numbers and show the customer," avoiding language-barrier misunderstandings.

But at a nearby street stall selling clocks, torches and calculators, the vendor, who gave her name as Da, said calculator sales were "quiet".

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- 'Optimised tools' -

At a Casio factory in Thailand, assembly line workers slotted green circuit boards into place and popped cuboid buttons labelled "DEL" from a plastic tub onto pastel-blue calculator frames.

"Calculators are still in demand," said Ryohei Saito, a general manager for Casio in Thailand.

"Not everywhere in the world has smartphone connectivity, and calculators are optimised tools focused on necessary functions," he said.

In the year to March 2025, Casio sold 39 million calculators, general and scientific, in around 100 countries.

That compares to 45 million in 2019-20, but is still up from the 31 million that sold the following year after the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

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The company has come a long way from the 1957 invention of the desk-sized "14-A", which it says was the first compact all-electric calculator.

Calculator history even made headlines recently when Christie's suspended the Paris sale of an early calculating machine, "La Pascaline", after a court said it could not be taken abroad.

The auction house called the ebony-decorated 1642 device "the first attempt in history to substitute the human mind with a machine".

Those attempts have accelerated with AI.

- Scoring gold -

In July, AI models made by Google, OpenAI and DeepSeek reached gold-level scores at the annual International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

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But neither attained full marks at the annual contest for under-20s, unlike five human participants who achieved perfect scores.

IMO president Gregor Dolinar called the progress of artificial intelligence in the field "fascinating".

"When we talk about scientific calculators, in the past you needed them, but nowadays it's easier to just ask AI," he told AFP.

"If you pose the question in the right way," artificial intelligence can crunch abstract, logical questions and show how it reached its conclusion, Dolinar said.

Dolinar, a professor in engineering at the University of Ljubljana, thinks physical calculators are likely to "slowly disappear".

Something that has already happened for his students.

"They can calculate everything on a phone," he said.

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You know what they say: If at first you don't succeed at mass government surveillance, try, try again. Only two days after India backpedaled on its plan to force smartphone makers to preinstall a state-run "cybersecurity" app, Reutersreports that the country is back at it. Its said to be considering a telecom industry proposal with another draconian requirement. This one would require smartphone makers to enable always-on satellite-based location tracking (Assisted GPS).

The measure would require location services to remain on at all times, with no option to switch them off. The telecom industry also wants phone makers to disable notifications that alert users when their carriers have accessed their location. According to Reuters, India's home ministry was set to meet with smartphone industry executives on Friday, but the meeting was postponed.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears on a screen to deliver a speech remotely as other leaders attend the 22nd ASEAN - India Summit during the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. (Photo by Rafiq Maqbool / POOL / AFP) (Photo by RAFIQ MAQBOOL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (RAFIQ MAQBOOL via Getty Images)

Predictably, proponents claim the plan is about helping law enforcement keep you safe from the bad guys. (See also: Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.) The administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long been concerned that law enforcement agencies cant obtain precise enough locations during investigations. Cell tower data alone can be off by several meters. And hey, what's the privacy of 1.4 billion people next to tracking criminals with an extra 10 ft. or so of accuracy, right?

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Apple, Google and Samsung are said to oppose the move and have urged the Modi government to reject it. The lobbying group India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), which represents them, reportedly wrote in a confidential letter this summer that the proposal has no precedent anywhere in the world. The group's letter described the measure as a "regulatory overreach," which is probably putting it mildly. They warned that it could compromise military personnel, judges, corporate executives and journalists.

In a statement sent to Engadget, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sounded the alarm on the proposal. "Requiring phones to have A-GPS enabled all the time would be a horrifying decision by the Indian government with significant impacts on the privacy of everyone in the country, EFF Senior Staff Technologist Cooper Quintin said. With this change, the phone company and law enforcement get your exact location at any time, potentially even without legal due process."
Vietnam's State Capital Investment Corp subsidiary to sell entire Vinamilk stake

By Thai Ha Sun, December 7, 2025 | 9:00 am GMT+7

SCIC Investment Co. Ltd (SIC), a subsidiary of Vietnams State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), has registered to sell its entire holding in Vinamilk (HoSE: VNM), the country's leading dairy producer.

On the HCMC Stock Exchange, Vinamilk shares closed December 5, 2025 at VND63,400 ($2.4) apiece. Photo courtesy of the company.

SIC plans to divest 1.45 million Vinamilk shares, equivalent to 0.069% of Vinamilks charter capital, as part of a portfolio restructuring.

At Vinamilks closing price of VND63,400 ($2.4) per share on Friday, the transaction is estimated to be worth around VND92 billion ($3.49 million).

The sale is expected to take place between December 10, 2025 and January 8, 2026, via either order matching or put-through transactions.

SIC is a wholly-owned unit of SCIC, which remains Vinamilks largest shareholder with nearly 752.5 million shares, or about 36% of the company's chartered capital.

Vinamilk recorded consolidated post-tax profit of VND2.51 trillion ($95.42 million) in Q3, up 4.5% year-on-year, according to a company release. For the first nine months, the figure was VND6.59 trillion ($250.28 million), translating to earnings per share (EPS) of VND2,804 ($0.11).

Consolidated revenue reached VND16.97 trillion ($645 million) in the quarter, up 9.1% year-on-year. For nine months, the tally was VND46.68 trillion ($1.77 billion), up 0.7%.
GUARDIAN Group has been awarded the Lisa James Award for Learning and Development by the Hum
Tesla and Merc are the better choices for driver rewards

The compact exec has always been the first choice of company car drivers looking to cut a dash, but the tax-slashing benefits of going electric mean that corporate tastes have changed.

The Tesla Model 3 has become the user-chooser's first choice, its blend of tech, range, fast charging and rock-bottom tax bills making it a perennial sales chart fixture since it arrived here in 2018. Moreover, it has been joined in the past year or so by a growing number of upstart EV rivals keen to take a slice of this profitable pie.

One of the latest to land is the MG IM5, which actually isn't an MG at all. (You will search in vain for any sign of an octagonal Morris Garages logo.) Instead, it's a rebadged Intelligence in Motion L6, a slick executive saloon that's the product of a joint venture with MG owner SAIC. No matter what it's called, it's hard to ignore the car's sleek lines, massive 100kWh battery, 441-mile range and 44,995 price, plus a tech spec that runs to four-wheel steer and 800V architecture.

The old guard aren't giving up without a fight, though. Like many European brands, Mercedes-Benz has been hampered by legislative flip-flopping and shackled by the need to deliver both battery-powered and combustion-engined models, often offering two totally bespoke machines in effectively the same class (the E-Class and EQE, for example).

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With the new CLA, however, it's taking a more joined-up approach. The first car to be built on the brand's new MMA architecture, it's engineered to seamlessly accept any powertrain. For this CLA 250+, that means a highly efficient 85kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery and a clever, rear-mounted 268bhp motor with a silicon-carbide inverter that offers lower weight and a more compact size.

There's also a Porsche Taycan-style two-speed transmission and 800V architecture for an ability to charge at 320kW (behind the MG's 396kW but ahead of the Tesla's 250kW). Oh, and a not insignificant claimed range of 484 miles, which is enough to calm the nerves of even the most anxious long-distance traveller.

Alive to the dangers of this challenge to its supremacy, Tesla has revised the Model 3 with an upgraded battery (it's the same size, but software tweaks have made it more efficient) and, praise be, the addition of an indicator stalk, which was bizarrely deleted when the new model was launched just under two years ago.

The Single Motor Long Range version we requested for this test can now travel up to 466 miles between charges. The more expensive and powerful Dual Motor that actually turned up at our offices offers a still impressive 410 miles.

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Despite being the newest model here, the Merc looks the most conventional, with its vast three-pointed-star-emblazoned 'radiator' and a slinky silhouette that owes a lot to its predecessor. It's also the slipperiest, cleaving through the air with a Cd of just 0.21. Meanwhile, the sweeping and strobing light show put on by its LED-encrusted grille when unlocking the car prompted one young passer-by to declare it "low-key sick". Praise does not come much higher, apparently.

What the MG lacks in eye-dazzling illuminations it makes up for in sheer presence. At 4931mm long, the IM5 is actually closer in size to cars from the class above, such as the BMW i5. It's not exactly distinctive, but the curvaceous and low-slung Chinese saloon does just enough to claim premium credentials.

And the Tesla? The slimmer lights, introduced as part of the 'Highland' update, have kept the Model 3 looking fresh, but such is the car's ubiquity that it fails to get a look-in alongside its newer rivals. That said, the old-stager manages to turn the tables on its rivals when it comes to interior style.

Tesla's minimalist design ethos and large glasshouse - it's the only one with a true panoramic roof, the glass stretching from the top of the windscreen to the base of the rear window - create a bright and airy feel, while the quality and fit and finish of the materials finally match Tesla's premium aspirations.

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As ever, the dashboard is dominated by the large touchscreen, which is the easiest to operate here, with crisp responses and logical menus. And did we mention there's now an indicator stalk?

As with its exterior, the Merc's cabin is the most showy, particularly in our test car's garish black and white finish, complete with ambient lighting seemingly lifted from a Stuttgart nightclub. The slab-fronted dash looks a little tacked on and the glossy black finish isn't as upmarket as the brand imagines, but the infotainment almost matches Tesla for slick operation and there are even some physical buttons.

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Sitting between these two is the MG, which on first impressions certainly looks and feels the part. Soft-touch materials are everywhere and build quality is easily on a par with its rivals here. Yet it's all a little generic and the impressive-looking touchscreens are fiddly to use (even simple operations keep your eyes off the road long enough for the driver distraction warning to squawk at you), as are the unmarked steering wheel-mounted rollers.

Perhaps most surprising, given its imposing external dimensions, the MG feels a little cramped inside. Those in the rear get no more space than in the more compact CLA, and neither can quite match the roomier Model 3 for occupant accommodation.

The IM5 hits back with a more practical hatchback opening for the luggage area, but all three provide around 500 litres of carrying capacity (the Tesla closer to 700), if you take into account overspill space in the various frunks. So much for practicality.

It's time to drive. First up is the MG and initial reactions are positive. You sit nice and low in the car while, with 402bhp on tap, performance is quick, almost matching the dual-motor Model 3 for instant, horizon-reeling urge. At 2210kg, it is the heaviest here but will still fire from standstill to 62mph in 4.9sec. Sport mode adds some extra zest to the throttle mapping, even if it offers no more actual pace.

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Of more concern is the lack of traction, on the wet and greasy roads of our test route at least. Squeeze the throttle with intent and the MG's rear end can slip and slide briefly before the traction control abruptly and scrappily gets a handle on the situation. Incredibly you can actually partially disengage the safety net, which results in enough tyre smoke to impress a Santa Pod season ticket holder.

Obviously there are no such issues with the all-wheel-drive, dual-motor Tesla, which takes the drag strip spoils here. Combining a remarkably low 1840kg mass with 394bhp, it will zip to 62mph in just 4.2sec. Yet our experience of the 315bhp Single Motor version suggests that choosing the cheaper model won't leave you feeling less exhilarated as it matches the MG, to the tenth, in the benchmark sprint.

What's more remarkable is that it combines this turn of speed with an incredibly modest appetite for electricity. We managed an impressive 4.0mpkWh during our hard-driven time with the car and the two-wheel-drive version will be more parsimonious still. The lower-powered Merc came closest to matching it, with 3.9mpkWh. The MG trailed both by a significant margin, with 3.0mpkWh.

Given its relatively lowly 268bhp and a kerb weight of 1980kg, it's no shock to discover the Mercedes is the least swift of our three, requiring nearly two seconds longer than the IM5 to rush to 62mph. Yet, as with all EVs, the CLA's instant low-speed response means it feels faster than the numbers suggest, and the jolt you get as the transmission shifts between its two gears adds a little drama to proceedings.

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However, knockout performance is part and parcel of the EV experience these days. Of more importance for any car wanting to rise above its rivals in the compact exec class is the ability to match its pace to a carefully balanced blend of handling elan and soothing comfort.

With its four-wheel steering, the IM5 has a neat technical trick up its sleeve to try to offset its extra mass and length. This lends the car remarkable agility around town, where it feels as wieldy as the smaller CLA. It also gives the MG a heightened sense of tippy-toed agility when the roads get faster because little steering input is required for it to slice cleanly through corners with nicely neutral composure.

There's decent weighting to the steering too, while the body stays incredibly level and grip levels in the dry are high. In the wet, that lack of traction means you need to be wary, even with the safety systems engaged. Yet while it's precise and fairly well composed, the MG fails to engage or entertain, simply going where you point it with clinical efficiency. It's effective and accurate, but fairly humourless.

On the plus side, it's extremely relaxing at a cruise, with low noise levels and, over smoothly surfaced roads, an effortlessly languid gait. On more torn Tarmac, however, the car starts to feel a little unsettled and jittery. The adaptive dampers and air springs from the larger IM6 wouldn't go amiss here.

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By contrast, the CLA has a firmer ride but its greater damping control means it nicely rounds off the sharper edges of nastier surface imperfections. It's equally quiet too. That wind-cheating shape allows it to slip effortlessly through the air, while road and suspension intrusions are kept to a minimum.

So it comes as a surprise that the mollifying Merc is up for a laugh when you're in the mood for something more energetic. The steering is the lightest here, even in Sport mode, and it has the slowest-paced rack, but tip the CLA into a corner and you will find taut body control and a front end that bites convincingly while the rest of the car pivots pleasingly around your hips.

More impressively, careful calibration of the motor's mapping means that you can even tighten your line using the throttle. With the ESP disengaged, the CLA will actually indulge in a little gigglesome power oversteer. There's genuine fun to be had here.

Sitting somewhere between the Mercedes and the MG is the Tesla. The double-wishbone set-up is still on the firm side, but it's never anything other than comfortable and the well-judged matching of control weights makes the Model 3 easy to rub along with from the moment you slide behind the wheel.

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The standard two-wheel-drive car feels slightly sweeter and fleeter of foot, but this dual-motor model shares the same keen turn-in, impressive resistance to roll and an almost mid-engined willingness to change direction. It's not quite as expressive as the Mercedes, but the Tesla gives you options to subtly trim your line mid-corner.

Regardless of the version, you still can't change its one-pedal regenerative braking but it's the most natural-feeling here. By contrast, in its most aggressive setting the CLA's retardation is so severe as to be unpleasant and near enough unusable. The Model 3 also has the best brake feel here, with a firm and positive action. The MG's stoppers can be a little grabby, the Merc's pedal a little squishy.

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So, another win for Tesla? Well, yes, but it's certainly close. In its current form, the Model 3 remains one of the best electric all-rounders in the business, and that's before you take into account its remarkable efficiency, eye-catching pricing and 0% finance deals.

Yet the Mercedes pretty much matches the Tesla for trailblazing EV tech while also offering a little more dynamic polish and even greater driver engagement. Only in outright urge does the CLA trail the Model 3, plus it costs a little more. But if you were to choose it over the Tesla, we would completely understand.

That leaves the IM5 in third place, but you should be in no doubt that the Chinese newcomer already has the raw ingredients to make life difficult for legacy brands, which now have to include Tesla among their number. For what is effectively a first attempt to topple the compact executive elite, this is a seriously impressive effort.

Factor in the rate of improvement already shown by companies like MG and established operators should be worrying that their 3 Series moment might not be far away.

1st: The current Model 3 remains Tesla's most mature offering, with a compelling blend of talents and strong practicality. It's also attractively priced now.

2nd: Good to drive, packed with kerb appeal and promising impressive efficiency, the CLA shows that the old guard isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.

3rd: The big MG is comfortable, quick and competent, plus it's bursting with tech. But there are some dynamic rough edges and it lacks character.

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Weve all seen some fun, petty celebrity beefs with a few back and forths online or in song, but the beefs we found today were out for career-killing blood. It really inspired us to finally get off our butts and get Earl from accounting canned. That dude has been a thorn in our side for years now, and the higher-ups are finally gonna hear about it.

Its not like hes losing out on millions of dollars or risking prison time like these poor saps, so its not that big of a deal. Drumming up this pettiness is actually a lot of fun, but were not gonna make it some lifelong vendetta like 50 Cent. Man, hes got it out for Diddy. Here, check out these petty career-ruiners while we help ol Earl pack up a bankers box.

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15 Fiddy vs. Diddy Shutterstock / Shutterstock 50 Cents animosity toward Diddy goes back about two decades, after Diddy gave him a strange, perhaps predatory vibe, and Diddy blocked 50s attempt to sign Ma$e to G-Unit. On top of diss tracks, public interviews, and social media posts ridiculing Diddy, he recently produced Sean Combs: The Reckoning that aims to bring accusations to light, and is widely seen as a deliberate attempt to forever damage Diddys legacy and public image. Advertisement

14 Warren Buffetts pettiness backfired Shutterstock Back in 1965, Berkshire Hathaways president Seabury Stanton reneged on a tender offer for Buffett's shares, which angered Buffett. In a fit of complete spite, Warren Buffett bought a controlling stake in Berkshire Hathaway to be able to fire Stanton right away. Buffett later regretted it, since it cost him an estimated $200 billion in potential returns over the years.

13 Kendrick Lamars not-so-minor Drake takedown Shutterstock / Shutterstock Their rivalry really kicked off after Kendricks 2013 verse on Control  in which he vowed to figuratively murder Drakes career. Performing the song Not Like Us at his Super Bowl LIX performance brought serious accusations of predatory behavior against Drake to over 130 million viewers. This seriously damaged Drake's professional and public perception, which he might never fully recover from.

12 The Johnny Carson vs. Joan Rivers Vendetta YouTube In 1986, Carson was angered by Joan withholding info about being offered her own late night show, so he severed all ties with her, and she was banned from The Tonight Show until Fallon had her on in 2014. In the 80s, local stations refused to air Rivers show, and it became difficult for her to book celebrity guests because no one wanted to displease Carson. This contributed to the shows failure and cancellation after just nine months. Advertisement Advertisement

11 Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan YouTube In one of sports most infamous scandals, Hardings ex-husband and associates orchestrated a possibly career-ending physical attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. The two were competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, and although Harding initially denied prior knowledge, she ultimately pled guilty to hindering the investigation. Kerrigan went on to win Silver in the Olympics that year, and Hardings career and reputation were ruined.

10 Tupac vs. Biggie Shutterstock In 1994, after Tupac was shot at Quad Studios in New York, he believed that Biggie and Bad Boy Records had prior knowledge of the attack. The personal feud collided with the larger East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry, and diss tracks from each rapper threatened the others life. The feud led to deadly consequences, as Tupac was shot and killed in Las Vegas in 1996, and Biggie was killed in Los Angeles during 1997. Advertisement

9 Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard Shutterstock Their defamation suits, abuse allegations, and years of public accusations became a global media spectacle. Depp lost a $22.5 million deal to star in a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie after Heard published an op-ed in which she called herself a public figure representing domestic abuse. Heard has reportedly lost out on career opportunities like endorsements and film roles due to his testimony and the overall backlash. Advertisement

8 Back when Drake was in the Win column After Meek Mill accused Drake of using ghostwriters, Drake responded with two rapid-fire diss tracks, Charged Up and the now-legendary Back to Back. The latter became a cultural moment, dominating social media, climbing the charts, and it was even nominated for a Grammy. This severely tarnished Meek Mill's image and seriously slowed his career momentum. Advertisement

7 Tati Westbrook ruined James Charles Shutterstock / Shutterstock In 2019, YouTuber Tati Westbrook called out her fellow beauty influencer and former protege James Charles, accusing him of inappropriate behavior. These claims were costly for Charles, causing him to lose one million subscribers in a single day  a first for any YouTuber. It opened the floodgates to more allegations, including claims of grooming underage fans. YouTube temporarily demonetized his channel, he lost business deals, and his career & reputation never recovered.

6 Eminem disses Everlast into oblivion After Everlast made a sly reference to Eminem on a song, Eminem fired back with sharp, mocking diss tracks like I Remember and Quitter. Eminems responses were aggressive, funny, and widely circulated, while Everlasts were considered weak and drew far less attention. It severely hurt Everlasts visibility in mainstream hip-hop, and hes never come close to Eminems massive popularity. Advertisement

5 Clint Eastwood ruined Sondra Lockes career Oscar-nominated actress and director Sondra Locke began a romantic relationship with Clint Eastwood on the set of the 1976 film The Outlaw Josey Wales. After the relationship ended in 1989, Locke filed a palimony suit, but Eastwood convinced her to drop it by offering a $1.5 million development deal. She later discovered this deal was a sham and Eastwood allegedly blacklisted her in Hollywood. Advertisement

4 Hannibal Buress is cited as a catalyst in Bill Cosbys downfall Shutterstock / Shutterstock Although some women had publicly accused Cosby of sexual assault, one comedy set by Hannibal Buress in 2014 went viral, made the allegations mainstream, and many more women came forward days later. In his set, he said, If you didn't know about it, trust me. You leave here and Google 'Bill Cosby rape.' It's not funny. That sh** has more results than Hannibal Buress." Advertisement

3 Ashley Judd led the charge against Harvey Weinstein Shutterstock / Shutterstock Ashley Judd was one of the first actresses to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct, and her willingness to speak out inspired dozens of other women to come forward. Weinstein was convicted for rape and sexual assault  a downfall that began with the early public exposure by Judd and other brave survivors.

2 The United States vs. Charlie Chaplin Wikipedia / Wikipedia After Charlie Chaplin was labeled a communist by Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1952, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover prevented him from reentering the U.S. after a trip to London. After living in the U.S. for 40 years, Chaplin settled in Switzerland and wasnt permitted to re-enter the country until 1972, when he received an honorary Oscar. Advertisement Advertisement
Nissan's Chinese Arm in an Aggressive Stride

After releasing two high-tech sedans meant to be sold worldwide, the N6 and N7, Nissan's Chinese arm, a joint venture with Dongfeng, officially announced its first high-riding model. Meet the NX8  a midsize SUV that's so high-tech, it makes the Nissan Pathfinder  yes, even the recently updated version  look ancient by comparison.

The NX8 is part of Nissan's new N-series, representing the legacy brand's aggressive strategy in China's tightly contested new-energy vehicle market. While Nissan still plays it safe in the US (hello, Rogue Plug-In Hybrid), the NX8 leans hard into fast charging, advanced software, and China-specific EV expectations.

Dongfeng Nissan

Design, Size, and High-End Tech

Design-wise, the NX8 fits squarely into China's modern premium EV lookbook. The SUV adopts an evolved version of Nissan's V-motion styling language. Up front, a 7.9-foot full-width "star ring" light bar anchors the fascia alongside a flat illuminated Nissan badge and matrix-style headlights. Flush door handles and tightly integrated side panels help keep the profile clean, while the rear wears a full-width OLED taillight panel  the same tech found in Audis  made up of more than 2,000 individual lighting elements with customizable patterns.

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In terms of size, the NX8 sits in the midsize SUV segment, though it's slightly shorter than America's Pathfinder. It measures 191.7 inches long, 75.6 inches wide, and 66.1 inches tall, riding on a 114.8-inch wheelbase.

Interior details haven't been fully disclosed yet, but the tech direction is clear. The NX8 supports highway and urban navigation assistance, full-scenario intelligent parking, and LiDAR-backed driver-support systems, which means it has advanced, hands-on semi-autonomous driving rather than basic driver aids.

Dongfeng Nissan

Will It Ever Reach America?

The NX8 offers both fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. The EV version uses a single motor producing either 288 or 335 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid differs from the one in the Outlander-based Rogue PHEV, acting more like an extended-range EV with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine rated at 146 hp and a 262-hp electric motor. The driving ranges for both types haven't been released yet.

Curb weight ranges from 4,840 to 4,950 lbs, depending on configuration, with a gross vehicle weight of about 5,865 lbs. Both variants ride on an 800-volt electrical architecture and support CATL's 5C ultra-fast charging. Energy comes from Nissan's next-generation lithium-iron phosphate Yundun battery, engineered to operate from -22F to 140F. Top speed is rated at 112 mph.

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Like the N6 and N7 sedans, the NX8 could eventually be exported, although Nissan has yet to officially announce, particularly the timing or pricing. Then again, we're not counting on this model to ever reach America, but it's a clear reminder of the possibilities out there.

Dongfeng Nissan

View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article

This story was originally published by Autoblog on Dec 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Arizona State University, in a major milestone decades in the making, is preparing to open its first-ever MD-granting medical school.

The new school will offer a combined Doctor of Medicine and medical engineering degree beginning in August 2026.

Theres still that strong emphasis on the medical education curriculum. And we really are using engineering to reinforce, not to replace, said Heather Clark, ASUs senior associate dean for engineering integration.

ASUs medical school is just one piece of a statewide push to reshape the future of health care. The University of Arizona has launched an expedited MD program, while Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff is investing in expanding its nursing program.

ASU medical school will welcome its inaugural class of 36 students in August 2026, offering one of the most distinctive medical-training models in the country.

Students will graduate with both an MD and a masters in medical engineering, preparing them to work at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, biomedical innovation and digital health, ASU officials said.

ASUs philosophy is to train physicians who can solve problems the health-care system hasnt caught up to yet.

One of our goals with the medical school curriculum is to really give our future physicians the ability to work with AI so they can evolve with it. Its changing so quickly that anything we teach them now will not be relevant in five or 10 years, Clark said. But if we can teach them to work with these tools, I think then, we will have a strong set of solutions.

ASUs new state-of-the-art medical school building, set to open in downtown Phoenix in 2028, will feature collaborative labs, flexible classrooms, and an industry-designed medical suite of the future where students can prototype devices, test AI tools, and explore emerging digital health technology. Clinical rotations will be supported through ASUs partnership with HonorHealth.

Clark said the spirit of collaboration stands out most.

I think we should be very proud of having an engineering medical school, she said. But I dont think we should compare ourselves to anybody else because, as ASU always is, were absolutely unique in our approach.

Arizona States rapid expansion didnt happen in isolation. It reflects a coordinated effort led by the Arizona Board of Regents, which has sharpened its focus on accelerating the health-care workforce pipeline.

As Arizona has grown, so has the need for more doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals. We launched the AZ Healthy Tomorrow to map out the future of Arizonas health care in our state, said Megan Gilbertson, the regents associate vice president for public affairs. The board asked our universities to hit the accelerator and grow more qualified medical professionals.

Recent data reinforced that urgency. Gilbertson pointed to a Georgetown University workforce report that projects Arizona will need 29% more health-care workers by 2031, one of the sharpest jumps in the country.

This data shows there is a need in our state, and Arizonas public universities are stepping up to help fill this gap, Gilbertson said.

For years, Arizona lagged behind national benchmarks in physician training. The state did not approve its first medical school until 1961, but even then, state leaders knew that as Phoenix grew, Arizona would eventually need another medical school to keep pace with population and demand.

More than half a century after the UA College of Medicine launched in 1967, that need has caught up and Arizona is responding with speed and strategy.

Nearly 3 million Arizonans already face limited access to primary care, and over a third of hospitals report critical staffing shortages. State leaders agreed: the time for incremental growth had passed.

The Regents knew decisive action was needed to grow more qualified medical professionals and do it quickly, Gilbertson said.

Gilbertson also applauded recent action by the governor and state Legislature to fund more residency slots, a key factor in keeping medical graduates in Arizona.

While ASU prepares to open its first medical school, the University of Arizona continues to anchor the states physician workforce through its two long-established colleges of medicine in Tucson and Phoenix.

The College of MedicinePhoenix started as a downtown satellite campus to the Tucson school, founded in 1967. The Phoenix campus expanded in 2004 to a full four-year program.

The College of MedicineTucson plans to expand its incoming class to 160 students by 2030, a significant jump aimed at producing more doctors for Arizonas growing population. The college actively works to retain these students in-state by encouraging them into UABanner Health residency programs.

When College of MedicineTucson graduates complete their training in Arizona, they are far more likely to remain and practice here long term. In addition, our primary care scholarship program strengthens the pipeline of physicians committed to serving communities across the state that face the greatest shortages, said Mitch Zak, the UAs executive director of external communications, in a Dec. 2 email.

In addition to expanding its class size, the UA School of Medicine was given the green light by the regents to join more than 30 medical schools nationwide to offer an accelerated three-year MD program.

Meanwhile, on Dec. 4, U of A launched a groundbreaking partnership with Yuma-based Onvida Health to establish the states first rural regional medical branch. Beginning in July 2026, the College of MedicinePhoenix will introduce a three-year Primary Care Accelerated Pathway based entirely in Yuma.

Up to 45 students, 15 per year, will complete all clinical training at Onvida Health and receive full tuition scholarships funded by the organization. The program targets students committed to primary care and aims to increase the number of physicians who stay and practice in rural Arizona.

Northern Arizona University is doubling the number of nursing graduates, expanding facilities statewide, and has plans to open a rural-focused medical school to serve northern, tribal and remote regions.
If the unknowns from the USS Arizona are successfully identified some day, a retiree in Green Valley can claim a small bit of the credit.

Jane Allen is one of hundreds of people who have submitted genetic samples that could soon be used to finally identify the remains of several dozen Arizona crew members buried in Hawaii under headstones with no names on them.

She sent her DNA to a military lab about a year ago, after her family was contacted by Operation 85, a civilian-led, all-volunteer campaign dedicated to identifying the battleship's unidentified.

The USS Arizona exploded and quickly sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 84 years ago Sunday, killing 1,177 crew members. Among them was Allens paternal second cousin, Eric Reed Young, a 25-year-old Ensign from San Diego.

Most of the dead were entombed inside the ship, but the bodies of approximately 200 from the Arizona were recovered. Remains that could not be identified were buried as unknowns, some mixed together in mass graves, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

Since 2023, Operation 85 has been working to collect enough DNA samples from the living relatives of the battleships crew to prompt the Defense Department to consider reexamining those unidentified servicemen.

With the effort now closing in on its goal, officials from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recently confirmed that they have drafted a request for permission to disinter 86 sets of commingled remains associated with the Arizona and another 55 sets of remains with no known ship affiliation.

Operation 85 founder Kevin Kline, whose great-uncle Robert died on the battleship, called it one of the most significant developments ever announced regarding the USS Arizona unknowns.

David Busby, a DPAA spokesman in Hawaii, said the agency will send its disinterment request to the Defense Departments assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs as soon as the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory confirms that it has family reference samples on file for at least 643 of the men who died on the Arizona.

As of Friday, that number stood at 615, though Kline said Operation 85 has made positive contact with more than 1,400 family members representing 675 fallen crew members so far.

Allen said she doesnt understand DNA well enough to know whether her sample will be of any use, but she was happy to help the cause.

I hope theyre able to identify him, she said of her second cousin. Its a really cool thing that theyre doing, honoring these guys by making these family connections.

Allen didnt even know about her lost relative from the USS Arizona until about a year ago, when she signed up for a free trial from the genealogy website Ancestry.com and began researching her dads side of the family.

She said Eric Reed Young was her grandfathers nephew, but they lived on opposite sides of the country.

Allen eventually used Ancestry.com to connect with a different long-lost cousin, and he was the one who told her about Operation 85.

It wasnt the first time someone had asked her for her DNA to help try to identify a missing serviceman. About five years ago, Allen said, she and her brother submitted samples to the Army to see if a set of remains found in Italy belonged to a distant cousin killed during World War II. We never heard back from them, she said.

The young Ensign Young is actually one of two of Allens relatives lost in the Pearl Harbor attack.

She said her fathers brother, Eric Allen, was a fighter pilot serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise on Dec. 7, 1941.

After the attack, he and five other pilots were sent to search for the Japanese fleet, but they had to divert to Pearl Harbor to land when their fuel ran low. Though they radioed ahead, gunners on the surviving ships in the harbor mistook the six aircraft for another Japanese wave and opened fire, downing five of the planes, including the one flown by the 25-year-old Allen.

Its unclear when the quest to identify the USS Arizona unknowns might advance to the next phase.

Busby from the DPAA declined to speculate on how long it could take for Defense officials to review the agencys request to exhume the remains.

As for when we might be able to begin disinterment, many different factors go into decisions about large accessions into our laboratory, such as the status of in-progress disinterment projects, on-going case work, and laboratory capacity, said Busby, an Air Force staff sergeant and forensic photographer. It will really depend on a number of things once the approval to disinter has been made.

None of the planned activity would involve the sunken battleship itself, which is managed by the National Park Service as a memorial and final resting place for more than 900 sailors and Marines.

Kline said Operation 85 hopes to work closely with the DPAA on whatever comes next.

Until then, he said, he and his team will continue with their mission: To locate every family we can so that the identifications made in the next phase are as complete and successful as possible.

Pearl Harbor ceremony The University of Arizona Naval ROTC unit will host its annual Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. Sunday at the USS Arizona Mall Memorial on campus near Old Main. The observance will begin with an invocation and the national anthem, followed by remarks from the units commanding officer, Col. Ryan Allen. Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona historian Andrew Desautels will then speak on the 84th anniversary of the Japanese attack. The ceremony will conclude with taps and a bell ringing in remembrance of the eight Arizonans who died on board the battleship named after the state: George Allan Bertie Jr., Louis Edward Cremeens, George Sanford Hollowell, James William Horrocks, James Joseph Murphy, Harvey Leroy Skeen, Roy Eugene Wood, and the only Tucson casualty, James Randolf Van Horn.
Musheera Ashraf, Twocircles.net



Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh: Indias digital story is often told through numbers. Millions of UPI transactions every minute. Seamless online services. Government schemes linked to apps. But far away from this vision, in villages where phones are shared and passwords are guessed, women continue to stand at the margins of a world that has shifted faster than they could follow.

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Musayyada, a thirty-five-year-old widow from a village ten kilometres from Saharanpur,

begins her day long before the city wakes. She boards a crowded tempo at dawn to visit the gas agency and ask why her cylinder subsidy has not come in three months. By the time she reaches, a queue has already formed outside the gate.

When her turn comes, staff tell her she will get the subsidy only if she buys a gas pipe that they insist is mandatory. She blinks in disbelief. I changed the pipe just a month ago. I do not need it, she says. The reply is flat, almost rehearsed: It is mandatory. Even if you do not need it now, you can use it later.

The pipe costs her two hundred rupees, roughly the cost of a days meals for her family of four.

She carries a second-hand phone she purchased for twenty five hundred rupees, an amount she paid in instalments. A phone is necessary now. Even if we skip a meal, we have to keep a phone, she says. But she can only use it to receive calls and dial her daughter in another village. For everything else, she goes to the shopkeeper next door, even for the booking of the LPG gas. When asked how she remembers her daughters number without being able to read, she laughs shyly, Akhir me do zero hain. (There are two zeroes at the end).

Across rural India, women depend on neighbours, shopkeepers and family members for the most basic digital tasks. These hands, often male, do everything from booking their LPG cylinders to checking subsidy status. Trust fills the gap left by digital literacy, but it comes with risks.

In another family, an older woman kept receiving calls from strangers because a relative had used her number to register multiple online accounts. I had no idea why people were calling me by someone elses name, 62-year-old Savitri recalls.

These are small incidents in the larger story of Indias digital push, but they show how easily the boundary between trust and vulnerability blurs.

Ten years into the Digital India mission, a gendered digital divide continues to dictate who gets to participate and who must stand outside the door. Nearly forty per cent fewer rural women own smartphones compared to men. Among those who own phones, many do not have control over them.

The divide becomes sharper in digital finance. Men are more likely to perform UPI

transactions by a gap of 13.7 percentage points. Official UPI statistics do not reflect this

difference because they are not broken down by gender. But those working in the payments ecosystem acknowledge the imbalance. In 2023, a senior Google Pay official said women formed less than thirty percent of UPI users. In 2024, an NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) representative repeated a similar estimate. Even these numbers drop further in semi-urban and rural areas.

A fifty-year-old schoolteacher in Saharanpur has the UPI app on her phone but refuses to use it. What if the money goes to the wrong person? Who will return it to me? she asks. She hands her phone to her son when she needs to make a payment. If something goes wrong, I will be blamed. Better not to try.

Fear is an unseen but powerful barrier. Many rural women say they prefer cash not because they lack awareness, but because they lack confidence. They have heard stories of fraud, passwords being stolen, transactions being reversed, and phones getting blocked after too many failed attempts. For them, digital mistakes feel heavier than physical ones.

Sita, a thirty-year-old newly married woman, sums it up simply. She has never booked her own LPG cylinder. My husband does it. I do not have a phone, she says. She uses his phone only to watch YouTube videos. If something goes wrong, I will have to hear from everyone, she adds.

The fear of doing something wrong is not imagined. It is shaped by years of being told to be careful, of being blamed for errors, of having limited room to experiment. Digital services, meanwhile, continue to expand. Schemes get linked to apps. Subsidies require updates. SIM cards need revalidation. Banks insist on KYC. LPG agencies ask customers to check status online. Each added step demands a confidence that many women have never been allowed to build.

Content creators online capture another layer of this reality. Recently, an Instagram creator, @lifeofpuja, said in a video that no matter how much she works or how many followers she earns, she is still known as someones wife or daughter-in-law. Rural women echo this sentiment in quieter ways. They often do not get recognition for learning new skills. Their identity is still tied to the household, not their digital abilities.

Sarvothanam, a Delhi-based organisation that works on online safety and digital trainings, says the issue is not just literacy but dependence. Women who do not know how to use their phones rely on others. But the same people can misuse their access. Personal photos, messages, even their OTPs are shared without them knowing what is happening, a member explains.

Despite the challenges, some change is unfolding. In a village near Deoband, Rahima, the

first graduate in her family, shares that she tries to teach basic digital tasks to her mother and the ladies near her home. I tell them how to open SMS messages, how to find saved contacts, and how to identify suspicious links. It is slow work, but it is work driven by care, not fear.

Parveen, a social worker who works with rural women in Saharanpur, Western Uttar Pradesh, says the path ahead requires more handholding, more community training, and more women-led digital learning groups. Digital empowerment is not only about giving a device. It is about making women feel safe, confident and in control, says a digital rights volunteer who works with rural women in western Uttar Pradesh.

Indias digital journey is racing ahead, but a part of the country is still walking carefully

behind it. The women in these villages are not resisting technology. They are navigating a

world that moved faster than their access, their confidence and their trust.

For them, autonomy is not measured in apps installed or transactions completed. It is

measured in quiet victories, answering a message without help, checking a subsidy status for the first time, or daring to press a button without fear.

And until these victories become ordinary, the digital future will continue to leave its women behind.



(Musheera Ashraf is a Laadli Media Fellow. The opinions and views expressed are those of the author. Laadli and UNFPA do not necessarily endorse the views.)
Women in the British royal family have sported plenty of dazzling tiaras across the generations, but some of the sparkliest remain hidden away today.

Throughout her historic reign, the late Queen Elizabeth appeared in an array of majestic tiaras, yet the full extent of her personal collection remains a mystery. While jewelry enthusiasts are familiar with the tiaras Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla frequently reach for  the Princess of Wales favors the Queen Marys Lovers Knot, while the Queen likes the Greville Tiara  these headtoppers are just a few of what's likely stored away in the royal vault.

Adding to the allure, some sparklers have not been seen for decades  possibly giving Princess Charlotte an enviable selection from the world's best jewelry box one day.

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From the Teck Crescent Tiara to the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, scroll to see eight of the most impressive tiaras the British royals have worn.



01 of 08

Teck Crescent Tiara

Hulton Archive/Getty Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, wears the Teck Crescent Tiara. Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, wears the Teck Crescent Tiara.

The Teck Crescent Tiara is a true hidden treasure and was first worn by Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, The Court Jeweller previously reported.

It can be worn with or without the double rows of base diamonds, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother opted for only the celestial band in the 1930s.

02 of 08

Strathmore Rose Tiara

Time Life Pictures/Getty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, wears the Strathmore Rose Tiara.

A real-life flower crown, the Queen Mother received the Strathmore Rose Tiara as a wedding gift from her parents when she married Prince Albert, the Duke of York (the future King George VI) in 1923.

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The tiara was among the popular predictions for what Meghan Markle might wear when she married Prince Harry in 2018. However, the Duchess of Sussex instead borrowed the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau.

03 of 08

Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Queen Elizabeth wears the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara. Queen Elizabeth wears the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara.

The Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara must be seen to be believed! The Court Jeweller previously reported that the late monarch commissioned Garrard & Co. to make the eye-popping headtopper in 1957 to round out a suite.

The Queen was gifted a dazzling aquamarine and diamond necklace and earrings from the president of Brazil in honor of her coronation in 1953, and the tiara made the parure complete.

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04 of 08

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

Tim Graham/Getty Queen Elizabeth wears Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara.

Though the Russian-inspired kokoshnik design trended towards the end of the 19th century, we think its truly timeless! While she was the Princess of Wales, Queen Alexandra requested that a special accessory be made to commemorate her silver wedding anniversary in 1888.

The piece was passed down to Queen Mary, then inherited by the late monarch in 1953, the blog said.

05 of 08

Burmese Ruby and Diamond Tiara

Anwar Hussein/Getty Queen Elizabeth wears the Burmese Ruby Tiara. Queen Elizabeth wears the Burmese Ruby Tiara.

The late monarch commissioned Garrard to make the Burmese Ruby and Diamond Tiara in 1973. The sparkler shines with rubies that were a present from Burma when she married Prince Philip  and a special number of gems was sent for a meaningful reason.

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The 96 rubies are a symbolic gesture, as rubies in Burmese culture protect from illness and evil  in this case, to protect the wearer from the 96 diseases that can afflict humans, the luxury jeweler said in a statement.

06 of 08

Cartier Indian Tiara

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, wears the Cartier Indian Tiara. Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, wears the Cartier Indian Tiara.

The Cartier Indian Tiara is deceiving! It was acquired by Princess Marie Louise from Cartier  not India  for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, the Queen's father, and its name is inspired by Indian kings and architecture, Royal Watcher reports.

The tiara passed to Marie Louise's godson Prince Richard, and his wife, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, has since sported it for special occasions.

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07 of 08

Persian Turquoise Tiara

PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo; getty Princess Margaret wears the Persian Turquoise Tiara in 1993 and 1967. Princess Margaret wears the Persian Turquoise Tiara in 1993 and 1967.

Queen Mary bought the Persian Turquoise Tiara (plus a suite of matching jewels) from Garrard, and the parure passed to her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. In an ultimate birthday gift, she gave the set to her daughter Princess Margaret when she turned 21 in 1951, the Court Jeweller previously reported.

While much of Margarets jewelry was auctioned following her death in 2002, this tiara is thought to remain in royal possession  hopefully hinting it will be seen again one day.



08 of 08

Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo; getty Queen Elizabeth wears the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara. Queen Elizabeth wears the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara.

The dazzling Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara comes complete with a dramatic past as a relic of a lost monarchy. It originally belonged to Grand Duchess Vladimir, the aunt of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was temporarily separated from the tiara after fleeing St. Petersburg during the Russian Revolution but was reunited with the piece a few years later when a British Secret Intelligence Service member rescued her jewels.

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She later gave the tiara to her daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece, who went on to sell it to Queen Mary. When Mary died, Queen Elizabeth inherited it  adding her own royal sparkle by making it possible to swap out the pearls with other gems, such as emeralds.

Read the original article on People
Dozens of large wooden and iron boats gather on the Cai Con River in Can Tho City, forming a bustling waterborne market where the only thing being traded is firewood - creating a rhythm of life unlike any other on the deltas waterways.

When people think of Mekong floating markets, images of boats piled high with tropical fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat meals come to mind.

But on Cai Con River, located in Nga Bay Ward of Can Tho City, a very different market scene unfolds.

Busy boats unload tons of firewood onto the riverbanks. Photo: T.T

Hauling firewood from Ca Mau to Can Tho

The firewood sold here is brought in by boat from Nam Can District in Ca Mau Province, with each shipment weighing anywhere from several dozen to over a hundred tons.

After hiring workers to load the boats, traders make the long journey north to the Cai Con River, where they dock for two to five days to sell the firewood to charcoal kilns in Phu Tan Commune and nearby areas.

Truong Thi Phuong, 55, from Tan Phuoc Hung Commune, is among the markets most seasoned vendors. She recalls that the firewood market took shape around 2014, originally located about 500 meters from its current site.

In recent years, the boats have moved closer to Phung Hiep Bridge and Nga Bay Market to make it easier for buyers to inspect the goods.

Each journey from Ca Mau to Cai Con River takes 1723 hours. Photo: T.T

Living on the water, working by the ton

We live on the boats as if they were our homes, Phuong said. After buying firewood, we anchor for a few days to sell it, then head back down to Ca Mau for another shipment.

She explained that they work this trade about nine months a year. During the months when firewood is scarce, they switch to ferrying rice for hire across the border to Cambodia.

For these merchants, the boats are their most valuable assets. A wooden boat costs about 300 million VND (USD 12,300), while iron boats can cost up to 1 billion VND (USD 41,000). At my age, I cant do heavy labor anymore, so owning a boat means having a way to survive, Phuong shared.

After firewood season ends, some return to ferry rice to Cambodia. Photo: T.T

Generational trade and river life routines

Binh, 27, who lives in Nga Bay Ward, said his boat carries around 80 tons of firewood, while larger ones can handle up to 150 tons.

Each trip from Ca Mau to Can Tho takes 1723 hours depending on the load. With a selling price of 2,0002,500 VND per kg (USD 0.080.10), he earns a few million dong per trip after expenses.

My father did this job for over a decade. I grew up on these boats and now work alongside him, Binh said. The hardest times are stormy nights, when big waves keep us up all night. Sometimes I stay on the boat for two or three months before taking a few days off at home.

Daily life for these traders happens entirely on board. Photo: T.T

Yen Oanh, 29, another veteran firewood trader from Nga Bay, said her boat carries about 70 tons per trip.

My older son used to help me on the boat, but now he lives onshore with his grandparents to attend school, she said. I still keep my 3-year-old daughter with me. Maybe when she turns five, Ill send her to school, too.

Their boats double as floating homes: hammocks swing in the prow, a small gas stove sits near the railing, and clothes hang to dry along the deck.

Children scurry barefoot across the planks, already well-acquainted with the ebb and flow of river life.

Tran Tuyen
Lau Nguyen Huong Giang, a fourth-year student of the Academy of Journalism and Communication, is not only a proud representative of the Hmong ethnic minority but also a symbol of dedication to education and community development in Vietnams highland regions. Even as a university student, Giang has launched and led impactful projects that bridge gaps in opportunity for ethnic minority youth. Her work has already improved lives - and inspired change - across some of Vietnams most remote areas. Over three years, the To Be Educated project has connected nearly 2,000 donors and provided close to 900 refurbished laptops to disadvantaged ethnic minority students in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An, and Thai Nguyen. Photo: NVCC

Two projects, one mission

Giang hails from Son Thanh Village in Muong Xen, Nghe An Province - right by the Vietnam-Laos border. Life in her hometown, like many upland communities, is defined by hardship, especially for children striving to pursue education.

Her dream of giving back to ethnic minority communities was born early, during her time at Nghe An Provincial Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities. But it wasnt until entering university that she found the tools and environment to act.

In her freshman year, Giang and like-minded friends joined the Nuoi Em initiative and launched two projects of their own: Duoc hoc (To Be Educated) and Sach nay la de xay truong (This Book Builds Schools). She now leads both as project manager.

Old laptops, new futures

The Duoc hoc project collects second-hand laptops, refurbishes them, and distributes them to disadvantaged ethnic minority students. Over three years, it has connected nearly 2,000 sponsors and delivered around 900 repaired laptops to students in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An, and Thai Nguyen.

Meanwhile, Sach nay la de xay truong collects and resells used books, with 100% of proceeds going toward school construction in remote communities via the Vietnam National Volunteer Center.

Whats truly unique: both projects are run entirely by young ethnic minority volunteers - hundreds of them, working together for the same cause.

Repaired laptops delivered to ethnic minority students in need. Photo: NVCC

Giang shared, I always set clear goals and push myself to follow through. I hope these projects will attract more donors, so we can continue supporting ethnic minority students in need. My dream is that these efforts will empower them to grow and shape better futures.

In addition to distributing devices and books, Giangs team has also successfully organized free online classes in English, computer skills, and personal development for students who received laptops.

From personal limits to global stages

Born to a Hmong father and Kinh mother, Giangs upbringing was shaped by her parents deep love for teaching and for their remote, often overlooked homeland. This upbringing instilled in her a powerful sense of responsibility to give back to her roots.

Her father, Lau Ba Sua, a teacher at Tay Son Boarding School in Nghe An, said: We only provided her with direction, the rest came from the support of her teachers and her own determination. We taught her that wherever she goes, she must strive to become someone who contributes meaningfully to society.

One student who deeply touched Giangs heart was a young Thai girl from Son La. Despite scoring high on her high school graduation exam, she couldnt attend college and worked in a factory for a year instead. Realizing that the job offered no path to growth, she fought her way back to academia, eventually becoming a university freshman the following year.

The This book builds schools project collects and resells used books to raise funds100% of which go toward building schools in ethnic minority areas, via the Vietnam National Volunteer Center. Photo: NVCC

Hundreds of warm jackets were donated by Giangs team to students at Tay Son Boarding School. Photo: NVCC

For Giang, the Academy of Journalism and Communication has been a launchpad to challenge herself and grow. She believes university is not just for acquiring knowledge, but for shaping character, ethics, and the sense of responsibility needed to serve society.

Thanks to her persistent efforts, Giang was selected as one of seven Vietnamese youth representatives at the ASEAN Children and Youth Climate Summit 2025 (ACYCS 2025) in Langkawi, Malaysia.

At the summit, she hopes to share the story of her volunteer team - young people from ethnic minorities working together to promote education and protect the environment. Shes also eager to learn from other ASEAN youth about their approaches to tackling climate change.

On her personal page, Giang once wrote about the need to break free from her shell. And thats exactly what she has done - growing beyond limitations and rising to new heights.

The more I experience, the more I see my own limits, she reflected. To break through those limits, you have to act. If you work hard and make decisions with a clear mind, youll reach a moment where you realize - youve already overcome them.

Thanh Hai
Not every SUV can handle 15 years of real-world driving without costly repairs. A few used models have proven themselves with dependable track records. Consumer Reports recommended following the manufacturers suggested service schedule and keeping a vehicle well maintained in order to reach 200,000 miles or more.

See Next: 5 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Fall 2025

For You: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster

According to data from the iSeeCars Long-Lasting Cars study, these long-lasting SUVs offer serious value for drivers who want a reliable ride that still performs well after the odometer passes 200,000 miles.

Toyota Sequoia

Used price range: $62,888 to $83,998 (per Edmunds)

Chance of reaching 250,000 miles: 39.1%

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Buyers can expect peace of mind knowing the Sequoia is built to last. Built on a durable truck frame designed to handle the elements and rough terrain, the Sequoia features Toyotas reliable i-Force Max Hybrid paired with a V6 powertrain, according to Flex Automotive. The powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles, while the hybrid components are protected for 10 years or 150,000 miles, per Car and Driver.

Check Out: The 10 Most Reliable SUVs of 2025

Toyota 4Runner

Used price range: $42,998 to $67,105 (per Edmunds)

Chance of reaching 250,000 miles: 32.9%

Thanks to its proven reliability and widely available parts, Toyota 4Runner owners spend less on repairs and maintenance than owners of most SUVs in its class, according to Phxusedcars.com.

This particular vehicle ranks third in J.D. Powers Best Upper Midsize SUV of 2025 and earned an 86 out of 100 for quality and reliability.

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The Toyota 4Runner is known for its strong resale value, whether kept for 5 years or 15, according to Phxusedcars.com  and one reason is its proven 4.0-liter V6 engine. Its a regular workhorse that can exceed 300,000 miles with proper maintenance. The engine is paired with a simple five-speed automatic transmission and body-on-frame construction, which means its built for durability and off-road use.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Used price range: $42,238 to $56,422 (per CarFax)

Chance of reaching 250,000 miles: 31%

According to Repair Pal the reliability of the Toyota Hybrid earns a 4.0 out of 5.0 Reliability Rating, ranking eighth among 32 car brands. Based on 345 models, the brand averages just 0.3 repair visits per year and only a 12% chance of having a major issue.

Standout features worth noting when buying a used Highlander Hybrid include a Hybrid-component warranty that covers 10 years or 150,000 miles, per Car and Driver. and the five-star safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Toyotas hybrid batteries are lasting longer than ever, with many surpassing 150,000 miles and some even crossing the 200,000-mile mark, per Toyota of Kirkland.

Lexus RX Hybrid

Used price range: $46,998 to $59,511 (per Edmunds)

Chance of reaching 250,000 miles: 18.3%

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According to SlashGear, discussions among Lexus RX owners in online forums reveal that many RXs have reached 200,000 miles, which is invaluable information for anyone seriously considering a used RX that will go the distance. One Reddit poster reveal that a 2013 RX350 had 208,000 miles and another Reddit poster said a 2010 RX450 had 300,000 miles. J.D. Power awarded the Lexus RX an Initial Quality Award and Lexus ranked as the highest overall brand in the 2025 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. According to Lexus of Queens, repairs occur less often on Lexus models than other brands, resulting in fewer trips to the auto mechanic.

Editors note: Chance of reaching 250,000 miles percentages were sources from iSeeCars.com.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Used SUVs To Buy in 2025 That Should Last at Least 15 Years
MOF has submitted a report responding to the review opinions and comments from National Assembly delegates on the amended PIT Law.

The ministry proposes raising the annual tax-exempt revenue threshold from VND200 million to VND500 million. This amount would also be deducted before applying tax rates based on revenue.

With this threshold, the ministry estimates that around 2.3 million out of 2.54 million household businesses (as of October 2025) would not be required to pay tax, accounting for about 90 percent of the total.

The draft further adds a provision requiring household and individual businesses with annual revenue above VND500 million and up to VND3 billion to calculate tax based on income (revenue minus expenses). A 15 percent tax rate would apply, similar to the corporate income tax rate under the Corporate Income Tax Law 67/2025 for businesses with annual revenue below VND3 billion.

All household and individual businesses would pay tax based on actual income. Those with low income would pay little or nothing if no income is generated. The revenue threshold would not significantly affect the tax obligations of those required to pay this method. If a business cannot determine its expenses, it would continue paying tax based on revenue.

For individuals who lease real estate, considered non-regular business activity under contract (excluding accommodation services), the draft specifies that those with annual revenue above VND500 million will only apply the revenue-based tax method. This means they would not need to determine expenses, offset income among multiple properties, or finalize their annual tax returns.

Lowering tax rates and reducing brackets for wages and salaries

MOF has also reviewed and revised the progressive tax bracket for wage and salary income. The number of brackets is reduced from seven to five, the gap between brackets is widened, and two tax rates are revised. This ensures reductions for all taxpayers across all brackets and avoids sudden jumps between tax levels.

To comply with the National Assemblys authority to regulate core tax matters as stipulated in the Constitution, the ministry has proposed incorporating family-circumstance deductions directly into the law, while authorizing the Government to request adjustments from the Standing Committee of the National Assembly based on price and income fluctuations.

Income-based taxation for household businesses

MOF has proposed an income-based PIT calculation mechanism for household businesses. Experts agree this is a reasonable direction but warn that if the tax rate is too high, it could cut into profits and cause financial difficulties.

Reasonable tax policy encourages compliance

Regarding the amended Personal Income Tax Law, the ministry plans to propose that household and individual businesses with revenue above the tax-exempt threshold be taxed based on income (revenue minus expenses).

Specifically, individuals with annual revenue above the threshold and up to VND3 billion would be taxed at the same rate as small businesses with annual revenue under VND3 billion (15 percent).

If individuals with revenue under VND3 billion cannot determine expenses, they may continue paying tax based on revenue ratios (0.5 percent, 1 percent, 2 percent depending on the business fields).

A key change is that household and individual businesses may deduct the tax-exempt threshold before calculating tax, instead of paying tax from the first dong of revenue.

Nguyen Ngoc Tinh, Vice Chair of the Tax Advisory and Agency Association in HCMC, praised the ministry for adjusting PIT policies to tax household and individual businesses based on actual profit and revising tax ratios.

He noted that adjusting tax rates based on actual market profit margins for each sector is entirely appropriate. Only then can tax collection be sustainable and reflect the true contribution of the household-business sector.

Tinh emphasized that raising the tax-exempt revenue threshold creates fairness between household businesses and wage earners. A reasonable tax policy is what encourages compliance, he said. An unsuitable policy will not be sustainable and becomes an obstacle.

He added that not all household businesses have the resources, personnel, or technology to apply full accounting methods. Therefore, allowing the simplified revenue-based tax method remains appropriate.

Nguyen Van Duoc, Director of Trong Tin Accounting and Tax Consulting, said the ministrys approach aligns with the principle that tax should only be imposed when actual income is generated. This is consistent with reform trends that emphasize simplicity and transparency.

However, he noted that PIT policy for household businesses must be aligned with corporate income tax. The draft decree guiding the Corporate Income Tax Law sets revenue-based tax rates lower than those currently applied to household businesses. Therefore, PIT for household businesses should be designed to ensure fairness and reduce tax pressure.

Nguyen Le
Phan Vinh Tien.

A former valedictorian

Tien possesses an outstanding record rarely seen in a third-year student: the Special Prize with a double gold in Algebra and Calculus at the 2025 Student Mathematics Olympiad; second prize in Calculus and third prize in Algebra at the 2024 national competition; Outstanding Student of Phu Yen Province in 2024; second prize in Calculus and third prize in Algebra at the 2023 Mathematics Olympiad.

Earlier, at the 2022 high school graduation exam, Tien achieved 51.65 points, becoming the valedictorian of the natural sciences exam group in Phu Yen Province and the only candidate to score 10 in Chemistry. In addition to his strong foundation in natural sciences, he also has solid foreign-language skills, earning IELTS 6.5 while still in high school.

Born into a poor family in Hoa Hiep Trung Ward, Dong Hoa Town, Phu Yen (former administrative unit), Tien did not have the conditions to attend private tutoring classes like many peers. Most of his knowledge came from self-study. Throughout his school years, he consistently achieved excellent academic results. In ninth grade, he won first prize in provincial Mathematics, and in eleventh grade, he earned second prize. This persistent self-study foundation shaped his independent thinking, analytical abilities, and perseverance, the traits that later became major advantages in learning and research.

Tien once dreamed of studying Medicine, but due to family circumstances, he chose a more suitable path for himself. Four years ago, Tien received a full scholarship from the HCMC University of Management and Technology and decided to study Information Technology there.

Right from the first year, Tien actively participated in national-level academic playgrounds. These competitions were not only a place to test his abilities but also helped him train his analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and resilience under pressure.

At the university, Tien continued to accumulate experience through applied projects, interdisciplinary assignments, and research topics with faculty members. Each project was a step forward, helping Tien perfect his analytical skills, deepen his critical thinking, and form a scientific work style.

During that journey, the faculty played a crucial role as an important support system for him. From suggesting ways to approach problems, supporting model construction, to providing specialized consultation, the guidance of his teachers helped Tien maintain his research pace, stay committed to his goals, and gradually shape his long-term academic path.

Winning PhD scholarship after fully convincing live interview

Being interviewed directly by a delegation of professors from the University of Houston was a rare opportunity for the Vietnamese excellent student. The reason Tien reached that interview was not luck, but meticulous preparation and the ability to seize the right moment.

During the meeting, Tien clearly presented his academic journey, the projects he had carried out, and his future research orientation. The biggest impression on the admissions committee was his mature thinking, his coherent way of analyzing problems, and his ability to communicate academically in English. Tien was assessed as an "applicant with the potential to contribute to the school's research community."

According to a representative from the University of Houston, the selection of Phan Vinh Tien was based on his solid academic foundation, clear research potential, and his convincing presentation during the interview in Vietnam. This achievement is the crystallization of the Phu Yen native's persistent pursuit of knowledge, continuous self-improvement, and effort to grasp scholarship opportunities.

Joining the University of Houston, Tien will enter an intensive research environment, access modern laboratories, work with leading professors, and participate in projects with real-world applications in computer science. This is an important opportunity for him to expand research capabilities and establish himself in the international academic community.

The University of Houston is a public research university founded in 1927, located in central Houston, the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the US. It is one of three public universities in Texas classified as Tier One by the Carnegie Foundation, representing the top group of research universities. It is also the second-largest multiethnic research university in the US.

Thuy Nga
Professor Mary Claire King, who has dedicated her life to decoding genetic mutations that cause cancer, believes that artificial intelligence is still not mature enough for clinical application.

Professor Mary Claire King, who discovered the BRCA1 gene - paving the way for life-saving genetic testing for millions of women. Photo: TT

The VinFuture 2025 Grand Prize for Female Scientists has been awarded to Professor Mary Claire King, the scientist who discovered the BRCA1 gene - a discovery that laid the foundation for genetic testing and has helped millions of women worldwide reduce their risk of dying from breast and ovarian cancer.

Speaking with VietNamNet during her visit to Hanoi to receive what she calls an "unthinkable honor," Professor King shared her views on the use of AI in genetics research and her deeply emotional connection to Vietnam.

AI is full of promise - but still immature for clinical practice

Across life sciences, AI is accelerating research timelines from years to mere weeks. However, for Professor King - whose life's work has focused on decoding cancer-causing gene mutations - AIs role in clinical settings still requires caution.

She has experimented with AI in her own research, but real-world results have made her cautious. Current AI systems can make two dangerous types of errors: falsely identifying a gene as disease-causing or incorrectly dismissing one with well-established links to illness. In medicine, such errors can lead to disastrous treatment decisions.

Her concerns are not theoretical, but based on decades of experience. She frequently tests AI models using patient cases she has studied over many years - cases that are well-validated by the global scientific community. Yet, AI still often returns inaccurate results. In my field, AI is not yet reliable enough for diagnostics or clinical use, she affirms.

That said, Professor King is not pessimistic. In fact, she sees tremendous potential for AI in basic science. She cites Prof. David Baker, a Nobel Prize winner in protein design, who has used AI to create entirely new protein structures.

She believes genetics will evolve in two parallel AI tracks: one for scientific discovery, which is advancing rapidly, and one for clinical care, which demands absolute accuracy and transparent decision-making. I believe AI will play a critical role in medicine. But we must ensure it is truly ready before applying it to patient care, she emphasizes.

Vietnam now masters a technology once reserved for a few nations

During her return to Vietnam, Prof. King expressed admiration for the local community of doctors and researchers, especially in the field of genome decoding. Back in 2017, she had to bring a Vietnamese childs DNA sample to the US for testing. Today, the entire analysis is done in Hanoi.

Vietnam now fully owns a technology that used to be in the hands of only a few countries, she says.

The only remaining global challenge, she notes, is data interpretation - a task that demands experience, constant knowledge updates, and collaboration among many disciplines. Still, she believes that Vietnamese doctors dedication and competence will propel the field forward, especially in cancer screening for breast and ovarian cancers.

She underscores Vietnams top priority: expanding access to genetic testing for women. Carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, she explains, can be prescribed PARP inhibitors - a class of drugs that have saved countless lives worldwide.

Professor Mary Claire King.

Ive never seen such dedication to pediatric patients

Prof. King recalls her first visit to Vietnam in 2017, vividly remembering the evening she stepped into the National Childrens Hospital in Hanoi.

She still sees the images of parents arriving with critically ill children, and the intense focus of the young Vietnamese doctors who gathered around computer screens, painstakingly analyzing every clinical detail in search of a diagnosis.

What struck me most was their deep, unwavering commitment to the patients, she shares. Ive never been to any place in the world where people cared so deeply for sick children. Perhaps, she reflects, Vietnams own history of loss has made every young life particularly precious.

I am happy - truly happy to be in Vietnam

When asked about her feelings at the VinFuture 2025 awards ceremony, Professor King smiled, visibly moved.

She said she never imagined standing on a stage in Vietnam to receive a major scientific prize - not just because of the honor, but because of a memory from the past.

Fifty-three years ago, she recalls, I led a protest against the US war in Vietnam. The next year, I led another. And another the year after that. With emotion, she adds, On the 50th year, you won. I never imagined a day like today would come.

Standing on the VinFuture stage, she felt a beautiful closure to history, and the opening of a new future of scientific collaboration between the two countries. She calls it a great honor, and says Vietnam is an extraordinary country with so much to be proud of.

The prize for female scientists, she notes, carries special meaning. It gave her a chance to send a message to young girls: Come into science. Ask the big questions. Women belong here. We can lead groundbreaking discoveries for humanity.

As the conversation ends, Professor King says her visit is more than a business trip or awards event. Its a reunion - between history, science, and the values she cherishes most: human kindness and the transformative power of knowledge.

To her, VinFuture is not just a prize. Its a reminder that science can connect people who once stood on opposite sides, and together, they can forge new paths toward a better life for all.

Thai Khang
Residents of Tay Nha Trang ward experience 'never-to-be-forgotten' flood nights (photo: Nguyen Hue)

When Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, and Lam Dong were under inundation, with nearly 1,000 homes washed away, thousands more destroyed, losses reaching almost VND16,200 billion, and 108 lives taken, people saw one truth more clearly: the strength of a country sometimes lies in solidarity and in the determination of a Government of action to protect its citizens.

When the Governments working delegation arrived in the flood zone on November 29, PM Pham Minh Chinh launched the Quang Trung Campaign  a campaign with wartime thinking, to rebuild each collapsed home and repair every damaged house, to return a place of shelter to the people before Tet.

Quang Trung campaign evokes the image of a king known for marches with lightening speed, decisive actions, and real victories for the nation.

The campaign began on December 1, 2025; mobilizing the military, police, youth, womens unions, veterans, agencies, organizations, businesses, and the entire political system to help repair heavily damaged houses by December 31, 2025 at the latest; and to rebuild homes and resettle all families whose houses collapsed, washed away, or destroyed by January 31, 2026.

The Prime Minister instructed all levels of Party committees and authorities to continue directing disaster recovery with focus and determination, ensuring the six clear principle: clear personnel, clear tasks, clear timelines, clear responsibility, clear authority, and clear results; and called for the solidarity of citizens and businesses with the spirit of national unity and compassion.

These deadlines represent the States responsibility to its own citizens: that in any circumstance, no family is left behind after the floods.

The PM requested mobilization of resources from the central government, localities, philanthropists, and the families themselves; upholding the spirit of those who have something contribute something; those who have more contribute more; those who have less contribute less; contribute labor if you have labor, contribute material if you have material, and help wherever you can.

To date, the Government has supported four provinces with VND2,140 billion. It will review and agree with further proposals on the principle of approval in favor of affected localities.

Military forces, police, self-defense units, and local authorities have been mobilized as in a national campaign. Everything is organized under the six clear principle, ensuring no delay and no neglected task.

The Government has disbursed VND2,140 billion directly to the four provinces; the Vietnam Fatherland Front has allocated an additional VND275 billion to affected regions.

These figures affirm that the State is providing aid with money and policies, entire machinery and core forces stationed directly in the flooded areas to rebuild every home.

But the Quang Trung Campaign is not merely a short-term response to a disaster. It stands on the foundation of long-term policies underway: Resolution 380 on post-disaster recovery and the nationwide program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing.

In just over a year, more than 334,000 homes have been newly built or repaired with combined resources from the central government, localities, businesses, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the people who will live in these homes.

Alongside is the social housing program with more than 132,000 units under implementation, tens of thousands already handed over to workers in major cities - people who create daily economic value yet still must live in temporary and unsafe rental rooms.

When placing these three programs together - flood resettlement, eliminating temporary housing for the poor, and social housing for workerswe see three layers of social protection woven together, forming safety nets for the most vulnerable. They protect people from natural disasters, from a harsh housing market, and from the risk of falling back into poverty when a single storm can wipe out years of effort.

And at the center of these policies lies the greatest strength: the State choosing to stand with its people at the moment they are most vulnerable and exhausted. The defining difference of a nation is whether its weakest citizens are protected or left behind.

Natural disasters collapse houses, take lives, sweep away property, and sow panic. When the military and police forces lay bricks in the flood zone, when homes are rebuilt, when every family is given back shelter and peace, we see the highest value clearly: the State is using its own hands to rebuild the lives of the poor.

And thus, the Quang Trung campaign is rebuilding the homes swept away by the storm and, above all, rebuilding the stability of a community, rebuilding hope for those who have just endured their darkest days, and rebuilding faith in an acting Government.

Lan Anh
"At noon today, just before the Laos team left the hotel, the Vietnam U22 players came to comfort their injured peer. Everyone empathized with him and shared some heartfelt sentiments to help him heal faster," said Vietnamese center-back Hong Minh.

Phetdavanh was visibly emotional, not only because of the visit but also because his Vietnamese colleagues gave him a small gift of $300. The Laos captain later posted a message of gratitude on his personal social media account, praising the kindness of the young Vietnamese players.

Earlier, in the 85th minute of the match between Laos and Malaysia, Phetdavanh made a dangerous tackle on an opposing player. The referee immediately issued him a second yellow card. He was not only sent off but also had to be stretchered off the field.

Medical examinations later confirmed that the 2001-born defender had broken his right leg. He was given first aid on-site before being transported to a hospital by ambulance.

With a 1-4 loss to Malaysia, the Laos U22 team became the first to be eliminated from SEA Games 33. In their opening match, the Million Elephants had also lost 1-2 to Vietnam.

Dai Nam
HA NOI  Ha Noi and Seoul are widening their policy dialogue on smart-city development and urban renewal as the two capitals seek new models to address rapid urbanisation.

The issue took centre stage at the Ha Noi-Seoul Urban Policy Sharing Forum on December 5, where senior officials discussed digital governance, riverfront regeneration and long-term cooperation between the two cities.

The meeting was attended by Oh Se-hoon, mayor of Seoul, and Nguyen Manh Quyen, vice chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee among others.

Mayor Oh said that he was impressed by the development process of Ha Noi and expressed confidence that the capital will continue to break through in the time ahead.

Drawing parallels to Seoul's own urban transformation, especially the successful revival of the Han River, which turned degraded riverbanks into vibrant public spaces, he suggested that a similar feat can be applied to Red River planning.

The forum prioritised two core themes: modernising riverfront infrastructure and accelerating smart-city urbanism.

On the smart-city front, discussions covered leveraging digital technology, accelerating digital transformation and applying advanced solutions to urban management, domains where Seoul has accumulated extensive expertise.

In response, Ha Noi's side, vice chairman Quyen, welcomed the exchange as timely, highlighting that Ha Noi is entering a new era requiring accelerated urban management and development to align with regional peers.

Beyond infrastructure and governance, Mayor Oh underscored the readiness of South Korean businesses to become long-term partners in Ha Noi's development.

He affirmed that Korean enterprises are ready and wish to accompany and contribute to the process of development of Ha Noi, including committing to the training of young human resources to engage in sustainable enduring cooperation.

He also stressed that projects along the banks of the Red River should not only elevate the city's economic capacity but tangibly improve the daily lives of Ha Noi's citizens.

On the topic of smart urban living, Mayor Oh proposed that the upcoming Smart Life Week in 2026, an initiative led by Seoul, could serve as a regional platform not just for Ha Noi and Seoul but for multiple Asian cities to converge and exchange practical solutions for smart sustainable urban life.

On the same day, chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee Vu ai Thang held talks with a delegation from the Seoul Metropolitan Government led by mayor Oh Se-hoon.

At the meeting, chairman Vu ai Thang welcomed these proposals, acknowledging the substantial contributions of Korean businesses to Ha Noi's urban and economic development.

He expressed hope that cooperation, especially in technology-driven urban development and human-resource training, would deepen and yield concrete results in the years ahead.

As part of its own modernisation plan, Ha Noi recently unveiled a roadmap to transform itself into a smart, green and globally connected city by 2030, anchored in data-driven management, digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable urban governance.

The exchange of experiences with Seoul, especially in waterfront redevelopment and digital governance, offers Ha Noi a practical model to align with that vision.

Through the forum and the commitments voiced by both sides, the foundations are being laid for a renewed trajectory of cooperation: integrating smart-city technologies, revitalising urban riverfronts and fostering youth workforce development, all underpinned by sustained inter-city partnership between Ha Noi and Seoul.  BIZHUB/VNS
HA NOI  Lawmakers are scheduled to vote to pass many important laws and resolutions during the final working week of the 15th National Assembly (NA)s 10th session from December 811.

They are expected to adopt amended or new laws in taxation, population, public health, planning, cybersecurity, national secrets protection, defence industry, oversight activities of elected bodies, e-commerce, and multiple education-related laws.

The legislature will also vote on revisions to laws on counter-narcotics, criminal judgment execution, temporary detention and travel bans, civil aviation, intellectual property, high technology, international treaties, pricing, public debt management, national reserves, statistics, insurance business, investment, and urban and rural planning.

In addition, lawmakers will consider amendments to laws in the fields of citizen reception, complaints and denunciations, anti-corruption, construction, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, geology and minerals, bankruptcy, value-added tax, and the establishment of a specialised court at the International Financial Centre. A package revising 15 laws in agriculture and environment is also on the agenda.

Major resolutions set for approval include those on environmental protection oversight; special mechanisms to enhance international integration; ratification of a foreign affairsrelated agreement submitted by the State President; adjustments to the national master plan for 20212030 with a vision to 2050; mechanisms to remove obstacles in implementing the Land Law; investment policy for Gia Binh International Airport; breakthrough mechanisms for education reform; and investment policy for the National Target Programme on education quality improvement for 20262035.

The NA will also vote on resolutions concerning health care, population and development for 20262035; implementation of previous oversight and questioning resolutions; investment policies for the National Target Programme on new-style rural development, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 20262035; mechanisms for national energy development for 20262030; special policies for major projects in Ha Noi; adjustments to resolutions 98/2023/QH15 and 136/2024/QH15 on HCM City and a Nang; and the investment policy for the VinhThanh Thuy expressway.

Two key resolutions  the summary of tenure performance (20212026) of the NA, the State President, the Government, the Supreme Peoples Court, the Supreme Peoples Procuracy and the State Audit; and the overall resolution of the 10th session  will be adopted at the closing session on the afternoon of December 11. The latter includes decisions on additional state budget allocations for 2025, adjustments to the Long Thanh International Airport project, special mechanisms for the NorthSouth high-speed railway, solutions for the Phuong Nam Pulp Mill project, and reallocations of 2025 economic expenditure estimates for disaster recovery in transport infrastructure.

Throughout the week, legislators will also debate the reports of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Peoples Court and the Prosecutor General of the Supreme Peoples Procuracy; crime and law-violation prevention; judgment execution; anti-corruption efforts in 2025; results of responding to voter petitions from the 9th session; and citizen reception, and complaint and denunciation settlement in 2025.  VNA/VNS
Clwyd South MS tops Labours list for new Fflint Wrecsam constituency

The Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South has been named as Welsh Labours lead candidate for the new constituency of Fflint-Wrecsam for next Mays Senedd election.

Ken Skates, a long-serving Welsh Government Minister, has represented Clwyd South since 2011. He is currently Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales.

However, the Clwyd South and Wrexham constituencies will cease to exist in May 2026 following controversial recommendations by the Boundary Commission for Wales.

The Commission announced last year that the current 40 Senedd constituencies and five regions will be scrapped and replaced with just 16 multi-member wards.

North Wales will be divided into three new super-constituencies across North Wales: Bangor Conwy Mon, Clwyd, and Fflint Wrecsam.

The Senedd will expand from 60 to 96 politicians at the next election, abandoning first-past-the-post in favour of a fully proportional system aimed at better reflecting how Wales votes. Each seat will reflect the percentage of votes each party receives.

Ken Skates MS was announced as top of the shortlist for Fflint Wrecsam by Welsh Labour last week.

Jack Sergeant MS, who currently represents Alyn and Deeside, is second on the shortlist and Maesydre councillor Corin Jarvis is third.

The remainder of candidates on the shortlist are Norma Ann Davies, George Stephen Thomas, Tracey Jane Sutton-Postlethwaite, Richard James Brookes and Malcom Nicholls.

Mr Skates said: It has been the honour of my life to serve the people of Clwyd South since 2011, and I will be extremely sad to say goodbye to the communities and constituents I have worked alongside when our constituency ceases to exist.

Until that time comes, I will continue to give my all to Clwyd South as I have every day since 2011. There are still things I want to see through.

I was born at the Maelor and studied at Yale College, and I want to continue fighting for local communities  many of which Ive represented over the last 14 years, said Mr Skates, who worked for Mr Tami MP in Deeside before being elected to the Senedd.

I have fought for a better deal not only from Westminster during that time, but from the Welsh Government too. North Wales needs people who stand up for our region and our communities  to whoever needs reminding that we expect a better deal.

He added: There are huge opportunities to support the growth of better jobs in our corner of Wales  and I will do my utmost to deliver them.

As part of the changes introduced for the next election**,** everyone aged 16 or over who is registered to vote will cast their vote either for a party or an independent candidate.

The closed proportional list system means voters choose a party or independent candidate rather than individual people.

From 2026, Senedd elections will take place every four years instead of five**,** and anyone standing for election must now live in Wales.

Mr Skates added: The 2026 Senedd election may be the toughest many of us have fought since the dawn of devolution.

A new electoral system, new constituencies, and an unprecedented, deeply worrying attack on progressive politics by the far right looms over us. Wales future is at stake.

Mr Skates was chosen as lead candidate for Fflint Wrecsam in a ballot of local Welsh Labour members.
Coleg Cambria inspires young entrepreneurs during Global Enterprise Week

Coleg Cambria celebrated a vibrant Global Enterprise Week (GEW), showcasing its reputation as a pioneering force for entrepreneurship and business support.

Hundreds of learners engaged in workshops, talks, competitions and hands-on enterprise experiences aligned with the GEW 2025 theme  Together We Build.

From Foundation to Level 3, students explored real start-up journeys, social enterprise models and the growing opportunities available to young entrepreneurs in Wales.

Judith Alexander, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Coordinator at Coleg Cambria, which has sites in Wrexham, Deeside, Northop and Llysfasi, said: It was so exciting to see how engaged and enthused our learners are to get involved with a range of entrepreneurial activities and workshops this year.

Global Enterprise Week always gives us an extra boost to promote our offer and encourage more learners to consider self-employment and starting their own businesses as a valid career path.

We are fortunate to be supported by organisations Big Ideas Wales, Young Enterprise Wales and NatWest Bank alongside other key professionals who are willing to give up their valuable time to share motivation, wisdom and encouragement.

It has been wonderful to see such an increase in our alumni gaining the Big Ideas Wales Young Persons Start-Up Grant this summer. This years theme is very fitting as it complements our values as a college  prioritising passion, innovation, and a sense of community.

The college welcomed a wide range of Big Ideas Wales Role Models including Shoned Owen, Beatriz Albo, Cheryl Reeves, Teresa Carnall and Gavin Eastham, alongside NatWests Financial Foundations programme and a series of Young Enterprise sessions running at both Yale and Deeside campuses.

Activities ranged from business start-up workshops and social media masterclasses to the hugely popular Clothing Swap Shop and a Women in Business Q&A event featuring industry leaders.

A highlight of the week was celebrating success stories like Dylan Morris, founder of the rapidly growing activewear and lifestyle brand MountForce. His entrepreneurial journey began in a Cambria classroom and has since attracted UK-wide customers, international interest and support from professional athletes.

Big Ideas Wales mentor Peter Donovan, who supported Dylan through the Young Persons Start-Up Grant process, said: It was a pleasure to work with and support Dylan following his success with his award for his startup idea.

From the start his ambition came through, and we were able to build strong foundations for his business.
Just before midnight on Friday, Reno Police got a call of shots being fired in the area of Plumas Street, near Virginia Lake Park.

The caller said they had been following a car they believed was involved in multiple vehicle burglaries, when the people inside the suspect vehicle began shooting at them.

Reno Police ended up finding the suspect vehicle near South Virginia Street and East Liberty Street. When officers tried pulling them over, the suspect drove off.

Police eventually caught up with them but the suspect got out of the vehicle and ran away. After a short pursuit with the use of a K9, the suspect was caught.

The suspect later admitted to firing shots at the person who originally called RPD.

This resulted in a minor being arrested for shooting-related offenses and obstructing/resisting officers.

Dion Shadbakht (18) was arrested for felony eluding.

Another minor was also arrested for minor in possession of alcohol.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call the Reno Police Department at (775) 334-2677, or contact secret witness at (775) 322-4900 or secretwitness.com.
On Friday evening, the community in the East Yerington area reported the smell of a strong odor with reported air quality concerns.

After an investigation, the odor was determined to be from a sulfur-based agricultural product applied in a nearby field and had spread by low wind speeds to the surrounding local area.

Officials say they initially responded to a commercial delivery truck driver near Spence Lane and East Highway 95A, who was experiencing itchy eyes and a burning sensation in the lungs.

According to officials, immediately after the fire crew responded, the incident was treated as a hazardous materials response. Fire crews then proceeded to identify what caused the odor and shortly determined after doing an investigation.

Officials found the agricultural operator who used the product and reduced potential exposure for other people.

Officials also say nobody was facing life-threatening conditions, and no additional medical calls came in. They also say sulfur-based products can cause irritation, especially for sensitive people.

Community members who experienced symptoms during this incident, such as eye irritation, skin irritation, or respiratory discomfort are urged to consult with a medical professional.

Lyon County Emergency Management is continuing to monitor the situation.
Q: Since China and Taiwan have been governed separately for over sixty years, how come there's still a "one China" policy?

A:

Chinese people all know "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and they all know that the Three Kingdoms divide China into three parts.

When asked about the Three Kingdoms, everyone knows that they are the Three Kingdoms of Wu, Wei, and Shu.

However, the Chinese also know that the three countries of Wu, Wei, and Shu are all China, and it was a time when China was divided. Wu, Wei, and Shu did not claim to be independent from China, and they all consider that are part of China and wanted to unify China.

Therefore, in Chinese political culture, there has never been the theory of independence and federation, only the theory of unity and division.

Which country are the Three Kingdoms?

The three countries are all China, and all belong to one China.

Independence and federation are concepts of European political culture, and they are modern concepts. It was at the end of the Thirty Years' War in Europe that the Westphalian system signed between countries in 1648 established the modern concept of sovereignty, and only then did independent sovereignty come into being. The nation-state.

1648 was the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Before the Thirty Years' War, Europe was a duchy, and feudal princes were divided into separatist regimes. Each prince was either attached to the royal family or the church, and there was no concept of a sovereign state.

The famous quote in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is "there eventually be unification after a long time of division and there is inevitable split after a long time of unity".

In Chinese history, unification is the dominant trend and the norm.

Splitting is often a transition period between two dynasties and is a transient stage.

The period of unification is the period of peace, at least the period of internal peace, and there are wars to resist foreign invasion.

The period of the division was mostly war years.

There is a saying: I would rather be a dog in peaceful times than a person in war times.

It can be seen that peace is cherished, and that unity is what the people want.

The emperor's meritorious deeds lie in unifying China.

Liu Bei did not think Shu is an independent state separated from China, nor did he think that Wu and Wei were independent states separated from China. Cao Cao and Sun Quan saw themselves the same way as Liu Bei did. All of them thought the three kingdoms are all parts of China inseparable.

Unification is peace, and unification is an ideal, a morality, and a cherishable political philosophy in Chinese political culture.

Reunification leads to peace, and peace leads to the people living and working in peace and contentment and sharing peace.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms lasted more than 90 years, from the Yellow Turban Uprising to the Jin Dynasty's destruction of Wu.

Since 1946, the split between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party has been only 76 years.

It has been 73 years since the separation of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in 1949.

It is a Chinese political and cultural tradition that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China.

In contrast to Europe, it has never been unified.

When did Germany become a country?

It was after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo that a German Federation was established, a loose federation of 39 princes.

The division and reunification of Germany is the division of East and West Germany after World War II and the reunification of East and West Germany after the Cold War.

The European Union is established in 1993 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Not all European countries are members of the European Union, especially the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union. Moreover, many overseas territories of EU member states are not within the European Union.

The Euro was established in 1995, but not all EU countries have adopted the Euro currency.

There is also a Schengen Treaty outside the EU, which allows citizens of the Schengen Treaty countries to move and relocate freely between the Schengen countries, and some non-EU member states are also in the Schengen area.

Qin Shihuang unified China thousands of years ago, with a unified currency, unified writing, and unified weights and measures.

All the unification tasks completed by Qin Shihuang are tasks that the EU is committed to completing, and they are all tasks that the EU has not completed.

The unification of the European Union has not been completed, and Qin Shihuang completed it thousands of years ago.

China's political civilization is two thousand years ahead of that of Europe.

Since Europe is not united, wars are more frequent than in China.

Two thousand years ago, the Qin and Han Dynasties were the period of the Roman Empire in Europe.

It can be seen that the level of civilization was about the same two thousand years ago, and the land in Europe was slightly larger than that in China.

Peace makes people live and work in peace and contentment, while war makes people miserable.

Therefore, China's population is twice as large as that of Europe.

Europe was the battlefield and birthplace of the two world wars.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Kosovo War and the Ukraine War also took place in Europe.

Since the founding of New China, it has been a time of peace, except for some border wars to defend against the enemy outside the country.

In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, China had the political concepts of hegemony and good governance.

European political culture so far has only hegemony, but no good governance.

China has risen, and the West has exclaimed that China is going to dominate the world.

China has repeatedly stated for decades that it does not seek hegemony.

China advocates a community with a shared future for mankind.

China advocates mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit.

China stands for non-conflict and non-confrontation.

However, no matter what China says or does, the West just doesnt accept it, because so far there is only hegemony in Western political theory, and there is no good governance of the world in Western political theory.

Therefore, Europe would rather have its own economy damaged in order to contain China.

Canada would rather be bullied by the US in order to oppose China.

The United States violated the North American Free Trade Agreement and imposed tariffs on Canadian softwood and aluminum products. The United States imposed a 300% import tax on Bombardier jets, which bankrupted the Bombardier jet production line. Canada has no negotiating power in trade negotiations with the United States. Even if the United States bullies Canada's economy, Canada still wants to maintain the hegemony of the United States and jump on the chariot of the United States to encircle China.

Developed countries have controlled most of the earth's resources under the expansion of colonialism in the past 500 years. Developed countries have developed science and technology and advanced productivity. Yet they still practice imperialism through wars, regime changes, and color revolutions.

The standard of living in the West is already higher than that in developing countries, so why can't it develop Pareto optimally? Because there is no concept of good governance of the world in Western political culture.

Western politicians and scholars have no concept of good governance of the world, and the level of political civilization in the West is two thousand years behind that of China. Western politicians indulge in gaining interest through wars.

Unification is a Chinese political and cultural concept, an advanced political and cultural concept, and a political morality.

Reunification leads to peace, peace leads to economic development, economic development enables the people to live and work in peace and contentment, and human civilization flourishes.

The European Union is trying to unify itself, but it wants to support the US hegemony to create divisions elsewhere. This is not in line with the golden rule of doing to others what you would have them do to you. This is unjust and immoral.

Which country are the Three Kingdoms?

All three kingdoms belong to China, and both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China.

Unity is justice, peace, and progress. The unification of Taiwan with the mainland is justice, a moral appeal, and the sovereignty of China.
Govt Caps Airfares Amid IndiGo Disruptions, Warns Airlines Against Exploiting Passengers 2

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has stepped in amid rising concerns over steep airfares charged during the ongoing operational disruption triggered by IndiGos mass flight cancellations. Citing reports of opportunistic pricing by some airlines, the ministry has invoked its regulatory powers to impose temporary fare caps across affected routes.

In a directive issued to all carriers, the government has mandated strict compliance with the capped pricing structure, which will remain in force until operations stabilise. Officials said the move is intended to prevent exploitation of passengers  particularly senior citizens, students and medical travellers  who are often forced to book urgent flights at inflated rates.

The ministry will continuously monitor airfares through real-time data and coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any deviation from the prescribed limits will attract immediate punitive action, the statement said.

The intervention comes at a time when Indias aviation sector is witnessing large-scale disruptions, leaving thousands scrambling for alternative travel options and raising concerns over consumer protection in crisis situations.
A 37-year-old Fort Payne man was arrested Thursday after authorities received a report of two dead women in a home in Fyffe, the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office announced on Saturday.

DeKalb County deputies, along with the Powell Police Department and DeKalb Ambulance Service went to the house in the 200 block of County Road 158 with the DeKalb County Drug and Major Crimes Unit.

Investigators processed the scene, interviewed neighbors and witnesses, and identified the women as Ruth Genett Rowland, 79, of Fyffe and Charlotte W. Harper, 76, of Fyffe.

The cause and manner of their deaths were not announced.

Court documents state the two were found in the home where they had been covered by a tarp on or about Dec. 1.

A search warrant was executed in the 1400 block of Forest Avenue in Fort Payne.

Oliver Nick Harper, 37, of Fort Payne was arrested and charged with two felony counts of abuse of a corpse due to the actions taken by Harper in the days after the deceased died and prior to their discovery on December 4th, 2025, the announcement stated.

Harper lives in in the 1400 block of Forest Avenue, according to court records. It was not clear if he is related to Charlotte W. Harper.

Authorities say additional charges may be pending.

Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Ms. Rowland and Ms. Harper, please keep all of them in your thoughts and prayers, DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said.

Our investigators and partner agencies and will remain committed to finding the truth and achieving justice in this case.
Nassau County police and prosecutors display photos of Tanya Jackson and Tatiana Dykes, whose remains were found near Long Island's Gilgo Beach, during a news conference, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Mineola, N.Y. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo) AP

The New York Times is reporting that a 66-year-old man from Florida has been charged in the death more than two decades ago of a woman born in Alabama and her two-year-old child.

Andrew Dykes of Ruskin, Fla., was indicted this week by a grand jury on charges of murdering Tanya Denise Jackson and her two-year-old, Tatiana Marie Dykes.

Tanya Jackson was known as Jane Doe No. 3, or Peaches, after a tattoo on her torso of a heart-shaped peach with a bite taken out of it. She was identified in April.

According to The New York Post, Jacksons torso was discovered in 1997 stuffed in a container in a wooded section of Hempstead Lake State Park, along a remote stretch of Long Island oceanfront, several miles from the New York City border.

In 2011, more of Jacksons remains were found in the Gilgo area, along with the body of her daughter.

Tatiana was found in a thicket, wrapped in a blanket and wearing gold jewelry.

Tanya Jackson had been born in Alabama and served in the U.S. Army from 1993 through 1995, when Tatiana was born. Jackson later moved to Brooklyn, where she may have worked as a medical assistant, according to police.

Jackson had never been reported missing and was reportedly estranged from family members.

She and her daughter were buried at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort.

Dykes was the father of Tatiana Marie Dykes, according to police. He was arrested on Wednesday in Florida on a felony fugitive warrant.

Both Jackson and Tatiana Dykes had initially appeared to be possible victims of the Gilgo Beach serial killer, in part because of their proximity to where other victims were discovered, but investigators eventually ruled this out.

Rex Heuermann, a Massapequa Park, N.Y., architectural consultant, faces charges of killing seven women, six of whom were found in the Gilgo Beach area.
The Quad on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com) Ben Flanagan

Four of Alabamas largest public universities need to handle free speech better, according to a nonprofit.

Alabama received a D grade for free speech on its college campuses, according to the 2026 Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression College Free Speech Rankings report.

The University of Alabamas main campus in Tuscaloosa received the lowest score in the state; FIRE cited its 2024 firing of an adjunct professor who posted about a presidential assassination attempt and the universitys effort to stop a conservative student group from changing its anti-discrimination policy.

The report aims to provide the pulse on what the climate is like on these different campuses for freedom of speech for undergraduate students, FIREs Chief Research Advisor Sean Stevens told AL.com.

FIREs rankings dont include a 2025 decision by UA to close two student-run magazines, Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six.

The four schools graded in the report include Auburn University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Alabama at Huntsville and the University of Alabama. Overall Alabamas score is 63.9 or a D. Thats a slight decrease from the 2025 report.

Alabama school rankings are:

Auburn University: No. 28 in the country with a score of 69.03, a D+

University of Alabama at Huntsville: No. 46 with score of 64.11 (D)

University of Alabama at Birmingham: No. 54 with a score of 62.97 (D)

University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa - No. 89 with a score of 59.56 (D-)

University responses

UA approved 3,700 registered content-neutral events, expressing a variety of opinions and ideas, fostering an environment of open dialogue and discussion in 2025, according to associate communications director Alex House.

The University of Alabama is committed to free and open inquiry and expression for members of the University campus community, House said. Students, faculty and staff engage in free speech, wide-ranging thought and discussion, academic freedom and full participation in educational endeavors.

College campuses historically are a place where different opinions are exchanged, which has great intellectual development value, Alicia Rohan, UABs public relations director, told AL.com.

UAB is committed to the First Amendment Rights of free speech and expression for all members of the campus community, Rohan said. As a public institution of higher education, UAB recognizes individuals rights to assembly and free speech granted by the U.S. Constitution.

Kristina Hendrix, UAHs vice-president for strategic communications, told AL.com the school is dedicated to safeguarding free speech, academic freedom and the educational experience of our students. We will continue to serve as a neutral forum for scholarly debate and free and open inquiry.

AL.com reached out to Auburn University for comment.

What happened on campuses?

The report is based on survey responses from 68,000 undergraduates nationwide, including about 4,400 Alabama students. Specific free speech incidents that end up in news or court cases also contribute to a schools score.

The report notes one incident where University of Alabama didnt renew adjunct faculty member Jennifer Collins contract after she posted on social media about Trumps assassination attempt on July 13, 2024. Collins told AL.com she had taken the post down at a UA administrators request.

However, a UA student saved the post before it was removed and discussed it on TikTok more than a week later. Collins said shes unable to land a job at UA even though shes qualified and has the academic background.

FIRE sent a letter to then-president Stuart Bell, asking for Collins to be reinstated.

The First Amendment protects faculty when speaking as private citizens on matters of public concern, the letter stated.

Collins incident is reminiscent of firings after the murder of Charlie Kirk. Stevens said FIREs Scholars Under Fire database is starting to document these recent terminations.

And thats concerning to us, because some of the pressure in terms of firing faculty was coming from government officials, Stevens said.

Another incident noted in the report involved UAs Young Americas Foundation. The group wanted to remove gender identity from its anti-discrimination policy. Despite initial pushback from the university, YAF was able to change the policy.

YAF president Trenton Buffenbarger told AL.com there have been no further problems and theyve welcomed groups opposing their views to their meetings. He said there are more people on campus wanting to get involved since the Kirk murder.

I think its kind of the climate in the past month has raised political awareness, Buffenbarger said.

Other Alabama colleges appear on the FIRE website but werent included in the graded report. Each school is given a yellow, red or green light for adopting policies that further free speech on campuses based on FIREs own set of model speech policies.

One of the ranking systems limitations is missing data.

Were aware of other incidents that we dont factor in because the student or faculty member involved in it does not want it to be made public, Steven said.

UAs American Association of University Professors president Sara McDaniel wants the methodology to include surveying faculty.

I think theres just a lot that goes on with faculty between administration and faculty where students would never know that they werent taught something, McDaniel said. They wouldnt know that they werent told something, or they werent assigned the assignment thats always been assigned.

She said that the rankings are based on school policies and not on legislation that can affect colleges such as SB129. The 2024 law prohibits public entities advocating for a divisive concept, including race, religion or gender.

There are also issues that are a little bit more covert, like chilling speech, McDaniel said. This includes more invisible indicators such as professors not speaking up about multiculturalism.

Nationally, 166 of the 257 schools ranked received a failing grade, which is below 60 points. Sixty-four schools were in the D range.

The top ranked school is Claremont McKenna College in California. Barnard College in New York is the lowest-ranked school nationwide.
Kaitlan Collins attends 17th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at The American Museum of Natural History on December 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for CNN) Getty Images for CNN

CNNs Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins, the target of one of President Donald Trumps Truth Social rants, has responded.

In a Truth Social post, Trumps criticism began with misspelling her name, identifying her as Caitlin Collins of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty.

Trump apparently was angry at Collins asking about construction costs for the White House ballroom, according to Deadline.

I said because it is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level. Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing, Trump wrote.

Trump said the project is under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are, adding and seldom reported, there are no taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid by private donations.

According to The Hill, the White House announced in July that the ballroom, adjacent to the East Wing, would cost $200 million. Later, Trump said it would cost $300 million, then a White House said in late October the price was $350 million, according to ABC News.

Collins, anchor of The Source with Kaitlan Collins and an Alabama native, said her query had nothing to do with the ballroom.

Technically my question was about Venezuela, Collins wrote on her Instagram story, in reference to the administrations bombing of alleged drug smuggling vessels off the coast of the Latin American country.

Collins had asked Trump about accepting FIFAs peace prize at the same time as strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats.

On her Friday program, Collins did note that Trump had fired the architect overseeing the ballroom project.

It comes as we know that the size and the cost of this ballroom have ballooned, though they still maintain all of it is being paid for with private donations, Collins said.

Its not the first time Trump has singled out Collins.

In January he said she asked not a very smart question. He also called her a third rate, low ratings reporter back in March, according to The Daily Beast.

Trump has also faced recent criticism for derogatory remarks about other reporters.

In November, Trump lashed out against a New York Times reporter over an article claiming the president is showing signs of fatigue, calling her a journalist who is ugly, both inside and out.

Days before that, Trump insulted Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey after she asked him whether there was any incriminating information on the president in the Epstein files.

Quiet, quiet piggy, Trump told Lucey after she asked the question on Air Force One.
Gulf Shores, AL - March 29, 2022: Welcome sign for the City of Gulf Shores, Alabama. Gulf Shores is an increasingly popular tourist location due to its white sand beaches, attractions, climate, and relative lack of congestion. james_pintar - stock.adobe.com

Alabamas beach cities are a popular place for visitors to rent electric bikes and cruise along scenic Beach Boulevard with the Gulf shimmering in the background.

But the devices are also a relatively unregulated technology and, authorities say, a safety hazard when used by inexperienced riders or teenagers.

With Spring Break approaching, the City of Gulf Shores is weighing what new rules may be needed for the operation and use of electric mobility devices.

The electric devices that are raising concerns are those commonly sharing multi-use pathways and bike trails. They include e-bikes, the two-wheeled bicycles with electric motors that assist with pedaling; and e-trikes, like an e-bike but with three wheels and cargo capacity. Also of issue are electric mopeds, or small electric motorcycles, and electric-powered scooters that are often found for rental in cities like Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, and Birmingham.

This is not about restricting peoples freedoms or personal preferences, Gulf Shores Police Chief Dan Netemeyer said last week during a robust discussion about a proposed city ordinance regulating the devices within the beach city. Its something that needs to be done.

Injuries and close calls are fueling the debate. In May 2023, a 13-year-old boy was killed along Gulf Shores Parkway after the e-bike he was riding collided with a dump truck.

Its a problem, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said. We have to do something.

Gulf Shores is not considering an outright ban, unlike some beach communities where tragedies have occurred. Key Biscayne, near Miami, prohibited the devices in 2024 after a 66-year-old woman was struck and killed by a 12-year-old riding an e-bike.

At last Mondays city council meeting, several small business owners who lease e-bikes and similar devices said they would support a reasonable ordinance aimed at improving public safety.

Still, they voiced concerns about two provisions in the four-page proposal that they believe include harmful measures. The two include a lower-than-expected speed limit, and a dismount zone adjacent to the popular Gulf Shores Public Beach.

The ordinance is only in a draft form, and there is no set date for the Gulf Shores City Council to vote on it.

Restricting speeds

The biggest concern for e-bike dealers is what they describe as an overly restrictive 10 mph speed limit, which they say the Police Department is seeking.

A standard e-bike speed limit of 15 mph is globally recognized by the industry, according to Brian Krstich with Gulf Shores Bike Rentals. He and others in Gulf Shores believe the 10-mph restriction is much too low, falling below the 20-mph limit set in Alabama state law and is even lower than more congested cities like New York City, which has a 15-mph restriction in place.

It potentially creates safety concerns rather than solving them, Krstich said. Below 10 mph, riders must steer to stay balanced especially if they are on heavier e-bikes that are 40 to 60 pounds heavier than a more traditional bike.

He added, A 10 mph cap sounds safe but, in reality, it could have the opposite effect.

The proposed Gulf Shores ordinance does not specify a speed limit. It allows the Police Department to post a maximum speed limit in high traffic areas or areas presenting a public safety danger.

Netemeyer did not respond to a follow-up question about the speed limit.

This 10 mph is not the answer, said Ray Grable, a vendor with the company EBike the Park in Gulf Shores. In fact, its ridiculous.

Greg Woltman and Sam Rosenthal, research project coordinators at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, said in an email to AL.com Thursday that a 10 mph speed limit is low given that the typical pace for a non-electric bicycle is about 12 to 15 mph.

They also noted that in the U.S., e-bikes are manufactured according to three classes. A Class 1 and 2 e-bike is manufactured at a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph, meaning the bicycle will stop once it reaches that speed.

Most states, including Alabama, have laws in place limiting the speed of low-speed e-bikes at 20 mph. A higher-powered Class 3 e-bike can operate with a maximum speed of 28 mph and are sometimes dealt with stricter state laws. In Alabama, anyone 16 or younger cannot ride a Class 3 device, although they can ride as a passenger. All Class 3 e-bike users also must wear a helmet in Alabama, according to a state law adopted in 2022.

Dismount Zone

The other concern revolved around the dismount zone, which Netemeyer classified as an area in the highly congested part of the beach area from 2nd Avenue south to Beach Boulevard. The dismount zone would require all e-bike users to walk with their bikes within an approximately two-block area.

We want to get them off the sidewalk in this area, Netemeyer said.

Some of the e-bike business owners said the presence of a dismount area could create problems for older people who use the devices for mobility purposes.

They also said that tourists who peruse the Public Beach area will likely have no idea that the area is a dismount zone, creating an enforcement headache for police.

The ordinance doesnt actually create a specific dismount zone. However, it gives the City Council the option to declare any street, highway, sidewalk, trail, or other public access areas as a designated dismount zone.

Woltman and Rosenthal, in their email to AL.com, said that dismount zones are not uncommon.

This proposal appears to fall in line with what we see in New Jerseys shore communities, the two wrote. Many of these towns enforce dismount zones, particularly on boardwalks where there may be heavy pedestrian traffic. We have not heard of this being an accessibility issue since e-bikes are not mobility devices. Generally, a dismount ordinance wouldnt apply to devices used for mobility assistance, but this could be specified in the ordinance if they want to be clear.

Dangerous observations

Angela Malick, a resident of Gulf Shores who lives near Beach Boulevard, said she believes the issue warrants regulation because of the rise of what she says is reckless behavior on e-bikes and other devices.

Shes observed a woman holding a newborn baby in her arms while riding on one of the devices. Shes witnessed family members crashing into each other, and younger people coming dangerously close to hitting elderly couples walking along a pathway.

Ive witnessed things that generally frighten me and shows how desperately we need these ordinances., she said, encouraging doubters to spend time with her to observe the scenarios. It happens almost daily. Lets have a chat, a soda pop and enjoy the show.

Malick said she had also been nearly hit by someone operating an e-bike.

This isnt about punishment, she said. Its not about making life difficult to anyone, or to any business. This is about protecting children, seniors, pedestrians, pets, and families and to give police clarity that they need to keep our public spaces safe.

The ordinance includes penalties against violators, with fines ranging from $250 for a first-time violation to $500 for each additional violation occurring within the first year of the first violation.

An e-bike can also be impounded if the violator is under age 18.

Netemeyer said the aim isnt to rid the beaches of the devices. He said some of the provisions are intended, he hopes, in changing the culture in which they create a public safety hazard.

These are our roads, and everyone has to co-exist within the limits of the law, Netemeyer said. These are not toys. I cannot go anywhere in town, on or off duty, without someone coming up to me and complaining about e-bikes. The general consensus is we have a problem, and something needs to be done.
Millry may be a one-stoplight town tucked into the rural stretch of southwestern Alabama, but its Christmas in the Park celebration delivers a powerful story that draws visitors from far beyond its borders.

About 130 decorated plots fill the city park, each built around a Christmas theme and forming the centerpiece of a sprawling, month-long attraction. Some carry deep emotion as families memorialize loved ones, including a display for Robbie Scarbrough, an artist who was quadriplegic and who inspired many by sketching with his mouth.

His sister, Teresa Singleton, hopes her annual tribute to her late brother lifts others who pass by.

I just wanted mine to have some purpose, and some meaning and provide encouragement for someone, said Singleton, 59, of Millry. People are just amazed at how talented he was.

Start drawing again

Singletons display features a rustic Christmas tree with some of Scarbroughs artwork. It serves as a tribute to a man who loved art as a youth and continued drawing and painting despite becoming paralyzed in a tragic 2004 accident.

Scarbrough, who was 35 at the time, slipped and fell from a roof while coming down a ladder carrying two boxes of nails. He landed on his head, crushing his C5 and C6 vertebrae, which paralyzed him from the neck down.

Robbie could really draw well before he got hurt, Singleton said. After he got hurt, he could no longer draw.

Scarbroughs mother, Peggy Carpenter, decided her son would resume his talent in a different way. She bought art pads, a stand and plastic cigar tips that could hold a paintbrush or pencil in his mouth.

Scarbrough was still in the hospital when his mother returned with the supplies.

She said, youre going to start drawing again, Singleton recalled. He looked at both of his hands and said, I cannot use my hands, how do I do that? She said, youll use your mouth.

A good life

Robbie Scarbrough poses as a group of men hold up his paintings in this undated photo. Scarbrough died in February 2021 at age 53. His memory and artwork, which he did by his mouth, is preserved and highlighted with a display at the Christmas in the Park attraction in Millry, Ala. supplied image

An avid outdoorsman, Scarbrough focused his earliest works on cabins and scenery. Over time, he perfected a style that relied on holding art supplies with his teeth. He continued drawing for 17 years, first while living with his mother and later after moving to a nursing home in Goodwater, near Sylacauga.

He would draw things and have the nursing home staff run copies off and share them with everyone, Singleton said. He wanted people to have his pictures. He wanted to encourage people with disabilities not to give up and that anything was possible. He was just magnificent. Its amazing what he drew.

Scarbrough, a hunter before the accident, also returned to the woods thanks to Hope Outdoors, a nonprofit ministry in Chatom that helps people with special needs enjoy hunting and fishing trips.

He got to go hunting 15 years of not being able to hunt, Singleton said. He went with Hope Outdoors and had a gun that (would shoot) when you blew into a straw. He killed his first deer in 15 years. He really did have quite a good life after he got hurt despite the quadriplegic state he was in.

Scarbrough died in 2021 at age 53 while battling infections and enduring isolation during the height of the pandemic.

Robbie was very susceptible to (urinary tract infections) because he had a catheter in his belly, Singleton said. He had gotten sepsis two or three times and was in and out of the hospital. All of this was going on while COVID was going on.

Brother and sister shared one final reunion that remains vivid for Singleton.

I was in the ER with him and was like, oh my gosh, we are in the same room. I can hug and kiss you again, she said.

Honor my brother

The display at Christmas in the Park in honor of the late artist Robbie Scarbrough, who died at age 53 in 2021. Scarbrough was a quadriplegic who drew his art work by mouth. Some of those pieces are displayed within the Christmas display at Millry's City Park. His sister, Teresa Singleton, does the display each year in her brother's memory. supplied image

Now Singleton keeps Scarbroughs memory alive each year during Millrys Christmas in the Park.

The holiday display began with 30 plots and has grown to more than 130 covering the Roy Chapman Sportsplex and Walking Trail. Volunteers start decorating in August, stringing more than 1 million lights along the mile-long trail. The event is free and has drawn visitors from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and beyond.

Last year, Christmas in the Park won AL.coms first poll for the best Christmas decorations in Alabama, beating out larger cities long recognized for their holiday displays. AL.com is running another contest this month to determine this years winner.

Christmas in the Park was the idea of Glenn Smith, who envisioned transforming the city park after spotting a scraggly cedar tree while walking there in 2020. The town council funded the project with $10,000, and it has grown steadily since.

Singleton has decorated her plot honoring her brother each year since the first Christmas in the Park in 2021, months after Scarbroughs death.

I am a decorator and felt I could rally up and do this, she said. I wanted to honor my brother and have people see who he was, and what he was capable of doing and encourage someone.

Smith, a former music teacher in Millry, also inspired Singleton and Scarbrough when they were children.

My brother was a freckle-faced kid and everyone picked on him, Singleton said. He couldnt play sports. He lost a kidney when he was 2 years old. But he picked up a trombone and Mr. Smith put him in the band. He took to him  Glenn Smith did a lot for the kids in Millry, especially my brother. He made Robbie feel like he was someone and that he mattered.

Singleton said Smiths idea has been the biggest thing to happen to Millry in her lifetime. This years Christmas in the Park is set to open Tuesday, postponed a few days because of inclement weather.

Millry has always been a spot on the map, she said. I graduated with 52 people. I think what Mr. Smith has done, and created with his team, is one of the most spectacular things Ive seen ever in Millry.

Its the meaning of Christmas, and what someone means to someone and how this little spot on the map can be more than a spot on the map. Its a town pulling together and just being part of something fantastic.

As 2025 comes to a close, AL.com is bringing you the stories that make us smile and warm our hearts. In the series 31 Days of Good News, youll hear about the helpers, community leaders and organizations making Alabama better. If you have an idea for a story, email us at news@al.com.

As 2025 comes to a close, AL.com is bringing you the stories that make us smile and warm our hearts. In the series 31 Days of Good News, youll hear about the helpers, community leaders and organizations making Alabama better. If you have an idea for a story, email us at news@al.com.
Mike Lindell listens during an interview from the podium in the press briefing room of the White House, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP

One of President Donald Trumps most ardent supporters is mulling over a run for governor in Minnesota.

A campaign committee for Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, has filed paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Disclosure Board last week.

If he jumps in, he would run as a Republican, according to USA Today.

Lindell, however, said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio that he has yet to formally declare.

Im 98 percent sure Im going to, Lindell told the outlet.

The 64-year-old entrepreneur would join a crowded field of a dozen Republicans in the race. Tim Walz, the incumbent and last years Democratic vice presidential candidate, is running for a third term.

Lindells campaign committee chair, Rick Weible, said the potential candidate is very vibrant, excitable. and he could make a fast decision to get into a race.

Democrats were predictably dismissive of the potential candidate.

Mike Lindell is the latest extreme, out-of-touch candidate to jump into what is becoming a more chaotic and dangerous race to the far-right by the day, Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Izzi Levy said in a written statement to the USA TODAY Network. His entrance into the race is a bitter pill-ow for Minnesota Republicans to swallow.

Lindell has made a name for himself promoting his company and from many of his legal battles, which he says have left him virtually penniless.

According to CNN, Lindell is still facing defamation lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic  two of the voting technology companies that he falsely accused of manipulating the 2020 outcome.

A federal judge recently ruled that he defamed Smartmatic, but a jury will decide potential damages.
European civilization is dying. The Trump administrations new National Security Strategy makes this clear. It has squandered its post-WWII economic and military assistance from the United States by investing in centralized, socialist bureaucracies and expansive welfare States. By chasing the climate change con as a means for European governments to justify total control over the drivers of economic growth, European nations have forsaken cheap energy exploration, private entrepreneurship, and technological innovation. By depending upon the United States to defend its territorial interests, European nations have destroyed their military capabilities.

In an effort to juice their economies with cheap labor and artificial demographic growth, European nations have opened their borders to tens of millions of foreign immigrants. The natural result is that foreign cultures have steadily eroded and replaced millennia-old European cultures without much resistance. The Trump administration believes Europe could be effectively erased within twenty years.

When living things die, they tend to lash out. Europe is no exception. Its political elites have decided to pretend that everything is okay and that the continent remains the life-force of the entire world. In order to buttress this delusion, European governments have embraced censorship and State-approved propaganda on a scale as obscene as anything that might occur in communist China. Controlling the narrative and silencing dissent are the last gasps of every civilization on its deathbed.

Every day some new horror story emerges from the United Kingdom in which an ordinary citizen is treated as a terrorist for merely expressing an opinion or defending a personal belief. A recent example involves thirty-four-year-old mother of four Elizabeth Kinney. It appears Kinney and a former friend were texting about a male acquaintance who had allegedly caused Kinney harm, and she called that man a faggot. The former friend reported Kinney to the authorities because the abusive and homophobic text messages caused her alarm and distress.

While Kinney was naked and in a bathtub, eleven police officers forced their way into her home and arrested her. Kinney burst into tears as male officers denied her any privacy, and a female officer informed her that she was being arrested for malicious communications and hate crime. The Crown place this offense in the highest category of its type due to the effect related to sexual orientation and the greater harm because it had moderate impact, prosecutors insisted. Kinney faced ten years in prison, but her attorney begged for leniency. She has been ordered to perform seventy-two hours of community service, attend ten days of rehabilitation, and pay a fine of several hundred pounds.

All rights are property rights. The lesson that British authorities are trying to teach Kinney and other citizens is this: You do not own the thoughts in your head. You do not own the words you express. You do not own the private messages that you text to other private citizens. When your thoughts, words, and texts violate officially approved government narratives and ideologies, you will be punished. Freedom of speech and freedom of conscience do not exist under any government willing to use force to control how citizens think, speak, and text.

In Kinneys case, British authorities have no problem re-traumatizing a woman who had already been physically abused by sending a dozen cops into her home and forcing her to be naked, vulnerable, and afraid in front of male officers. Instead, the Crown is upset that Kinney used a gay slur to describe someone not even directly participating in her text conversation with another woman. When the State is more concerned about insults to men who have allegedly harmed women than the privacy and dignity of women who have allegedly been harmed, the government is complicit in the abuse of its citizens.

There are only a handful of reasons this kind of European totalitarianism hasnt similarly consumed the United States: (1) Americas First Amendment, (2) Americans more resilient love for personal liberty and hostility toward overreaching government, and (3) the Democrats inability to flood the 2024 election with enough fraudulent mail-in ballots to pull off back-to-back steals. Democrats have been criminalizing hate speech for decades. The Biden administration actively censored Americans online speech and attempted to erect a permanent Disinformation Governance Board within the Department of Homeland Security.

Europes totalitarian assaults on free speech are therefore an ongoing national security threat to the United States. Protecting people from hate speech has always been a government-contrived Trojan horse for censoring dissent and controlling the flow of information.

Right now Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is whining about random Americans calling him a retard after President Trump labeled the governor seriously retarded in a Thanksgiving post on Truth Social. If Americans dont vigilantly defend the First Amendments protections for free speech, then a future Democrat president will no doubt follow Europes example by sending well-armed law enforcement officers to Mar-a-Lago to arrest President Trump for hurting Tim Walzs feelings. Its not as if the FBI hasnt raided Trumps home with lethal force before.

Europes descent into tyranny must be resisted, but a firewall preventing Europes tyranny from spreading beyond the ruin of its own continent is essential.

French President Emmanuel Macron wants the authority to block all online content that the government deems false information. Additionally, he wants to establish a news media certification system that would give the State the power to create a veritable ministry of truth.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his political operatives have apparently been using an elaborate web of taxpayer-funded initiatives, billionaire-funded NGOs, and covert propaganda campaigns to target and cripple conservative news outlets in the United States. The prime ministers chief of staff has been accused of running a shadowy astroturf organization meant to censor conservatives, punish freedom of expression, and eliminate dissent. Among the U.K. operations various objectives, its key mission has allegedly been to Kill Musks Twitter.

The European Union is so committed to destroying free speech on Elon Musks X that it has fined the social media platform hundreds of millions of dollars for violating the European Unions new Digital Services Act. The DSA empowers European bureaucrats and aristocrats to control most online information and allows the EU to elevate its preferred narratives over the opinions of common citizens.

European governments are so afraid of Americans free speech that they are doing everything in their power to censor, fine, and criminally punish American citizens. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio states plainly in a recent post on X, The European Commissions $140 million fine isnt just an attack on @X, its an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments. The days of censoring Americans online are over.

Censoring dissent is a sign of political weakness. It is a telltale sign of Europes looming demise. Any civilization so vulnerable that it cannot withstand opposing points of view certainly cannot withstand anything more pointed or explosive than uncomfortable words. Governments that fear the private thoughts of the people know that their days are numbered.

Americans should support those in Europe who still believe in freedom and personal liberty. We should ally ourselves with the millions who wish to live their lives free from governments choking grip. We should not continue supporting the governments doing the choking. We share no common cause with tyrants. To liberate the oppressed, Americans must allow European totalitarianism to destroy itself.

Image via Pexels.
On December 7, 1941, the United States officially entered WWII with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan struck Pearl Harbor with six aircraft carriers and an accompanying fleet, which resulted in 3,581 Americans being either killed or wounded, with numerous military aircraft, ships, and facilities either damaged or destroyed in less than two hours. Afterwards, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto reportedly wrote in his diary, I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.

With the great American industrial foundation powered by an extensive energy base, 1941-America was indeed a sleeping giant awakened. The U.S. spent the next four years relentlessly becoming a war machine with one united purpose, to defeat the Axis powers.

Today Americas great industrial base is skeletal at best. While President Trump is trying to rectify the situation, too many American globalist politicians have lined their pockets through encouraging American companies to invest in foreign nations instead of America. In 1945, the U.S. produced 67% of the worlds pig iron and 72% of the steel. By 2014 the U.S. was only producing 2.4% of the pig iron and 5.3% of the worlds steel. In contrast, by 2021 the Chinese company China Baowu became the worlds top steel producer.

What could China be doing with all this steel? November 5, 2025 China formally commissioned its third aircraft carrier and the accompanying fleet, being on course to have five or six carriers, and their accompanying fleets by the 2030s or before. In fact, President Xi Jinping has overseen an overhaul of the Peoples Liberation Army since coming to power in 2012, and has pledged to build a fully modern force rivaling the U.S. military by 2027.

China is also constructing amphibious landing craft, as tall as 15-story buildings, with numbers of amphibious landing craft ranking second only to that of the U.S. in global amphibious capability. According to a U.S. Defense Department report released in November 2021, China has the biggest maritime force on the globe with 355 ships, and is projected to increase to 420 ships by 2027 and to 460 ships by 2030, which explains President Trumps push to revive shipbuilding in the U.S.

Is Chinas naval armada intended to just patrol the South China Sea? Would China use such a force to take Taiwan?

Taiwan is the last refuge of the democracy that China once was before the communist takeover in 1949. President Xi himself said in the opening speech of the Communist Partys 20th congress in Beijing, We insist on striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and best efforts, but we will never promise to give up the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.

Why do we care about Taiwan?

Through U.S. foreign investments, and the lining of the pockets of globalists, Taiwan manufactures most of the worlds microchips, which are used in everything from military applications, to cars, to coffee makers, to combine harvesters. In fact, Taiwan makes ~92 % of all advanced microchips in a handful of coastal-based factories, which could be easily destroyed before the U.S. could respond. However, if China took over these factories, then China could secretly hardwire-in backdoors to these chips, where specific signals could render them useless.

How is China going to have enough energy to power their war machine?

China is building over half of the worlds new coal-based power plants, dramatically increasing their power production. One reference stated, In all fairness Chinasaid it will drastically cut coal use in 2026 to meet that [clean energy] goal. Note: President Xi said he plans to have a military rivaling the U.S. in 2027 and he is going to start worrying about clean energy in 2026. With a military might that rivals the U.S., does anyone really believe China will go green?

Will China have a face-to-face conflict with the U.S.?

Chinas military leaders have published two high-profile books on the subject of military domination: The Art of War and Unrestricted Warfare. The Art of War, an ancient Chinese military book of warfare tactics, focuses on 13 steps to winning a war, including exploiting the weakness of an enemy. Unrestricted Warfare was written by two Chinese Senior Air Force colonels explaining how a nation, such as China, can defeat technologically superior nations, such as the U.S. The book presents the primary weakness of the United States is that it views revolution solely in terms of military thought and technology. The authors suggest the U.S. doesnt consider the wider picture of military strategy, which includes legal, economic, and political factors, saying, the U.S. is vulnerable to attacks along these lines. This results in reducing ones opponent without direct military conflict, yet having the same, if not an even greater destructive force.

Is there any evidence that China could be attacking the U.S. in other ways other than using its military might?

An article with numerous references of things China is actively doing in America can be found here.

Some examples are:

China has allegedly interfered with U.S. elections, illegally influencing U.S. voters to vote for Chinas choice.

China purchased nearly 200,000 acres of U.S. farmland, much of which is near U.S. military bases. Has anyone looked in those grain silos?

China is the primary source of fentanyl precursors, according to an unclassified DEA Intelligence Report. Note: In 2021 illicit fentanyl overdoses was the number one cause of death among adults ages 1845 in the US, causing more deaths than COVID-19, cancer, heart disease and all other accidents.

China was clearly responsible for the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. An article written by Lt. Col. Zumwalt, published March 2020 titled, Whose fingerprints are on the coronavirus?, shows that beginning at the Wuhan Lab, China released the virus, yet contained it in Wuhan by fencing off the city, while allowing international flights out of Wuhan until March of 2020.

Did China purposely spread of COVID-19?

Remember that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported December 1, 2019 in China. Just months earlier, in the summer of 2019, President Donald Trump, helping American manufacturers, businesses, and jobs, placed tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods to level the playing field in the market place. With an additional 300 billion dollars on the table to bring China to a negotiating stage concerning trade, just two months later the Chinese COVID-19 virus hit.

Are all these things part of the Art of War with Unrestricted Warfare?

The common sense question is this: If America were attacked, is there a sleeping giant to awaken? If were not awake by now, what will rouse us?

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
UKs Labour Censorship Initiative

As economic and cultural suicide stalk Western Europe, it has initiated efforts to hobble America's technological advantage and diminish our freedoms. The first documented attacks on our open dialogue came from the UK and began in 2018 when Morgan McGreevy, Keir Starmers chief of staff (then Labour Togethers managing director), began and funded an outfit called Stop Funding Fake News (SFFN). Recognizing that the online news purveyors could best be silenced by depriving them of funds, it first targeted UK outfits, but moved on in an attempt to starve U.S. outfits like American Thinker, Breitbart, Zero Hedge, and the Federalist of advertising revenue, and astroturfing defamation of such sites.

In June 2020, a booster of SFFNs campaign tagged Fords UK twitter account, noting that its ads were appearing on Breitbart. Ford UKs twitter account responded that it was investigating the ad placement and confirmed that Ford does not share the views expressed on the website. By 2021, SFFN expanded to target Breitbarts YouTube account. Breitbart, who have: consistently denied climate change, promoted sexism, published racist conspiracy theories have a monetised YouTube channel, SFFN complained in July. SFFN encouraged advertisers generally to block their ads from appearing on Breitbarts YouTube content. In order to scale up its demonetization campaign, SFFN hosted an excel spreadsheet blocklist on its website for years. It listed the URLs of fake news websites that advertisers could import into their Google AdSense profiles to block sites en masse from receiving their advertising. This included Breitbart and a host of other alt-right and conservative U.S. sites such as Zero Hedge, The Federalist and American Thinker from 2020 onwards, alongside The Canary and Evolve Politics. SFFN also provided a handy how-to guide for advertisers and brands, walking them through how they could add SFFNs targets to their own personalised blocklist. By December 2020, the list had expanded to include 28 sites, including two platforms linked to the far-right British agitator, Tommy Robinson, most notably Rebel News. Another of SFFNs initial targets was the right-wing UK website Westmonster, which had been set up and funded by Arron Banks, a controversial pro-Brexit campaigner. SFFN accused Westmonster of being a propaganda channel for the Brexit Party and its leader, Nigel Farage. The Brexit Party was renamed Reform UK. On current polling, Reform is set to form the next UK government with Farage as leader. SFFN claimed that Westmonsters coverage of Farage and the Brexit Party was disproportionate. The campaigns evidentiary threads included allusive imagery of Farage standing with Trump, accusing Trump of peddling toxic post-truth politics. In one remarkable thread from May 2019, SFFN urged readers not to vote for Brexit Party candidates in the UKs upcoming European Parliament elections. SFFN also accused Westmonster of fueling anger & hatred towards migrants by publishing a stream of scare stories about immigrants in other European countries [which] deliberately create the impression of hordes of violent foreigners on the doorstep of Britain. In April 2019, SFFN said Westmonster stoke[d] fear of migrants because it included stories about Channel Crossings -- journeys made by asylum seekers on make-shift boats across the English Channel to seek refuge in the UK.

EUs DSA

In 2022, the European Union got into the muzzling act when its Parliament passed the infamous Digital Service Act. Noted liars Hillary Clinton and John F. Kerry endorsed this, urging the EU to force Elon Musk to censor us after he bought Twitter.

For years, some of us in the free speech community have warned about the threat of the European Union to free speech, particularly in the enactment of the infamous Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU has virtually declared war on free speech and is targeting American companies. That war just began with the first DSA fine. Not surprisingly, X was the chosen target -- a company blamed by many in the EU and the U.S. for rolling back free-speech protections.

This is not the first effort by the EU to deal with the challenges to their autocratic rule created by Elon Musks $44 billion dollar purchase of Twitter and making it the worlds most widely available free speech platform. During the last presidential election, the EU issued a formal letter to him demanding that he censor a Trump interview. More recently they offered Musk an illegal secret deal to quietly censor users speech.

He refused. At the time, a person with knowledge of the issue told Pirate Wires the Commission wanted X to hire a team of people in the EU that could number in the hundreds to remove misinformation on the platform. X would have no recourse in these removal decisions. Now, one year later, the Commission has followed through with their threats, fining X $140 million (the first-ever penalty under their Digital Services Act).

The EU preferred the pre-Musk Twitter, where only posters they favored got blue checks (wider reach and greater credibility) and they could shut up dissenters.

Response to the EUs Outrageous Overreaching

Frances digital minister hailed the action, as did Germanys digital minister. Not that they matter as much in the end as the responses of U.S. Administration officials and Congress to the EUs demand for what Peter Hague correctly dubs dragnet surveillance. Vice-President JD Vance warned against using censorship to attack U.S. firms. He called it A fine for not engaging in censorship, adding, The EU should be supporting free speech, not attacking American companies over garbage. Secretary Marco Rubio fired The European Commissions $140 million fine isnt just an attack on X, its an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments. Howard Lutnick stated: The digital services act is designed to stifle free speech and American tech companies. We have made our position clear to our counterparts in Europe.

The U.S. has a number of diplomatic tools to counter the EU, U.S. pressure in trade talks and increased scrutiny of EU regulatory bias among them.

Congress has under consideration a GRANITE Act which would give us citizens who are targeted by the EU or UK with fines the right to countersue in U.S. courts.

The Administration is well aware of the European censorship drive and its consequences there. Last Month the U.S. government released a National Security Strategy paper which reports this about Europe:

American officials have become used to thinking about European problems in terms of insufficient military spending and economic stagnation. There is truth to this, but Europes real problems are even deeper. Continental Europe has been losing share of global GDP -- down from 25 percent in 1990 to 14 percent today -- partly owing to national and transnational regulations that undermine creativity and industriousness. But this economic decline is eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure. The larger issues facing Europe include activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence. Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies. Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence, and to abandon its failed focus on regulatory suffocation.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also notes the absurd contradictions of our role in NATO and the EU:

The US has long failed to address the glaring inconsistency between its relations with NATO and the EU. These are almost all the same countries in both organizations. When these countries wear their NATO hats, they insist that Transatlantic cooperation is the cornerstone of our mutual security. But when these countries wear their EU hats, they pursue all sorts of agendas that are often utterly adverse to US interests and security -- including censorship, economic suicide/climate fanaticism, open borders, disdain for national sovereignty/promotion of multilateral governance and taxation, support for Communist Cuba, etc etc. This inconsistency cannot continue. Either the great nations of Europe are our partners in protecting the Western civilization that we inherited from them or they are not. But we cannot pretend that we are partners while those nations allow the EUs unelected, undemocratic, and unrepresentative bureaucracy in Brussels to pursue policies of civilizational suicide.

Short of voting to leave the EU, European citizens have no way to remove and replace the EU leaders who have driven this to a crisis, but the Streisand effect seems to be at play. Since the fine was announced, X reportedly has become the number 1 news app in France, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Estonia, Slovakia, Malta, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Slovenia.
From Wikimedia Commons: Blood Libel (Karol de Prevot, 18th Century)

On the evening of November 11, 2025, University College London provided a lecture theatre and official student-society imprimatur for an event at which Dr. Samar Maqusi, a former fixed-term researcher at UCL and previously employed by the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees, delivered the opening lecture in a five-part series entitled Palestine: From Existence to Resistance, organized by the universitys recognized Justice in Palestine Society. From the very beginning, there was no hesitation or pretense. On the contrary, the darkest prejudices of the past were brought to life. The lecturer was undaunted.

In the course of her talk, The Birth of Zionism, Dr. Maqusi meticulously recounted the 1840 Damascus Affair as though it were historical fact: that Jews in Damascus had kidnapped a Capuchin monk, Father Thomas, drained his blood, and used it to bake special pancakes or bread for a holy ceremony. She stated explicitly (a) that part of the holy ceremony is that drops of blood from someone whos not Jewish has to be mixed in that bread, and (b) that the accused Jews, who were tortured to the extreme, had admitted to the murder. The Damascus blood libelone of the most notorious antisemitic fabrications in history, which triggered pogroms across the Middle East and Europewas thus revived on a UCL platform eighty years after the liberation of Auschwitz.

Only after video footage of the lecture went viral on social media on November 13, and only after sustained pressure from Jewish students, the Community Security Trust, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and numerous public figures, did UCL at last find the courage to act. That very same day, the Provost, Dr. Michael Spence, issued an unequivocal apology, describing the remarks as heinous antisemitic comments and affirming that antisemitism has absolutely no place in our university. Dr. Maqusi was banned from campus, the Justice in Palestine Society was barred from holding further events pending investigation, and the incident was referred to the police. The sequence is instructive: outrage first, institutional response second. There was no pre-emptive intervention, no refusal to host, no evidence that anybody in authority had even reviewed the speakers script or past statements. The university did not defend historical truth until it was forced to do so under threat of exposure.

Of course, this is not an isolated scandal; it is the logical endpoint of a decades-long moral and intellectual collapse in Western academia. Departments of Middle East Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Gender Studies, and the proliferating decolonial disciplines have for years cultivated an environment in which the open expression of Jew-hatred is toleratedprovided it is framed as anti-Zionism, resistance or speaking truth to power. Blood libels, the celebration of Hamass October 7, 2023, massacre as decolonization, and calls for global intifada are no longer fringe positions on British campuses; they are performative requirements for progressive bona fides. Jewish students, who are frightened and object, are routinely told that their discomfort is a form of Zionist anxiety or white fragility. The inversion is complete: the heirs of those, who survived the Holocaust, are lectured on privilege by tenured academics whose salaries are ultimately paid by the liberal civilization that they now treat with contempt. Political theater has surrendered to the grotesque.

Why this silence from the professoriate? The answer is a lethal cocktail of cowardice and ideological delusion. For half a century, Western academia has indoctrinated its students with the dogma that all cultures are merely different, never superior or inferior; that secularism, individual rights, and the rule of law are not universal achievements but Western impositions tainted by colonialism; that the only morally legitimate stance towards the non-European world is one of uncritical solidarity with its self-described victims. This relativism was always intellectually bankrupt, but it becomes existentially suicidal when applied to political Islam.

We invaded Iraq and Afghanistan believing that beneath every burqa and beard beat the heart of a liberal democrat waiting to be liberated. The resultstwenty years of blood and treasure in Afghanistan, culminating in the Talibans triumphant return in 2021, and the re-emergence of sectarian theocracy in Iraqexposed the depth of our delusion. Large swathes of the Islamic world deeply resent us and have never desired to become like us; significant portions actually expect us to submit sooner or later and become like them. Decades of Pew, Gallup, and Arab Barometer surveys have documented majority or plurality support in numerous Muslim-majority countries for sharia governance, the death penalty for apostasy, the subjugation of womenand, crucially, for antisemitic beliefs of medieval virulence. These are not the views of a tiny extremist fringe; they are mainstream.

Yet to state these facts in a British or North American university common room is to invite professional ostracism under the catch-all accusation of Islamophobia. The same scholars, who claim to punch up, fall mute when the power in question is wielded by Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Muslim Brotherhoods campus subsidiaries. It is safer to issue a belated apology than to prevent the outrage in the first place. It is safer to equate criticism of Islamism with racism than to acknowledge that the racism in question is frequently directed, with medieval ferocity, against Jews.

The barbarians are no longer at the gates. Storming our universities, they have been issued UCL lanyards and lecture-theatre bookings. Student societies that openly endorse ideologies, which stone adulterers and execute homosexuals, are granted institutional privilege in the name of diversity. Meanwhile, Jewish students require security escorts to attend classes. The university, once the guardian of reason against superstition, of evidence against myth, of the individual against the mob, has abandoned its postnot because the evidence has changed (the Damascus blood libel remains a lie, Hamas remains a sadistic terrorist organization), but because confronting the truth about political Islam now requires a courage that contemporary academia simply does not possess.

The consequences are not confined to campus. Every time a university platform rehabilitates the blood libel, it normalizes the idea that Jewish life is negotiable. Every time a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter invites a speaker, who celebrates October 7, it trains a generation to regard the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust as legitimate resistance. These are rehearsals for violence. We saw the dress rehearsal in the pogroms that swept Amsterdam in November 2024, when mobs hunted Jews while chanting Allahu Akbar. We saw it in the fire bombings of synagogues in Germany and France. Indeed, we will see it again unless academia recovers the elementary distinction between civilization and barbarism.

There was a time when European intellectuals understood that civilization is a fragile achievement that must be defendedsometimes by force, always by moral clarity. That understanding has been replaced by a suicidal multicultural dogma which insists that all cultures are equal except Western culture, irrevocably weighed down by colonial guilt. The result is a continent that has imported millions of Muslims socialized in environments, where Jew-hatred is mothers milk, then expresses bewilderment when those attitudes manifest in university lecture theatres and on the streets.

Until academia resumes traditional virtues and shows the Western Enlightenment courage to distinguish between truth and lies, e.g., to declarewithout waiting for a viral video and a Twitter stormthat draining a monks blood for matzah is a malicious fabrication, wherever and whenever it is cited, the surrender will continue. And the barbariansmany of them, ironically, wearing the jeans and checked lumberjack shirts that we once mistook for talismans of assimilationwill keep advancing, lecture theatre by lecture theatre, belated apology by belated apology.

We were told after 1945 that Never Again was more than a slogan. However, eighty years later, a British university required days of external pressure before it could bring itself to condemn the blood libel in its own lecture hall. If this is the best that our centers of higher learning can manage, the post-war promise has already been brokennot in the gas chambers, but in the seminar rooms where the next generation is taught that truth is negotiable, courage is bigotry, and Jewish blood is, once again, cheap.
The latest tempest in a teapot (a more apt metaphor than most, thanks to Yellowstones famous geysers) concerns the recent announcement of fee-free days at Americas national parks in 2026.

Just like employers, retail stores, and any other business that operates on a calendar, the National Park Service announces its schedule for the following year in November or December, and the latest announcement has the left in an uproar of imagined offense and calculated fury. As the press reports it, Juneteenth and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Birthday have been removed as free days, and Trumps birthday has been added.

You can see why the perpetually upset would be triggered.

The true story is a bit more detailed, infinitely more sensible, and not remotely racist, despite the lefts crocodile tears.

First, lets look at the free day list at Americas national parks for 2025:

January 20: Martin Luther King Jr Day

April 19: Start of National Park Week

June 19: Juneteenth

August 4: Great American Outdoors Day

September 27: National Public Lands Day

November 11: Veterans Day

Now, if you look at that list without any preconceived notions, what would you think was the determining factor for that particular selection?

It cant be support of Americas ethnic groups; two dates are selected in support of black Americans, but theres no date at all for any other ethnic group. No Columbus Day for the Italians, no St. Patricks Day for the Irish, no Casimir Pulaski Day for the Poles, no Mayflower Day for the WASPs. So the idea of celebrating our diverse ethnic groups cant explain those two dates inclusion.

It cant be tied to federal holidays; three of those named are federal holidays, but no other federal holidays are free days. Why MLK Day, Juneteenth, and Veterans Day, but not Washingtons birthday, Independence Day, or Labor Day, after all? Theyre federal holidays, too. What did the Biden-Harris administration have against these dates when it issued 2025s free-day calendar last year?

They supported Great American Outdoors Day and National Public Lands Day, which I suspect 99% of Americans have never even heard of. Why would a day be chosen as a free day if nobodys even heard of it?

And then theres April 19, the start of National Parks Week. Well, if you want to celebrate National Parks Week, why not make the whole week free? Why just one day?

The problem is clear: There was no rhyme or reason  at all  to the free day calendar at our National Parks in the past.

Now, when you think about the top 100 issues in Washington, D.C., this one doesnt place on the list at all. Not even close. But this Trump administration is applying common sense to every subject, and in this case, it could only conclude that the current free-day schedule made no sense whatsoever.

So Trumps people thought about what would make sense. What unified approach would ground the list of free days in a sensible design, one that would be virtually unimpeachable?

Heres the list of National Park free days for 2026. Lets see if we can find a theme.

February 16: Washingtons Birthday

May 25: Memorial Day

June 14: Flag Day

July 3-5: Independence Day Weekend

August 25: 110th Birthday of the National Park Service

September 17: Constitution Day

October 27: Theodore Roosevelts birthday

November 11: Veterans Day

Clearly, theres some logical thought in place behind next years list. The National Parks birthday and the birthday of the president who launched the concept of National Parks are included, and the rest of the holidays are all patriotic holidays  celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; the anniversary of the Constitution; the anniversary of the birth of our first president, George Washington; and the key days dedicated to all members of the armed forces who have won and kept our independence all these years, and to the flag under which they have fought.

The left is delighting in claiming that June 14 was chosen because its President Trumps birthday, but in a nation with over 300 million people and a year with only 365 days in it, every holiday is bound to be shared with a host of other holidays and birthdays as well. (September 17 would have been my mothers birthday, incidentally; Im sensible enough to know it was chosen for Constitution Day, not as a compliment to my mom.) The choice of Flag Day in this list, in context, makes perfect sense.

No more priority given to one ethnic group over another, no more celebration of holidays nobodys ever even heard of. Now we have a logical, coherent theme of free days for 2026, the 250th anniversary of our nations independence.

Leftists will always find things to complain about. Theyll probably assume that people will find it harder to celebrate, harder to save money, harder to enjoy the parks.

Just wait until one of them remembers how to do math and realizes the free day list has been increased from six days this year to ten days next year. Theyll still whine about something, but it will be fun watching them try to justify it.

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based international transportation manager, trade compliance trainer, and speaker. Read his book on the surprisingly numerous varieties of vote fraud (The Tales of Little Pavel), his political satires on the Biden-Harris years (Evening Soup with Basement Joe, Volumes I, II, and III), and his 2024 collection of public policy essays, Current Events and the Issues of Our Age, all available in eBook or paperback, exclusively on Amazon.

Image via Unsplash.
I commanded a field artillery firing battery in Vietnam in 1971. I got shot at.

Upon my return, I went to the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. All of my classmates were captains who had just returned from Vietnam.

One day, we were herded into an auditorium for a class on the rules of land warfare.

A JAG (Judge Advocate General, or military lawyer) officer who had not been to Vietnam was the instructor.

He showed us a film that presented different situations designed to highlight the rules, and there would be discussion after each scene.

In one scene, a patrol was working its way through the jungle in an area known to have enemy activity. Suddenly, there was motion in the jungle ahead. The point man raised his rifle to engage when a soldier behind him pulled down the barrel and said he needed to be sure. Moments later, it was revealed that the motion had been caused by an unarmed child.

The JAG was initially smug but was stunned by universal scorn from his audience.

I was in the audience, and our take was that the point man had been too slow and the guy who pulled the barrel down should have crap beaten out of him.

The much-maligned free fire zone was actually a fire control measure.

It was free fire because there should be no civilians there.

Whenever we fired a mission, we got clearance to fire from a coordination center that gave us assurance that there were no friendly military or civilians in the area.

We got a set of initials tied to the clearance.

In the scene in the training film, the patrol was in the jungle in enemy territory. If somehow a child managed to get into the jungle in the path of the patrol, that would be unfortunate  it would also be really unlikely.

What we knew from being there is that it is much better to err on the side of staying alive.

Unless you have actually been worried about getting shot, I would advise reserving judgment.

Admiral Frank M. Bradley, who is now being accused of war crimes over the recent 'double tap' boat strike incident against Tren de Aragua gang members transporting cocaine on the high seas in an unflagged vessel, has a superb reputation.

He had a long consultation with a JAG officer before the second strike.

Now, my experience was not at sea.

But his experience is. His mission was to destroy a boat carrying drugs. The drug trade always involves lethal weaponry.

I would advise reserving judgment about the second strike. And those jumping to a negative conclusion are setting a very dangerous precedent.
In the absence of an effective judicial system and civilian law enforcement, citizens may instead resort to vigilantism or even vendettas in an attempt to maintain order and respond to insults.

In some countries, such as Egypt, blood feuds are common and involve multiple generations.

When citizens lose faith in government institutions to uphold public safety, such tactics often emerge as a desperate response.

We're now seeing this phenomenon arising in Western nations as they grapple with unrestricted immigration, where crimes by migrants against native-born populations go unaddressed, police fail to protect communities, and governments penalize dissenters. From Democrat-run U.S. cities to European hotspots, unchecked policies have fueled unrest, violence, and self-administered justice, signaling a breakdown in social order.

Liberal sanctuary policies in U.S. cities like New York have exacerbated the crisis. Since January 2025, New York has released nearly 7,000 criminal illegal aliens without notifying ICE, including rapists, murderers, terrorists, and repeat offenders responsible for 29 homicides, 2,509 assaults, and 207 sexual predatory offenses.

Another 7,169 such criminals remain in custody -- with detainers ignored -- tied to 148 homicides and 260 sexual offenses.

ICE Director Todd Lyons highlighted cases like Crips gang member Anderson Smith Satuye-Martinez, released despite weapons and assault charges, and Jose David Hernandez-Hernandez, freed after arrests for rape and strangulation. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned Attorney General Letitia James for enabling this public safety disaster, allowing predators to terrorize innocent Americans.

These releases have led to horrific crimes against Americans.

In New York, a subway rider was punched onto tracks by a perpetrator with over 50 arrests, and a woman was set on fire in Chicago by one with 70 priors. In North Carolina, a Ukrainian refugee was stabbed by a repeat offender.

Security expert Greg Shaffer attributes surging violence to liberal bail reforms and intentional decisions by leftist judges, arguing its no accident but a deliberate undermining of society.

When police and courts fail -- releasing criminals back into communities -- citizens turn to vigilantism. A stark example is Anthony Caines, a serial spitter targeting white women in Brooklyn, arrested Nov. 13, 2025, but released with an ankle monitor. Video footage shows two men beating him bloody on the street, declaring, Were tired of that s--- ... Were worse than jail, frustrated that formal justice fell short.

This pattern extends beyond New York. In California, an illegal alien trucker, admitted under Biden-era policies and granted a CDL under Gov. Newsom, killed a newlywed couple in a crash, highlighting how lax enforcement enables deadly negligence. Protests against ICE in New York turned violent, with leftists hurling objects at agents, while politicians like Rep. Dan Goldman (D-Bag) blamed federal militarized operations instead of the criminals. Governments penalize complainers: Protesters are labeled thugs, and critics face backlash for highlighting migrant crimes, stifling public discourse.

Across the Atlantic, similar tensions boil over.

In Ireland, unrestricted immigration has sparked fears of civil war. A 26-year-old African asylum seeker, with a deportation order, allegedly raped a 10-year-old girl in Dublin on Oct. 20, 2025, after she went missing from care. Protests erupted at the Citywest Hotel migrant center, with crowds chanting Get them out, throwing bottles, and clashing with 300 police officers.

Commissioner Justin Kelly called it thuggery, but protesters see it as resistance to government failures. A group called the New Republican Movement released a video of armed, masked men vowing action against undocumented, military-aged men flooding communities and sexual indoctrination in schools, decrying politicians disrespect.

This echoes historical IRA republicanism but targets new threats, with young Irish radicals filling the void left by ineffective law enforcement. The sentiment we're seeing arise in Ireland mirrors those in middle countries that have long engaged in blood feuds.

In the U.K. and broader Europe, unrest reflects this: Riots in cities like London over migrant-related stabbings and assaults, with police accused of two-tier policing -- harsh on native protesters but lenient on migrants.

Governments censor complaints, arresting citizens for social media posts criticizing immigration, while ignoring crimes like gang rapes and murders by asylum seekers. And who can forget the brave Scottish girl who brandished an axe, defending her sister against attack?

Lone actors dispensing justice and organized vigilantism involving beat-downs, protests turning violent, and armed declarations stems from betrayal. When governments prioritize migrants over citizens, releasing predators and punishing dissent, trust erodes. As Shaffer warns, personal awareness and planning are vital, but without institutional reform, societies risk descending into chaos. Reinstating rule of law is essential to restore order and prevent further bloodshed.

One would think that protecting the innocent against attacks would be a bipartisan issue. Right?

Image via Picryl.
The triumph of Donald Trump in the 2024 elections, decisively defeating Kamala Harris, brought relief to his supporters who hoped that America would return to its traditional role of protecting the Jewish and Christian values of Americas founding fathers. His overturning of the stifling political correctness and multiculturalism was a breath of fresh air, as was his unabashed American patriotism and readiness to defend America against its enemies.

Despite an unprecedented second-term win after a four-year hiatus (having happened only once prior with President Cleveland) when he lost to Joe Biden, the ideas and actions that made him a champion, including destroying Irans nuclear facilities (with Israels help), have begun to fade. Trumps half-baked decision to only partially designate the Muslim Brotherhood (M.B.) of Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan as foreign terrorist organizations, while leaving out the more dangerous M.B. elements of Erdogans Turkey, the emir of Qatar, and the rising threat on the homeland from M.B. operatives in the U.S., seems to serve the wishes of Egypts President Al-Sisi; King Abdullah of Jordan; and especially Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Conversely, Texas governor Greg Abbott designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) terrorist organizations. His statement was unequivocal: The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islams mastership of the world. The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable.

President Trump previously used the right words when he threatened Hamas, the genocidal terror group in Gaza, saying that all hell will break loose if they didnt return the kidnapped Israeli hostages, but he lacked the will to enforce those words. The BBC would go on to quote Trump on October 15, 2025: If Hamas failed to disarm within a reasonable period of time then we will disarm them. Now, however, under the uncontested influence of Muslim Brotherhood champions, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Hamas terrorists will probably remain in Gaza, unlikely to disarm, while Israels hands remained tied by the ceasefire.

President Trump fails to grasp that what was true for Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan during WWII is true for Hamas as well. Hamas must be defeated, and Gaza must begin a process of reorientation  just as Germany went through denazification and Japan adopted democracy. Without drastic re-education of young Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, the demonic hate for Israel, Jews, America, and the West, inculcated in them for decades by UNRWA indoctrination education, the mosques, and the P.A. and Hamas media, the bloodshed will continue.

The Trump administration, for all the positive changes made during its previous term and in the beginning of the current one, seemingly has abandoned the plan to rid Gaza of its bloodthirsty terrorists. Apparently, the pressure placed on Trump by his new Islamist friends, the Turkish dictator and the Qatari emir, seems to have affected his previously stated resolve. Trump recently gave a warm White House reception to the former arch-jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa (Mohammad al-Jolani), now the transitional president of Syria, whose personal mentor is Erdogan. Along with al-Sharaa, we also saw another warm reception extended by Trump to New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a fellow Islamist supported by Doha.

The moral standards that the democratic West absorbed from its Jewish and Christian heritage are now at risk as they come up against the alliance between the terror-supporting radical-left and the violent Islamists, also known as the Red-Green alliance. Unifying factors of the alliance include antisemitism, first and foremost, as well as their hatred for the West and our values-driven heritage. They seek to undermine Western institutions, its culture, and geopolitical power under the rubric of anti-Western Imperialism. Members of the Red-Green coalition also share tactics and strategies; they utilize agitation and propaganda to exploit emotion and delegitimize their foes.

To understand President Trumps new agenda, one need only take note of his first international trip during his second term, in May 2025. He graced the following countries with his visit: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His second term seems notable in that these visits are essentially transactional  seeking to bring foreign investments into America. According to Trump, his deals with the Arab Gulf states should yield investments amounting to $2 trillion. At what cost to the U.S.?

These enormous sums promised by the Saudis and Qataris have a price. Aside from a U.S. protection agreement with Saudi Arabia, and the impending sale of the advanced F-35 U.S. fighter jets to Riyadh, there is a promise to help the Saudis with nuclear cooperation. Qatar already has a protection deal with the U.S., including the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, in Doha, as well as the seat of the U.S. Central Command. Qatar has contracted to purchase over 200 jets, probably the largest airline deal the U.S. has ever had.

Trump is apparently looking the other way while Qatar undermines our values. Trump has also lifted the sanctions imposed on the jihadist al-Sharaa.

Significantly, Trumps visit to the Middle East excluded Israel. Has Trump succumbed to the wishes of the Qatari emir? To add insult to injury, he forced P.M. Netanyahu to apologize to the Qataris (hosts of the Hamas leadership) for an attack by Israel.

Money is important, but its not everything! The New York City mayoral vote saw the election spin on affordability. If we keep propping up the value of trillions, we run the risk of losing a generation, who will turn away from the values that made this country great.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
A year or so ago, we saw Mayor Adams of New York City and Representative Cuellar of South Texas make critical statements about President Bidens border policies. Rep. Cuellar was direct and outlined the damage that an open border was doing to his district.

Then both men were investigated for this or that. Sorry, but I was very cynical of the timing of these charges. Well, Mr. Cuellar was pardoned, and now he is planning his response. This is the story:

Just-pardoned Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is encouraging his Republican colleagues to investigate the prosecutors who charged him and his wife with bribery. I really think what they did was wrong, Cuellar said in an interview Friday, adding that he has spoken to people in the House who are investigating prosecutors under former President Joe Biden. He said he plans to share information with them about his case. Any such probe would represent a remarkable scrambling of partisan battle lines over the Justice Department. But it would be just the latest such jumble involving Cuellar, a self-proclaimed conservative Democrat who was an outlier in his party even before he faced corruption charges  and was suddenly pardoned Wednesday by President Donald Trump. The investigation Cuellar referred to appears to be an ongoing probe of DOJ weaponization led by House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Cuellar ran into Jordan shortly after Trump announced the pardon of Cuellar and his wife Wednesday, according to a person granted anonymity to describe the private conversation. Cuellar encouraged Jordan to request records from the Justice Department on his prosecution, and Jordan expressed openness to the idea, the person said. Based on whats there, I definitely feel that there was misconduct by the prosecutors, Cuellar said Friday. So well get more in details later on, but I certainly am convinced that this was weaponization. Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye declined to comment.

Go for it, Rep. Cuellar. I have no doubt that he was targeted for leaving the plantation and thinking for himself, from the open border to his strong pro-life position. Many pundits forget that Mr. Cuellar was also critical of the Biden administration pushing abortion so much. Abortion is not a winning issue in South Texas because Hispanic women are more conservative than the ones at the DNC.

Anyway, will anything happen? I dont know, because he will need to work with the DOJ. How much is the Trump DOJ willing to fight for Cuellar? They have a lot of other stuff on their plate.

Last but not least, lets remember that President Trump is keenly aware of weaponizing justice against a citizen. Maybe President Trump was just interested in sending Mr. Cuellar a message: I feel your pain, Henry, and heres a pardon to show you how much.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Image: Henry Cuellar. Credit: Flickr, public domain.
When I read this article by Ed Kilgore at The Intelligencer, I thought, this is what is wrong with Democrats and their policies. Instead of this writer being happy that poor children would now have a shot at some real wealth when they turn 18, he is concerned that rich kids will have more.

Who Will Benefit From the New Trump Accounts for Kids? Its well known that Donald Trump loves to send taxpayer dollars directly to voters with packaging intended to make the bounty seem like a gift from his own self. So its not surprising that his signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act had a provision creating something called Trump accounts that would be set up for all American children born between 2025 and 2028 with a $1,000 seed deposit from the federal government. A nice birthday gift for these kids, right? Well, yes, but its likely to be a bigger gift for Americas more fortunate sons and daughters than for poorer kids.

The author then excerpts a passage from a paper at the Brookings Institute:

The government would make an initial deposit into an interest-bearing account on behalf of each newborn baby in the United States, while also making additional deposits throughout their childhood. Children from the lowest-wealth households would receive the largest endowment. At age 18, individuals would gain access to the funds, which could only be used to invest in wealth-generating assets, such as a home, post-secondary education, or a small business startup.

Here is a hint to Mr. Kilgore: Without these accounts, rich parents will still give their children money, and the poor children will have no money. And, as its poised to do, minorities will benefit the most, so shouldnt the Democrats be happy? It is a true shame that so many Democrats are so consumed with hating Trump that they are happy to keep impoverished children poor.

Here are some of the atrocious Democrat policies that shows they would rather keep the poor dependent on the powerful and greedy government instead of giving the poor a better chance to move up the economic ladder:

Democrats voted against extending the 2017 tax rates. They would rather raise taxes on everyone than see the rich, because they pay more, receive a bigger dollar benefit. They dont care how much more money the government brought in with the lower rates, or how the lower rates allowed businesses to hire more, invest more, and give bigger raises.

Democrats vote against having mentally and physically able people work for their benefits to encourage them to move up the economic ladder instead of leading to generational dependency and poverty.

Democrats block poor children from having the freedom of choice to go to better schools, to give them better opportunities for better educations.

Democrats gave up on bringing back high-paying manufacturing jobs back. Trump is showing them that they are wrong, and they are opposing him every step of the way, despite Trump restoring wealth to the middle, blue-collar class.

Democrats support open borders, which bring in millions, with a significant percentage being dependent on the government. Not only that, but those who do work will take away job opportunities from poor and middle class Americans.

Democrats have policies to destroy the tens of millions of jobs directly and indirectly related to oil, natural gas, and coal to pretend they can control the climate.

Instead of helping families hand off farms and businesses that have built up for decades continue for future generations, Democrats think the government is entitled to confiscate the wealth with high estate taxes.

Sometimes, Democrats like to help high income people, such as handing out high subsidies on Obamacare instead of lowering the high costs, which harms all of us.

Democrats also shoveled out subsidies for high-income people to buy electric cars, and the policies caused the prices of gas cars to rise substantially, which harmed the poor and middle classes.

One talking point the media and other Democrats always repeat to gin up class hate is that the rich are getting richer while the poor and middle classes arent. The truth is that in capitalism and a thriving economy people are always moving up, as a rising tide lifts all boats. Thankfully the economy is richer today than it was forty years ago.

The truthful statement is that the richest 1% are richer today, but they are not the same people from years past. Here are some of the people that are extremely rich today that were not born rich:

Elon Musk Bill Gates Warren Buffet Mark Zuckerberg Early Amazon shareholders Early Nvidia shareholders Jay Z and Beyonce Lebron James Taylor Swift Michael Jordan

Most of the wealth in America today is in the hands of people who were not rich twenty or forty years ago. What other economic system allows the poor and middle class to launch themselves into the uber wealthy? In socialist countries poor people mostly remain poor.

Thank goodness for wealthy people:bDetroit was a very rich town in the early fifties and it collapsed. In 2013 it filed bankruptcy. Now, billionaire Dan Gilbert is building it back up, along with investing major amounts of money into Cleveland. The private sector is reviving these towns, not government.

It is a shame that billionaires like Soros spend their money seeking to destroy America and capitalism instead of building it up. Shamefully, Democrats bend over to comply with Soros familys wishes in return for campaign contributions.

Image from Grok.
Europes greatest threat to its security and survival isnt from some outside barbarian horde, but from its own internal political incompetence and its fatal embrace of far-left ideology. That ideology views open borders, wealth redistribution, and government dependence as its core political philosophy. Economist Frederick Hayek famously called it the fatal conceit.

Our own progressive political left is famous for its claim that our Constitution is living, by which leftists mean that it must be flexible, that it must breathe and reflect changing circumstances. Some law professors even say our Constitution should be thrown out. Yet NATO is apparently written in stone and inviolable. It isnt. It dates back to the 1941 Atlantic Charter, and subsequently as an effective post-war foreign aid act, tied conceptually to a larger Marshall Plan. (Few Americans know that its key drafting was done by a Canadian diplomat and Oxford graduate, Lester Pearson.) Moreover, unlike an organic constitution, NATO was formed by decree, not by public consent. And no convention or amendment process is needed to end it.

President Trump is correct that the E.U., and by inference its defense programs, rely ultimately on the United States. As he succinctly put it, as only he can, the E.U. was established to screw the United States (NYT, 6 December).

Europe needs its own declaration of independence. That is not likely to happen under its current leadership regime that is ideologically centered in socialism. Independence is anathema to Brussels. That is among the reasons Trump is calling for a new slate of European leaders.

If the socialist political left truly believes in living government arrangements that must change and adapt, then NATO is its opportunity to prove it.

Matthew G. Andersson is the author of the forthcoming book Legally Blind, concerning law and policy. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Unlike many billionaires, to say nothing of many presidents, Donald Trump has the common touch. Its not a matter of a member of the self-imagined elite pretending to care about the little people, the Deplorables of Hillary Clintons formulation. With Trump its a matter of upbringing, experience and character.

To be sure, hes had every advantage a man could have, but he has always worked. During his years as a real estate developer in New Yorks cutthroat world, he daily worked with people at every level of the social ladder. Like children and dogs, people who work for a living know who really likes them, and they saw in Trump, if not exactly one of their own, a guy theyd be glad to have a beer with.

He's gone bankrupt several times and built back better. That's a humbling experience.

He's grown in office too. The counter puncher prone to fire off unguided mean tweets has, with the benefit of age and experience, remained a counter puncher, but a more restrained tweeter. Having survived multiple assassination attempts has doubtless reminded him of his mortality, Gods apparent plan for him, and has noticeably humbled him. Those with defective character would have seen that as a sign of their invulnerability. Trump seems to have understood the opposite.

Many dont know how many acts of kindness Trump and his family regularly do. They dont publicize them, nor do they have to do them.

When National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom was killed in what appears to be an Islamist ambush attack, Trump did no less for her parents:

President Donald Trump on Sunday said he's invited the family of a National Guard member fatally shot last week to the White House, saying he spoke to her parents and they were devastated. U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died after the Wednesday shooting in Washington, D.C., while her seriously injured colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remained in critical condition. The president said he's discussed a White House visit for the parents of both members of the West Virginia National Guard. I said, When youre ready, because that's a tough thing, come to the White House. We're going to honor Sarah, Trump told reporters. And likewise with Andrew, recover or not.

Trump and Melania also met at the White House with the parents of Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, grievously wounded in the same attack:

On Friday morning, the president shared on Truth Social a photo of himself with Wolfes parents and brother from the meeting. The meeting took place eight days after a gunman, whom authorities have identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, allegedly shot Wolfe and fatally shot National Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom just blocks from the White House.

Graphic: Truth Social Post

Trump also ordered Thursday that United States flags around the country and world be flown at half-staff in honor of Beckstrom. Beckstrom and Wolfe both hail from West Virginia.

Graphic: Truth Social Post

Trump said at Tuesdays cabinet meeting that Wolfe is fighting for his life after the Thanksgiving eve shooting near Farragut West Metro Station in D.C. Hes fighting very hard. I think hes probably doing better than anybody  they said he didnt have a chance, Trump said. Ill tell you, the one who said hes going to live is his mother, Trump added, recalling that she told him shortly after the shooting, Sir, hes going to live. He was hit in bad places, and she was like, so positive. It was incredible, Trump shared.

Some will surely be tempted to argue Trump is using the families of Sarah and Andrew for PR purposes, to burnish his image, perhaps even to raise his favorability ratings. Far more likely is he takes seriously his role as Commander in Chief to fully support our troops and to honor their service and sacrifice. Thats particularly important after the Biden years where Americas young patriots didnt enlist because they knew Biden and his government didnt support them. Its also important every American knows that.

In Donald Trump, America has a true leader. That Democrats hate that--and him--says it all.

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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.
Trumps 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) is a timely, optimistic, and practical blueprint that prioritizes core national interests and the well-being of the American people. At the same time, it repudiates participation in globalist projects that aim to manage the entire world. Making a sharp break with the postCold War foreign policy consensus, it prioritizes and advances the America First agenda that seeks peace through strength and abandons the traditional everything, everywhere posture. It argues that U.S. policy should no longer be bound to global institutions and humanitarian crusades that undermine American sovereignty.

Trumps national strategy is pragmatically defined as

a concrete, realistic plan that explains the essential connection between ends and means: it begins from an accurate assessment of what is desired and what tools are available, or can realistically be created, to achieve the desired outcomes. A strategy must evaluate, sort, and prioritize. Not every country, region, issue, or cause  however worthy  can be the focus of American strategy. The purpose of foreign policy is the protection of core national interests; that is the sole focus of this strategy.

The document leads with what the U.S. should want for itself. In summary, its key domestic aims should be secure borders and controlled migration, balanced trade, a resilient infrastructure, military supremacy and nuclear deterrence, economic and industrial might, energy dominance, technological leadership and soft power, and spiritual and cultural renewal. Unusual for an NSS, President Trumps vision calls for restoration and reinvigoration of American spiritual and cultural health, emphasizing traditional families, work, and optimism about the future of the nation:

Trumps domestic agenda is tied directly to national security. Rooting out DIE practices that degrade institutions and deplete individual motivation is a top priority. The NSS emphasizes competence and merit as core goals that give the nation civilizational advantages. Notably, the document also recognizes the need to avoid focusing on meritocracy to the exclusion of employing domestic talent (the H-1B controversy):

We cannot allow meritocracy to be used as a justification to open Americas labor market to the world in the name of finding global talent that undercuts American workers. In our every principle and action, America and Americans must always come first.

Trumps NSS seeks to rebuild the middle class with tax cuts and deregulation, among other strategies. Unleashing domestic energy production is another top priority. He recently commented that he has authorized the replenishing of the strategic petroleum reserve that Biden drained. The overarching idea is that economic security is national security. Trump believes that the foundation of American power comes from rebuilding industrial and energy strength.

The NSS document sets out explicit priorities for the nation. First and foremost, the era of mass migration is over. The NSS argues that, as a primary element of national security, mass migration has strained resources, increased crime, and undermined cohesion in all Western countries. Measures to tighten border security include addressing terrorism, drug- and human-trafficking, and espionage.

Notably, the document also addresses more nuanced issues having to do with the political and cultural lexicon. It faults what it implies is the lefts use of political language to justify abuses of power. In that light, terms such as deradicalization and protecting our democracy are portrayed as linguistic weapons  forms of gaslighting that serve as a pretext for advancing their agenda through the power and tools of the federal government. Instead, it recenters the purpose of the American government on securing the God-given natural rights of American citizens. Free speech and a government represented by the people are rights that must never be infringed. It also criticizes elitist restrictions on civil liberties in allied democracies.

Additionally, the NSS states that the U.S. will no longer be Atlas, fighting alone with the world on its shoulders. Burdens will be shared by pushing wealthy allies to assume responsibility for their regions. Highlighted here is the Hague Commitment, under which NATO countries pledge to spend five percent of GDP on defense as the new standard.

Trump aspires to be the President of Peace, pointing to his diplomatic peace-making achievements in multiple regions. He believes that presidential deal-making can extinguish regional wars before they trigger global conflict.

Finally, he prioritizes economic security with balanced trade and energy dominance, including a rejection of Net Zero climate policies viewed as harmful to U.S. and European security. Trump wants to reindustrialize the U.S. and reshore technology wherever possible. The document also advocates strongly for securing critical supply chains and materials, echoing Alexander Hamiltons warning against dependence of foreign suppliers for defense-critical goods.

On foreign policy, the NSS narrows U.S. objectives to a handful of core, vital national interests:

Western Hemisphere: A stable, well governed region that discourages mass migration, cooperates against cartels and transnational criminal groups, remains free of hostile foreign ownership of key assets, and supports critical supply chains. The U.S. will enforce a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine to keep non-hemispheric adversaries out. He plans to adjust military posture, including a more robust Coast Guard and Navy presence and targeted deployments against cartels, potentially using lethal force if necessary.

A stable, well governed region that discourages mass migration, cooperates against cartels and transnational criminal groups, remains free of hostile foreign ownership of key assets, and supports critical supply chains. The U.S. will enforce a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine to keep non-hemispheric adversaries out. He plans to adjust military posture, including a more robust Coast Guard and Navy presence and targeted deployments against cartels, potentially using lethal force if necessary. Indo-Pacific: A free and open Indo-Pacific, secure sea lanes, and reliable supply chains and access to critical materials, especially against Chinas economic and military challenge. This region is being recognized as a central economic and geopolitical battleground of the 21st century. It is not a given that China will be integrated into trade and investment, especially with regard to sensitive investments like rare earths and chips.

A free and open Indo-Pacific, secure sea lanes, and reliable supply chains and access to critical materials, especially against Chinas economic and military challenge. This region is being recognized as a central economic and geopolitical battleground of the 21st century. It is not a given that China will be integrated into trade and investment, especially with regard to sensitive investments like rare earths and chips. Europe: Support for allies in preserving European freedom and security, coupled with an explicit call to restore Europes civilizational self-confidence and Western identity. Trump will encourage much higher European defense spending and capabilities. He is also working to address the unsustainable account deficit in global trade. NATO will no longer be a perpetually expanding alliance, and the NSS advocates for more robust action against mercantilist overcapacity, technological theft, cyber espionage, and other hostile economic practices.

Support for allies in preserving European freedom and security, coupled with an explicit call to restore Europes civilizational self-confidence and Western identity. Trump will encourage much higher European defense spending and capabilities. He is also working to address the unsustainable account deficit in global trade. NATO will no longer be a perpetually expanding alliance, and the NSS advocates for more robust action against mercantilist overcapacity, technological theft, cyber espionage, and other hostile economic practices. Middle East: Prevent any adversarial power from dominating the regions oil and gas and the chokepoints through which they flow  while avoiding the forever wars of the past.

Prevent any adversarial power from dominating the regions oil and gas and the chokepoints through which they flow  while avoiding the forever wars of the past. Africa: The U.S. will pivot from spreading liberal ideology and traditional aid programs that are known money pits with little to no accountability. Trump seeks to resolve conflicts and prevent new ones while remaining wary of Islamist terrorism and avoiding long-term deployments or commitments.

The U.S. will pivot from spreading liberal ideology and traditional aid programs that are known money pits with little to no accountability. Trump seeks to resolve conflicts and prevent new ones while remaining wary of Islamist terrorism and avoiding long-term deployments or commitments. Technology standards: Ensure that U.S. technology and standards, particularly in A.I., biotech, and quantum computing, drive global development rather than rival authoritarian models.

One of the presidents core responsibilities is to protect the homeland while realistically sizing up the forces that threaten it. Trump is overall an intensely aspirational figure, and that outlook shapes an administration that approaches national security from a position of strength and optimism  despite the constant chorus of critics.

As the NSS lays out, the United States still enjoys an innovative economy, leading financial markets, a dominant technology sector, the most capable military, a wide alliance network, favorable geography, and unmatched soft power. Whether Trump will be allowed to finish the mission he has set for himself remains to be seen, but there is no mistaking that this strategy embodies the ethos of the man behind it.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Renowned photographer Martin Parr has died at the age of 73, his foundation has announced.

Parr, who was one of the best-known documentary photographers of his time, died on Saturday at his home in Bristol, the Martin Parr Foundation said.

An Instagram post said: It is with great sadness that we announce that Martin Parr (1952-2025) died yesterday at home in Bristol.

He is survived by his wife Susie, his daughter Ellen, his sister Vivien and his grandson George. The family ask for privacy at this time.

The Martin Parr Foundation and Magnum Photos will work together to preserve and share Martins legacy. More information on this will follow in due course.

Martin will be greatly missed.

Parr was born in 1952 in Epsom, Surrey and had cited his grandfather as an influence on his work.

The photographer, who was known for capturing the reality of British life, rose to prominence with his vibrant 1980s collection The Last Resort, which showed people at the seaside town of New Brighton in Merseyside.

Among his other exhibitions was Only Human: Martin Parr, which was staged at the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2019 and captured the social climate in the aftermath of the EU referendum of June 2016.

Calling all photography enthusiasts! Don't miss your chance to discover 'Beside the Sea', a unique photography exhibition by Martin Parr and JJ Waller displaying on bus shelter roofs across Brighton until 1st June. pic.twitter.com/gYEZG2cvN9  Brighton & Hove Buses (@BrightonHoveBus) May 30, 2025

He also teamed up with photographer JJ Waller this year for Beside The Sea, a photo exhibition where more than 65 large-scale images of vibrant seaside life were pasted onto the roofs of bus shelters in Brighton.

Parr curated the Arles photography festival in 2004, the Brighton Photo Biennial in 2010, and Barbican exhibition Strange And Familiar in 2016, which captured the social, cultural and political identity of the UK from the 1930s onwards.

Parr won an award in 2016 recognising his significant contribution in the field of visual arts, after a nomination by artist Grayson Perry.

At the time, Perry said: He is such a phenomenon, not just in the body of work that hes done, which I love and has been hugely influential on me, but also just as a champion of photography as an art form.

He is a major player in the whole culture of photography.

Photographers David Bailey and Martin Parr in 2004 (Andy Butterton/PA)

Parr established a dedicated space for the Martin Parr Foundation in 2017.

The foundation preserves photographic works and supports emerging, established and overlooked photographers who have made and continue to make work focused on Britain and Ireland, according to its website.

The photographer reshot his most famous work, with the aid of a mobile scooter, when he returned to New Brighton in 2024 documentary film I Am Martin Parr.

Speaking about his relationship to his homeland, he told the Guardian in February: Theres many things I dislike about Britain. Then theres all these other things  the hobbies, the fairs, the agricultural shows, the beaches, Radio 4, a cup of tea  those I love.

Photographing it all is a form of therapy for me. Its defined my life.

Parr was made a CBE in the 2021 Queens birthday honours for services to photography.

He had been diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer, the same year.
Clergyman Robert Sullivan told his congregation he was taking a leave of absence on 3 August 2025. Photograph: Youtube

The woman who publicly alleged that she was 17 when a longtime Roman Catholic priest in Alabama successfully offered her financial support in exchange for sex and other forms of private companionship  recently prompting him to resign from the clergy  says there is no real winner in this situation.

In her first remarks since Robert Bob Sullivans self-imposed removal from the priesthood was announced by his church superiors, Heather Jones wrote in a statement that the only thing she gained was truth finally coming to light after years of gaslighting myself into thinking it wasnt a big deal.

I am experiencing a lot of mixed emotions, Joness statement added. My hope now is for healing, accountability and protection for anyone who has ever been harmed by someone powerful.

Alluding in part to criminal charges filed against her shortly after she first spoke out about Sullivan, Jones continued: Coming forward was painful. The attempts to discredit me and all the hateful comments got overwhelming.

But, without elaborating or supplying more details, she said other women who have shared their own experiences with me, including things that happened with Bob, provided her with vital support.

Their voices are the reason I have stayed strong, and I encourage anyone with similar experience to get that weight off their chest, Joness statement said.

Those comments from Jones, 33, marked the latest turn in a saga she says began while she was growing up in foster care after being removed from her mothers custody due to severe neglect. She wrote that she lacked reliable adult support during her formative years and therefore tried to make a living as an exotic dancer at an establishment outside Birmingham, Alabama.

Jones says she was 17 when she met Sullivan at that establishment, where she managed to get work despite being under an applicable age limit. Sullivan regularly patronized the place, tipped her money during her shifts and soon offered to change my life, as she put it.

Sullivan ultimately proposed to form an ongoing relationship that would include financial support in exchange for private companionship, Jones wrote in a complaint that she would later file with church leaders. Jones alleged that Sullivan took her shopping, dining and drinking, and to hotel rooms in various Alabama cities in part to engage in sex, beginning when she was 17 and over a span of several years. She also said he paid her hundreds of thousands of dollars to remain silent about it all.

Jones said she didnt immediately understand the predatory nature of her acquaintance with Sullivan, now 61, but went along with what he wanted because she was in a desperate state. She described grappling with depression, addiction and emotional instability during her and Sullivans arrangement  and she said she eventually decided to speak out against him because he had continued working closely with families and their children as the popular pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows church in Homewood, Alabama.

Jones filed her allegations in a formal written complaint to the Birmingham diocese that she then provided a copy of to the Guardian in August.

Birmingham church officials forwarded her allegations to the Vatican entity which investigates clergy misconduct cases. They also said they investigated the significant payments alleged to have been made by  Sullivan, finding no link between the allegations and any church funds.

Sullivan nonetheless asked Pope Leo XIV to be dispensed from all the obligations of the priesthood, according to those officials. And the pontiff granted Sullivans request on 22 November.

Catholic priests promise to be sexually abstinent. Furthermore, people younger than 18 are classified as minors  and sexual contact with them is considered to be abusive  under policies which Catholic bishops in the US adopted in the early 2000s amid the worldwide churchs decades-old clergy molestation scandal.

Yet there is no indication Sullivan has ever drawn scrutiny from Alabama law enforcement authorities. While Alabama  whose legal age of sexual consent is 16  has made it a felony for clergy to engage in sexual activity with people younger than 19, that didnt happen until the spring of 2024.

Jones, on the other hand, was charged with a criminal misdemeanor in connection with accusations that she filed a legal motion on behalf of a man involved in a court case, as Alabama media outlets have reported. Prosecutors in a county north of Birmingham allege the motion was signed under Joness name as an advocate/law student  and that in itself constituted having illicitly engaged in practicing law without being a licensed attorney, as WHNT.com noted.

A trial was tentatively scheduled for 28 January.

Jones has mostly declined to comment on prosecutors allegations, saying she would prefer to let her attorney handle the matter. But she said she cant help but wonder if the charges were meant to undermine her credibility for having spoken out against Sullivan.
A kamikaze Shahed-style drone struck the shelters roof in February, causing severe damage - Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP

Chernobyls protective shell can no longer block radiation from leaking out following a Russian drone strike earlier this year, the UNs nuclear watchdog said.

The massive shield covering the site of the worlds worst nuclear disaster has lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, inspectors have discovered.

In February, Ukraine accused Russia of targeting the power plant, which is about 130km north of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

Footage showed a kamikaze Shahed-style drone crashing into the shelters roof, causing severe damage and sparking a fire.

Credit: X/@ZelenskyyUa

The Kremlin denied the claim at the time. Ukraine, which is still in control of the site, reported that radiation levels did not increase.

However, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who examined the site this week, said repairs were essential to prevent further degradation of the nuclear shelter.

Radioactive dust could now leak from the site, inspectors said. While there is no heightened radioactive activity now, they fear the plant is increasingly vulnerable.

The 25,000-ton steel shell was installed in 2016 - Sergei Supinsky/AFP

Chernobyls 25,000-ton steel shell, known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC), covers the remains of reactor four, which suffered an explosive meltdown in 1986, leading to the disaster.

The shell was installed in 2016 following a huge construction project to stop the release of residual radioactivity from the reactor into the atmosphere.

The mission confirmed that the NSC had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems, the IAEA said in a statement on Friday.

The structure covers both the reactor and the unstable sarcophagus that Soviet authorities hastily built after the disaster. It is one of the largest movable land-based structures ever made, costing 1.25bn and weighing twice as much as the Eiffel Tower.

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Rafael Grossi, the IAEA director general, said that limited temporary repairs have been carried out, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety.

The repairs are expected to take place in 2026 and a full restoration will be carried out once the war ends, the IAEA added.

The inspection was part of a rare visit to Ukraine in early December to assess the status of key electrical substations supplying the countrys three nuclear sites that remain operational.

Russias invasion has raised serious concerns about the safety of Ukraines nuclear sites, especially the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe and among the 10 biggest in the world.

There have been repeated strikes close to the plant, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of risking a catastrophe.

In September, Zaporizhzhia was forced to rely on back-up diesel generators for a month after it was severed from Ukraines electrical grid. There were concerns that Russia was deliberately manufacturing a crisis to consolidate its control over the plant.

Keith Kellogg, Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy, said on Saturday that the fate of the Zaporizhzhia plant was one of the key sticking points of the peace deal, along with the future of the eastern Donbas region.

Voicing his optimism for a potential breakthrough not felt amongst Kyivs European allies, he said: If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well.
Click! (Supplied)

Cameras are back. Not photography  the meet-cute of iPhone and Instagram put that front and centre a decade and a half ago  but actual cameras, the kind that come with lenses and dials and shutter buttons. There has been a point-and-shoot resurgence: Kodak, which in 2012 announced it was quitting the camera business, has in the past couple of years dropped a handful of new models, all of them film. Smartphone filters have been relegated to the cutting-room floor.

Trouble is, its been so long since cameras were in vogue that there are increasingly few who know their aperture from their elbow. Equipment is one thing  but buying a Stradivarius does not a Nigel Kennedy make. Cameras cannot see or shoot by themselves; proper photos need those who know what theyre doing.

One who does is Mike Taylor, who this year became the first British winner of the CEWE Photo Award, the worlds largest photography competition. He has followed the win with his debut book, Click!, which comes with the commercially friendly, idiot-proof subtitle: The $10 Book That Will Make You A Better Photographer And Save You A Fortune.

Taylors guide relies less on icy mechanical instruction and more on emotional response. This is a book that aims to build a mindset of taking photos that resonate, rather than simply ensuring something is in focus. It is peppered with the personal: of Taylors childhood Kodak, of trips to Vietnam with his wife, of his stroke. All of them inform his approach, but they also demonstrate that our highs and lows might offer opportunity; that zig-zag careers can fuel a passion.

There is enough here for complete beginners  technical terms and starting points get their due attention  but what Taylor really seems to offer is encouragement to those who feel their talent is plateauing, or their interest is waning. He offers us a way of looking at the old afresh. Of course he does; thats exactly what makes a photographer great.

Click! by Mike Taylor is out now, 7.63
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

BULAWAYO - Police have arrested three men in connection with a violent robbery at Alticon Logistics in Bulawayo.Confirming the arrests via their X account, police said officers in Mzilikazi acted swiftly on information received and apprehended Mthabisi Ndlovu (25), Donson Dube (22) and Tatenda Choga (23) on 6 December."The suspects, who were covering their faces with balaclavas and armed with okapi knives and a screwdriver, allegedly stormed the company premises and attacked a security guard on duty," police said.The guard was reportedly blindfolded with plastic, gagged with a cloth and tied with wire before being stabbed three times in the right leg with a screwdriver.The suspects then attempted to load stolen property into a truck, including 37 six-metre zinc sheets, 13 bundles of plain wire and 23 standard door frames, before being intercepted.Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the suspects had previously been employed by the company.
Lando Norris broke down in tears after he completed his lifes dream by winning the Formula One world championship.

The 26-year-old drove into the history books by finishing third at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and beating Max Verstappen, who won the season-finale from pole position at the Yas Marina Circuit, to take the title by just two points.

Norris McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finished runner-up and had to settle for third in the title race.

The British driver was in tears on his in-lap, his voice cackling over the radio, before he left the McLaren which carried him to glory and shook hands with Verstappen and Piastri before hugging his mother, Cisca, and father, Adam, with his fluorescent crash helmet still on.

Oh God, I have not cried in a while, Norris said as he was interviewed on the pit-straight with fireworks lighting up the sky. I didnt think I would cry but I did.

It has been a long journey. I want to thank my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents, my mum, my dad, they are the ones who have supported me since the beginning.

I look like a loser!

David Coulthard, a 13-time winner who was conducting the post-race interview, replied: You look like a winner to me!

Norris continued: It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit, and I want to congratulate Max and Oscar. It has been a pleasure and an honour to race against them this season.

It has been a long year but we did it and I am so proud of everyone.

It was a long race until the end and we have seen anything can happen in Formula One so I kept pushing until the last two laps.

I wanted to fight to the end and that is what we have had to do this season. Max and Oscar did not make my life easy this year but I am happy.

Norris added: It is incredible and pretty surreal. I dreamed of this for a long, long time, I mean everyone does. A lot goes into a season like this, a lot of ups and downs but none of that matters as long as you come out on top and that is what we managed to do.

Norris reacts after becoming Britains 11th F1 world champion (David Davies/PA)

It has been the last 16 to 17 years of my life chasing this dream and today we did it!

When I was on the back foot this year, that is when I did my best and showed the best of me and I did what I needed to do today.

I have got a lot of people here and I need to embarrass them on a day like today and put smiles on a few faces. I love you mum, dad, family. This is for my mum and my dad because they let me chase this dream and I have to share it with them.

Norris faced an investigation for passing Verstappens Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda with all four of his McLaren wheels over the painted line on lap 23 of 58.

However, the stewards took no action against Norris, with Tsuonda dealt a five-second penalty for forcing the McLaren man off the track.

I had no idea (about that), continued Norris, who becomes McLarens first world champion since Lewis Hamilton triumphed for the British team in 2008. I dont care. I knew what I did was fine so I had nothing to worry about.

I am trying to enjoy the moment because not many people can experience what I have experienced this year so I am crazy happy for everyone and for me.

I have been with McLaren for nine years, and we have been through difficult times and good times, and for me to bring something back to them, I feel like I have done my part, and I am proud of myself and proud of everyone I have hopefully made cry.
The Church must resist the exploitation of Christianity by far-right populists such as Tommy Robinson, a bishop has said ahead of a carols event organised by the anti-migrant activist.

The Right Reverend Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall and the Church of Englands (C of E) co-lead on racial justice, has warned that the Church must act to resist the capture of Christian language and symbols by populist forces seeking to exploit the faith for their own political ends.

The C of E is to launch a poster campaign aimed at confronting the increasing use of Christianity for a nationalist, anti-migrant agenda.

The posters, which will go on display at bus stops, say Christ has always been in Christmas and Outsiders welcome. They are part of a package of resources available for local churches to download and display in response to far-right rhetoric.

Posters will be put on bus stops to challenge claims by the far right that Christ needs to be put back into Christmas (Joy For All/jpit.uk/Andrew Gadd)

A coalition of church groups called the Joint Public Issues Team, including the C of E, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist church and the United Reformed church, have put together a rapid response resource for churches, with a call to focus particularly on Sunday 14 December  the day after Tommy Robinsons Whitehall event.

Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has organised a follow-up event to his huge Unite the Kingdom march, which saw more than 100,000 people turn out for what was billed as a free speech protest and included Elon Musk addressing the crowd, railing against the woke mind virus.

Police were assaulted after violence flared, with dozens of arrests made.

This time he has organised an event called United for Christ this Christmas, which promises bible readings, live music, and faith testimonies. He is aiming to put Christ back into Christmas, according to details posted to social media platform X/Twitter.

The Bishop of Kirkstall, Right Reverend Arun Arora, has said the Church must resist the far-right co-opting Christian language (St Paul's Cathedral/YouTube)

Speaking about Tommy Robinsons campaign to reclaim Christmas, Bishop Arun said: I rejoice that Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has recently come to faith in prison. Having experienced the wide mercy of Gods grace, Stephen does not now have the right to deny it to others.

Having embraced and accepted Gods welcome, he cant now restrict it from others who may be equally lost. Nor does he have the right to subvert the faith so that it serves his purposes rather than the other way round.

He warned: We must confront and resist the capture of Christian language and symbols by populist forces seeking to exploit the faith for their own political ends. It is incumbent upon the church  in the recent words of Rowan Williams  to challenge the story that every migrant approaching our shores is an unfriendly alien with unintelligible and hostile values.

Tommy Robinson is planning an event called United for Christ this Christmas (Reuters)

The danger for a Church that fails to act is that we are diminished to a people who offer religious observance as an alternative to an active pursuit of justice and righteousness.

As we approach Christmas and recall the Holy Familys own flight as refugees, we reaffirm our commitment to stand alongside others in working for an asylum system that is fair, compassionate, and rooted in the dignity of being human  when Christ took on flesh  which is at the heart of the Christmas message.

A protester displays the English flag and a wooden cross at Tommy Robinsons Unite the Kingdom march in September (Getty)

Since coming out of prison in May this year, Mr Robinson has been using Christianity in his messaging, with Christian symbols such as wooden crosses common at the first Unite the Kingdom rally in September.

Ukips leader Nick Tenconi also intertwines Christianity with his partys anti-migrant politics, thrusting Christian identity politics to the forefront of the organisation that used to be the home of Nigel Farage.

Mr Tenconi is also a key figure within Turning Point UK, a right-wing student political group linked to the deceased Charlie Kirks Turning Point USA.

While Mr Robinson is organising his carols event for 13 December, an initiative called Shine Your Light is aiming for 200,000 Christians to sing carols in public spaces across the UK and Ireland over the same weekend.
Thomas Markle has said he does not want to die estranged from his daughter, the Duchess of Sussex, after reports he had his leg amputated following surgery in the Philippines.

Mr Markle said he would like to meet Meghans children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and her husband, the Duke of Sussex.

It comes after Meghan was said to have reached out to her father, who she has been estranged from since her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to the big day.

A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: I can confirm she has reached out to her father.

No further details have been released, including whether or not Meghans attempt was successful.

Meghan is said to have previously tried to reach out to him in the past.

Mr Markle told the Mail on Sunday: Ive always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her.

I dont want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.

Mr Markle said he has not yet received a message from her, the newspaper reported.

Thomas Markle did not attend Meghans wedding, where the then-Prince of Wales stepped in to walk Meghan up the aisle (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Mr Markle, who moved from Mexico to live in the Philippines, has never met his grandchildren Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.

The retired TV lighting director ended up in intensive care on Wednesday after three-hour emergency operation, the Daily Mail reported.

He was later said to have had his leg amputated below the knee after his foot turned black.

His son, Thomas Markle Jr, said before the news that the duchess had reached out that he hoped Meghan would show compassion.

My only wish is that Meghan shows my father some compassion. He is literally fighting for his life, he told the Mail.

Mr Markle pulled out of attending Harry and Meghans wedding seven years ago after he was caught staging photographs for the paparazzi in the US, and then suffered a heart attack.

Harrys father, now the King, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

Meghan spoke about the importance of how Christmas trees allow you to really encapsulate your family story in her Netflix holiday special (Jake Rosenberg/Netflix/PA)

Mr Markle went on to repeatedly speak to the media and later claimed he had been shunned by Meghan.

He criticised the duchess but still said he wanted to reunite with her, and publicly pleaded to be able to see Archie and Lili, saying in 2023: She is not the person I knew as my daughter.

The duchess won a High Court privacy and copyright claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that reproduced parts of a personal and private handwritten letter she wrote to Mr Markle in a bid to get him to stop talking to the press.

Meghan, who has not seen her father for seven years, paid gushing tributes to Mr Markle on her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig before she married into the royal family.

She called herself a daddys girl and wrote how he invested blood, sweat and tears so she could pursue her dreams.

The Duke of Sussex, who is also estranged from his brother the Prince of Wales and has a troubled relationship with the King, has never met Mr Markle in person.

Harry reunited with the King face to face at a private tea in Clarence House in September after 19 months apart, after previously telling how Charles would not speak to him amid the dukes High Court battle with the Home Office over security.

Mr Markle has reflected on how both he and the King know how tough it is to be estranged from their child.

This week, the duchesss new With Love, Meghan Christmas special  which has been roundly lambasted by critics  premiered on Netflix the same day as news broke of Mr Markles admittance to intensive care.
It has already been a dream season for owner Bryan Drew, but the best could still be to come when Final Demand continues his exciting chasing journey.

The Midlands-based owner is riding a crest of a wave after Dan Skeltons Panic Attack became the first horse since Celestial Gold in 2004 to do the Paddy Power Gold Cup/Coral Gold Cup double at Newbury last weekend.

However, attentions will soon divert to Limerick at Christmas where dreams could really be ignited following Final Demands excellent chasing debut at Navan.

Final Demand does the business @NavanRacecourse  Five runs Four wins G1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle G1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice HurdleG1 Turners Novices' Hurdle Successful chasing debut 230,000 purchase pic.twitter.com/LqOQYWREOq  Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 16, 2025

He looks the real deal, its early days yet but he did everything you could have asked him to do at Navan, said Drew.

Hes entered in the Faugheen Novices Chase at Limerick over Christmas and we hope he can kick on and put in another good performance there.

It makes the bad days worthwhile when you come across one like him and for a smaller owner like myself it is difficult to get hold of a horse like that. You have to do your homework and keep in touch with the right people because horses like that can often get snapped up by the big guns.

Joey Logan tipped me off about him, I remember being at my grandsons birthday party and Joey rang me to tell me he had just won a point-to-point at Lingstown and to take him seriously. We had a good look and decided to take the plunge.

Owner Bryan Drew with Final Demand (Damien Eagers/PA)

Partnering Drew on his Final Demand venture is Professor Caroline Tisdall and having joined forces for Cheltenham Festival success in the past with the likes of Un Temps Pour Tout and Moon Racer, they now have an acquisition capable of giving them Gold Cup dreams at Prestbury Park.

I offered half to Caroline Tisdale, who was a bit in the doldrums with racing and hadnt had a lot of luck or success for a while, added Drew.

Its nice to be on the journey with Caroline, I asked if she wanted to get involved with this fellow as he looks good. I was very pleased when he won his first race quite easily as when youve brought someone else in on the horse, its nice to see it worked out.

Its very exciting and he does look very promising over fences. If we can keep him in one piece we could have an interesting time with him.

Final Demand may have his best days ahead of him, but Drew is hoping one of the finest to ever sport his colours, Bravemansgame, will be able to serve a reminder of his class if recovering from the injury that has delayed the twilight of his career in France.

Bravemansgame winning the 2022 King George VI Chase (John Walton/PA)

A winner of the King George VI Chase when trained by Paul Nicholls, he was switched to Marine Pineda near Chantilly in the summer, but is currently back in Britain recuperating with Tom Scudamore after a setback

He picked up a small injury in France and broke a small bone in the back of his knee, said Drew, who will have no hesitation to pull stumps if Bravemansgame fails to recover sufficiently.

He came back here and had surgery in Newmarket which went well and the prognosis is good for him to come back in training. Everything went as well as could have hoped, but hes going to need some time.

Hes recuperating at Tom Scudamores at the moment, but Im hoping we can get back on track in six months time and hopefully get another season out of him.

As long as there is sufficient flexibility in the joint then hopefully he can go back into training. However, if he cant cope with the training well retire him as he owes us nothing.

He will probably go back out to France if hes able to.
Trumps mass deportations have attracted criticism, but many other countries are taking a similar approach - Department of Homeland Security/UPI/Alamy Stock Photo

In the United States, President Trump is carrying out mass deportations. The Department for Homeland Security has said that in 250 days, two million illegal immigrants were either deported or chose to leave. Of those, around 1.6 million self-deported, while 400,000 were deported by the authorities.

By the end of the year, a record-breaking 600,000 could be deported. That would be one of the largest mass deportations since the Eisenhower administration deported around 80,000 illegal immigrants in the 1950s. That has attracted criticism, but in the rest of the world this is increasingly the norm.

Just this year, Iran deported around 1.5 million Afghans back to their home country, trying to save face for their misfortunes in the conflict with Israel by accusing them of being spies who betrayed Iran. Around four million Afghans live in Iran, some of whom fled there in the 1970s, while others arrived recently, after the Taliban conquered the country again. Those who came to Iran before 2003 were issued Amayesh cards, that only offer short-term residency and limited access to support, as well as needing to be renewed regularly. Although the UNHCR considers Afghans with Amaresh cards to be refugees, the Iranian government doesnt always agree.

Pakistan has also deported Afghans home under their Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, after several terror attacks involving Afghan nationals. It is estimated that over 300,000 have been deported. Although Pakistan has hosted Afghans since the 1970s, they usually dont accept them as refugees or offer them residency. Instead they are given Proof of Registration or an Afghan Citizens Card, both of which were temporary and need to be renewed on expiry. In June, the interior ministry announced that both cards were now expired, allowing for the deportation of anyone with one.

Pakistan has deported Afghans after terror attacks involving nationals from the country - ABDUL MAJEED/AFP via Getty Images

It isnt just in the near east that such measures are the norm. Latin America too has suffered one of the worlds worst refugee crises in recent years, with nearly eight million Venezuelans fleeing their authoritarian socialist leaders. In Lima, the capital of Peru, around one in every 11 people living there is thought to be a Venezuelan. Although there was great sympathy at first, they have become an economic burden, while Venezuelan organised crime has infiltrated across Latin America.

The most notorious of these is Tren de Aragua, a violent criminal group which came to prominence after armed members of the gang were filmed in a Colorado apartment block. The USA is offering a reward of $5m for information leading to the arrest of the groups leader. These criminals have used the Venezuelan refugee wave as a way to spread across the Americas, as well as using refugees as a recruiting ground or workers for exploitation. In Peruvian prisons, the number of Venezeulans soared from 48 to over 4,000. Complaints of extortion, the groups main way to make money, went from 3,220 in 2018 to 21,831 in 2024.

Trump ordered the deportation of alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang - SECOM via Reuters

That has been accompanied by serious violence. Venezeulan criminal groups in Peru like Los Gallegos have launched grenade attacks, dumped human remains on street corners in plastic bags, and burnt buses on the streets of the capital. Other migrants are often their first victims, with countless Venezeulan women promised jobs as waitresses in Peru, only to find themselves pushed into sexual exploitation.

Unsurprisingly, Latin American politicians are increasingly calling for mass deportations to deal with the problem. In Chile, they are promising to set up internment camps, use soldiers to deport illegal immigrants, and even going so far as to say they would put land mines on the border to prevent illegal entrants. Even the communist politician Jeannette Jara has said she would tighten border security and expel foreign drug dealers.

Recent polls show 92 per cent of Chileans want tougher immigration policies. As Venezuelan migrants fled Chile in advance of the upcoming election, Peru declared a state of emergency, closing their border with Chile to stop them fleeing there.

Far from being exceptional, mass deportations are becoming an increasingly common global tool. In a world where migration has become easy, many countries are facing unprecedented strain from its consequences, including terrorism and violent crime. Tackling mass migration requires mass deportations.

That holds true in Britain, where around one in every 13 people in London is thought to be an illegal immigrant. To restore law and order, as well as to rebuild our borders, mass deportations will be required.
Tourists among 25 dead after fire tears through packed dance floor at nightclub in Goa

At least 25 people have died in a fire that tore through the dance floor of a nightclub in India's popular holiday destination of Goa.

The fire erupted from a gas cylinder explosion in the club's kitchen at midnight on Sunday. Four tourists were among those killed, while as many as 14 were members of kitchen staff.

The incident took place at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular club in Arpora village in North Goa, located 25km from the state capital Panaji.

About 100 people were on the packed dance floor when the fire erupted, witnesses said, adding that some ran downstairs to the club's kitchen to try and escape the fire but got trapped along with staff.

The fire has been extinguished, officials said on Sunday morning, and an inquiry has been ordered into what caused the fire.

An eyewitness told BBC News that it appeared to be a usual Saturday night during the tourist season, until he heard screams.

People stand outside the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, which has been sealed for investigation following a fire (REUTERS)

I was outside the club when I heard screams. I didn't initially understand what was going on. In a bit, it became clear that a massive fire had broken out. Nobody could do much. The scenes were just horrific, the man said.

There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames, Fatima Shaikh, a tourist from Hyderabad, told the PTI news agency.

A chef from a nearby venue said people from all over the country, as well as Nepali nationals, work in different clubs in Goa. I am really worried about some people whom I knew at the club. Their phones are off, he told the BBC.

Policemen stand guard outside the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub (REUTERS)

Goa's chief minister, Pramod Sawant, said preliminary investigations indicated that the club did not follow fire safety norms.

I am ordering an inquiry on the incident, he added.

An MP from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a safety audit of all clubs in Goa in wake of the fire. Tourists have always considered Goa a very safe destination, but the fire incident is very disturbing, and such incidents should not happen in the future, Michael Lobo said.

Prime minister Narendra Modi called the incident deeply saddening and said he spoke with Sawant about the situation. He said the state government "is providing all possible assistance to those affected" and offered his condolences to the victims' families.

The burned nightclub following a fire that broke out in Goa on 7 December (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Modi announced compensation of Rs 200,000 (1,666) would be paid to the families of each of those who died, and Rs 50,000 (416) for the injured.

President Draupati Murmu, in a statement, said she was "deeply pained by the tragic fire incident in North Goa district resulting in the loss of precious lives".

"My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured."

Accidents involving gas cylinders aren't uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols and regulatory oversight.

The western coastal state of Goa is one of India's most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches and nightlife.
Florida bomb technicians determined the yellow container found in Benjamin Johnson's truck held a 'Moisture Density Gauge,; a soil-testing device with less radioactivity than a medical X-ray (Haines City Police Department )

What started as a routine traffic stop turned into a multi-agency operation after a Florida man told police he had a dirty bomb in his car, authorities say.

The incident began when officers from the Haines City Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Benjamin Johnsons Chevrolet Silverado. The vehicle was believed to be involved in a crash near the Publix at 39883 Highway 27 in Davenport.

Johnson, 43, allegedly refused to follow commands to exit his vehicle. Police eventually pulled him out of the truck and found multiple guns, ammunition and firearm magazine speed loaders.

They also found thermal scopes, knives, a battering ram, and night-vision goggles, as well as cannabis and THC-infused gummies.

However, things took another strange turn when Johnson, who was being detained in a patrol car, acknowledged the existence of a dirty bomb in the truck. Upon further inspection, police found a yellow plastic container secured with chains and locks with a radioactive warning label.

A box with a radioactive logo on it was recovered from Benjamin Donald Johnson's car (Haines City Police Department)

Police recovered an array of weapons from Benjamin Donald Johnson's car (Haines City Police Department)

Officers secured the area, closed nearby roads, and called in the Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives. A Florida State Fire investigator confirmed the container was emitting radioactivity before the bomb squad arrived.

Officials determined that the yellow container held a "Moisture Density Gauge," a soil-testing device with less radioactivity than a medical X-ray.

Benjamin Donald Johnson faces multiple charges after the incident. (Haines City Police Department)

He now faces multiple charges, including hoax weapon of mass destruction, false report concerning a bomb or explosive, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and resisting officers without violence. Haines City police reported that Johnson previously had a marijuana possession arrest in Tennessee.

Johnson told authorities that he lived in the vehicle alongside his dog, who has now been released to Animal Control.

Police took the yellow container for further inspection by the Florida Bureau of Radioactive Materials, while the weapons found also remain under investigation.
Award-winning author Margaret Atwood has stated that the dystopian future depicted in her seminal novel, The Handmaids Tale, is becoming "more and more plausible" in the contemporary world.

The Canadian writer, 86, whose 1985 book and its 2019 Booker Prize-winning sequel, The Testaments, inspired the acclaimed television series, shared her evolving perspective on the storys relevance.

The Handmaids Tale envisions a United States transformed into the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian, theocratic regime where women are subjugated, with many forced into roles as "handmaids"  natal slaves tasked with repopulating a world grappling with widespread infertility.

Atwood revealed that when she first conceived the plot, she considered it "bonkers," recalling a time when "America was the beacon of light."

Margaret Atwood says the dystopia depicted in her novel is now more and more plausible (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Desert Island Discs, she elaborated: "It was the democratic ideal. It was the land of freedom and people in Europe just didnt believe that it could ever go like that."

She noted that initial reactions to the novel were "split," with many asserting, "that would never happen here." However, Atwood maintained her own conviction: "Ive always been somebody who has never believed it cant happen here. It can happen anywhere, given the circumstances."

Reflecting on the book's enduring impact, Atwood observed a significant shift in recent years.

"Well, its (what happens in the book) a perennial possibility, right? Then in 2016, everything changed again, and we are now in that period where The Handmaids Tale has become much closer. Not the outfits. I dont think were going to get the outfits, but the rest of it seems more and more plausible."

The distinctive red cloaks and white bonnets worn by handmaids in the book have become potent symbols, adopted by women across the US protesting against the administration of US President Donald Trump, particularly concerning abortion rights following the overturning of the Roe v Wade ruling.

Despite the grim parallels, Atwood expressed a degree of optimism regarding the longevity of such oppressive systems. "These kinds of regimes dont last, partly because they become unsustainable. This particular one seems quite chaotic," she remarked.

Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaids Tale (HULU)

She also highlighted the resilience of the American populace: "Also, let us not count America out. Its first of all a lot more diverse than it might appear from a distance. Second, Americans are quite ornery. They do not like people telling them all to line up and do what theyre told. They really dont like that, but they dont like being bossed around by anybody right or left."

Atwood, known for her exploration of technology, identity, and totalitarianism, prefers to categorise her works as speculative fiction rather than science fiction.

As she told The Guardian in 2003, "Science fiction has monsters and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen."

She reiterated this point on Radio 4, explaining her meticulous research: "I wanted to be able to point to the source of whatever idea they were enacting and say, Dont say that I just made this up out of my twisted and weird imagination. Somebody said on Twitter/ X, How does Margaret Atwood come up with this weird s**t? I said, Its not me that comes up with this weird s**t. Its the human race. It has throughout history. So chapter and verse, its all happened."

A recipient of numerous accolades, Atwood won the Booker Prize in 2000 for The Blind Assassin and again in 2019 for The Testaments. Her extensive bibliography also includes The Edible Woman, the Oryx and Crake trilogy, Alias Grace, and Lady Oracle.

The full interview on Desert Island Discs is available on BBC Sounds.
Pete Hegseth at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday. Photograph: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

Pete Hegseth on Saturday doubled down on his defense of US military strikes on alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean, arguing that Donald Trump had the power to take military action as he sees fit and dismissing concerns that the strikes violate international law.

Hegseth spoke on Saturday at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, amid growing scrutiny over the legality of the attacks and his leadership of the Pentagon.

The defense secretary argued the strikes, which have killed more than 80 people since September, were justified to protect Americans. He compared suspected drug smugglers to al-Qaida terrorists. If youre working for a designated terrorist organization and you bring drugs to this country in a boat, we will find you and we will sink you. Let there be no doubt about it, Hegseth said.

President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nations interests. Let no country on Earth doubt that for a moment.

Despite Hegseths forceful defense, the Trump administration is facing growing questions over the legality of its anti drug-trafficking operations in the Caribbean, even from some Republicans.

The administration has insisted the nearly two dozen strikes are legal under the rules of war because the US is engaged in armed conflict with fentanyl traffickers operating as part of designated terrorist organizations, including Venezuelas Tren de Aragua and Colombias National Liberation Army.

Many legal experts have criticized that rationale, noting that the US is not at war with an armed group in the Caribbean and that the suspected traffickers have not attacked the US, or its assets abroad.

Other concerns include that the alleged smugglers have not been convicted in a court of law; that the US has provided little proof backing up its cartel designations; and that regional experts have pointed out repeatedly that the strikes will do little to actually halt fentanyl smuggling  the drug mostly arrives in the US via Mexico, not on boats via the Caribbean.

Scrutiny of the strikes, and Hegseths role, intensified at the end of November, when the Washington Post reported that a strike on 2 September was followed by a second attack targeting two survivors clinging to the wreckage. The commander overseeing the operation, the Post reported, ordered the second strike to comply with instructions from Hegseth to kill everybody.

Related: Pressure grows on reckless Hegseth as twin scandals engulf Pentagon chief

Hegseth has denied that claim. During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the defense secretary said that the commander, Adm Frank Bradley, sunk the boat and eliminated the threat. Hegseth said that while he watched that first strike, he did not stick around for the hour or two hours after.

After his speech on Saturday, Hegseth was asked whether the Pentagon would release video of the early September strike without providing a direct answer. Were reviewing the process, and well see, he replied.

While Hegseth shows no sign of backing down, calls from Democrats for his resignation are growing louder. The New Democrat Coalition, the largest Democratic caucus in the House, called Hegseth incompetent, reckless, and a threat to the lives of the men and women who serve in the armed forces. The coalition chair, Brad Schneider, and national security working group chair, Gil Cisneros, accused the defense secretary of lying, deflecting and scapegoating subordinates while refusing to take accountability.

The defense secretary repeated Trumps vow to resume nuclear testing on an equal basis as China and Russia. He criticized Republican leaders for supporting wars in the Middle East in recent years, and blasted those who have argued that climate change poses serious challenges to military readiness.

The war department will not be distracted by democracy building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, climate change, woke moralizing and feckless nation building, he said.

The Associated Press contributed
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth refused to commit to releasing video footage of the controversial second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea.

During a Saturday defense forum hosted at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Hegseth was repeatedly pressed on whether or not he would publish footage of the lethal strike, which took place on September 2.

We're reviewing the process, and we'll see, he said. Whatever we were to decide to release, we'd have to be very responsible about reviewing that right now.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he would support releasing the video. I don't know what they have, but whatever they have we'll certainly release, no problem, the president told reporters on Wednesday.

Hegseth has said that he did not personally oversee the second strike, but that the admiral in charge, Frank Mitch Bradley, made the right call and acted within the confines of the law.

The defense secretarys comments come as he faces growing scrutiny over the second strike, described colloquially as a double-tap. The follow-up strike was launched after two survivors of an initial strike were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.

The Washington Post first reported on the follow-up strike in late November, with a source familiar with the operation claiming The order was to kill everybody. Hegseth has vehemently denied this telling of events, and on Saturday he attacked the outlet, saying Is anybody here fromThe Washington Post? I dont know where you get your sources but they suck.

On Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to commit to releasing video footage of the September 2 operation that targeted survivors of a strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. (Getty Images)

"You don't walk in and say 'Kill them all.' It's just patently ridiculous," he continued. He then claimed The Posts reporting was "meant to create a cartoon of me and the decisions that we make."

On Thursday, Admiral Bradley, the Navy SEAL officer who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, showed lawmakers footage of the two strikes conducted on September 2 and answered questions.

Reactions were largely split along partisan lines. Democratic Rep. Jim Himes called the footage one of the most troubling things Ive seen in my time in public service. Republican Senator Tom Cotton labeled the strikes righteous and entirely lawful.

The broader campaign of striking alleged drug boats  which have killed at least 86 people  has also been subject to significant controversy. Some lawmakers and human rights organizations have described it as plainly illegal. The Trump administration has said they are acting within their lawful authority to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S.

Trump said he would have no problem releasing the second strike video, but Hegseth did not commit to doing so on Saturday. (AP)

During his remarks on Saturday, Hegseth indicated that the aerial attacks will continue.

Well keep killing them so long as theyre poisoning our people with narcotics, he said.

This sentiment is shared by Trump, who, earlier this week, suggested that strikes could soon take place on land too. Administration officials have also drawn up plans for possible military operations in Venezuela, where many of the strikes have occurred near.

Because we know every route, we know every house where they manufacture this crap, Trump said. We know where they put it all together.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denied that his country is involved in drug trafficking and has accused the Trump administration of fabricating a new eternal war."

Hegseth also addressed Signalgate, another controversy that surfaced earlier in his tenure.

This week, the Defense Departments inspector general released long-awaited findings from an investigation into Hegseths use of a Signal chat to post details about a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The inspector general concluded that the former FOX News anchors actions may have put U.S. personnel in harms way.

Asked if he would have done anything differently today, Hegseth said, I dont live with any regrets.
News / National

by Staff reporter

TWO Zimbabwean nationals were arrested on the N2 near Mahamba after police found 200kg of dagga worth R1.2 million in their truck.The pair of Tinashe Chitsamba (40) and Oscar Mutsetemari (45), appeared before the Mkhondo Magistrate's Court for dealing in dagga.The suspects were arrested on 4 December 2025 at about 20:35 on the N2 near Mahamba in Mpumalanga.Officers in Mahamba were conducting routine crime-prevention patrols along the N2 when they stopped a truck carrying the two men. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of six large bags of compressed dagga at the back of the truck.When questioned, the suspects allegedly said they were travelling from Empangeni and were en route to Zimbabwe. They reportedly loaded the dagga at Tshelejuba, on the eastern side of Mahamba, in KwaZulu-Natal.The duo were arrested for dealing in marijuana and for being in South Africa illegally. Police seized 200kg of dagga, valued at approximately R1.2 million, along with the truck, which will form part of the ongoing investigation.Chitsamba and Mutsetemari were remanded in custody and are scheduled to return to court on 28 January 2026 as investigations continue.
Al Falah University is enveloped in an uneasy calm. Reporters and law enforcement agents buzz about as the university finds itself the focus of the investigation into the explosion that killed at least 13 people in Delhi, some 45km away, last month.

The suspected car bomb attack launched the relatively unknown university in Faridabad, a satellite town of the Indian capital, into international headlines and sparked a media frenzy.

The Indian government declared the car blast near Delhis iconic Red Fort monument on 10 November as a terror incident perpetrated by anti-national forces while the counterterrorism agency NIA identified Umar Un Nabi as the alleged suicide bomber .

Nabi, a doctor from the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir, was an assistant professor in general medicine at Al Falah.

The NIA claimed that Nabi was driving the car that blew up, adding that it had forensically established his identity.

Investigators subsequently arrested two other Kashmiri doctors with ties to the university , Muzammil Shakeel and Shaheen Saeed.

Police claimed that they recovered more than 3,000kg of chemicals used for making improvised explosive devices as well as detonators and wires from Shakeels rented house in Faridabad.

Some shops near Al Falah University have been shuttered since the Delhi blast (Namita Singh/The Independent)

In the days and weeks since, students, teachers and families in the area have all felt compelled to insist that the tragedy had nothing to do with them.

They want to go about their lives as usual, they say, but the changed atmosphere isnt making it easy.

As an institution, Al Falah immediately distanced itself from those accused of involvement in the blast. We wish to make it clear that the university has no connection with the said persons apart from them working in their official capacities with the university, vice chancellor Bhupinder Kaur Anand said in a statement.

Were deeply saddened and anguished by the unfortunate developments that took place and condemn the same. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the innocent people affected by these distressing events.

But as federal and state investigators descended on the university, news crews in tow, to investigate what they called a white-collar terror module, it became clear that the spotlight wasnt moving away anytime soon.

Media crew outside Faridabad's Al Falah University, where authorities are probing links to the deadly blast in New Delhi (Namita Singh/The Independent)

I was serving food to customers at the shop as I usually do when a number of cars, along with several media vehicles, lined outside the universitys gate, Israr Ali, who owns a roadside food stall in front of the gate, tells The Independent.

I did not understand what was happening. Someone from the press told me a doctor from the university was involved in the Delhi blast, he says.

Since then, police keep coming everyday, while the media is fixated sitting in front of the gate, running with the mic.

Inside, students say classes continue as routine and normal, but acknowledge that the mood has shifted.

Security guards now man the gate, making sure no reporter gets in. Students walk past media crews that have been stationed outside for days, although few are willing to talk. The rare ones that do request anonymity.

The once-crowded market across the road appears largely empty, several of the shops shuttered and locked.

Police and security personnel at the scene of the Delhi explosion on 10 November 2025 (Getty)

Though the classes are held normally, we have been fearful since the raids and arrests began, a third-year medical student from Kashmir says.

I fear what the future will look like since there is a rumour about the university losing its accreditation, another third-year student says. I wonder if anyone will even bother to employ me after I finish my degree, once they see the name of the university.

It feels like we are in a limbo. I cannot leave for home, however much I want to, says a second-year student from Aligarh in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state. I have worked so hard to be here and now be caught in this.

Another second-year student is more angry at the media coverage since the attack, saying the entire university has been painted as a terror hub.

We pay Rs 2m (16,600) a year in fees to become doctors and surgeons. And these media houses are running stories that students coming are here and being radicalised under the garb of education. This is what you think we do? he says. I dont know who was involved and not. But this kind of coverage is putting us all at risk.

Such anxieties sharpened after the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, the quality assurance agency for higher education, asked the university to explain why false accreditation claims had appeared on its website. Students say this alone can affect their credibility with employers, regardless of what investigators ultimately conclude about the Delhi blast.

Professors still reporting for work say they feel as uncertain as their pupils. We are just getting through the day, amid lack of explanation or clarity of any kind, a senior physician says.

Another demands a complete overhaul of the university and its senior leadership.

The disquiet stretches beyond the campus.

Indian security forces blow up the home of one of the key Delhi blast suspects in Pulwama, Kashmir, on 14 November 2025 (AP)

Nearly 4km away, at Fatehpur Taga, stands a worn-out home, its green door locked. This is Shakeels rented house, where police claim to have found that large cache of bomb-making materials.

In an adjacent street, a small gathering of women talk in hushed tones about the doctor who lived in the house with the green door.

Muzammil defamed us and our colony, one of them says off-handedly, refusing to talk any further.

The infamy being endured by us is a lot. Our village has never seen any instance of communal rioting or some such in the past. We are a secular village. But this is very painful, all that is being said, says resident Javed Khan, 35.

He has heard rumours about the university losing its accreditation. The hospital gave free treatment to poor people like us. This is really unfortunate and is going to deeply impact us all, he says.

I have been coming here for treatment since 2014, when this campus opened. But the situation now is such that top doctors who would treat us have quit or left. There are fewer patients as well. We are not able to get medicines inside. The hospital used to give us medicines free of cost, greatly helping poor people like me. But not anymore.

Dr Muzammil Shakeels rented house in Fatehpur (Namita Singh/The Independent)

In Faridabad, police have conducted exhaustive searches of almost every place linked to the universitys more than 1,300 students and 400 employees.

Officers claimed they were looking for hidden explosive materials, though they didnt find any.

Students living off campus say their rented houses were thoroughly inspected. They checked every corner of my accommodation and my ID card, a first-year paramedical student told the Hindustan Times. They were searching for hidden explosives.

Police say hostels on campus were searched first, then rooms rented by students and staff in nearby villages.

Civic authorities, meanwhile, have launched a separate inquiry into whether construction on the universitys 78-acre campus adhered to sanctioned plans.

Officials say they will recommend demolition of any structure that violates regulations. Revenue officials have been measuring the entire facility and checking every land deed going back to 1997.

The Enforcement Directorate, a central agency for combatting financial crimes, has arrested university founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui for allegedly taking proceeds of crime by misleading students about the institutions accreditation and recognition.

The agency claims to have traced over Rs 4.1bn (38m) in tainted funds linked to the university.

On 19 November, a local court sent Siddiqui to police custody for 13 days in a money laundering case.

Questions from The Independent to the universitys vice chancellor went unanswered, while the registrar declined to comment.

Javed Khan at Al Falah University hospital (Namita Singh/The Independent)

The universitys administration had earlier said that they were fully cooperating with the investigation, and denied any wrongdoing.

Outside the universitys gate, the investigation has throttled the small economy built around students and staff.

Things were really pleasant. Everyone used to visit here. But as the universitys name became attached to the incident, business was hit, Salaubbin, 22, who owns a butcher shop in the neighbourhood, says.

The media is doing Hindu-Muslim a lot, while people here live peacefully, Salaubbin complains, referring to media reports emphasising the religion of the alleged culprits.

And the university has given us a lot. The treatment that would otherwise cost us Rs 150,000 (1,227), we get for Rs 30,000 (255).

Manish, 31, who runs a small eatery on the campus, says footfall is down. Mostly it was patients who used to visit my shop but their number has come down. So has the number of the students, by 50 per cent at least, he says.

Construction activity on the campus has stopped as contractors claim they have not been paid. Painters and other workers have left, uncertain if they would ever be paid for their recent labour.

Slowly, it seems, life is getting sucked out of an institution that, until not very long ago, was thriving.
Angela Rayner and Keir Starmer at an election campaign event in Gillingham in May 2024. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Keir Starmer has predicted that Angela Rayner will return to the cabinet, calling his former deputy, who resigned in September after underpaying stamp duty on a property purchase, hugely talented.

In an interview with the Observer, the prime minister described Rayner, who left school aged 16 without any qualifications, as the best social mobility story this country has ever seen.

Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary after Starmers ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on a flat in Hove.

Magnus said Rayner had acted with integrity but that her failure to get sufficient advice on how much stamp duty she had to pay amounted to a breach of the code.

Asked in the interview if he missed Rayner, Starmer replied: Yes, of course I do. I was really sad that we lost her. As I said to her at the time, shes going to be a major voice in the Labour movement. Asked if she would return to cabinet, the PM said: Yes. Shes hugely talented.

That is more definitive than anything Starmer has previously said, even if an imminent return would be complicated by the finding that she had breached the ministerial code.

In his letter in September in response to Rayners resignation, Starmer did not say he expected her to return, writing: Even though you wont be part of the government, you will remain a major figure in our party.

This was in contrast to his letter in January to Tulip Siddiq, who resigned as a Treasury minister over controversy about her close ties to her aunt, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh since accused of corruption.

Writing to Siddiq, Starmer was explicit that the door remains open for her to return to the frontbench.

Rayner has kept a low profile since her departure. She had been expected to table an amendment to the workers rights bill she spearheaded in government to speed up how quickly protections come into force, but dropped the idea after securing concessions in conversations with the business secretary, Peter Kyle.

Rayner is among a series of ministers who have been linked to speculation about possible efforts to remove Starmer, particularly if Labour performs badly in Mays Scottish, Welsh and local English elections. Her allies have rejected this.

In his Observer interview, Starmer said he believed Rayner and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, faced misogyny. All politicians get quite a lot of abuse these days but for women its always worse, he said.

On Sunday night, the Times reported that Labour Together, the thinktank that ran Starmers leadership campaign, was canvassing party members on candidates to replace him.

A survey sent to local Labour parties, seen by the newspaper, prompted members to name the politicians who stood the best chance of leading Labour to electoral victory at the next general election compared with Starmer, and to rank those they would be likely to vote for in a leadership election.

Eight senior Labour politicians were named alongside Starmer. The five cabinet ministers in the survey were Wes Streeting, the health secretary; Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary; Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary; Ed Miliband, the energy secretary; and Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister.

Labour Together also listed Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister; Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester; and Lucy Powell, who was elected deputy leader of the Labour Party in October.
Emmanuel Macron said that the media should carry a label to distinguish them from online fake news - Marco Longari/AFP

Emmanuel Macron is facing a backlash from broadcasters and rival parties over a proposal to certify serious news outlets.

The row erupted after the French president suggested that the media should carry a label awarded by professionals to distinguish them from purveyors of fake news online.

Critics say his drive against disinformation is an Orwellian attempt to control information just as he loses his grip on power and risks curtailing freedom of the press and expression by creating a Ministry of Truth.

The Republicans, Frances mainstream conservative party, launched a petition denouncing the scandalous and dangerous move.

Emmanuel Macron has no mandate from the people to designate good and bad media outlets, the text declares. The certification of news would amount to introducing an official truth: that is not democracy.

Critics say Mr Macron risks curtailing freedom of the press and expression - Valerii Shtykalo/iStock

Bruno Retailleau, the Republicans leader in the Senate and former interior minister, accused Mr Macron of flirting with the dystopia of George Orwells 1984. France does not need a Ministry of Truth, he warned, accusing the president of crossing a red line on freedom of expression.

Eric Ciottis Union of the Right for the Republic, a Right-wing splinter party, has circulated a similar petition, demanding that Mr Macron renounce this project which recalls the excesses of authoritarian regimes.

On the nationalist Right, Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, called the plan an authoritarian temptation by a man who has lost power and seeks to maintain it by controlling information. Marine Le Pen said the objective was obviously to control the media, calling the idea extremely dangerous.

But the most vitriolic backlash  which sparked the political reaction  has come from the powerful media empire of Vincent Bollore, the ultra-conservative Catholic billionaire often dubbed the French Rupert Murdoch. His television news channel CNews, radio station Europe 1 and recently acquired Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche (JDD), have become key platforms for Ms Le Pen, Mr Bardella and figures such as Mr Retailleau and the former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, said Mr Macron has lost power and seeks to maintain it by controlling information - Thibaud Moritz/AFP

Tensions between the Breton tycoons camp and Mr Macron had been brewing ever since it accused the centrist president of exaggerating the Russian threat to stir up fears and detract from his own failings.

The JDD accused Mr Macron of a totalitarian drift and of wanting to bring to heel the media that do not think like him under the guise of fighting disinformation.

Pascal Praud, CNewss star presenter, told viewers the president was seeking a middle way between the Ministry of Truth and Pravda under Brezhnev, the latter reference clearly designed to paint the Elysee as a neo-Soviet censorship bureau.

Philippe de Villiers, a veteran hard-Right former minister, went further still, saying Mr Macron was taking France closer to totalitarianism than at any time since the Second World War.

A source close to Bollore told The Telegraph that he had felt impelled to buy up print and broadcast media to give the French Right a voice given the Lefts longstanding grip over the countrys state media.

His camp fears that his own outlets would be left out in the cold by any official or semi-official scheme and branded as unreliable or extremist for challenging the Elysee.

The presidents allies insist that this is precisely the opposite of what is being proposed.

Vincent Bollore, a billionaire media tycoon, is often dubbed the French Rupert Murdoch - Marlene Awaad/Bloomberg

The idea, first floated at a meeting with readers of La Voix du Nord, a regional daily, and repeated in the Vosges before an audience of local newspapers, is for a voluntary label drawn up by journalists, not by the state to indicate that an outlet follows basic rules of ethics and fact-checking.

I think it is important that there is a certification done by professionals who can say those are people who are serious [and] those are not people who give information, Mr Macron told readers in Arras.

But he immediately added a caveat that his camp says his critics have glossed over. Its not the government or the state that can say, this is information, this is not, he said. If the state verifies, that becomes a dictatorship.

His office reacted with unusual ire to the Bollore medias claims. In a video posted on X, it spliced front pages from the JDD, clips of Mr Praud and comments from Mr de Villiers, and stamped them with Beware, fake news, before replaying Mr Macrons own words that it is not for the state to verify.

Talking about the fight against disinformation itself causes disinformation, the accompanying message concluded.

A form of virality must be met with a form of virality, said an Elysee source.

Mr Macron has long been the butt of fake news, from rumours about buying an Aston Martin to a viral, pro-Russian claim that he took cocaine on a train to Kyiv. This has fuelled his determination to regulate social media, pushing for stricter oversight, algorithmic transparency and even a ban for under-15s.

Yet his counter-offensive risks backfiring, said Arnaud Mercier, who has published a book on disinformation and manipulation in the media, notably because he is so unpopular his words no longer carry the same weight.

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Maud Bregeon, a government spokeswoman, has flatly denied any plan for a state label. The government is not going to create this or that label intended for the press, still less a Ministry of Truth, she said.

Yet suspicion persists, fuelled by Mr Macrons own chequered record with the press. Since 2017, he has tried to choose which journalists accompany him, relied on Elysee-produced videos and YouTube-style clips, and limited access to reporters more than any of his predecessors.

He also initially normalised the Bollore camps rise by encouraging ministers to appear on CNews and the JDD in the name of pluralism, and cultivated Mr Praud so assiduously that the presenter was reportedly told of last years snap election plan before the prime minister.

Even Le Monde, a centre-Left daily that broadly supports efforts to police foreign interference, has warned that Mr Macron is not the best placed to lead a crusade for trustworthy information.

In a sharply worded editorial, it argued that by personally pushing for media quality himself, he runs the risk of being suspected of being both judge and jury and fuelling the mistrust of the conspiracy theorists he intends to counter.
Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, in Washington in February. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/Reuters

Make America healthy again (Maha) movement leaders have put out a petition calling for Donald Trump to fire Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin, who, since being appointed in late January, has quickly moved to undo toxic chemical regulations and fast-track pesticide approvals.

The petition represents the latest salvo in a growing Maha-Maga feud over the Trump administrations policies around toxic chemicals and pesticides. Trump campaigned on cleaning up the nations water and food supply, a priority for the Robert F Kennedy Jr-led Maha movement that helped propel the US president to office.

But the Trump administration also has close ties to the chemical and pesticides industry. Maha leaders have voiced a litany of grievances with Zeldin and the EPA as it enacted policies that they say has put public health at risk and benefited the chemical industry.

Rather than supporting your initiative to Make America Healthy Again, which millions of Republicans and independents alike embraced, Administrator Zeldin has prioritized the interests of chemical corporations over the wellbeing of American families and children, the petition reads.

Related: Its absolute anarchy: Oxygen therapy chambers have led to horrific deaths. Why are Maha elite raving about them?

It was supported by about a dozen Maha influencers, including Zen Honeycutt, Kelly Ryerson, and Vani Hari.

In a statement, an EPA spokesperson defended the agency, saying: Administrator Zeldin has been working closely with President Trump and Secretary Kennedy to implement policies to Make America Healthy Again.

The petitions aim is to get the presidents attention, Ryerson told the Guardian. She said she has seen progress on toxic chemicals at other agencies, but not at the EPA, and she did not believe the president was aware of the situation.

I hold hope that the president is still committed to making America healthy again, Ryerson said. I do think if he had the real story of why these things that Zeldin is doing are incredibly damaging to human health, then he would be sympathetic to that.

Ryerson and other Maha leaders pointed to a number of EPA and Zeldin actions with which they disagreed, among them proposed rules that would reduce scrutiny of new and existing chemicals. Throughout the year, the administration has appointed four chemical industry executives to top positions at the agencys chemicals office.

The EPA also recently announced that it would continue permitting the use of dicamba, a toxic pesticide banned in many other countries. The agency also drew outrage in recent weeks when it announced it would approve and propose more Pfas forever chemicals to be used in pesticides.

Meanwhile, the administration and industry are working to undo some of the Pfas limits for drinking water put in place under Joe Biden.

Ryerson also noted that Zeldin has repeatedly claimed criticism over the EPAs controversial moves are coming from the left, or are Dem fake news.

In fact, they are also coming from within his own party, Ryerson added. The EPA has made similar statements to the Guardian.

Hari, a Maha influencer, told the Guardian that Zeldin could put an end to this by reversing a Biden-era EPA decision to change how it defines Pfas. The type of Pfas used in pesticides are considered to be Pfas by most regulatory bodies and scientists around the world. However, the EPA in 2023 started considering on a case by case basis whether a chemical, like those used in pesticides, are Pfas.

If Zeldin truly believes in Maha, then he would reverse that rule immediately, and show the country that he stands with families, not with corporations, Hari said.

Related: Trump EPA seeks to weaken scrutiny for some of USs most toxic chemicals

In its statement, the EPA attributed frustration with Zeldin to a significant amount of misinformation circulating that ignores or misrepresents the law, and the actual facts and history of regulatory decisions.

Mahas long-term success depends on rigorous, transparent science, a spokesperson said.

But some of the Maha figures are skeptical. The petition states that Zeldins approach will lead to higher rates of chronic disease, higher medical costs, and tremendous strain on the healthcare system.

Zeldins actions clearly demonstrate that his priorities are misaligned with the values of your administration and the American people, the petitions letter to Trump states.

For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to remove Lee Zeldin from his position as EPA administrator and appoint a leader who will genuinely defend public health and truly put America first, the petition language concludes.

Thank you for your attention and continued commitment to the health and prosperity of our nation.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after people were allegedly attacked with a form of pepper spray at a multistorey car park at Heathrow airport Terminal 3, police have said.

The Metropolitan police said armed officers were called to the terminals car park at about 8.11am to a report of people being assaulted.

A group of men allegedly sprayed people with what was believed to be a kind of pepper spray before leaving the scene, the Met said in a statement.

The London ambulance service responded and said it had treated 21 patients, of whom five were taken to hospital. Among those treated was a three-year-old girl.

Tom Bate, who was caught up in the incident after landing at Heathrow on Sunday morning, said he was shaken up after people began coughing and his throat burned. Everyone was coughing and looking at each other thinking how weird it was that we were coughing at the same time, he said.

One man was arrested on suspicion of assault, and inquiries continued to trace further suspects, police said.

Commander Peter Stevens said: Our team have been working at pace today to review CCTV from the area and speak with witnesses at the scene.

At this stage, its understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction.

This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray.

Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.

We appreciate that this has been a concerning incident and I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow airport.

Police said the victims injuries were not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

A London ambulance service spokesperson said: We have a number of resources on scene, and are caring for a number of patients. The service later said it had been stood down from the scene at 10.58am.

A London fire brigade spokesperson said: Firefighters have been providing specialist assistance alongside multi-agency partners at the scene. The brigade was stood down shortly after 10.30.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show a man being handcuffed, and ambulances, fire engines and armed officers at the scene.

Bate said he had seen three men who did not have luggage running past the lift lobby of the car park at Terminal 3 at about 8am, shortly after he had landed from the US.

The second they left people started coughing one by one, he said. There must have been about 50 of us in the lobby waiting for the lifts and it was really eerie because everyone started coughing, including me.

There was a burning taste in my throat and there were children there, there were elderly people. A lot of people were exposed to whatever this was.

The student, 27, who was travelling to London to spend Christmas with his family, said he went to his car and began driving down the car park ramp.

That was when I saw what must have been 20 very heavily armed police officers running and looking really quite stricken, he said. During this I said to one officer: Whats going on? and he said: We dont know  theres been an attack.

Bate said he had given a statement to police and was kept in the car park with other passengers for more than an hour.

It was total gridlock. They swept the whole garage, every car, they were very professional and very quick, he said. It felt really terrifying.

A Heathrow spokesperson said its teams were responding to the incident with the emergency services. Heathrow has advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and, if they have any queries, to check with their airline.

The terminal remained open throughout, though the incident caused some traffic and public transport disruption.

The policing minister, Sarah Jones, said: My thoughts are with all those affected by the incident at Heathrow this morning. My heartfelt thanks go to the emergency services for their rapid response and the arrest made.

I am being regularly updated on the investigation. Those in the area should follow police advice.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 101, quoting CAD 1803 7 DEC.
Donald Trump presents Michael Crawford with his Kennedy Centre medal in the Oval Office - Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg

Donald Trump has honoured Michael Crawford with a medal for his contribution to American arts.

Crawford, the 83-year-old actor and musician who starred as hapless Frank Spencer in the 1970s British sitcom Some Mothers Do Ave Em, was presented with the Kennedy Centre medal at the Oval Office on Saturday.

The other 2025 honourees included the rock band Kiss, country music star George Strait, disco legend Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone, the star of the Rocky and Rambo films and a vocal supporter of Mr Trump.

Previous recipients have included Aretha Franklin, Meryl Streep, Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

Michael Crawford, the original lead in Phantom of Opera, was hailed as the great star of Broadway by Donald Trump - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Mr Trump hailed his hand-picked 2025 winners as perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class.

The presidents involvement in the awards, ousting the board that selects the medallists and imposing himself as chairman, is an example of broader White House interference in Americas cultural institutions.

He has ordered museums to remove content deemed anti-American and fired the majority of the National Council on the Humanities.

On Saturday, Mr Trump praised Crawford, the original lead in Phantom of Opera, as the great star of Broadway in the annual honours, which recognise a lifelong contribution to American arts.

The US president is known to be an avid fan of the musical, in which Crawford played the title role in both the West End and Broadway productions, earning an Olivier and Tony Award.

Michael Crawford with Sarah Brightman in the original production of Phantom of the Opera in 1986 - Donald Cooper/Rex Features

Mr Trump said he was there for Crawfords 1967 Broadway debut in Black Comedy and lauded him as a generational talent and an international sensation.

In Britain, Crawford is fondly remembered as for his portrayal of Frank Spencer and his Ooh, Betty catchphrase in Some Mothers Do Ave Em.

The president called the 2025 honorees incredible people who he said represented the very best in American arts and culture, adding: I know most of them, and Ive been a fan of all of them.

On Saturday, he showered praise on Stallone who he named as one of his special ambassadors to Hollywood, calling him a wonderful and spectacular person and one of the true, great movie stars.

Kiss, he said, were an incredible rock band and among the greatest artists, actors and performers of their generation. The bands members have been mixed in their support for Mr Trump over the years.

Michael Crawford with Michele Dotrice as Betty in Some Mothers Do Ave Em - BBC

The overhaul of the Kennedy Centre has become a personal political project for Mr Trump.

Despite skipping the ceremony each year in his first term, breaking a long-held presidential tradition, the Republican returned in his second term determined to leave his mark on the centre, which he has called a national jewel.

It is part of a broader effort to solidify control over the capitals institutions and cultural life, remaking and revamping Washington in his image.

Mr Trump provoked outrage in February when he purged the centre of its board members and made himself chairman.

He then set about appointing Trump loyalists to leadership positions, and condemning the centres past shows for being woke and terrible. He also promised an end to drag shows specifically targeting our youth.

The centres new president, Richard Grenell, a veteran of the first Trump administration and the presidents long-time foreign policy adviser, has helped steer its new conservative agenda.

Mr Trump has also repeatedly flirted with the idea of renaming the centre the Trump Kennedy Centre. More than 100 staff members have resigned or been dismissed since February, The Washington Post reported.

The gala for the honourees takes place on Sunday night. Tom Cruise turned down an award this year, citing scheduling conflicts, according to The Washington Post.
Putin

I have a personal grudge against Vladimir Putin since the deadly actions of his agents in Salisbury in March 2018 impacted directly on my life and that of thousands of my fellow residents in the Wiltshire city and its environs.

As retired Judge Lord Hughes of Ombersleys long awaited report into the death of Dawn Sturgess  the 44-year old mother of three killed by the Novichok nerve agent discarded by Putins spies makes clear  the Russian President bears a moral responsibility for her tragic death.

For there is little doubt that it was Putins direct orders that sent the spies Ruslan Borishov and Alexander Petrov to the city on their murderous mission, not  as they ludicrously maintained  to admire the spire of its famous cathedral, but to wreak a savage revenge against former double agent Sergei Skripal. In doing so, as the Hughes report underlines, they endangered the lives not only of their intended victim Skripal and his daughter Yulia, but those of thousands of innocents like Sturgess and the detective sergeant Nick Bailey who also fell ill after coming into contact with the deadly Novichok that they left behind.

Putin himself has made little secret of what traitors like Skripal can expect for betraying Russia. Two recent victims of such poisons, who like Skripal miraculously survived the attacks, were the anti-Putin political leader Alexei Navalny and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, whose face was permanently disfigured in 2004 after he was poisoned by dioxin, also supplied courtesy of Moscow centre.

Navalny only survived the poisoning thanks to expert hospital care in Germany, but when he returned to Russia after recovering in 2021, he was immediately arrested, jailed, and done to death in one of Putins prisons in February last year. Another victim of Putins vicious vengeance was the exiled dissident former intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died slowly in hospital from polonium poisoning in 2006, ingested when he took tea with a Putin emissary in a London hotel.

In 2018 I was working in Salisbury as a guide for a history tours company. On the very day that Putins goons were photographed passing through Salisbury rail station with their deadly bottle of Novichok I followed them through the barrier a couple of hours later. The spies smeared the lethal substance on the doorknob of the house where Skripal had been living quietly since he had been freed from a Russian jail in a spy swap in 2010. Skripal had been recruited as a double agent by MI6 in 1995 while spying for Russia in Spain. Probably Britains most important agent inside Russian intelligence since the late Oleg Gordievsky in the 1980s, Skripal was given a 13 year jail sentence for high treason when he was exposed by the Russians in 2004.

After the swap Skripal must have thought he was safe living in sleepy Salisbury, but eight years after he arrived in Britain Putins avengers came calling. We dont know what triggered their fatal visit, but local rumour had it that Skripal often met his MI6 minder in Salisburys Cote Brasserie French restaurant where I too was a regular (their steaks are excellent) and Moscow may have thought that their retired renegade agent was still active in the spying game.

What happened next in Salisbury came straight out of a spy thriller: Sergei and Yulia were found semi-conscious on a park bench and the whole city was plunged into a pre-Covid lockdown as scientists from the nearby Porton Down biological and chemical warfare research centre patrolled the city clad in their Dr Who style anti nerve agent space suits. Businesses went bust, the streets were eerily deserted and rumour ran riot as the Skripals hovered between life and death in Salisbury Hospital. They were the hospitals most illustrious patients since Madonna was treated there after falling from the horse she had been given by Trudy Styler, Stings wife and a celebrity local resident.

The Skripals recovered, and are now living anonymously in another country, and Salisbury slowly returned to its usual slumbering equilibrium. But three months later in June a man named Charlie Rowley found what appeared to be a bottle of Nina Ricci Premier Jour perfume. He took the find back to his home in Amesbury and presented it to his partner Dawn, who sprayed herself with the contents. Within minutes she collapsed foaming at the mouth and fell into a coma, dying eight days later without recovering consciousness.

When the red carpet is rolled out for Vladimir Putin at his next Ukraine peace summit with Donald Trump, spare a thought for Dawn Sturgess and the countless others who have died horribly at his behest.
The Electoral Commission has been asked to investigate cryptocurrency donations to Reform UK amid claims Nigel Farage may have abused his public position as an MP.

Both Labour and the Lib Dems have requested an investigation after the commissions quarterly report last week revealed that Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne had given Reform a 9m donation  the largest ever political donation by a single living person.

Reform has said none of the donations from Mr Harborne  who sometimes goes under the Thai name Chakrit Sakunkrit  were in cryptocurrency. But it has declined to answer other questions on cryptocurrency donations that Mr Farage has publicly claimed that the party has received.

In the letter to the commission, the Lib Dems raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest, which could undermine public trust in the integrity of our political system.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Mr Farage, which was also sent to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Electoral Commission on Sunday evening, Labour Party chair Anna Turley said the Reform leaders statements raise a number of questions which deserve an urgent answer.

On 29 May, Mr Farage announced that Reform would be the first British party to accept political donations in cryptocurrency, following the example of Donald Trumps campaign in the UK.

Nigel Farage addressing a rally in Falkirk on Saturday (Getty Images)

The donation by Mr Harborne was given on 1 August. The following month, on 23 September, Mr Farage used an interview on LBC to namecheck Tether  one of the cryptocurrencies, along with cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, that Mr Harborne has shares in  when he said he was going to the Bank of England to argue against curbs on crypto.

He told Nick Ferrari: We should hang on to this and wait till they mature  and secondly, Nick, Im going to go tomorrow to say this, you know, Tether is a stablecoin. Stablecoins are the way in which money goes from conventional currencies into cryptocurrencies and back again. Tether is about to be valued as a $500bn company.

You know, stablecoins, crypto  this world is enormous and Ive been urging for years that London should embrace it.

A few weeks later, on 22 October, Mr Farage told Reuters that Reform UK had already received a couple of donations in the form of crypto assets, without giving further details.

Mr Farage has been promoting cryptocurrency since May, when he appeared at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas and said that Reform UK would launch a crypto revolution and introduce a Crypto Assets and Digital Finance Bill.

In a speech in the City of London on 3 November, Mr Farage again called for the deregulation of crypto.

Christopher Harborne gave 9m to Reform (Christopher Harborne)

He said: Secondary lending is exploding and could come back to bite us. Weve ignored the burgeoning global markets in digital assets, stablecoins and crypto. The City succeeded by innovating and taking risks; weve done none of it. We should lead in these 21st-century sectors.

Reform have not answered questions sent by The Independent on who has given the party crypto donations, how much it has received and what type it received, or whether the party had a stash of Tether when Mr Farage promoted it on LBC.

In her letter to the commission, Lisa Smith, the Lib Dems shadow spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, said: The sequence of events raises serious questions about whether the public promotion of Tether by the party leader may have been connected to, influenced by, or otherwise associated with this substantial financial contribution.

It also raises the question of whether any private commitments were made to give Tether a central role in the Crypto Revolution that Nigel Farage has committed his party to delivering if they take power.

Even the perception of a link between political advocacy and major corporate donations risks undermining public trust in the integrity of our political system.

She went on: There is also a strong case, in the public interest, for Mr Farage to declare if any donations were received in the form of cryptocurrency. There is a disturbing possibility that Reform was in possession of Tether when Mr Farage promoted the coin, which would be an abuse of his public position and role as a member of parliament.

Meanwhile, Labours Ms Turley asked Mr Farage for clarification on whether he received any donations in cryptocurrency before October.

The Electoral Commission has stated that no political party has currently registered crypto assets as donations. Political parties have until the end of January to report donations they have received from 1 October onwards, but anything received before then should already have been declared.

She also asked how the party could be sure it had met the requirements under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) to ascertain the identity of its donor, and asked if he would publish Reforms vetting procedures.

Ms Turleys letter, seen by The Independent, asks whether any cryptocurrency donations were converted immediately into sterling or if they were held as crypto assets for a period of time, as well as raising concerns over the risks of money laundering and pro-Russian interference associated with crypto currency.

The letter adds: It is of course possible that Reform UK did not receive a single cryptocurrency donation above the donation threshold between May and September and that your efforts in loudly soliciting and facilitating such donations were an entirely fruitless publicity stunt.

It is equally possible that your claims about Reform UKs compliance process for cryptocurrencies, and your reference to donations in crypto that get exchanged into sterling are entirely hypothetical.

In a statement, Ms Turley added: Nigel Farage has some serious questions to answer. After boasting about taking crypto donations and putting on a front for big crypto firms, it appears nothing has been declared.

Farage needs to urgently come clean and clarify whether Reform have misled the public or if they have misled the Electoral Commission. He should provide a detailed account of who is funding him, to assure the public theres been no wrongdoing here.

Reform UK said all its donations have been reported correctly and in line with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).

Meanwhile, a Electoral Commission spokesperson said: No political party has reported any donations that they have identified as cryptocurrency.

Donations in crypto assets would be reported by political parties as non-monetary donations. As with all non-monetary donations, details regarding the nature of the donation would be available to view in the donation details on our political finance database.

Donations must be valued in British pounds (GBP) at the time of receipt of the donation. The value in GBP is the market value of the crypto asset, for example, the exchange rate of the payment provider, or if unavailable, the exchange rate on a major exchange at the time of receipt.

The Tories have also raised concerns by tabling a number of questions in parliament to the communities secretary on whether crypto regulation needs to be dealt with in the Elections Bill.

Mr Farage stated in a press conference on Thursday that Mr Harborne had wanted nothing in return for his donation.

He said: Does he want anything in return for his money? I promise you absolutely nothing. Do I speak to him regularly? Maybe once a month, maybe once every six weeks, but certainly not more than that.

He later insisted he was very, very comfortable and confident in the case of Mr Harborne that we know where his money comes from when asked about Reforms due diligence of the donation.

A Reform UK spokesperson said last week: This quarters figures show the incredible progress Reform UK is making. This is further evidence that we have all the momentum in British politics.
Firefighters tackle a blaze following a purported Russian strike in the Poltava region of Ukraine on Sunday - STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE/EPA/Shutterstock

Russia is gaining territory in Ukraine at one of the fastest rates since the war began, new data show, ahead of an emergency Downing Street summit.

The Kremlins army seized 200 square miles of territory in November, up from 100 square miles the previous month, according to DeepState, a trusted Ukraine-based battlefield map.



The speed of advance was approaching the fastest since the initial invasion almost four years ago, the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines leader, will meet with Sir Keir Starmer on Monday. They will be joined by Emmanuel Macron, of France, and Freidrich Merz, of Germany.

Ahead of the talks, on Sunday night the Elysee insisted Ukraine was not on the brink of collapse.

A spokesman said European leaders must commit to backing Ukraine in the long term, in the event that the latest peace talks with Donald Trump failed.

Ukraine is holding its own and doing even better than that. Ukraine is not on the brink of collapse, they said.

If we cannot immediately reach a peace agreement with Russia, it is essential that we give Ukraine all the support it needs so that it does not lose ground due to a lack of support.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has said he will seize the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine either by force or through negotiation.

A plan to end the war, drawn up with Donald Trumps administration, involved Ukraine handing over vast tracts of land. Ukraine and Europe have rejected the proposals.

The gains in territory risk helping to persuade Mr Trump that peace should be set on Russias terms, and that sending weapons and aid to Kyiv was a waste.

Russia is also moving forward around the small eastern city of Siversk in Donetsk as part of its broader push towards the fortress city of Sloviansk.

On Sunday, Russian Telegram reports suggested Moscows forces had seized the residential areas to its north, using small groups of infiltrators to get behind Ukrainian lines, a tactic employed with success in Pokrovsk.

Ukraines military reported fierce battles were ongoing. Half of the city was within the contested zone, according to DeepState.

On Saturday night, Mr Zelensky said he had a long and substantive phone call with Steve Witkoff, the White Houses Russia envoy, and Jared Kushner, Mr Trumps son-in-law who is assisting the negotiations.

Shortly after the call, Putin launched a deadly missile and drone barrage aimed at Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, including train stations.

Vladimir Putin wants to seize the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine - Getty Images

European leaders have been scrambling as support for Ukraine wanes and the Trump administration turns its attention away from the conflict.

Mr Trumps son, Donald Jr, said in a Middle East conference that his father could walk away from the peace talks.

But Keith Kellogg, the outgoing US envoy to Ukraine, said a deal was really close. Ukrainian and US negotiators also issued a joint statement calling on Russia to show a serious commitment to long-term peace, sowing confusion about the prospect of a deal.

The hastily arranged summit appears to be an attempt to ensure Ukraine is not betrayed during the US-led peace process with Russia  a fear Mr Macron alluded to earlier this week.

The Elysee said: Whats very good about the current phase is that the consultations with the Ukrainians are also very intense. And its good, indeed, that the Americans are hearing from the Ukrainians what is possible and what isnt.

And once thats established, the essential thing is for the Americans to get commitments from the Russians that make negotiations ... credible.

The talks follow the release of Mr Trumps national security strategy report on Friday that spelt out the long-term US posture in stark detail.

The document accused Europe of blocking peace in Ukraine and also tweaked language from previous versions of the document by dropping wording that described Russia as a direct threat.

Moscow welcomed the changes, saying the adjustments were largely consistent with its own vision.

No immediate collapse

In recent weeks, Russian forces have advanced on several fronts. Pokrovsk, a former rail and logistics hub in eastern Ukraine, looks poised to fall imminently after a long and costly battle, while its nearby town of Myrnohrad is close to being encircled.

After Ukraine deployed some of its best brigades and drone units to hold Pokrovsk, Russian forces have been able to stretch Kyivs resources along the 630-mile front, opening up vulnerabilities in the south-east and further north.

As a result, Moscow has made steady gains in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia and is close to capturing the northeastern city of Kupiansk, a vital stronghold that has been under attack for two years.

Anti-drone nets line a road, near the city of Izium in eastern Ukraine, on Sunday - ZUMA Press, Inc/Alamy Live News

However, the figures appear worse than the reality on the battlefield, said Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group.

There have been no grand breakthroughs no immediate collapse of the Ukrainian front lines at the moment, he told The Telegraph. Russia has been unable to decisively break the front in any direction.

Referring to Russias recent advances in the south-east, he argued that if Ukraine had to lose land, that would be the preferred place.

Russia would have to have a huge amount more success to achieve something significant there; it has just captured small village after small village and many fields. These developments do not endanger the whole front for now, Mr Kastehelmi added.

Advance expected to slow

Analysts believe it could still take Russia several years to take the rest of the Donbas  the prize Putin most seeks and which is heavily protected by the fortress cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

As winter sets in, the rate of Russias advance is expected to slow. And yet, in a signal to Washington, Putin has ordered the Russian military to prepare for winter combat  suggesting he will not soften his territorial demands.

Russia, which controls 19.2 per cent of Ukraine, is demanding Kyiv surrender the entire Donbas region, according to the peace plan co-authored by Washington and Moscow last month. It also wants Ukraine to be banned from joining Nato and to significantly reduce its military.

The proposals provoked uproar in Kyiv and elsewhere in Europe, which together lobbied for a watered-down alternative proposal which was rejected by Putin last week, leaving talks once more at an impasse.

On Sunday, Russias defence ministry claimed control of two villages: Kucherivka in the Kharkiv region and Rivne in Donetsk.

The Telegraph was unable to independently verify Russias most recent claimed advances, and Ukraine has not yet commented, but it follows confirmed advances in both regions.
Thomas Markle and his daughter have not been in touch since 2018 - Enterprise News

The Duchess of Sussex has personally called several hospitals in the Philippines in a search for her estranged father.

Meghan, 44, intends to have a handwritten note delivered to Thomas Markle, 81, after his leg was reportedly amputated below the knee during surgery to remove a blood clot.

After emailing him with no luck since reports of his surgery surfaced on Wednesday, the Duchess has since personally called several hospitals, without success, to try to locate Mr Markle.

The Telegraph understands her aides believe he is a patient at a hospital in Cebu in the Philippines  where he moved to from Mexico at the beginning of this year  but have not yet confirmed this is the case.

This development is based on pictures published of Mr Markle by the Mail on Sunday, which has so far not answered attempts by the Sussexes to facilitate contact between the pair, it is understood.

It comes after the Daily Mail revealed earlier this week that Mr Markle was fighting for his life after collapsing at his home in Cebu.

He underwent emergency surgery followed by a second operation to remove a blood clot, which was said to have resulted in his leg being amputated below the knee.

Mr Markle reportedly underwent life-or-death surgery in the Philippines - AKGS/Backgrid UK

He and Meghan have not been in touch since 2018, following the fallout over staged paparazzi photographs ahead of the Sussexes wedding, although she is said to have tried to reach out in the past.

The Duchesss father suffered two heart attacks on the eve of her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, which prevented him from flying to the UK. In his absence, the King, then Prince of Wales, gave Meghan away.

The Duke of Sussex has never met his father-in-law and wrote in his memoir, Spare, that his wife was mourning the loss of her father.

Mr Markle has never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.

Mr Markle said he was confused by Meghans claim she had reached out, insisting he had received no messages - Enterprise News and Pictures

A retired television lighting director, he begged his daughter to see him one more time before I die in a public appeal for her to contact him after the incident.

After Meghans wedding ceremony, he texted her to tell her she looked beautiful.

They discussed the wedding and he wished the couple a happy honeymoon. That was the last call, he told a tabloid newspaper.

Before moving to the Philippines, Mr Markle gave numerous interviews to television networks and newspapers about his daughter, begging her to get in touch.

He claimed he had been shunned and ghosted by his daughter and at one stage vowed to do an interview every month until she made contact.

He alleged in December 2018 that he texted her every day but that she never responded.

Extracts of a letter Meghan wrote to her father in August 2018, begging him to stop talking to the media, were later published in the Mail on Sunday.

The Duchess of Sussex has been estranged from her father since 2018, when he made headlines for selling staged paparazzi photos before her wedding to Prince Harry

The Duchess instructed aides to try and establish whether the recent news reports concerning her fathers health were accurate before trying to make contact with him through email.

Mr Markle then told the Mail on Sunday he was confused by reports that she had attempted to make contact, insisting he had not changed his number and had received no messages.

It was then claimed that the email was sent to an address he had not used for five years, but sources said it appeared to have been delivered and did not bounce back.

The Duchesss aides have now made clear that if he is willing to share a different address, or if the Mail on Sunday will share contact information for Mr Markle, she will reach out.

It is understood that the tabloid has so far not answered requests to send her aides a number or email address for her father, or inform them of which hospital he is currently receiving treatment in.

Mr Markle is also reportedly not in possession of his phone, and sources suggested even with the correct number, it would be extraordinarily irresponsible for Meghan to leave a voicemail in light of Prince Harrys experience with phone hacking.

The new developments come after one of his surgeons in the Philippines told The Mail on Sunday that the procedure to amputate his foot was a matter of life and death.

He said: We had to remove the foot. There was a massive blood clot in his thigh and that had stopped circulation to his foot and lower leg.

It was life-or-death surgery. Had the infection in the foot moved to his heart, it would most likely have been fatal. He is doing well but he is not out of the woods yet.

Meghans spokesman said on Friday evening: I can confirm she has reached out to her father.

A spokesperson for DMG Media, which owns the Mail on Sunday, said: Our journalist, Caroline Graham, has had a close relationship with Mr Markle since 2018. He contacted Ms Graham when he was taken ill and asked her to travel to the Philippines to be with him. Nothing has been published without his specific consent and that of his son.

Ms Graham has confirmed to the Duchess of Sussexs representative that Mr Markle does not have an active email address but that his phone number, which the Duchess has previously used for him, remains unchanged.

Ms Graham has made clear that if she can do anything to facilitate contact between Mr Markle and his daughter to have a conversation, then she would be happy to do so. That remains the case.

Any suggestion we have puppeteered Mr Markle is entirely false and strongly denied.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF's Manicaland province has been plunged into internal contestation as senior figures and political factions jostle to fill a vacant central committee seat, with accusations emerging that presidential investment advisor Paul Tungwarara is attempting to buy influence to secure the post.The position fell vacant after former Chipinge central committee member Dorothy Mabika ascended to the role of provincial Women's League chairperson. What would ordinarily be a routine replacement has now escalated into a contest involving some of the party's most influential figures.Sources within the party say the race has attracted several interests, including former Zimbabwe National Army commander and current Sports, Arts and Culture minister Anselem Sanyatwe, a prominent ally of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.However, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri is reportedly backing MenBelievED founder Justice Matsairatsire in an attempt to block Sanyatwe, fearing his elevation could weaken her long-standing influence in the province.Amid the factional manoeuvring, Tungwarara has emerged as a strong contender, buoyed by lavish donations made in Manicaland last week. The businessman reportedly handed out double cab vehicles and US$10,000 each to district coordinating committee chairpersons. He also gave the Young Women for ED grouping a US$250,000 revolving fund, while all 26 constituencies in the province collectively received over US$500,000 for community development initiatives.Tungwarara said his donations were made under the newly unveiled Presidential Constituency Empowerment Fund, which has rolled out first in Manicaland. It remains unclear whether this initiative replaces the existing Constituency Development Fund.The scale and timing of Tungwarara's contributions have sparked criticism among party insiders, who view the donations as an attempt to influence the selection process. Youth chairpersons from across the province reportedly met in Mutare yesterday to rally support for him."What we are seeing here is a repeat of the Harare script before businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei was co-opted into the central committee," a senior Zanu-PF official said."However, the constitution is very clear  he should have served five years in the party at cell or branch level."Efforts to obtain comment from Zanu-PF Manicaland chairperson Tawanda Mukodza were unsuccessful, and Tungwarara also could not be reached. Party political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha has previously stated that the seat should be filled by someone from Chipinge district unless the province seeks and is granted a waiver.For now, the battle for the post remains wide open, with growing internal tensions signalling yet another high-stakes power contest in the ruling party's provincial structures.
A three-year-old girl is among those who were treated by ambulance crews after a group of men used pepper spray on a woman they had robbed of her suitcase at Heathrow Airport.

Officers were called at 8.11am on Sunday to reports that multiple people had been assaulted by a group of men at the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3.

Armed officers called to the scene found a number who had been sprayed with what the Metropolitan Police said is believed to be a type of pepper spray.

One of the 21 patients the London Ambulance service treated was a girl aged three, detectives said, and five were taken to hospital.

Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

A 31-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of assault remained in custody on Sunday afternoon, police said.

Officers said the suspect was arrested by 8.20am, within nine minutes of the report being received.

BREAKING: Man, 31, arrested over incident at Heathrow https://t.co/paIz5Daudi



Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/qepGJNDRbG  Sky News (@SkyNews) December 7, 2025

Witness Tom Bate told the BBC he had been waiting to be picked up from the car park when he saw young men dressed in black darting through the crowd.

He said he felt a burning at the back of his throat after they left, with other people nearby beginning to cough.

Officers continue to hunt for other suspects but Scotland Yard confirmed the incident is not being treated as terrorism.

Im so glad to hear now that its not terrorism because it felt like I was in the middle of an attack  it was pretty intense, Mr Bate said.

Footage on social media appeared to show a man being handcuffed by an armed officer while another searched him.

Fin Fraser, who flew into Heathrow from the US on Sunday morning, told the BBC he saw armed police running around and checking peoples vehicles as he attempted to leave the car park.

Describing it as a surreal experience, he added: When they came to ours, they knocked on our window and told us to wind it down and then they looked inside the car.

It felt like I was in a James Bond movie.

Commander Peter Stevens said: Our team have been working at pace today to review CCTV from the area and speak with witnesses at the scene.

A major incident was declared at Heathrow Terminal 3 this morning after Met Police said a number of people were pepper sprayed by a group of men pic.twitter.com/qfn0Tcvudo  UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) December 7, 2025

At this stage, its understood that a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction.

This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray.

Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.

We appreciate that this has been a concerning incident and I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of staff at Heathrow Airport.

By midday, dozens of passengers were waiting at the terminals bus stop for shuttles to the long-stay car park and elsewhere.

One family, who did not wish to be named, said they had waited for three hours at the bus stop after their flight landed at around 8am.

Heathrow staff handed out bottled water to waiting passengers on Sunday afternoon.

A Heathrow spokesman said: The shuttle buses to the long-stay car park were impacted by congestion on the roads following an earlier incident which saw the Central Terminal Area tunnel closed for safety reasons.

The buses are now operating as normal and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Rail passengers at Heathrow Terminal 2/3 station also faced long queues amid overcrowding.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 101, quoting CAD 1803 7 DEC.
President Trump is reportedly considering replacing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a report (AP)

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering moving on from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a staff shakeup that could come in time for the New Year, according to a report.

Two former DHS officials who served under both Trump and former President Joe Biden told The Bulwark that Trump is considering moving on from Noem, with the change potentially coming really soon.

A third official cautioned that the current situation is fluid, meaning Trump may still let the ex-South Dakota governor lead new enforcement operations planned for January and February, according to the report.

Trump tapped Noem to lead DHS after she dropped off his vice presidential shortlist when she admitted that she once shot and killed her familys pet dog because it was not easily trainable. She has since gone on to lead Trumps controversial anti-immigration, mass deportation agenda.

While Trump likes Noem, top White House leaders have grown frustrated with her leadership  specifically her employment of divisive chief advisor Corey Lewandowski, according to the report.

President Trump is reportedly considering replacing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a report (AP)

Lewandowski denied the report in a statement to The Bulwark, telling the publication, None of that is true.

Trump has often voiced his praise for Noem, who has been an enthusiastic operator in service of the presidents agenda, often appearing in videos meant to glorify the administrations deportation program and demonize the immigrant populations it has targeted.

Noems potential exit may come as Trump wants to start the New Year with a clean slate, according to the report. On top of this, Trump may be considering tapping Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is set to leave office in January, for any potential cabinet openings.

Youngkin previously expressed interest in an economic or business role, rather than one focused on immigration, though he would still be excited to have a cabinet role, according to a CNN report.

It has been made clear that [Youngkin] is interested in working for the administration in some capacity, one senior White House official told CNN.

Trump could considered term-limited Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, left, who will leave office in January, for any potential cabinet openings, according to reports. (AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Noem appears to be trying to stay onTrumps good side, bizarrely thanking him for keeping the hurricanes away during Tuesdays cabinet meeting.

Sir, you made it through hurricane season without a hurricaneeven you kept the hurricanes away. We appreciate that, she said.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson addressed the claims on X, writing, Anonymous former staffers pretend to know what POTUS is thinking and the Bulwark treats them as credible? This report  and the Bulwark  is total FAKE NEWS! Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the Presidents agenda and Making America Safe Again.
President Donald Trump is starting to grow weary of the ongoing controversies plaguing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a new report.

While the president has stood by Hegseth in public, he has shown less enthusiasm behind closed doors, The Atlantic reported Friday, citing several unnamed sources familiar with White House discussions.

[Trump] is starting to tire of the scandals surrounding Hegseth and does not push back when others suggest Hegseth is not up for the job, an outside adviser to the White House and a former senior administration official told us, The Atlantic reported.

An unnamed senior administration told the outlet its been a rough week for Pete.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.

The presidents apparent dissatisfaction comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny for authorizing a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on September 2. The follow-up strike  referred to by some as a double tap  was launched after two survivors were seen clinging to the wrecked vessel.

The Secretary of Defense has faced increased scrutiny after a double strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (AP)

On Thursday, Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley, the Navy SEAL officer who leads U.S. Special Operations Command, showed lawmakers footage of the lethal strikes and answered questions.

Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters the footage was one of the most troubling things Ive seen in my time in public service. In contrast, Tom Cotton, GOP chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the strikes righteous and entirely lawful.

Hegseth, on Tuesday, said the attack took place within the fog of war and said Bradley acted within his authority and the law.

Beyond the double-tap controversy, Hegseth has drawn broader criticism for his campaign targeting suspected traffickers, which has resulted in at least 86 deaths. Some lawmakers and human rights organizations have labeled the attacks illegal, alleging they are being used to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Republicans, however, have largely backed the strikes, arguing they help stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

This week, the Defense Departments inspector general also released the findings from an investigation into Hegseths use of a Signal chat to post details about a strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report concluded that the former FOX News anchors actions could have put U.S. personnel in harms way. In a discussion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Saturday, Hegseth said he doesnt live with any regrets over the his use of Signal.

President Trump has publicly backed the Pentagon chief, telling reporters Tuesday that Pete is doing a great job. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the militarys second strike in September. However, behind closed doors, things could be different, The Atlantic report claims.

On Thursday, Hegseth ordered a new strike that killed four alleged drug traffickers (X/@Southcom)

Trump has not been happy that a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are using Hegseths record as a reason to stand up to the White House, a further sign of cracks in what had until recently been unwavering GOP fealty to Trump, the outlet said.

This week, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CNN that Hegseth was wrong to claim the inspector generals report on his use of a Signal chat had exonerated him.

No one can rationalize that as an exoneration, Tillis said. We know that mission information was outside of the classified setting that it was trusted to be in.

On Friday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called on Hegseth to testify under oath about the boat strikes.

I think that Congress, if they had any kind of gumption at all, would not be allowing this administration to summarily execute people that are suspected of a crime, he told The Independent.

Still, a number of Republicans have stood by Hegseth and have argued the Pentagon is operating fine under his leadership. And a senior administration official told The Atlantic that the president cannot afford to fire Hegseth and endure another Senate confirmation battle.

The people around the president have always sensed that Hegseth isnt really qualified for the job, this official said. But hes redeemed himself in the eyes of the president because he is truly devoted to Trump.

They added: That goes a long way. Taking Pete, with all his baggage, is just how its gonna be.

At the same time, Trump has given no indication the boat strikes will slow down. Instead, he suggested the military campaign could escalate.

Very soon were going to start doing it on land too, the president said on Wednesday.
Any hopes that Trumps sentiments would not extend beyond rhetoric has been dispelled in recent days. Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images

When the history of Donald Trumps second presidency is written, 26 November 2025 may well go down as a particular landmark.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, a lone gunman shot two West Virginia national guards, Sarah Beckstrom, and Andrew Wolfe, as they were on patrol outside Washington DCs Farragut West metro station, a short walk from the White House  and thereby opened the floodgates to a wave of racist and anti-immigrant invective that seemed extreme even for Trump.

Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries the following day, while 24-year-old Wolfe is said to be slowly recovering from critical wounds.

But Trump seemed to focus less on the fates of the two guardsmembers whose deployment he had ordered to combat a supposed crime wave than the origins of the suspected assailant, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a recent immigrant from Afghanistan.

Lakanwal, 29, who has been charged with murder, served with a CIA-linked Afghan partner force before arriving in the US in 2021 following Washingtons chaotic withdrawal from the long Afghan war in a resettlement program created by Joe Bidens administration and which saw the admission of 190,000 Afghans in the country.

Related: Shock and dismay after national guard troops shot near White House

He was granted asylum this year by Trumps administration, after thorough vetting, but is said to have encountered acute mental health problems.

For the president, however, such details counted for little.

The following day, Thanksgiving, he issued a social media bereft of any message of gratitude to Afghans who had been admitted to the US after helping American forces in Afghanistan.

Instead, in an extraordinary outburst, Trump suggested all Afghan arrivals should be ended and broadened his animus to cover immigrants from an undefined list of third world counties.

I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissionsand remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, he wrote.

He vowed to denaturalize US citizens who undermine domestic tranquility and deport foreign nationals deemed non-compatible with Western Civilization.

Stephen Miller, the powerful White House deputy chief of staff and architect of the presidents immigration crackdown, implied in a social media post that the true goal was ending immigration from what Trump once labelled shithole countries and rebutted criticism that it amounted to collective punishment for the crime of a single person.

This is the great lie of mass migration, he wrote. You are not just importing individuals. You are importing societies. No magic transformation occurs when failed states cross borders. At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions, and terrors, of their broken homelands.

Coming after months of mass arrests carried out by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents, it seemed to foretell a fearful intensification of actions against US citizens and legal residents with origins in a startling range of foreign countries.

Such fears were borne out in the following days as the president focused on the USs Somali community, mainly based in Minnesota. He also insulted the states Democratic governor, Tim Walz, with an offensive slur after he defended ethnic Somalis and one of its members of Congress, Ilhan Omar, who emigrated from Somalia.

But it was the nakedly racist nature of Trumps comments on Somalians in general that shocked.

Having first attacked Somalians at Mar-a-Lago, and then again onboard Air Force One, he raised the ante in a cabinet meeting in the White House, calling Somalians and Omar herself garbage.

I dont want them in our country, he said, as Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, sat on either side of him.

Were going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage, just garbage. These are people that do nothing but complain.

Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.

Shamefully, the splenetic outpouring was greeted with applause by members of Trumps cabinet.

Related: From criminals to garbage, Trump is ramping up anti-immigrant language

The diatribe recalled his outburst against Mexican immigrants in 2015, who he smeared as rapists, criminals and drug dealers when he launched his first presidential bid.

It also resembled his denigration of Ohios Haitian community in the 2024 election campaign, when he falsely accused them of eating pet cats and dogs.

Yet with Trump now holding power, the tangible impact was much greater, according to Larry Jacobs, a political professor at the University of Minnesota.

You have Somalis who are not leaving their houses, he said. They dont go to school, theyre not going to work. They expect to be kidnapped off the streets by ICE. So this is, you know, just the extraordinarily harmful, you know, actually by the president.

The main thing that stands out today is just the extraordinary harm that hes done to a group of people who play a very significant and positive role for Minnesota.

It also hurts him. The Republican party in Minnesota has been making headway in recruiting Somalis. There are plenty of Somalis who are conservative on cultural and economic issues  and what Trump is doing is shattering that effort.

Any hopes that Trumps sentiments would not extend beyond rhetoric has been dispelled in recent days by the actions of his closest associates and ICE agents on the ground.

New Orleans became the latest Democratic-run city to be targeted by ICE as the agency launched Operation Catahoula Crunch, in which Trump administration officials set a target of 5,000 arrests. That would surpass the numbers detained during a recent two-month crackdown in Chicago and match the figures arrested last summer in Los Angeles, a third of whose 10 million inhabitants are foreign-born.

Local authority leaders denounced the target as unrealistic and said it could only be achieved by arresting those without criminal records.

ICE agents also swooped on Minnesotas twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, where the homeland security department claimed the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens had been arrested.

The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, announced a full travel ban on unnamed countries in a social media post that, for sheer vitriol, matched Trump.

I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country thats been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies, she wrote.

Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedomnot for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS. WE DONT WANT THEM. NOT ONE.

On Thursday, Noem told Fox News that her travel ban would extend to 32 unspecified countries  a prohibition that would dwarf the highly controversial exclusion ban against seven predominantly Muslim countries of Trumps first presidency.

The effect on some legal foreign residents has already been felt, including some waiting for citizenship appointments. Some green card holders have reported having had their naturalization appointments  at which they were due to become US citizens  cancelled.

Writing in the New York Times, Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia, said the aspects of the crackdown were illegal.

Related: Trump is using a tragic shooting to demonize millions | Mohamad Bazzi

As the supreme court explained when upholding Mr Trumps first travel ban back in 2018, the president has statutory authority to suspend entry into the United States based on national origin, at least for some period of time, she wrote. But that does not permit him to deny visas, cancel green cards or denaturalize immigrants based on nothing more than their country of origin.

But Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman who joined the Democrats after turning against Trump, said the president was unconcerned with legal niceties and was likely to amplify his racist demagoguery if his approval ratings continue to sag, a trend that has led to the GOP suffering several recent successive election defeats.

He was always on this track. The reason it seems more extreme right now is his numbers are tanking, said Walsh. What triggers him is hes not doing well, and Republicans arent doing well. Hes getting his butt handed to him in all these special elections. He doesnt give a damn about those two national guard members.

What theyre going to do is get uglier and uglier and more racist to appeal to their base, to try to scare voters again.

Hes inciting violence against brown and Black immigrants in this country but I am from the right and this is the MO and their favorite go-to tactic. Its a very scary moment.
We must root out the minority who help corrupt actors hide their dirty money, David Lammy will say. Photograph: Thomas Krych/Zuma Press/Shutterstock

The UK will no longer be a haven for dirty money and dictators laundered assets, David Lammy is to promise as he announces a new anti-corruption strategy also aimed at tackling bribery and other misconduct across government and public services.

Setting out the plan in a speech in London on Monday, Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, will announce a series of initiatives including extra funding for an elite anti-corruption police unit.

While some elements of the strategy are still to be finalised, a global summit on countering illicit finance to be hosted by the UK, possibly next year, will focus on underhanded use of cryptocurrencies, gold and property, the Guardian understands.

As part of the plan being launched by Lammy, the domestic corruption unit at the City of London police, which focuses on bribery and other misconduct in UK financial services and public bodies, will be expanded and given 15m in new funding.

Other promised measures include more action to tackle professional enablers who help foreign autocrats and others shift and conceal illicit wealth, including more coordination by the National Crime Agency and the possibility of new sanctions.

Margaret Hodge, a former Labour MP who is a noted anti-corruption campaigner, will lead an official review of stolen or illegitimate assets in the UK so as to find ways to shut down vulnerabilities exploited by criminals.

The aim is that this will expand the scope of existing registers from companies into more opaque ownership structures such as trusts.

Some sections of the strategy take in initiatives already announced or in progress, for example giving the Financial Conduct Authority new powers to oversee all professional services firms such as accountants, as part of an overhaul to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

Lammy will also pledge moves to improve transparency in political donations and in the awarding of contracts by councils.

The National Crime Agency says that over 100bn could be laundered through or within the UK every single year, helped by an army of enablers, Lammy will say, according to extracts of the speech released in advance. And while most British professionals  our lawyers, our accountants  are honest, we must root out the minority who help corrupt actors hide their dirty money and polish their dirty reputations.

In his former role as foreign secretary, Lammy will say, he witnessed at first hand kleptocrats bleeding their countries dry, stealing from their own people, bankrolling authoritarianism [and] fuelling conflict, including Russias aggression towards Ukraine.

He will say networks of dirty money spread across borders like a stain using shell companies, property and crypto assets. And too often the trail leads back here to London, to a financial system admired across the world, precisely because it is trusted, he will add. That trust and our security are now under attack, exploited by those Kremlin-linked elites who enable Putins aggression.

We must be clear: this city, this country, will no longer be their haven. We will stop them.

Lammy will use the complexity of such money laundering as a way to additionally justify separate plans to scrap jury trials in some cases, arguing that specialist judges are far better suited to dealing with such complex evidence.

Judge-only trials in the most complex frauds will get justice moving faster and send a clear message: if you loot, if you launder, if you defraud the British people, you will be caught, and tried by those who understand your tricks, and you will face the consequences, he will say.

Part of the wider crackdown will be focused on misdeeds not just in professions such as accountancy and law but also in public services, Lammy will say.

The vast majority of our police, prison and border officers do extraordinary work but the minority who succumb to bribes, let more drugs and weapons on to our streets, leave more criminals on the loose, eat away at the public trust frontline services depend on.
Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine over Friday night, targeting critical infrastructure, such as energy sites and railways, and triggering heating and water outages for thousands of households. The main targets of these strikes, once again, were energy facilities, Zelenskyy said. Russias aim is to inflict suffering on millions of Ukrainians.

Russian forces over Saturday night launched a combined air strike on infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk , causing power and water outages in some areas, said its mayor, Vitalii Maletskyi, on Sunday. Located on the Dnipro River, Kremenchuk is a major industrial hub and home to one of Ukraines biggest oil refineries. A 2022 strike on a crowded shopping mall in Kremenchuk killed at least 21 people. Maletskyi said city services were working to restore electricity, water and heating. A damage assessment would be carried out on Sunday. We will restore everything.

Macron, the French president, slammed what he called Russias escalatory path, adding: We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible. We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace.

Zelenskyy will next turn to European allies when he visits London on Monday for an in-person meeting with leaders Keir Starmer of Britain, Emmanuel Macron of France and Friedrich Merz of Germany . Macron said the group would take stock of peace negotiations. The four leaders took part in a virtual meeting of the coalition of the willing about two weeks ago, where they discussed plans to put a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

Three days of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami, Florida produced no evident breakthrough by the end of Saturday. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he joined his negotiators for a very substantive and constructive call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.  Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace, Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that the parties agreed on the next steps and a format for talks.

Related: Bombed Chornobyl shelter no longer blocks radiation and needs major repair  IAEA

The protective shield over the Chornobyl disaster nuclear reactor in Ukraine, which was hit by a drone in February, can no longer perform its main function of blocking radiation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced. In February a drone strike blew a hole in the new safe confinement, which was painstakingly built at a cost of 1.5bn ($1.75bn) next to the destroyed reactor and then hauled into place on tracks, with the work completed in 2019 by a Europe-led initiative. The IAEA said an inspection last week of the steel confinement structure found the drone impact had degraded the structure.

Hungarys rightwing, Putin-friendly prime minister, Viktor Orban, has announced he is sending a business delegation to Russia in preparation for the end of the Ukraine war  claiming he was in discussion with both Washington and Moscow and could not share every detail. If God helps us and the war ends without us being dragged into it, and if the American president succeeds in reintegrating Russia into the global economy and the sanctions are dismantled, we will find ourselves in a different economic landscape.

According to media in Hungary, its MOL oil and gas firm is considering acquiring refineries and petrol stations in Europe owned by Russian groups Lukoil and Gazprom, both of which are subject to US sanctions. Under Orbans leadership, Hungary has remained dependent on Russian oil and gas, flouting decisions of the European Union whose other countries have diversified their imports away from Russia since the February 2022 invasion.

Bulgaria has denounced the towing of a crippled tanker, the Kairos, into its waters just over a week after the ship was hit in a drone attack claimed by Ukraine. A Turkish ship towed it there and returned to Turkey, said Rumen Nikolov, director general of Bulgarian maritime rescue and relief operations. This is not normal, Rumen said, adding that an explanation was sought through diplomatic channels. Ten crew members on board had requested evacuation but the weather was too bad at the moment, said the Bulgarian transport ministry.
The chief executive officer of the water company involved in a major supply issue in Kent should not resign as issues in the industry go far wider than individual people, a director has said.

South East Water (SEW) has issued a boil water notice for 24,000 homes in and around Tunbridge Wells who have experienced a loss of water or low pressure since November 29.

On Wednesday the company said the water quality issues which caused the initial shutdown had returned.

They have decided to continue pumping water so that people can flush their toilets and shower, but the water cannot be drunk without being boiled first.

Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin told the BBC earlier this week that it had been a total failure of leadership and called for the chief executive of SEW, Dave Hinton, to resign.

Bottled water is brought to Tunbridge Wells sports centre after people in the area experienced a loss of water or low pressure (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Douglas Whitfield, SEW water supply director, said resignation demands fundamentally misunderstand the challenges that weve been facing in this incident as a company over the last few years, as an industry going forward, I dont think thats helpful.

He told BBC Radio Kent: I would point you to the independent Water Commission that sets out the challenges the water industry are facing and the changes it needs to make.

Theyre far wider than individual company and individual people.

Mr Whitfield apologised to customers and said the precautionary boil notice was in place for 10 days because public health is our key priority.

But he said he was unable to guarantee the problem ensuring water quality would be solved within the 10 days as he was unable to provide a definitive answer as to why the water was not responding to normal treatment.

He said: For the last 24 hours, the treatment process has actually been operating within all of the water quality parameters.

Until were confident that weve resolved the issue and that it wont reoccur, well be working to keep that boil notice in place, until we are confident we can take it off.

I can confirm all the water we supplied up to the point we put the boil notice on fully complied with all the regulations.

Mr Whitfield apologised for overly optimistic messages put out to customers since the problem started but said this was one of the most complex events that weve ever had.

He added: I can only apologise to the customers for the last week and the communications that we gave during the incident were on what we thought was going to happen at the time.

The incident has changed from what we thought was happening at the weekend to a much longer, much more complicated issue that were trying to resolve.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW), an independent body representing water consumers across England and Wales, has called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
Take Back Power supporters cover the glass containing the Imperial State Crown in apple crumble and custard

It was a crisp December morning at the Tower of London and a thin mist hung over the cobbles outside the Jewel House.

Yeomen Warders, better known as Beefeaters, were patrolling the historic citadel, as they have since 1485.

But just before 10am, the fortresss guardians faced a challenge no centuries-old tradition had prepared them for: hard-Left activists carrying apple crumble and custard, intent on staging a political protest.

At 9.50am, several members of a group calling itself Take Back Power entered the former military barracks that houses the Crown Jewels, apparently without attracting the attention of the sentries stationed outside.

Footage, later posted on X, shows two activists hurling the pudding at the bomb-proof glass case holding the Imperial State Crown, one of the most valuable objects in the collection.

It was made in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI and is adorned with 3,170 precious stones, including the 317.4-carat Cullinan II diamond and the irregular Black Princes Ruby.

First, one activist splattered the display case with a tray of crumble before the other poured custard on it from a large Tupperware container.

Credit: Facebook/Take back POWER

A seemingly panicked Yeoman Warder can be seen rushing forward, saying excuse me, excuse me, as an activist launches into her declaration: Democracy has crumbled.

Her companion answers with Britain is broken, urging bewildered tourists to join us at the Take Back Power website, which is fundraising for the initiative.

Warming to the theme, one of the young protesters can be seen telling visitors: There are homeless people dying on our streets. This is the most dangerous time of the year for them. And we have the rich hoarding wealth. It is just disgusting.

Supporters of the non-violent civil resistance group hold a banner by the case containing the Imperial State Crown - Take Back Power

One Tower of London employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Telegraph that, after their demonstration, the protesters sat down, and refused to leave, so had to be forced to leave, to be carried out.

I didnt see inside, but I saw one of the protesters being taken out, she said.

If security appeared slow to react at first, this was quickly corrected. Those working in and around the Tower of London said police were on the scene within minutes.

Tom Roberts, 33, who works at a creperie opposite the entrance, said he saw three or four police vans and that just before 10 oclock they locked the whole place down.

Mr Roberts added that initially, the security guards at the Tower of London thought somebody had tried to rob them.

At around 10.30am, Zahra Ali and Miriam Cranch were arrested with two others on suspicion of criminal damage.

Take Back Power describes itself as a non-violent civil resistance group that aims to tax the rich and run the country through a legally-binding citizens assembly.

But one Tower of London visitor, who gave his name only as Kevin, told The Telegraph he saw them differently: Basically, they are middle-class people who are brought up from a very nice area, pretending to be Left-wing. Stop doing it, go away, grow up.

Visitors stand outside the Tower of London after it was partially closed and then re-opened following the protest - Isabel Infantes/Reuters

By midday, the first rooms in the Jewel House reopened, but the main rooms containing the most prized jewels remained closed until 2pm.

Janis Croom, from Wickham Bishops in Essex, had travelled to the Tower of London to celebrate her 74th birthday and see the Crown Jewels as a birthday treat, but was unable to because of the protest.

I am quite bothered, given how much it cost to get in, she said. We went through the first rooms that I thought were very nice, but then there was the exit door. And I thought, hang on a minute, Whats going on?

Asked what she thought of the dessert-based protest, Ms Croom said: I guess it gets their name out there, but it just makes people like me very angry.

Tracy, visiting from Australia with her partner and son, was on the final day of a two-month trip to the UK, and also missed the Crown Jewels.

Its only because we asked: Is that all there is? And then my partner Googled it. So, disappointing. Weve missed out, because weve got to move on.

I bet you half of the people dont even know theyve missed most of the jewels, she added.
If you've ever wanted to experience the wild beauty of Tennessee's mountains, rivers, and forest canyons, without committing to a multiday backpacking expedition, dont worry, you arent alone. Several hikes in the Volunteer State deliver "wowfactor" views and memorable landscapes, yet are accessible to hikers of varying skill levels. From sweeping riverbluff overlooks to towering rock arches, these five bucket list views in Tennessee offer a mix of ease, adventure, and unforgettable scenery.

1. Lilly Bluff Overlook Trail: Obed Wild & Scenic River

One of the easiest and most rewarding hikes on this list, the Lilly Bluff Overlook Trail is just 0.6 miles round-trip with a modest elevation gain of roughly 100 feet. The path winds through hemlock and hardwood forest before opening onto a boardwalk that offers a breathtaking view from approximately 200 feet above the river gorge. The clear water of the river and dramatic cliffs below create a striking contrast, especially during the fall when foliage colors reflect in the water.

2. Twin Arches Loop Trail: Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area

For a dramatic geological sight, the Twin Arches Loop Trail delivers something few places east of the Mississippi can match: massive sandstone arches rising high above a forested gorge. The larger of the two, South Arch, soars at about 103 feet with a span of around 135 feet: a jaw-dropping natural bridge.

The hike itself is moderate: the short 0.7mile Twin Arches Trail leads quickly to the arches, while the full loop adds roughly 4.54.6 miles and returns you via old homesteads, cliffline trails, and sandstone rock shelters. Most of the trail is manageable, though there are some stairs to navigate around the arches. Recent maintenance (as of 2025) has temporarily closed parts of the loop for stair and ladder work, but the arches remain accessible via the outandback portion.

3. Abrams Falls Trail: Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Cades Cove)

Set within the scenic Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains, Abrams Falls Trail is a 5.2mile roundtrip hike that leads through forest and along creeks to a broad, powerful waterfall. Though the falls drop only about 20 feet, the volume of water and the size of the plunge pool make the sights dramatic.

The trail begins with a wooden bridge crossing Abrams Creek and includes several narrower footbridges, along with forest and rhododendron groves, before arriving at the falls. The terrain is moderate, with some elevation changes, but manageable for hikers in good shape. While swimming is discouraged due to strong currents, the wide falls and surrounding forest make it an excellent destination for photos, picnics, and a rewarding day of hiking.

4. Grassy Ridge Bald via Appalachian Trail

For hikers seeking panoramic mountain views without tackling technical terrain, the Grassy Ridge Bald segment of the Appalachian Trail offers a rewarding adventure. This moderate 4.5mile round-trip hike meanders through dense hardwood forest before opening onto the wide, windswept bald, where sweeping vistas stretch across the Tennessee mountains and into North Carolina. The grassy summit provides unobstructed 360-degree views, making it an ideal spot for picture-perfect views.

5. Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail

If you love waterfalls and a bit of whimsy, the Grotto Falls Trail is hard to beat. A moderate 2.6mile hike (roundtrip) through oldgrowth hemlock forest leads to a 25foot waterfall, but the real magic is that you can walk behind the waterfall as it cascades, offering a unique vantage point and a refreshing spray on warm days.

The forest is lush and shaded, often cool even when the valley heats up, making this trail especially pleasant in summer. The combination of relatively gentle terrain and a beautiful waterfall makes Grotto Falls a great choice for hikers who want a big payoff without extreme effort.

Tennessee is surprisingly rich in how much stunning natural beauty it packs into accessible, dayhikefriendly trails. If you try just one, the Lilly Bluff Overlook Trail offers a quick, accessible taste of Tennessee's wild side. For something more dramatic and memorable, the Twin Arches Loop or Sugarland Mountain ridge trek will reward you with landscapes you'll remember for years.

Plan your own hiking trip to Tennessee with Only In Your State's AI-powered itinerary planner.
Cold-blooded murderer Bryan Kohberger is attempting to befriend notorious serial killers while he serves out multiple life sentences for slaughtering four University of Idaho students, a new report claims.

Cold-blooded murderer Bryan Kohberger is attempting to befriend notorious serial killers nationwide while he serves multiple life sentences for slaughtering four University of Idaho students, a new report claims.

The quadruple murderer, who turned 31 behind bars last month, has been reaching out to other high-profile inmates from inside his cell at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, according to Chris McDonough, a retired homicide detective with the Cold Case Foundation, Fox News Digital reported.

Hes tried reaching out to other serial killers, but I dont know whether any relationships have formed, McDonough told the outlet, citing a trusted source.

Bryan Kohberger, 31, has been reaching out to other high-profile inmates from inside his Idaho prison cell. AP

Both inside and outside  hes trying to communicate with people outside the walls.

The veteran investigator added that Kohberger sees himself above everyone around him.

The former Washington University graduate students latest stunt follows wild complaints about the bananas hes getting behind bars.

The cold-blooded killer is serving four life sentences for slaughtering four University of Idaho students in 2022. AP

Theyre not the kind that he likes, McDonough told the Daily Mail in November.

Im not sure if that means they may have bruises on them and he doesnt like that or if there is a particular type of banana that he likes. You cant make this stuff up, right? The guy is a quadruple killer and hes complaining about his bananas not being the type that he likes.

Kohberger has made at least five formal complaints since he arrived at the Idaho penitentiary, so the prison staff hasnt put much stock into his latest grouse, McDonough explained.

In July, he copped to fatally stabbing Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin on Nov. 13, 2022, in their off-campus house in Moscow.

Kohberger in July took a surprise plea deal just weeks before his highly anticipated trial was set to kick off.

He copped to fatally stabbing Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin on Nov. 13, 2022, in their off-campus house in Moscow.

The deal saw him skirt the possibility of the death penalty, enraging some of the families of his victims and leaving the loved ones with no explanation for why he committed the heinous murders.

He is serving four life sentences without the possibility of parole.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A former Supreme Court judge's driver and his associate have appeared in court in Bulawayo facing allegations of defrauding a woman of US$4 800 after falsely claiming they could secure bail pending appeal for her incarcerated husband.Zamani Gwizi (47) of Nkulumane and Henry Ntini (39) of Southwold, who once served as a driver to a Supreme Court judge, were arraigned before a Bulawayo provincial magistrate on charges of fraud. Gwizi is represented by lawyer Tinashe Dzipe, while Ntini is being represented by Mr Ndebele. Both men pleaded not guilty to the allegations.According to the State outline presented by prosecutor Denmark Chihombe, the complainant, Jane Queen Ghoveya, is the wife of Khumbulani Sithole, who was convicted of murder in November 2023 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. After Sithole's appeal was dismissed, Gwizi - a family acquaintance - allegedly visited him at Khami Maximum Prison and claimed he could assist in securing bail through contacts at the Supreme Court for US$3 500.Believing the claim, Ghoveya later handed over US$4 800 to Gwizi for the purported bail arrangement. However, on 21 November 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed Sithole's appeal, and Ghoveya realised she had been misled. Efforts to recover the money from both men reportedly failed, prompting her to file a police report that led to their arrest.In court, Gwizi admitted to receiving US$2 300 in instalments, which he said he handed to Ntini for onward transmission to an advocate. Ntini confirmed receiving the same amount but stated he had given it to a businessman friend for safekeeping and later failed to retrieve it when the bail bid collapsed. He had also signed an affidavit acknowledging receipt of the funds.The matter has been postponed to 17 December for sentencing.
Tony Gribben, who was abused by Fr Malachy Finegan, says the Justice Minister should end or limit the use of character references in sex offence cases. [BBC]

A survivor of clerical abuse is calling for the Justice Minister to end or limit the use of character references in court cases, particularly in relation to sexual offences against children.

Tony Gribben, who was abused by the Catholic priest Fr Malachy Finegan, highlighted a case where two Catholic priests gave character references to a man convicted of sexual offences against children.

The priests in the Diocese of Dromore provided the references in 2022. The family of one of the victims declined to speak publicly but are understood to have been "incensed" at the move.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said it is aiming to launch a planned review of sentencing issues this month.

'Safeguarding failure'

Mr Gribben, is the founder of the Dromore Group, which represents survivors of clerical abuse.

He described the 2022 case in the Dromore diocese as a "safeguarding failure", which he said was concerning because of the history of the abuse carried out there by Fr Finegan.

"I was surprised that the priests felt fit to provide references to a sentencing court in respect of a convicted paedophile, given that the Diocese in which they belonged had such a considerable history and a more recent history of paedophilia," he said.

"I had thought that in terms of safeguarding promotion - which the Diocese prides itself on - that this issue might have been addressed inside some kind of safeguarding policy," he said.

He said he raised the issue with Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Primate of All Ireland, and as a result, guidance was drawn up for clergy who are approached to give references in court proceedings.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Church said: "Some years ago the Archdiocese of Armagh, with the assistance of an abuse survivor, had prepared such guidance for clergy to help avoid hurt to victims/survivors of abuse and their families.

"In response to the survivors group, this guidance was provided in writing to the clergy of the Diocese of Dromore."

It is also available on the Dromore diocesan website.

Mr Gribben is urging the Justice minister, Naomi Long, to deal with the issue of character references in the review of sentencing guidelines which is currently being carried out by her department.

'Misled' into giving reference for rapist

The use of character references in certain cases including rape, sexual assault and abuse has been debated in Northern Ireland for some time.

Earlier this year, SDLP councillor Brian Tierney was suspended after he provided a character reference for Kielan Mooney, from Bloomfield Park in Derry.

Mooney was jailed in Dublin for eight-and-a-half years for raping a woman, who was a fellow member of the Irish Defence Forces.

Mooney's family later said Tierney had been "misled" into providing the reference, as he was not aware of the "seriousness" of the charges.

He later withdrew the reference and said sorry to Mooney's victim.

Ahead of the publication of its review of sentencing issues the Department of Justice said: "It is important to note that good character evidence on behalf of the defendant is not limited to the sentencing process and can play a part throughout a criminal trial.

"This will need to be examined too.

"In the meantime, the Department would urge everyone to exercise personal responsibility when it comes to providing character references for use by a court."
Elon Musk looks on as US President Donald Trump speaks at the US-Saudi Investment Forum at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on November 19, 2025. Credit - Brendan SmialowskiGetty Images

Elon Musk has called for the European Union (E.U.) to be abolished in response to the bloc's issuance of a $140 million fine against his social media platform, X. He was joined in his fury by several top Trump Administration officials, who also lambasted the decision over the weekend.

The European Commission announced a massive fine on Friday for several violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), singling out the companys "deceptive" design of Xs blue checkmark for verified accounts, its "non-compliance with transparency obligations," and its failure to provide researchers with access to public data.

The fine drew an angry response from Musk and several top officials within the Trump Administration, which has made regulation of American tech companies in Europe a key point of contention in the U.S.-Europe relationship.

Read more: Lawmakers Unveil New Bills to Curb Big Techs Power and Profit

The row comes at a time when that relationship is increasingly under strain over questions of free speech, immigration, and the war in Ukraine.

Musk replied "Bulls***" under a European Commission post about the fine. Then on Sunday, he called for the E.U. to be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people.

Despite their past differences, Musk and the Trump Administration have been in lockstep on the issue of tech regulation in Europe. Both the X CEO and the Administration view any regulation of American tech platforms as an attack on free speech.

The European Commission, the European Unions executive body, has denied that the DSA is about censorship. The landmark law, passed in 2022, requires tech companiesincluding American giants like Meta and Xto remove illegal content and provide transparency about their content moderation. DSA fines can be as high as 6% of a company's annual global revenue.

"We are not here to impose the highest fines, the European Commission's tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, said Friday. We are here to make sure that our digital legislation is enforced and if you comply with our rules, you don't get the fine. And it's as simple as that."

"I think it's very important to underline that DSA is having nothing to do with censorship," she told reporters.

TIME has reached out to both the European Commission and X for comment.

America and Musk vs Europe

But Trump Administration officials have spent the last few days sounding off on social media, painting the fine as part of a larger attack on the American tech industry and on free speech.

The European Commissions $140 million fine isnt just an attack on X, its an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X on Friday. The days of censoring Americans online are over.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr also condemned the union Friday morning, saying the E.U. is fining a successful U.S. tech company for being a successful U.S. tech company.

Few have been more outspoken on tech regulation than Vice President J.D. Vance, who built close ties with a number of Silicon Valley titans on his way to the White House.

Read More: The Reinvention of J.D. Vance

The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage," he wrote Thursday prior to the fine being announced.

Vance has frequently spoken out against the E.U.s regulation of American tech companies and of Europe itself during President Donald Trump's second term.

He set the tone early on, in a highly combative speech aimed at European leaders at the Munich Security Conference in February.

He singled out what he called "E.U. Commission commissars for plans to restrict social media during times of civil unrest, and criticized the United Kingdom for a backslide away from conscience rights.

He also attacked European governments for running in fear of your own voters" and argued that the biggest threat to Europe was not Russia, but rather unmitigated immigration and exclusion of far-right parties in the region.

Vance specifically defended Musk during the speech, after the Tesla CEO was criticized for wading into European elections. In January, Musk had appeared virtually at a rally for the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, and urged attendees to move beyond the countrys culpability and history in the Holocaust, less than one century ago.

Read More: Elon Musk Is Boosting Germanys Far Right. It Will Backfire

If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk, Vance said in his speech in Munich.

Vance met with the leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, following the speech.

The fine comes days after the administration revealed a new national security strategy that calls for the revival of the Monroe Doctrine to oppose any European interference in American affairs while cultivating resistance to Europes current trajectory within European nations.

Several current and former European officials have pushed back against the strategy, which asserts that Europe faces the prospect of civilizational erasure.

"It's language that one otherwise only finds coming out of some bizarre minds of the Kremlin," former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt posted on X, saying the document places the U.S. to the right of the extreme right in Europe.

The stunning section devoted to Europe reads like a far-right pamphlet, Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the United States, similarly observed in an X post, noting that the document largely confirms perceptions that Trump is an enemy of Europe.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Key Points

USA Rare Earth's stock is highly volatile and sensitive to geopolitical news.

China dominates the rare earth market, impacting U.S. companies' prospects.

Recent acquisitions and supply deals may reduce risk for USA Rare Earth.

10 stocks we like better than USA Rare Earth 

Shares in USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ: USAR) crashed by 30.8% in November, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. It's the kind of performance that highlights the highly speculative nature of investing in rare-earth companies in the current environment, not least due to their sensitivity to political developments.

U.S. and China's rare-earth relations

The simple fact is that China dominates the market for rare-earth materials and rare-earth magnets, producing up to 90% of the world's supply of the latter. This gives the country a strong bargaining position in trade disputes with the U.S., and it also gives the Trump administration a powerful incentive to take measures to ensure a long-term domestic supply of rare-earth materials and magnets.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue 

As such, whether investors like it or not, stocks like USA Rare Earth will be influenced by developments in trade negotiations and speculation surrounding them. Consequently, USA Rare Earth stock soared in October on the news that China planned to implement new export controls on rare-earth materials. The idea being that the U.S. administration would be more likely to implement the kind of favorable actions (investments, purchasing agreements, and other support) toward USA Rare Earth as it did with MP Materials.

Additionally, if there is uncertainty about obtaining supplies from China, potential customers may opt to enter into agreements with USA Rare Earth instead.

What happened in November

However, the opposite can happen too. When China decided to pause the new export controls in early November, many investors pulled money out of the stock.

It's a frustrating situation for long-term investors who believe in the company's potential, but it's worth considering when evaluating entry points for buying the stock. On that note, the good news is that USA Rare Earth has experienced some positive developments recently, which should help derisk the stock.

A sack with tariffs written on it.

Image source: Getty Images.

Derisking USA Rare Earth

As a reminder, the company's business model is somewhat back-to-front. It plans to manufacture rare-earth magnets at its Stillwater, Oklahoma, plant while building a supply chain of materials to feed it. While the company controls rights to a rare-earth mine, Round Top Mountain in Texas, and envisions developing it, USA Rare Earth " initially will be focused on partnering with ex-China suppliers and building or buying the capabilities we need to profitably manufacture high quality neo magnets in the United States."

To support this plan, the company bought Less Common Metals (LCM), a British manufacturer of rare-earth metals and alloys that gets its raw materials from outside China. This deal helps USA Rare Earth secure its supply of materials.

A few weeks later, LCM signed a supply agreement with Solvay and Arnold Magnetic Technologies Corporation, a deal that is expected to generate revenue for the company.

These events help derisk the stock and make it more investable for investors with a tolerance for risk, and a positive outlook on the company's potential to meet the U.S. need for a domestic supply of critical rare-earth materials.

Should you invest $1,000 in USA Rare Earth right now?

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Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends MP Materials. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla said President Trumps endorsement of his opponent, conservative candidate Nasry Asfura, hurt his chances of winning the countrys election.

It hurt me because I was winning by a much larger margin, Nasralla told Reuters.

The latest election results on Nov. 30 showed Nasralla slightly behind at 39 percent compared to Asfuras 40 percent, according to the countrys National Electoral Council. After Nasrallas campaign team said the election results website briefly went down early Thursday morning, his narrow lead had flipped, he said.

That suggests some algorithm changed that shouldnt have, Nasralla said, noting to Reuters that he has no proof of meddling with the results.

On Monday, Trump warned on Truth Social that if Asfura loses the election, there will be hell to pay! and claimed Honduras is trying to change the results of their Presidential Election. Trump previously called Nasralla, the centrist candidate in the race, a borderline communist.

Nasralla also criticized Trumps pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The former president was released from prison on Monday after being sentenced to 45 years behind bars in July 2024 for collaborating with drug traffickers seeking to move cocaine into the U.S., according to The Associated Press.

I think he deserves punishment in Honduras, Nasralla said. I dont know for how long, but he deserves punishment and the Honduran justice system has to prosecute and punish him.

Following his release, Hernandez thanked Trump and maintained his innocence. He wrote in a post on the social media platform X that Trump recognized the injustice of his prison sentence.

I was set up by the Biden Harris administration and the deep state through a rigged trial, Hernandez wrote. There was no real evidence, only the accusations of criminals who sought revenge. Yet the truth of my innocence prevailed.

He again thanked Trump and said the U.S. president has his enduring respect and gratitude.

Hernandezs pardon was met with condemnation from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who said in a Senate floor speech that pardoning one of the worlds biggest drug traffickers is egregious, shameful, and dangerous even for Donald Trump.

Lets be clear of the facts: the person Donald Trump just pardoned was convicted of helping move 400 tons of cocaine to the United States, all while Trump blows up alleged drug boats to prevent drugs from getting to America and risks leapfrogging the U.S. into war with Venezuela, Schumer added.

Trump claimed that many of the people of Honduras requested he pardon Hernandez.

They basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country, the president said. And they said it was a Biden administration setup. And I looked at the facts and I agreed with 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.
FILE -The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for a port call to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison's presence in the semi-autonomous Chinese city and former British colony on July 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

TOKYO (AP)  Japan said Monday that Chinese military aircraft locked radar on its fighter jets even though there was a safe distance between them, denying Beijing's accusation of interference and renewing its protest over the incident.

The Self Defense Force (fighter jets) were maintaining safe distance during their mission, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters. China's claim that SDF aircraft severely obstructed their safe flight is untrue.

Japan and Australia urged calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar on the Japanese fighter jets. The incident occurred a month after the Japanese leaders remarks on Taiwan stirred tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan formally protested the incident, calling it an extremely regrettable act and a dangerous" one that "exceeded the scope necessary for safe aircraft operations.

We have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side and demanded strict preventive measures, Koizumi said.

Japans Defense Ministry said Chinas military aircraft J-15 took off from the Chinese carrier Liaoning near the southern island of Okinawa on Saturday and intermittently latched its radar on Japanese F-15 fighter jets on two occasions Saturday, for about three minutes in the late afternoon and for about 30 minutes in the evening. It was not made clear whether the radar lock incident involved the same Chinese J-15 both times.

Japanese fighter jets had been scrambled to pursue Chinese ones that were conducting aircraft takeoff and landing exercises in the Pacific. They were pursuing the Chinese aircraft at a safe distance and did not take actions that could be interpreted as provocation, Kyodo News agency said, quoting defense officials, when the radar lock happened. There was no breach of Japanese airspace, and no injury or damage was reported from the incident.

Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese navy, defended Chinas flight training near the island of Miyako on Saturday, saying Beijing announced the exercises beforehand and accused Japanese aircraft of harassment.

We solemnly asked the Japanese side to immediately stop slandering and smearing, and strictly restrain its frontline actions. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests, Wang said in a statement posted Sunday on the Chinese Ministry of Defense website.

Kihara on Monday stressed the importance of maintaining communications between the two sides but declined to say whether a hotline launched in 2018 between them was used during the lock-on incident.

At an emergency meeting Monday, senior officials from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expressed concern that the radar incident may signal an elevated security risk from China.

Relations between Japan and China have worsened after Japans Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in early November its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.

Takaichi later Sunday called the radar lock-in "extremely disappointing."

We will act calmly and resolutely, she said, vowing to do the utmost in carrying out surveillance operations around Japanese waters and airspace, while closely watching Chinese military activity around Japan.

Japan and Australia, whose defense ministers held their scheduled talks in Tokyo on Sunday, expressed worry over the development.

We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told a joint news conference Sunday after holding talks with Koizumi. We expect those interactions to be safe and professional."

Australia does not want to see any change to the status quo across the Taiwan Straits, Marles said, adding that China is his country's largest trade partner and he wants to have productive relations with Beijing.

We continue to advocate to China about these issues again, in a very calm, sensible and moderate way, he said.

Japan and Australia, during Sunday talks, agreed to bolster military ties to lead the regions multilateral defense cooperation. The two ministers agreed to form a comprehensive framework for strategic defense coordination and discuss further details.

Tokyo has been accelerating its military buildup while expanding its defense ties beyond its only treaty ally, the United States. It now considers Australia to be a semi-ally.

Marles also visited a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki on Saturday to observe production of the upgraded Mogami-class frigate that his country chose in September as a replacement for its aging fleet.

Saturday's radar lock is believed to be the first involving Japanese and Chinese military aircraft. In 2013, a Chinese warship targeted a radar on a Japanese destroyer, Kyodo said.

Fighter jets use radars for search operations or fire control ahead of a missile launch.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, the Philippine coast guard said China fired three flares toward a fisheries bureau plane on patrol in the South China Sea on Saturday. Chinese forces fire flares to warn planes to move away from what they consider their airspace over the disputed waters.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.
Vickie Booth thrives on opportunity  recognizing it, seizing it, and using it to serve others. Life is about opportunities, she says, [and] thats whats led me to this life that Ive had. *Her path has taken her from early computer systems in the 1980s to co-founding a boutique for women undergoing cancer treatment to launching what would eventually become [Kentucky CancerLink](https://kycancerlink.org/). And even in her retirement years, Vickie shows no signs of slowing down. Most recently, she stepped into the world of whiskey as managing member of William Berkele Distillery, part of the executive team behind [Burnt Tavern Bourbon](https://burnttavernbourbon.com/).*

Vickie Booth is the managing member of William Berkele Distillery, part of the executive team behind Burnt Tavern Bourbon. Image: Vickie Booth

From Ledgers to Lifelines

Vickie got married and had children in the 1970s, then returned to school in the 1980s to study business and data processing before taking a job digitizing journals. I had the opportunity  to work for a company and take their [physical] journals and put them on computers, she explains. Back in the day, bookkeeping was done in journals.  I took their journaling that was all paper, and converted it onto different platforms.

During off-hours, she was a runner. And when one of her running group friends got diagnosed with breast cancer, Vickie couldnt help but notice the struggles her friend was facing trying to find wigs and hats around town  she was making constant trips from Lexington to Louisville or Cincinnati to find what she needed. Vickie realized that other local women must be experiencing the same challenges, so she and a few friends decided to take action.

Three of us got together [and] opened a boutique, she says. We did mastectomy products, wigs, hats, turbans  all of those things that women need when theyre diagnosed with any type of cancer, losing their hair.

Vickie stands with her daughter, Kim Blakeman, who worked with her at Kentucky CancerLink. Image: Vickie Booth

Building on Success

That was Vickies first step into entrepreneurship, and it gave her the confidence to run a successful business. In fact, the boutique did so well that in 2004, a local medical equipment company offered to buy them out. Vickie and her friends sold the business, but she stayed on for two years to support the transition.

During that time, she recalls, I worked a lot with [the] American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, and all the local nonprofit organizations across our state.

Those connections opened Vickies eyes to new grant opportunities, and she realized there was another way to help Kentucky women access the cancer support they needed. She traveled to New York to train under Dr. Harold P. Freeman, the renowned surgeon and public health pioneer who developed the concept of patient navigation, a model that helps underserved patients overcome the barriers that can prevent them from accessing timely cancer screenings, diagnoses, and treatment.

Upon returning to Lexington, Vickie applied what shed learned to write a successful grant, and in 2008, she used those funds to establish a nonprofit organization now known as Kentucky CancerLink. Since then, the organization has expanded from offering breast cancer resources to providing screenings and support for colon, cervical, and lung cancer.

Vickie passes her real estate exam! Image: Vickie Booth

Retirement Reimagined

Vickie passed the Kentucky CancerLink baton to the next leader in 2022 but showed no signs of slowing down in retirement. I had always wanted to finish my college degree, she says, so I did that  graduated from the University of Kentucky at the age of 69.

Vickie even got her real estate license and began selling houses with her daughter. Most recently, she started working with her son on Burnt Tavern Bourbon, Kentuckys newest bourbon brand.

My son asked me to help, Vickie says. I love a challenge and saw another opportunity.

She did a deep dive into everything from how to launch a brand to how to find a brand designer and trademark attorneys. And by 2021, she and the team (her son and co-managing member Royce Blevins, president Bennett Clark, graphic designer Tara Labonovich, and master distiller Chip Tate) created their LLC, launching the brand in September 2025. It was well received, Vickie says. Weve already won awards, and were just so excited!

Now only just a few months old, theres a lot more growth coming for Burnt Tavern Bourbon  and for Vickie. For anyone looking to launch their own business, nonprofit or otherwise, Vickie has two words: dream big. The nonprofit was a dream  from the moment I was in those fitting rooms, she says, and being an entrepreneur was a dream, too, because I worked for so many people that I  really realized I can do this.

Vickie stands with her son, Founder Royce Blevins, and President Bennett Clark on bottling day. Image: Vickie Booth

Hustle Meets Home

Though Vickies role as managing member of William Berkele Distillery (part of the executive team behind Burnt Tavern Bourbon) keeps her busy most days, she makes sure to find time to relax and enjoy the fruits of her many decades of labor.

I love to watch sports, and I love a good book, she says, adding that quality time with family is her favorite way to spend off-the-clock hours. Ive got nine grandkids, and theyre my whole universe. Family first.

Vickie completed a 5K with her grandkids on her 60th Birthday! Image: Vickie Booth

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., speaks to reporters following a classified briefing for top congressional lawmakers overseeing national security as they investigate how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth handled a military strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat and its crew in the Caribbean near Venezuela Sept. 2, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A video of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that killed two survivors of the initial attack shows nothing remarkable, the Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee said Sunday, and he would not oppose its public release if the Pentagon were to declassify it.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who backs President Donald Trumps campaign against suspected drug smugglers, is partially aligning himself with Trump and top Democrats in favor of releasing the video of the Sept. 2 attack. It was the first in what has become a monthslong series of American strikes on vessels near Venezuela that the administration says were ferrying drugs. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes.

But Cotton, among the top lawmakers on national security committees who were briefed Thursday by the Navy admiral commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in carrying out a second strike to kill the two survivors. The nine others aboard the boat also were killed.

I think its really important that this video be made public. Its not lost on anyone, of course, that the interpretation of the video ... broke down precisely on party lines, said Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. He said he has spent years looking at videos of lethal action taken, often in the terrorism context, and this video was profoundly shaking.

When Trump was asked Wednesday whether he would release the video of that follow-on strike, he told reporters, I dont know what they have, but whatever they have wed certainly release. No problem." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Fox News interview Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that officials were reviewing the video. Whatever we were to decide to release, we'd have to be very responsible" about it.

That boat was still a valid target, Cotton said, arguing that releasing the video would prove that the two survivors of the initial strike remained a threat.

Its not gruesome. I didnt find it distressing or disturbing, he said, explaining why he does not have a problem with releasing all the footage. It looks like any number of dozens of strikes weve seen on jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years. He added that there's nothing remarkable on that video, in my opinion.

The classified sessions on Capitol Hill came after The Washington Post reported that Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley had ordered a follow-on attack that killed those survivors, to comply with Hegseths demands. Bradley told lawmakers there was no kill them all order from Hegseth, but a video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions. Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the laws of military warfare.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and Himes are among those who have seen the video and they disputed Cottons characterization.

I have no doubt that these guys were involved in the running of drugs.  But in that instance, these guys were about to die, Himes said.

Smith added: "It did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight."

Himes said lawmakers are aware of the partisan divide.

Some legal experts have disputed that the United States is in an official armed conflict with Venezuela, raising questions about the legalities of using American military personnel for what would amount to law enforcement activities that require due process. Other experts have said that, regardless of the terms of engagement, international law does not allow further attacks on defenseless survivors of a previous attack. Specifically, Pentagon protocols say that firing upon the shipwrecked is illegal.

There have been questions and criticism of the mission raised by lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill, with inquiries ongoing.

Bradley told lawmakers in a closed session that he ordered the second attack on the wreckage of a boat that was carrying cocaine because it was believed that bales of the drug were still in the hull of the boat.

Cotton said Sunday that two final victims were not in a shipwrecked state or floating helplessly in the water but instead were sitting or standing on top of a capsized boat. Because they were not incapacitated, he said, that boat, its cargo ... remained valid targets.

Smith, who saw the same video, said, The boat was clearly incapacitated. A tiny portion of it remained capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly, they were unarmed.

Cotton was on NBC's Meet the Press, Smith was on ABC's This Week and Himes appeared on CBS' Face the Nation.
Lithuania was forced to close its main airport once again after suspected balloons appeared in its airspace.

Vilnius airport said earlier on Saturday it had halted operations due to the sightings, which are the latest in a series of interruptions to the nations air traffic in recent weeks.

The governmental National Crisis Management Centre said air traffic was restarted at 5.31pm GMT.

The airport, based in the countrys capital city, is located 30km (19 miles) from Belarus. It has been closed more than ten times since early October due to similar incidents.

Thousands were stranded earlier this week when the airport was forced to shut after sightings of several balloons.

Lithuanian aviation authorities reported the balloons appeared to be sent at regular time intervals and were directed at the runways.

Vilnius airport has been forced to shut again after the sightings (AFP via Getty Images)

Lithuania believes the incidents are part of a calculated campaign by cigarette smugglers and an orchestrated hybrid attack by Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia.

In previous incidents at least 60 balloons were seen floating into Lithuanian airspace, 40 of them reaching areas critical for aviation safety.

This is a cynical hybrid attack against our economy, aviation security, and the entire nation, Taurimas Valys, Lithuanias deputy minister of foreign affairs, said of the incident at the time.

Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russias Vladimir Putin, has previously said that Belarus would apologise if its involvement was established.

Tensions have continued to escalate after Lithuania closed its borders with Belarus following the repeated disruptions at its airport in October.

Minsk prevented over 1,000 Lithuanian cargo trucks from exiting Belarus in retaliation. The Lithuanian government reopened the border less than three weeks after its closure following pressure from national logistics companies.

Lithuanian prime minister Inga Ruginiene said the border will be closed if necessary (AP)

But Lithuanian authorities have noted that the number of balloons flying in has continued to rise.

If necessary, we will close the border, but please understand that we must coordinate every action with our strategic partners, Lithuanian prime minister Inga Ruginiene said on Tuesday.

We are considering the possibility of moving night flights to other airports like Kaunas, added Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas, an adviser to the prime minister.

We are now focusing on how to actually help people and businesses.

Several countries, including Poland, Estonia and Romania, have reported violations of their airspace in recent weeks after accusing Russia of hybrid warfare.

Russia has vehemently denied the claims. Earlier this week, Mr Putin caused concern when he said Russia is ready for war with Europe if it wanted it, as the countrys invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year.
KERSTIN JOENSSON / AFP) (Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON/AFP via Getty Grossglockner mountain in the Hohe Tauern mountain range.

NEED TO KNOW

A mountaineer has been charged for allegedly leaving his girlfriend alone on Austria's highest peak, where she froze to death

The woman, 33, and her boyfriend, 39, set off for the peak of Grossglockner mountain on Jan. 18, and the woman was found dead the following morning

The man was charged with grossly negligent manslaughter in connection with the incident

A mountaineer has been charged for allegedly leaving his girlfriend alone on Austria's highest peak, where she froze to death  and the fatal climb was caught on a webcam.

According to Austrian outlet Huete, the New York Post and the Daily Mail, a 33-year-old woman was found dead in January about 160 feet away from the summit of Grossglockner mountain, located along the main ridge of the Central Eastern Alps.

The woman and her boyfriend, 39, first set off for the 12,460-foot peak using the Studlgrat route on Jan. 18, and a local webcam  with footage publicly available online  captured their headlights as they trekked up the mountain.

At about 8:50 p.m. local time, the pair became stuck at around 165 feet from the summit, and by 10:50 p.m., rescuers began attempting to contact the 39-year-old man  though Austrian prosecutors said he had turned his phone off. The weather dropped to sub-freezing temperatures, and the winds picked up to 45 miles per hour.

foto-webcam.eu Footage shows the couple's emergency lights glowing during their ascent at around 6 p.m. on Jan. 18.

The defendant left his girlfriend unprotected, exhausted, hypothermic and disoriented about 50 meters [160 feet] below the summit cross of the Grossglockner. The woman froze to death, prosecutors alleged on Thursday, Dec. 4, announcing that the man would be charged with grossly negligent manslaughter.



According to prosecutors, the man  who was known as a more experienced climber  then allegedly set off to find help, but did not help his girlfriend take cover from the wind or wrap her in aluminum emergency blankets.

The webcam then captured footage of a helicopter searching for the couple amid the snowy peaks, and prosecutors said police were eventually able to contact the man, though it's unclear what was said during the phone call.

By 2 a.m., the man began hiking by himself down the mountain, leaving his girlfriend behind. Footage allegedly shows his lone headlight making its way down the mountain, and the woman's light eventually runs out of battery.

At around 3:30 a.m., the man made contact with mountain rescue services, but then allegedly turned off his phone again.

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He put his phone on silent and stowed it away, prosecutors alleged.



Rescuers continued their search for the woman throughout the night, and by the time they found her at 10 a.m., she had died.



foto-webcam.eu Footage shows rescuers making their way to the peak on Jan. 19.

Despite the womans inexperience, as she had never undertaken an alpine high-altitude tour of this length, difficulty and altitude, and despite the challenging winter conditions, the defendant undertook the alpine high-altitude tour to the Grossglockner via the Studlgrat with her in winter, prosecutors said, per Huete.



Since the defendant, unlike his girlfriend, was already very experienced with alpine high-altitude tours and had planned the tour, he was to be considered the responsible guide of the tour, they added.

Prosecutors also accused the man of starting the tour around two hours later than scheduled, and of not bringing sufficient emergency equipment.

According to the Daily Mail, the man's trial is set to begin in February. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.



Read the original article on People
Nearly three decades after 15-year-old Danielle "Danni" Houchins was found dead near a fishing access site in Montana, authorities say DNA has finally led them to her killer  a married father of two who died by suicide just hours after he was interviewed by investigators about the cold case.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy recently led authorities to identify Houchins' killer as 55-year-old Paul Hutchinson.

On Sept. 21, 1996 at about 11 a.m., Houchins left her home in Belgrade, Montana and when she never returned, her family called the police. Her mother found Houchins' truck at a popular fishing access site on the Gallatin River, and later that night, Houchins' body was found face down in shallow water, the sheriff's office said.

Danni Houchins / Credit: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

DNA evidence was collected at the scene and numerous suspects were interviewed over the years, but no arrests were made and the case went cold.

Finally, authorities renewed efforts to solve the case, and in 2021, when Dan Springer became Gallatin County's sheriff, he brought in two outside experts from California to assist  private investigator Tom Elfmont, a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer, and Sergeant Court Depweg, who specializes in using DNA technology to solve homicides.

Four hairs that were collected from Houchins' body at the crime scene were used to create a partial DNA profile, the sheriff's office said. That profile was ultimately sent to a lab in Virginia, where genealogists used DNA databases to identify Hutchinson as a possible suspect.

On July 23, 2024, Elfmont and Depweg interviewed Hutchinson, who lived about 100 miles away from the crime, in Dillon, Montana.

"During the nearly two-hour interview, Hutchinson, who had lived in Bozeman at the time of Houchins' death, displayed extreme nervousness," the sheriff's office said. "Investigators noted he sweated profusely, scratched his face, and chewed on his hand. When shown a photo of Houchins, Hutchinson slumped in his chair and exhibited signs of being uncomfortable. Upon release, his behavior was observed to be erratic. "

Early the next morning, officials say, Hutchinson called the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office, saying he needed assistance before hanging up. He was found on the side of the road, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators have determined that Houchins and Hutchinson didn't know each other, describing the murder as a "crime of opportunity." They believed Hutchinson, who at the time was a student at Montana State University, randomly encountered Houchins before raping her and suffocating her in shallow water.

Authorities say Hutchinson graduated with a degree in fisheries wildlife biology and then worked for the Montana Bureau of Land Management for 22 years. He had no criminal history and was married with two adult children.

"This case exemplifies our relentless pursuit of justice. We never gave up on finding the truth for Danni and her family, exhausting all means necessary to bring closure to this heartbreaking chapter," Springer said. "The investigation remained open because we knew Danni was murdered and someday, we were going to have the tools available to solve this case."

Houchins' younger sister, Stephanie Mollet, spoke alongside the sheriff at a news conference Thursday.

"Even though this man will not face a jury of his peers, I have no doubt he was the one who forcefully and violently sexually assaulted my sister, then held her head down in a marsh until she choked to death on mud," said Mollet. "When the time came to face up and account for his violence, he instead chose to end his life. He knew of his guilt and couldn't face my family or his family and the pain he caused."

The announcement by officials in Montana comes just days after a cold case murder in Hawaii was finally cracked with DNA testing. That suspect also died by suicide before he could be arrested.

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by Staff reporter

A viral claim circulating across WhatsApp and other social media platforms suggesting that the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) is preparing to introduce a US$100 monthly solar tax has been dismissed as false.The message, which has spread widely in recent days, alleges that the regulator intends to impose the fee on households with solar systems following ongoing consultations with energy sector stakeholders. The claim caused concern among domestic solar users at a time when many Zimbabweans are turning to alternative energy due to persistent power shortages.However, ZERA has categorically denied the report, describing the circulating article as false and malicious. In an official statement, the energy regulator assured the nation that there are no plans to levy solar users or charge a monthly fee for domestic installations. The authority said the information being shared online is misleading and does not reflect any current or future policy direction."There is no levy or charge required or will be required to install or own a solar system for domestic use," ZERA said.The clarification is expected to calm fears among homeowners who have increasingly invested in renewable energy systems to reduce reliance on the national grid. The regulator urged the public to rely only on official communication channels and to verify information before sharing it further.The rumour highlights the growing challenge of misinformation on social media, especially regarding issues with national economic impact. For now, ZERA has made it clear that no monthly solar tax exists, and no such proposal is under consideration.
AP Photo/Mark Thiessen

Alaska was rocked by a major, magnitude-7.0 earthquake on Saturday.

The quakes epicenter was reported to be in a remote area near the border between Alaska and Canada. It struck at 11:41 a.m. local time.

"More than 20 aftershocks over magnitude 3 have followed the mainshock so far, with the largest aftershocks ranging from M4 to M5.1," the Alaska Earthquake Center said in a Facebook post.

While no injuries or damage has been reported, Canadian officials say they received calls from residents in nearby Yukon territory.

Mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls. It doesnt seem like weve seen anything in terms of structural damage, said Allison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

Residents as far away as Juneau, Alaska, roughly 230 miles southeast of the quake, and Whitehorse, Canada, 155 miles east of the quake, felt tremors.

It definitely was felt, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod told the AP. There are a lot of people on social media, people felt it.

Despite the earthquakes powerful presence near Alaskas coast, it triggered no tsunami warning.

The closest community to the quake, Haines Junction, Canada, has a population of roughly 1,000 people.

The AP contributed to this report.
Benin's president has appeared on television to reassure citizens of the West African nation that the situation was now "totally under control" following an attempted coup earlier in the day.

"I would like to commend the sense of duty demonstrated by our army and its leaders, who have remained... loyal to the nation," Patrice Talon said, looking calm during the live evening broadcast.

The government said it had thwarted the mutiny hours after a group of soldiers declared a takeover on national television.

Later in the afternoon, huge explosions were heard in Cotonou, Benin's largest city and seat of government. They were thought to have been the result of an air strike.

The soldiers appeared on state TV early on Sunday morning to say they were suspending the constitution [BTV]

Prior to the explosions, flight-tracking data showed that three aircraft had entered Benin's airspace from neighbouring Nigeria before returning home.

A spokesman for Nigeria's president later confirmed that its fighter jets had gone in to "take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the national TV and a military camp where they had regrouped".

There have been a series of coups in West Africa before Sunday's thwarted attempt in Benin, heightening fears that the security of the region could worsen.

Benin, a former French colony, has been regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies. But Talon has faced accusations of suppressing criticism of his policies.

The nation is one of the continent's largest cotton producers, but ranks among the world's poorest countries.

Nigeria, Benin's large neighbour to the east, has described the coup attempt as a "direct assault on democracy".

"This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these opportunists and avert disaster for our country. This treachery will not go unpunished"", Source: Patrice Talon, Source description: President of Benin, Image: Patrice Talon on national TV

The 67-year-old president said in his address that loyalist forces had "cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers".

"This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these opportunists and avert disaster for our country. This treachery will not go unpunished," he added.

"I would like to reassure you that the situation is completely under control and therefore invite you to go about your business peacefully this evening."

It is not clear if there have been casualties, but the president expressed his condolences "to the victims of this senseless adventure, as well as to those still being held by fleeing mutineers".

Earlier, government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji told news agency Reuters that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the attempted coup.

A journalist in Benin told the BBC that, of those reportedly arrested, 12 are believed to have stormed the offices of the national TV station - including a soldier who had previously been sacked.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC gunfire was heard near the presidential residence early on Sunday morning, as a group of soldiers announced on national TV that they were suspending the constitution.

They also said some journalists working for the state broadcaster had been held hostage for a few hours.

The French and Russian embassies urged their citizens to remain indoors, while the US embassy's advice was to stay away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential compound.

The rebel soldiers, led by Lt Col Pascal Tigri, justified their actions by criticising Talon's management of the country, complaining first about his handling of the "continuing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin".

Benin's army has suffered losses near its northern border with insurgency-hit Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years, as jihadist militants linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda spread southwards.

The soldier's statement cited "the ignorance and neglect of the situation of our brothers in arms who have fallen at the front and, above all, that of their families, abandoned to their sad fate by Mr Patrice Talon's policies".

The rebels also hit out at cuts in health care, including the cancellation of state-funded kidney dialysis, and taxes rises, as well as curbs on political activities.

Talon, who is regarded as a close ally of the West, is due to step down next year after completing his second term in office, with elections scheduled for April.

A businessman known as the "king of cotton", he first came to power in 2016. He has endorsed Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his successor.

Talon has been praised by his supporters for overseeing economic development, but his government has also been criticised for suppressing dissenting voices.

In October, Benin's electoral commission barred the main opposition candidate from standing on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.

Last month, constitutional amendments were passed by MPs, including the creation of a second parliamentary chamber, the Senate.

Terms for elected officials were extended from five to seven years, but the presidential two-term limit remained in place.

Soldiers were seen patrolling some streets in the main city of Cotonou after the government said the takeover had been foiled [Reuters]

Sunday's attempted coup comes just over a week after Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was overthrown - though some regional figures have questioned whether this was staged.

In recent years, West Africa has also seen coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger, prompting concerns about the region's stability.

Russia has strengthened its ties with these Sahel countries over recent years - and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left the West African regional bloc Ecowas to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States.

News of the attempted takeover in Benin was hailed by several pro-Russian social media accounts, according to BBC Monitoring.

Ecowas and the African Union (AU) have both condemned the coup attempt.

A contingent from Ecowas's standby force is to be deployed to preserve the "constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin", the regional bloc has said in a statement.

AU Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Yousouf reiterated the pan-African organisation's "zero tolerance stance toward any unconstitutional change of government, regardless of context or justification".

[BBC]

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[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

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Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, arrested a 33-year-old man in connection with a stabbing aboard a light rail train, just four months after a Ukrainian refugee was killed in a separate attack on the citys transportation system.

Authorities on Dec. 6 charged Oscar Solarzano with three felonies, including attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and breaking and entering a motor vehicle, as well as several misdemeanors.

Solarzana is accused of breaking into a commuter train car and stabbing 24-year-old Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie with a large knife, according to court documents. An arrest warrant alleges Solarzano, appearing intoxicated, shouted unintelligibly at Dobie and challenged him to fight before stabbing him.

See protesters rally in Charlotte after federal immigration raids spark outrage Protesters march through uptown after gathering at First Ward Park for the "No Border Patrol In Charlotte" rally on Nov. 15, 2025 in Charlotte, N.C.. Federal officials confirmed that the Trump administration has begun deploying ICE and Border Patrol agents to the city.

Dobie was transported to a local hospital and is currently in critical but stable condition, according to police.

Magistrate Judge Rebecca Howell wrote in court filings that Solarzano was in the United States illegally and had previously been deported. He is being held without bond.

In a Dec. 6 news release, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it had requested that local police hold Solarzano until they are able to take custody of him. According to the release, Solarzano is from Honduras and was removed from the United States in 2018. He was apprehended at the border in 2021 and was removed again, before reentering the country at an unknown date and location.

This heinous stabbing by this twice-removed illegal alien should have NEVER happened. ICE lodged an arrest detainer to ensure Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia is not released back into North Carolina neighborhoods, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

She accused officials in North Carolina's Mecklenburg County of not cooperating with ICE enforcement in the past. Experts previously told USA TODAY that North Carolina has some of the strictest immigration provisions in the country, including a mandate requiring local jails to hold arrested immigrants so federal authorities can collect them.

The stabbing incident comes months after the fatal attack of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte train car garnered national attention. The killing of Iryna Zarutska led President Donald Trump to target Charlotte as part of his crime crackdown in Democratic-led cities and launch Operation Charlottes Web.

Iryna Zarutska, 23, a Ukrainian refugee, is pictured in an undated photo.

More: What's happening in North Carolina? Feds are swarming the swing state.

Federal agents arrested more than 130 undocumented immigrants in Charlotte as part of the crackdown, including several dozen with charges from driving under the influence to aggravated assault, according to DHS. USA TODAY has not independently verified those figures.

Its unclear if the same immigration efforts in Charlotte are ongoing. The Mecklenburg County Sheriffs office said the federal officials ended their operation in November, but a spokesperson for DHS told USA TODAY at the time that the operation was not ending anytime soon.

DHS did not immediately respond to questions from USA TODAY about updated figures on the number of people arrested as part of immigration operations in Charlotte, or about the status of enforcement in the Southern city.

Trump addressed the Charlotte stabbing in a Dec. 6 social media post, writing, Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whats going on in Charlotte?

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein expressed gratitude for state law enforcement in a social media post responding to the violent incident Dec. 5.

I am pleased that Chief Patterson was already surging law enforcement throughout Charlotte with Operation Safe Season, and I am grateful to the state law enforcement agencies that are assisting the operation. Public safety is a top priority for us all, Stein wrote.

Overall, rates of violent crime have declined in Charlotte this year, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. As of October, the city said it saw crime decrease 8% year over year, with a 20% decrease in violent crime, including homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Second Charlotte train stabbing renews focus on immigration crackdown
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows President Donald Trump holds up a photograph of migrants inside a military aircraft during Thanksgiving event at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 27, 2025, Image 2 shows A National Guard soldier walks near a makeshift memorial honoring the two National Guard members shot near the White House, Image 3 shows Afghans attempt to reach foreign forces to show their credentials in an attempt to flee the country in August 2021

The Trump administration announced it is expanding its travel ban to more than 30 countries in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, by an Afghan national.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the expansion of the June travel ban, which barred 19 countries from partially or entirely sending their citizens to the US.

If they dont have a stable government there, if they dont have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States? Noem asked Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Thursday.

President Donald Trump holds up a photograph of migrants inside a military aircraft during a Thanksgiving event at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 27, 2025. AP

DHS did not announce which countries will be included in the expanded ban and did not state when it will go into effect.

The June ban fully restricted travel from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

That ban also established partial restrictions on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The Trump administrations US Citizenship and Immigration Services further directed a hold on green card and citizenship applications for people from those 19 countries.

The agency also announced a hold on all pending asylum applications, regardless of the aliens country of nationality.

The ramped up restrictions come in the wake of the broad-daylight shooting of two West Virginia National Guard troops in Washington, DC, on Nov. 26. The attack was carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who came to the US under the Biden administrations Operation Allies Welcome.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, on Nov. 22, 2025. AP

A National Guard soldier walks near a makeshift memorial honoring the two National Guard members shot near the White House. REUTERS

National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in Lakanwals ambush, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically wounded.

Lakanwal has been charged with murder, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault with intent to kill while armed.

One day before the heinous attack, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, who also migrated under the OAW program, was arrested for threatening to carry out a suicide attack in Fort Worth, Texas.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal was charged with first-degree murder after one of the two victims died in the Nov. 26 shooting. US Attorney's Office/AFP via Getty Images

Afghans attempt to reach foreign forces to show their credentials in an attempt to flee the country in August 2021. AKHTER GULFAM/EPA-EFE/Shuttersto

A third Afghan national, Jaan Shah Safi, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Virginia, with the agency alleging his Temporary Protected Status was terminated and, further accusing him of being a terrorist who provided material support to ISIS-K, according to a DHS release.
WASHINGTON  President Trump boasted about how the heads of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose countries have been engaged in a longstanding conflict, will now be hugging one another as they signed a US-brokered peace deal.

The deal was inked during an official ceremony at the recently rebranded Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, where the president emphasized how far the two neighboring and rival countries have come.

Theyve spent a lot of time killing each other, and now theyre going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands, and taking advantage of the US economically, like every other country does, Trump said of leaders of Rwanda and the Congo.

Back in June, Trump, who has billed the deal the Washington Accords, got the two nations foreign ministers to sign a peace accord and wind down brutal fighting.

President Trump remarked about how the DRC and Rwanda were killing each other not that long ago. AP

All three leaders expressed optimism that the peace deal will have some staying power. AP

Thursdays event at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which got its new name Wednesday, saw the two countries leaders, Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda President Paul Kagame, give the deal their stamp of approval.

Leaders from Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Togo, and Uganda were all present at the feted event.

The Washington Accords  everybody sort of likes that name  formalizes the terms agreed to in June, including a permanent ceasefire, the disarmament of non-state forces, provisions for refugees to return to their homes, and justice and accountability for those who have committed illegal atrocities, Trump explained.

A reporter from Angola state television asked Trump when Rwandas troops will withdraw from the Congo and when we will see the real peace, contending that people are still being killed in the conflict.

I think you are going to see very quickly, I think youre going to see things happen, Trump replied. These two gentlemen are leaders. Theyre great leaders, and theyre going to prove that in the coming months and years, and I think youll see very immediate results.

Fighting in the two countries was reported on Thursday between Congos government and rebels that are thought to be backed by Rwanda.

The three leaders formally signed the Washington Accord on Thursday. AP

The two countries have been fighting on and off for some 30 years after the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Trump has touted his efforts to broker peace between the two countries as one of over half a dozen wars he claimed to have settled during his second term.

No one was asking President Trump to take up this task. Our region is far from the headlines, but when the President saw the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately took it, Kagame said, thanking Trump.

We have seen countless mediation efforts, but none has succeeded in resolving the underlying issues, he added. President Trump introduced a new and effective dynamism that created the space for breakthroughs.

President Trump thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio after his department renamed the Institute of Peace in his honor. REUTERS

Tshisekedi similarly thanked Trump and conveyed optimism that the deal will have some staying power.

The Washington agreements are not yet another document. These represent a turning point. They bring together under a coherent architecture, a declaration of principles, of a peace agreement and also the regional economic integration framework to provide to the peoples, he argued.

We will remain watchful, vigilant, but not pessimistic. Well be clear-eyed, but resolutely optimistic.
US-POLITICS-TRUMP (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump ripped into Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar on Sunday after the lawmaker said he will seek reelection as part of the Democratic Party despite Trump pardoning him and his wife, Imelda.

Cuellar said Wednesday he will seek reelection as a Democrat, confirming the decision just hours after Trump pardoned him and his wife. In a Sunday post on Truth Social, Trump said Democrats during the Biden administration spent years trying to destroy Cuellar and his family through what he described as aggressive and politically motivated prosecutions.

Can you imagine??? The Democrats, under the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, who always use extreme force and jail-time to destroy their political opponent, wanted to put Congressman Henry Cuellar, and his wife, Imelda, in PRISON, for 15 years, which I predicted these Radical Left Lunatics would do, Trump wrote. And they never stopped wanting to fulfill this evil quest! The Dems mercilessly went after Henry with everything they had!

Trump said Democrats viciously targeted Cuellar and his family long after losing the 2024 election.

They were looking to destroy him, his lovely wife, his two young daughters, and anyone close to them. When the Democrats overwhelmingly lost the 2024 Presidential Election, and power with it, they, regardless, did everything they could to keep going after the Cuellar family. The Dems were vicious, and all because Henry strongly wanted, correctly, BORDER SECURITY! He was against illegals pouring into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted.

Trump said he felt confident at the time he had done the right thing, describing the pardon as potentially life-saving for a family he said had been tormented by very sick and deranged people. He also said he left the Oval Office convinced the decision served both fairness and principle.

Congressman Henry Cuellar announced that he will be running for Congress again, in the Great State of Texas (a State where I received the highest number of votes ever recorded!), as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison, Trump concluded. And probably still do! Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henrys daughters, will not like. Oh [sic] well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!

Cuellar said he considers himself a conservative Democrat who works across party lines and supports Trumps success.

Im a conservative Democrat, and I work across the lines, and I want to see the president succeed. President Trump, and its good for the country, and I will work with anybody, Cuellar noted. We might have some differences, but if I can work with them, I will work with President Trump.

WATCH:

Trump announced Wednesday he issued full pardons to Cuellar and his wife, who had been charged by the Biden administrations Justice Department over alleged bribery and were not scheduled to face trial until 2026. (RELATED: Cuellar Says Democrats Made Wrong Choice In Case Of Deported MS-13 Suspect)

Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressmans wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH, Trump wrote.

Federal prosecutors accused Cuellar and his wife of taking about $600,000 from Azerbaijani officials and a Mexican financial institution between 2014 and 2021. In exchange, Cuellar used his congressional office to advance Azerbaijans interests, allegations the couple has repeatedly denied. Cuellar, who has represented his heavily Hispanic South Texas district since 2005, remained in his House seat throughout the case.

Cuellar, a self-described centrist, has consistently clashed with Democratic leadership over border policy, criticized former President Joe Bidens approach to immigration, and called out those in his party who opposed the deportation of an alleged MS-13 member earlier this year. He also supported several Republican-backed measures, including legislation targeting migrant crime and protecting womens sports, and broke ranks again in November when he backed a bipartisan plan to reopen the government to end its 2025 shutdown.

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President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he walks to Marine One prior to departure from the South Lawn of the White House on October 24. - Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images/File

Republicans in the Indiana state Senate could give President Donald Trump a major political black eye this week  and the conservative voters who elected them say they dont mind.

The state Senate is set to gather Monday to start a weeklong process of considering new congressional maps that could deliver the party a clean sweep of Indianas nine seats, boosting the GOPs chances of retaining its narrow US House majority in next years midterm elections. How the week unfolds will test Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Brays claim that the party does not have enough votes to pass new maps, despite holding a 40-10 supermajority.

Trump and his political allies have turned the Indiana state Senates vote into a loyalty test with dramatic ramifications  with the president vowing to leverage his political might to oust those who break with his wishes in future primaries, and a number of pro-Trump groups and conservative influencers insisting theyll support those efforts.

But those promises dont appear to be generating any kind of groundswell of conservative grassroots support for redistricting in Indiana. CNN visited towns across a swath of the state last week and found that many Republican voters  including those with long histories of supporting Trump  are greeting the redistricting debate with a shrug.

Many are like John Badger XIV, the owner of a 106-year-old candy shop in Brays hometown of Martinsville and a Republican member of the city council: not opposed to Trumps position, but not thinking much about it, either.

I am not against Trump, he said, adding that he supports the president on tariffs and the economy. But theres no need to redo the maps right now. I wont be mad about it if they do it, but I dont think its right. I just think it should stay where it is and let it go.

As for Trumps threats to unseat Bray in a 2028 primary, Badger said theres little chance of succeeding.

Hes well liked, he said. I think Rods doing a great job up there.

The resistance to Trumps demands in Indiana could represent the inkling of some Republican voters desire for independence from what Trump is dictating for the party, which recently lost two key governors races and has seen slippage in special elections. It comes after the House forced Trumps hand on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, and a long-time Trump ally, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, made a dramatic break from the president and then announced her resignation.

Its ridiculous  but its what the president wants

In the Indiana redistricting fight, outside groups  including the conservative Club for Growth led by former Indiana congressman David McIntosh, the Charlie Kirk-founded Turning Point USA, and a new organization led by veteran Indiana Republican operative Marty Obst and veterans of Trumps campaigns  have spent months heaping pressure on Republican senators, including advertisements urging constituents to contact key legislators. Many state senators say theyve also faced violent threats, including swatting attempts and bomb threats on their homes or businesses.

But the lack of real-life voters motivated by the issue was on vivid display Friday at the Indiana Statehouse, where a Turning Point USA rally for redistricting featuring Gov. Mike Braun, scheduled to take place shortly before the state House passed the new maps on a 57-41 vote, drew only about 100 attendees  multitudes short of the huge crowds that have packed into the Capitol building for Democratic-organized rallies opposing new maps.

Ahead of the Senates expected vote next week, CNN spoke to about 50 voters across the districts of four Republican state senators. Two of them, Sens. Jean Leising and Greg Walker, are opposed to new maps, while Sen. Cyndi Carrasco has not weighed in publicly but is widely expected to vote for new maps. Bray, meanwhile, has been in the crosshairs of Trump, who has threatened to support a primary opponent in 2028, and Braun, who has publicly floated supporting a challenge for Brays post as the Senate leader.

Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray discusses details on the Senate Republicans bill priorities at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on January 8. - Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA Today Network/Imagn Images

Those conversations underscored two political realities: Rank-and-file Republicans in this deep-red state generally havent soured on Trump. But they arent rushing into battle for him, either  and they dont think this issue will be top of mind when they cast their votes in a state Senate primary.

Unseating Bray over his position on redistricting would be ridiculous, said Debbie Myers, a Republican who co-owns Berries & Ivy, a home goods store in Martinsville.

Its ridiculous to bring the whole thing up to begin with, but its what the president wants, she said. Its wrong, and its a waste of money and a waste of these peoples time, and I dont think it should have happened.

Myers said she believes Bray  who has insisted there arent enough Republican votes in the Senate to pass new maps  is just being very honest about the political reality.

His daddy taught him well, she said, referring to Brays father, Richard, who was a state senator. He was prepared for the job when he went into it. And I think that that hes just stating the obvious. He knows his numbers. Hes saying, We dont have the numbers.

Karen Luther, who works at Fables & Fairy Tales, a childrens bookstore, said she is a conservative Republican who supports Trump even though he is not a Boy Scout. Shes not opposed to redistricting, because she said she sees it as a tit-for-tat across the political map.

Everybody acts like this is some horrible thing. Every party has done it. The Democrats go in there, they try to do it. Republicans, they try to do it, she said. They probably should just either outlaw it completely or just shut up and let each one do it when they get in there.

Still, she said, redistricting is not something that really gets your excitement up, she said.

No, Im not all in a dither, she said.

However, she said she had much stronger feelings about the Senate president.

Rod Brays done a good job. I would not want to get rid of him, she said. He seems like a man of integrity and honor. Hes a Christian.  As far as I can tell, hes trying to do the right thing. Its hard. You cannot please everybody.

Concern over threats

One issue that came up in interviews with Indiana voters of all political stripes is the violent threats some state senators say they have faced. Many voters who spoke with CNN said they did not want to be named because they feared being vocal about the issue could also subject them to threats.

I dont want to get caught up in anything ugly, a shop manager in Southport, in Carrascos district, said. Its scary, what you see on the news.

Leising, a 76-year-old conservative Republican from southeastern Indiana who was first elected to the Senate in 1988, has been among the sharpest critics of the tactics employed by Trumps allies. She said her 14-year-old grandson was the recipient of digital ads criticizing her.

She opposes redistricting in part, she said in a statement, because only a tiny fraction of her constituents who have contacted her support new maps. Its a sentiment other state senators, including Vaneta Becker of Evansville, have shared with CNN. Sen. Kyle Walker, a moderate Republican from the northeastern Indianapolis suburbs who also opposes redistricting, similarly said his constituents are broadly opposed to new maps, and announced this week he will not run for reelection in 2026.

In Greensburg, in the heart of Leisings district, the violent threats Leising said she has faced was often the first worry voters brought up when it comes to redistricting.

Everyone is just really concerned about the temperature, said Catherine Chmiel-Goetzinger, who manages an art gallery in Greensburg. Its gotten to a point where even a Republican is getting that kind of attention, just for doing her job. The Minnesota state official killings were horrible, Charlie Kirks killing was horrible. Theres just  theres no need for that. Its scary. It is very frightening.

Jonas Brock, who works at a holiday goods store in Greensburg, said she supports Trump but isnt interested in the redistricting fight.

Personally, I dont really care. Im tired of hearing it. I just dont think its that important, with everything else going on in the world, she said.

She laughed when asked if the issue has changed how she thinks of Trump. No, no, she said.

Still, Brock said she would keep Trumps position in mind in future elections. And other Republicans said that while redistricting might not be decisive, its something they would weigh when thinking about state Senate primaries.

Chris Robbins, who owns a sporting goods store in Greensburg, said breaking with Trump on redistricting, as Leising has, would make me look to somebody else.

I voted for her in the past. Youve got to look at the overall picture, he said. I mean, thats the reason we voted for Trump, was his agenda.

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Women have their own unique set of challenges in the workforce; the motherhood penalty can set them back $500,000, their C-suite representation is waning, and the gender pay gap has widened again. One senior executive from $20 billion manufacturing giant Kimberly-Clark knows the tribulations all too wellafter all, shes one of few women in the Fortune 500 who holds the coveted role.

Tamera Fenske is the chief supply chain officer (CSCO) for Kimberly-Clark, who oversees a massive global team of 22,665 employeesaround 58% of the global CPG manufacturers workforce. Shes in charge of optimizing the companys entire supply chain, from sourcing raw materials for Kimberly-Clark products including Kleenex and Huggies, to delivering the final product into customers shopping carts.

Its a job thats essential to most top businesses operating at such a massive scale; around 422 of the Fortune 500 have chief supply chain officers, according to a 2025 Spencer Stuart analysis. However, most of these slots are awarded to white men; only about 18% of executives in this position are women, and 12% come from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. Its one of the C-suite roles with the least female representation, right next to chief financial officers, chief operating officers, and CEOs.

In fact, Fenske is one of around 76 Fortune 500 female executives who have chief supply chain officer on their resumes. However, the executive tells Fortune its an unfortunate fact she doesnt think about too oftenif anything, it motivates her further.

Anytime someone tells me I cant do something, it makes me want to work that much harder to prove them wrong, Fenske says.

The first time Fenske noticed she was one of few women in the room

Fenske has spent her entire life navigating subjects dominated by mensomething she didnt even consider until college.

Her grandpa, aunt, uncles, and brother all worked for Dow Chemical, so she grew up in a STEM-heavy household. Naturally, she leaned into math and science as well, eventually pursuing a bachelors in environmental chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University. It was there that her eyes first opened to the reality that she was one of few women in the room.

It definitely was going to Michigan Tech, where I first realized the disparity, Fenske said, adding that there was around an eight-to-one male-to-female ratio. As you continue through the higher levels and the grades, it becomes even tighter, especially as you get into your specialized engineering.

Once joining the world of work, it wasnt only Fenske who noticed the lack of women in senior rolessome bosses would even point it out.

The Fortune 500 boss is paying it forwardfor both men and women

After Fenske graduated from Michigan Tech, she got her start at $91 billion manufacturer 3M: a multinational conglomerate producing everything from pads of Post-It notes to rolls of Scotch tape. Fenske was first hired as an environmental engineer in 2000. Promotion after promotion came, but some people seemed to focus on her gender.

It would come to light when I moved relatively quickly through the ranks. Some of my bosses would say, Youre the age of my daughter, and different things like that. Youre the first woman thats had this role at this plant or in this division, Fenske recalls. Over the course of two decades, she rose through the companys ranks to the SVP of 3Ms U.S. and Canada manufacturing and supply chain.

And anytime she was asked about her gender? Shed flip the questions back at them while standing her ground. I would always try to spin it a little bit and ask them questions like, Okay, so what is your daughter doing?I always try to seek to understand where they are coming from, but then also reinforce what brought me to where I am.

Now, three years into her current stint as Kimberly-Clarks CSCO, the 47-year-old is paying it backbut not just to the women following in her footsteps.

I never saw myself as necessarily a big, ground-breaker pioneer, even though the statistics would tell you I was, Fenske says. I tried to give back to women and men, to be honest. Because I think men [are] one of the strongest advocates for women as well. So I think we have to teach both how to have that equal lens and diverse perspective.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
7 December 2025 14:27 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

When former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan stood before supporters on 6 December to declare that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan might be an agent, ignorant, or acting deliberately against the state, it was not simply another political outburst. It was the latest chapter in a long and damaging campaign by Armenias old guard to sabotage the fragile foundations of peace in the South Caucasus. And more significantly, it revealed the core truth of Armenian politics today: the real force undermining national stability is not the Armenian Church, as some insist, but the remnants of the so-called Karabakh Clan, the very political group to which Kocharyan belongs.

For years, Kocharyan has cultivated an atmosphere of suspicion, revanchism, and historical denialism. His statements now follow the same familiar script, portray the sitting government as traitorous, declare external enemies omnipresent, and insist that peace is somehow an existential threat to the Armenian state. Yet this narrative collapses the moment one examines the record. If anyone has been destroying the possibility of normalisation and regional stability, it is Kocharyan himself and the political formation he represents.

To understand Kocharyans rhetoric, one must recall the decades in which he and his allies controlled Armenias political system. During those years, instead of acknowledging reality, they built an entire national ideology around falsehoods regarding the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. Rather than encouraging compromise, they entrenched a maximalist position that left Armenia diplomatically isolated and strategically cornered. This was no accident; it was policy...

The myth of an independent Artsakh or the illusion that Armenia could indefinitely control territories recognised internationally as Azerbaijani became the cornerstone of Kocharyan-era politics. Armenian society was fed the story that the occupation was somehow sustainable and that time was on Armenias side. But as the saying goes, lies have short legs. They can run only so far before the truth catches up.

Garabagh was never recognised as Armenian, and it was under Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan that Armenia squandered the last realistic chances for a negotiated settlement. Instead of preparing the Armenian population for peace, they prepared it for perpetual conflict, knowing full well that Armenia lacked the economic, demographic, and military capacity to sustain such a course.

Now, the former clique is hiding behind the Church...

Kocharyan now appears to sense the diminishing relevance of his political movement. Lacking public support, unable to mobilise a majority, and discredited by history, he turns to the only institution that still carries emotional weight for segments of Armenian society: the Church. It is a strategic hiding place, a shield behind which the Karabakh Clan attempts to protect itself from political irrelevance.

However, it is important to distinguish between the Church as a religious institution and the political actors who manipulate it. The Armenian Apostolic Church has long had a symbolic connection to national identity, but portraying it as the main political opposition to Pashinyan is a deliberate misrepresentation. The real opposition, the one actively attempting to rekindle communal hatred and destabilise regional peace, is Kocharyans circle.

They invoke religion not out of genuine faith, but because they know the Church can be used to stir sentiment among an otherwise disillusioned public. When the former political elite can no longer inspire confidence through policy, they rely on mythology, nostalgia, and sacred symbolism.

Pashinyans Admission of Truth

Kocharyans frustration also stems from the fact that Pashinyan has done what none of his predecessors dared: acknowledge the truth. He publicly recognised that Armenia must abandon its false narrative about Garabagh, accept international borders, change the constitution that stands as the principal barrier to peace in the South Caucasus, and finally, seek peace with its neighbours, not because of weakness, but because this is the only viable path for the countrys survival.

Had Kocharyan or Sargsyan admitted these truths when Garabagh was still under Armenian control, Armenia would be in a far stronger position today. They could have negotiated from a stance of comparative strength, avoided devastating conflict, and secured a realistic, long-term arrangement that preserved dignity without clinging to illegal occupation.

Instead, they entrenched the lie deeper, convincing people that acknowledging reality was somehow treasonous. Now that Pashinyan has finally broken that cycle, Kocharyan lashes out because the admission of truth undermines the entire political legacy on which he built his career.

Now, for Armenia, it is an era of a battle between the past and the future.

Armenia today faces a profound existential choice: embrace the painful truth, or continue chasing the fantasies that led to disaster. Pashinyans attempt to write a true national story, one grounded in reality rather than nationalist myth, is not a betrayal of Armenia. It is an act of rescue.

Kocharyan, by contrast, represents the politics of denial and destruction. His continual accusations, branding the prime minister an agent or ignorant, are not expressions of concern for the state. They are attempts to preserve the last remnants of the political mythology that kept the "Karabakh Clan" in power.

Armenia cannot afford to follow that path again. The region has changed irreversibly. The South Caucasus is moving towards new economic and political configurations, and Armenia must adapt if it wishes to survive as a viable, stable state.

They should grasp that revanchism brought Armenia's military defeat in 2020. Revanchism isolated it diplomatically for decades. Revanchism now threatens to tear apart its fragile internal cohesion at a time when the country desperately needs calm, pragmatism, and reform.

Kocharyans rhetoric is not simply inflammatory, but it is way more dangerous. Every time he repeats accusations of treason or hints at internal conspiracies, he feeds the most radical elements of Armenian society. He delays reconciliation, undermines normalisation, and reignites hostility not only inside Armenia but across the region.

Analysts, so-called experts, still plagued by doubts, may well ask why Azerbaijan should take any interest in Armenias domestic politics. Is Pashinyan truly such a convenient leader for Baku? I would put it differently: more than thirty years of hostility and a bloody conflict brought neither side any political or economic dividend. On the contrary, Armenia fell behind the rest of the South Caucasus in terms of development. Seen through the eyes of an investigative journalist, this is not about Pashinyan as a personality, but about the situation Armenia has landed itself in, a reality created by decades of strategic miscalculation.

When Pashinyan first came to power, he too tried to walk in the footsteps of his predecessors. The footage of him dancing the yalli in Shusha symbolised his attempt to imitate the old nationalist line. Yet he stumbled, quite literally and politically, and could not go far down that road. Even when he sought to build a road to Jabrayil, the policy unravelled and collapsed beneath him. Only then did he grasp the truth: he had been travelling down a blind alley.

Admitting the truth is bitter, and many mistake it for weakness. It is always easy to act tough from the sidelines, far from the battlefield. But had Kocharyan found himself in the same situation, one doubts whether either Armenia or even Yerevan would still stand today. Whatever remains of the Armenian state has survived largely because Pashinyan had the courage to acknowledge reality rather than cling to a defunct myth.

Armenia could not continue promoting its fabricated narrative indefinitely. It had to be consigned to the dustbin of history. Pashinyan is now trying to write a truthful chapter for Armenia, one that may allow the country to endure, stabilise, and ultimately escape the abyss created by its own revanchist impulses.

If Armenia is to survive this critical historical moment, it must abandon revanchism entirely. It must reject the political culture of denial, deception, and conspiracy that Kocharyan embodies. And it must allow Pashinyan, or any future leader committed to reality, to rebuild Armenias national narrative on a foundation of truth.

Armenia can have peace, stability, and a future, or it can have Kocharyans illusions. It cannot have both.
7 December 2025 14:59 (UTC+04:00)

The Baku premiere of the film Bosluga xutb (Sermon into the Void), supported by the Azerbaijan Film Agency (ARKA) under the Ministry of Culture during its post-production stage, took place within the framework of the OIC Culture Festival: Baku Creative Week  2025 and the Baku Cinema Breeze international film programme.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the films director, Hilal Baydarov, spoke at the opening of the event, providing detailed insights into the films central idea, creative concept, production process and international festival journey. He emphasised that the screening of Sermon into the Void at prestigious festivals such as Venice, Tokyo and Cairo has made a significant contribution to promoting Azerbaijani cinema on the global stage. The director also expressed his gratitude to the Film Agency (ARKA) for the support provided during the making of the film.

The premiere in Baku was attended by the films creative team, representatives of state institutions, local and international film experts, media members and figures from the cultural community. The film was met with great interest by the audience.

It should be noted that Sermon into the Void was previously screened in the Out of Competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, the main competition programme of the Tokyo International Film Festival, and at the Cairo International Film Festival.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A group of military personnel in Benin on Sunday announced that they had ousted President Patrice Talon, who is due to step down next April after 10 years in power.Soldiers calling themselves the "Military Committee for Refoundation" (CMR), said on state television that they had met and decided that "Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic".Talon's whereabouts were unknown and the French Embassy said on X that "gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo" near the president's official residence. It urged French citizens to remain indoors for security.Benin's government said that loyalist soldiers and national guards have regained control after a group of soldiers announced on state television that they had seized power in an apparent coup attempt.Foreign minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari said on Sunday that the coup plotters had only taken control of state TV and that the signal had been cut for several minutes."There is an attempt but the situation is under control. Now it's a small group of military. A large part of the army is still loyalist and we are taking over the situation," Bakari told the Reuters news agency.A group of soldiers led by led by Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri had appeared on screen to claim the overthrow of President Patrice Talon, who has been in power since 2016, as well as all state institutions. They also claimed that all the borders in the country had been closed and that all political parties had been suspended.The troops referred to themselves as part of the "Military Committee for Refoundation" (CMR).Following the takeover attempt, the president's office stated that Talon is safe and that the army was gradually regaining control, according to the AFP news agency."This is a small group of people who only control the television," the presidency told AFP."The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure," it said.The French Embassy said at the time of the state television takeover, that "gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo" near the president's official residence.Talon is due to step down next April after 10 years in power.The apparent coup attempt "does not come as a surprise to anyone", Adama Gaye, a former director of communication at regional bloc ECOWAS, told Al Jazeera.He stated that there has been a lot of political tension in the country, with many opposition members imprisoned.Talon had managed to "eliminate key people in the opposition party, including former President Boni Yayi", Gaye said, adding that he had also already designated his current minister of finance to take over the reins after the next election.A number of coups have taken place across the continent in recent years.Just last month, army officials in Guinea-Bissau seized power in a military coup with General Horta Inta-A named as the head of a one-year transitional government. The country has has experienced nine coup attempts since its independence from Portugal in 1974.In 2023, military leader Brice Oligui Nguema toppled Gabon's then-President Ali Bongo Ondimba, a leader whose family had held power in the country for almost 56 years.That same year, a coup took out Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, a democratically elected leader who ruled for just two years before he was forced out of office. A military government was then installed, led by President Abdourahamane Tchiani.In 2022, Burkina Faso military leader President Paul-Henri Damiba was deposed in the country's second coup in a year, as army Captain Ibrahim Traore took charge.In Mali, General Assimi Goita led soldiers to seize power in a 2020 coup.
7 December 2025 18:25 (UTC+04:00)

An international charity event was held in Ankara under the auspices of the Association of Solidarity of the Wives of Turkish Foreign Ministry Partners (DMEDD).

Azernews reports, citing Report, that representatives of diplomatic missions from 50 countries operating in Ankara, along with their spouses, members of the press and local residents, took part in the event.

Azerbaijan was represented with two stands organised by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Turkey. Gunel Mmmdova, the wife of Ambassador Rsad Mmmdov, said one stand showcased a variety of traditional Azerbaijani dishes, while the other featured national teas, assorted local products, small carpet samples, kelagayi scarves and other handicrafts.

Organisers noted that Azerbaijani products attracted strong interest from visitors.

The cultural segment of the event included dance and performance pieces from various countries, including Azerbaijan.

Simay Gumrukcu, head of DMEDD, told Report that the event required extensive effort from both the association and the spouses of diplomats stationed abroad and in Ankara. For this reason, she said, the charity fair is held only once every two years.

Diplomatic representatives from Azerbaijan, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Japan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Iran, who were present at their respective stands, described the charity event as highly valuable in comments to Report.

DMEDD was founded on 24 September 1981 to support the familiesparticularly the spouses and childrenof Turkish diplomats and Foreign Ministry staff who were martyred while performing their duties abroad. Over the years, the association has broadened its activities and now carries out extensive assistance programmes, especially in the fields of education and healthcare.
7 December 2025 20:16 (UTC+04:00)

An event-exhibition titled "The Delicate Signature of Independence: Fatali Khan Khoyski" dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the outstanding statesman Fatali Khan Khoyski, was held at the Azerbaijan Independence Museum.

According to Azernews, 27 rare photographs from the funds of the Azerbaijan Independence Museum, the personal archives of Doctor of Philosophy in History Dilgam Ahmad and Doctor of Philosophy in Philology Adalat Tahirzade, as well as the State Archive Fund, were displayed within the framework of the exhibition.

These materials serve as an important source for a deeper study of Khoyski's political legacy, state-building activities, and the historical realities of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

The event featured scientific presentations and discussions dedicated to Khoyski's statehood legacy.

The exhibition is of great importance in terms of preserving the legacy of Fatali Khan Khoyski and passing it on to future generations, while also bringing important moments in the history of Azerbaijani statehood back to the agenda.

The exhibition will run until December 12.
7 December 2025 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

A gathering titled The 5th Assembly of Students and Graduates in Sweden was held in the city of Uppsala, organised by the public union Sweden Students and Alumni Network Azerbaijan.

Azernews reports that Azerbaijani students and graduates from various cities across Sweden took part in the event. The main aim of the assembly was to strengthen connections among young Azerbaijanis studying or having completed their studies in Sweden, to encourage social interaction, and to facilitate academic discussions.

The programme began with a historical tour and a visit to the museum in Uppsala. Participants learned about Scandinavias oldest university, Swedens tallest cathedral, and the citys 1,600-year history.

Following the city tour, the head of the Board of the Public Union, Gulgun Frziyeva, together with board members Nrmin Abbasova and Mftun Qafarov, presented information about the organisations history, its projects, and the benefits of membership. Rahil Mmmdov, co-founder of the union, discussed the organisations contributions aligned with Azerbaijans youth policy and called on young people to participate actively in this process.

The voluntary unification of educated and capable young people to contribute to our society shows that they will become determined and hardworking professionals in the future, Rahil Mmmdov noted.

The organisation, founded in 2020 and restructured with new priorities in 2021, has identified as its core strategy until 2030 the strengthening of unity among members, improving academic literacy, and advancing towards greater goals.

Azerbaijans ambassador to Sweden, Zaur Ahmadov, praised the achievements of young Azerbaijanis studying in Sweden and the educational opportunities created abroad by the Azerbaijani state. He emphasised Azerbaijans successes in international events and expressed confidence that young people would contribute more actively in these areas.

It is commendable that students who study or have graduated in Sweden demonstrate unity and contribute to our states youth policy. From this perspective, carrying out more constructive and purpose-oriented work is essential, the ambassador stressed. He also highlighted the importance of the state programme on foreign education, recalling that hundreds of young Azerbaijani students have been sent to leading higher education institutions across the Union. The ambassador added that this platform plays a crucial role in strengthening the ties of Azerbaijani students abroad with the homeland.

During the academic segment of the event, the topic Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability in the Caspian Sea Region Through the Lens of Swedish Nature Preservation Experience was discussed, forming the basis of the organisations annual action plan.

During the discussions, Hamidxanm Huseynova, a masters student in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Sciences at Lund University, delivered a speech. She addressed the ecological crisis in the Caspian Sea, its regional impact, and key points emphasised by President Ilham Aliyev in his address to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

After the speeches, Swedish director Mikael Silkebergs documentary film History of Folk Jazz from West to East was screened. Participants then joined a quiz dedicated to the history and culture of Azerbaijan and Sweden. Winners of the intellectual contest were awarded by the organisation.

It should be noted that the Public Union Sweden Students and Alumni Network Azerbaijan is a non-political, non-profit organisation that operates both in Azerbaijan and Sweden with the aim of uniting Azerbaijani students and graduates living in Sweden, expanding their interests and connections, and organising projects in the fields of education, science, business, technology, sustainable development, and culture.
7 December 2025 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

The visit, which was carried out at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is part of the ongoing regular consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries at various levels.

According to Azernews, the Iranian minister, who will meet with Azerbaijani officials during the visit, will discuss the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

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7 December 2025 12:13 (UTC+04:00)

A delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Baku Torobayev, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Alley of Honor on December 7.

Azernews reports that the delegation first paid tribute to the memory of Heydar Aliyev, the National Leader of our people, the architect and founder of the modern independent Azerbaijani state, by laying a wreath at his grave and arranging fresh flowers.

Then, the grave of the prominent ophthalmologist-scientist, Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, was visited, and fresh flowers were laid in front of it.
7 December 2025 12:39 (UTC+04:00)

A tactical-special exercise titled Organisation of Warning Systems During Emergencies, Search for Persons Trapped Under Debris, and Management of Forces and Equipment During Rescue Operations was held in the territory of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve under the organisation of the Main Operations Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES).

As reported by Azernews, citing the Ministry, the purpose of the exercise was to inform residents and employees of facilities operating within the Reserve about potential emergencies they may face, to improve operational coordination and interaction during emergencies, to test the practicality of existing response plans, and to carry out relevant public awareness activities.

A total of 46 personnel from the MES and the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration, along with six specialised vehicles, took part in the exercise.

The training consisted of both theoretical and practical components.

During the theoretical part, MES specialists provided staff of the Icherisheher Reserve Administration with extensive information on emergency situations and related behaviour rules, including the organisation of evacuation procedures. Questions were answered in detail.

In the practical phase, the participants carried out an assessment of the situation created by a simulated explosion accompanied by a conditional fire within the Reserve's territory, ensured the rapid deployment of forces and equipment to the scene, and organised reconnaissance, search-and-rescue operations, and coordinated management by commanders.

The simulated fire was extinguished within a short time by the firefighting units of the Ministry. Individuals left helpless inside the affected building were rescued by emergency responders, provided with first aid, and handed over to the relevant authorities.

Later, a meeting was held to review the outcomes of the exercise and issue corresponding instructions.
7 December 2025 13:28 (UTC+04:00)

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder of the IDEA Public Union, Leyla Aliyeva, together with Arzu Aliyeva, the head of Baku Media Centre, have paid a visit to Dhaka, the capital of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

Azernews reports that on 7 December, as part of their visit, Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva met with Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladeshs interim government, world-renowned economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

During the meeting, the warmest greetings of President Ilham Aliyev were conveyed to Chief Adviser Yunus. It was noted that he had made numerous visits to Azerbaijan over the yearsincluding most recently in November 2024 to participate in COP29during which he met the President several times and was always warmly received.

It was emphasised that Azerbaijan and Bangladesh enjoy longstanding friendly relations and successfully cooperate across various formats.

Professor Yunus was informed that Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva had visited a local institution in Dhaka that supports orphans and children without parental care.

It was highlighted that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the IDEA Public Union are keen to implement joint humanitarian, social, youth, volunteer, environmental and nature protection projects in cooperation with relevant Bangladeshi organisations.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus recalled with pleasure his meetings with the President of Azerbaijan during his numerous visits, and asked that his personal greetings be conveyed to the Head of State. He reiterated the point he made during his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev at COP29that there is significant potential for productive cooperation between the two countriesand stressed the importance of transforming this potential into practical initiatives.

Professor Yunus expressed his deep appreciation for Azerbaijans efforts in advancing cooperation and delivering practical support programmes, noting that he had personally witnessed Azerbaijans remarkable achievements across many fields.
7 December 2025 15:32 (UTC+04:00)

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center held a meeting in Guangzhou, China, to prepare for the XIII Global Baku Forum, scheduled for March 2026.

Azernews reports, citing the Center, that the meeting focused on discussing the conceptual framework of the Forum, its main topics, and strategies for engaging international partners.

Members of the Centers Board of Directors attended the meeting. Discussions highlighted global security, sustainable development, economic transformation, and the impact of technological changes as priority themes for the Forum.

It was also noted that high-level joint panels would be organised with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to strengthen collaboration.

Additionally, side events in partnership with the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) and The Economist magazine are planned within the Forums framework.

The meeting further addressed the Centers participation and support in the XIII World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, as well as potential collaboration with UN-Habitat in this area.

The next preparatory meeting is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
7 December 2025 17:49 (UTC+04:00)

Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, together with the head of Baku Media Center, Arzu Aliyeva, visited an institution for orphaned and homeless girls in Dhaka, the capital of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, on December 6 as part of their visit to the country.

The management and teaching staff of Shorkari Shishu Poribar (Government Orphanage) provided detailed information about the institutions activities. It was noted that the facility, operating under the Department of Social Services and financed through voluntary donations from various sources, permanently houses more than 130 children. In addition to education, the children receive vocational training and are taught various work skills to prepare them for future life.

Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva then familiarized themselves with the conditions and needs of the orphanage, including the dormitories and classrooms, and held a heartfelt conversation with the teaching staff and children. They were informed that, guided by the principle of humanism consistently upheld by the Azerbaijani state on a global scale, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation implements various social projects in different countries. In this context, the possibility of implementing an assistance program for the institution was discussed.

At the end of the visit, the pupils of the orphanage performed a program featuring Bangladeshi folk songs and dances for the guests from Azerbaijan.
7 December 2025 21:20 (UTC+04:00)

During my visit to Azerbaijan, I had the opportunity to visit the ASAN Service center, which allowed me to see firsthand how government services can be efficiently organized with a citizen-centric approach, said Steve Nouri, CEO and co-founder of GenAI Works, according to Azernews.

During my main presentation in Baku, I spoke openly about the current state of modern generative artificial intelligence, upcoming challenges, risks, and real opportunities. I particularly highlighted how the growing gap between countries that only consume technology and those that create and develop it will be decisive in the near future. In this context, I am proud that GenAI Works has signed an official partnership agreement with the ASAN Artificial Intelligence Platform (ASAN AI HUB). This collaboration will open new opportunities to support innovation in the region. At the same time, it aims to ensure that the next phase of AI development is both more inclusive and grounded in local creative potential, S. Nouri said.
News / National

by Gideon Madzikatidze / Simbarashe Sithole

HEADLANDS - The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has expressed deep sorrow following the death of Engineer Manuel Jose Semente, a staffer with Caminhos de Ferro de Mocambique (CFM), who was killed in a tragic level crossing accident in Headlands, Manicaland, on 28 November 2025.

Semente, a respected engineer, died while on official duty during a joint railway inspection with the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).In a statement issued over the weekend, the Ministry confirmed that the accident involved a CFM railway trolley and a fuel tanker, which failed to stop at the crossing. Semente sustained fatal injuries, sparking widespread grief across Zimbabwes transport sector.The government, NRZ and the Ministry extended condolences to the Mozambican government, CFM, and Sementes family.He was a partner in progress, contributing to the collaborative spirit and shared goals binding Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the statement read.Sementes dedication to rail operations and cross-border cooperation was praised, with officials noting his contributions to regional railway development.The incident has underscored the risks faced by transport workers and the importance of strict safety protocols at level crossings. Both Zimbabwe and Mozambique vowed to honour his legacy in advancing regional connectivity.
7 December 2025 21:45 (UTC+04:00)

Georgian Minister of Education, Science and Youth Givi Mikanadze and Azerbaijani Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev visited Georgian Technical University to discuss strengthening cooperation in higher education and scientific research, Azernews reports, citing local media.

During the visit, the universitys rector, academician David Gurgenidze, briefed the ministers on the universitys international projects, scientific and academic achievements, and ongoing research initiatives. He also highlighted the active participation of the universitys scientists and students in some of the worlds largest scientific experiments.

The ministers and invited guests toured an exhibition of scientific projects and met with Georgian and Azerbaijani students presenting innovative works in robotics, artificial intelligence, and modern technologies.

In a highlight of the visit, David Gurgenidze awarded Emin Amrullayev the title of Honorary Doctor of Georgian Technical University for his outstanding contribution to developing academic and scientific ties between the university and Azerbaijani higher education institutions.
7 December 2025 15:55 (UTC+04:00)

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It has been three years since the commissioning of the Akademik Xosbxt Yusifzad tanker, built at the Baku Shipyard on order from Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO).

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7 December 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

Tesla Inc. and x.AI Corp. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk took to X on Saturday to express his wonder about "how long" it will be before the European Union disintegrates, Azernews reports.

"How long before the EU is gone?" Musk wrote on X, adding "AbolishTheEU." In a previous post, the entrepreneur claimed that "the EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people," Musk wrote on X.

Musk's comments came amid his ongoing feudwith the EU after the bloc fined X 120 million for breaching its Digital Services Act (DSA).
7 December 2025 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

UN Security Council President Samuel Zbogar on Saturday expressed support for Lebanons territorial unity and sovereignty, calling for all parties to commit to the ceasefire agreement signed on Nov. 27, 2024.

He made the remarks during a press conference at the conclusion of a visit by a UN Security Council delegation to Beirut, where members met Lebanese officials and toured the Blue Line, the border demarcation marking Israels withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, according to Anadolu Agency.

The UN official said the Security Council renews its commitment to the stability of Lebanon and the region as a whole, and continues to hold regular consultations on the situation in Lebanon and along the Blue Line.

We came to Beirut at a pivotal time for the implementation of ... the cessation of hostilities agreement of November of last year, said Zbogar.

Recently, Israels public broadcaster reported that the country is preparing for a military escalation in anticipation of potential security deterioration in Lebanon due to what it described as the growing capabilities of Hezbollah.

We reaffirm the council's support for Lebanon's territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence, said Zbogar.

On Aug. 11, 2006, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1701, which called for a complete cessation of hostilities following a 33-day war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

Zbogar further affirmed that the "safety of peacekeepers must be respected and that they must never be targeted.

We support the Lebanese government's decision to ensure the state's monopoly of arms.

Under US-Israeli pressure, the Lebanese government decided last August to disarm Hezbollah, and the army drafted a five-phase plan to remove its weapons.

However, Hezbollah quickly rejected the plan, calling the decision a sin and insisting on Israels withdrawal from Lebanese territory, which it has failed to do despite making pledges to leave.

On Friday, the UN delegation began its visit to Lebanon after arriving from Syria, where it met with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Army Commander Rodolphe Haikal.
7 December 2025 11:26 (UTC+04:00)

Italy is believed to have supplied Ukraine with another group of M109L self-propelled howitzers, adding to the roughly one hundred units Rome has already transferred since the start of the full-scale war. Although the Italian government has not formally announced any new deliveries, such public confirmation is not required, and analysts suggest a fresh batch has likely been dispatched, according to Ukrainian sources.

According to military observers, the howitzers sent most recently may have required extensive repairs after years in storage. This is the first batch in a long time, so returning these systems to operational condition may not have been straightforward, one expert noted.

Italy previously transferred a substantial number of M109L systems to Ukraine, beginning in 2022. By October of that year, several dozen had already been delivered, with the remainder arriving gradually throughout 2022 and 2023. As reported by A-129 Mangusta, by June 2023 the Ukrainian Defence Forces had received over one hundred of the systems from Italian stockpiles  suggesting that there has been a pause of around two and a half years before the latest shipment.

Questions now focus on the state of the newly supplied vehicles. It is likely that some have been refurbished for frontline use, while others could serve as donors for spare parts given the heavy maintenance needs of the platform.

Ukraine has so far lost 108 M109 systems of all variants (A3/A4/A5/A6/L), according to the Oryx analytical database. Despite these losses, the M109 remains an important part of Ukraines artillery capabilities, and all remaining units require continuous repair and technical support.

In a separate development, Defence Express earlier reported that Italy has revived a long-dormant project to develop a counterpart to Germanys RCH-155  the RH1-155/52 Hitfire  signalling renewed interest in strengthening its domestic artillery industry.
7 December 2025 14:09 (UTC+04:00)

Japan has unveiled a draft national plan aimed at dramatically expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the country, with the goal of boosting adoption from the current 26.7 per cent to 50 per cent in the near term and eventually to 80 per cent.

According to details obtained on Friday and reported by Jiji Press, the draft underscores the need to accelerate AI uptake in order to support the development of Japans domestic AI technologies. The government also aims to attract around 1 trillion yen (approximately USD 6.4 billion) in private investment to fund research and development under the plan.

The programme is expected to be approved at a Cabinet meeting before the end of the year.

Japan currently trails behind major global competitors in AI adoption. Usage of generative AI stands at 68.8 per cent in the United States and 81.2 per cent in China, while Japan lags significantly at just 26.7 per cent.

The draft stresses that AI must be embedded throughout society, serving as a critical component of Japans social infrastructure, both an intellectual foundation and an execution platform for the countrys future economic and technological development.
7 December 2025 16:49 (UTC+04:00)

Hong Kong residents are voting in an election widely seen as a measure of public sentiment following a deadly fire that claimed nearly 160 lives last month in Tai Po.

The government has launched an extensive campaign to encourage voter participation in choosing members of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Hong Kongs mini-parliament responsible for making and amending laws. All candidates have been vetted to ensure loyalty to Beijing.

Authorities have responded to the Tai Po fire by distributing aid to survivors, arresting suspects, and enhancing building safety regulations, amid public scrutiny over the incident.

A total of 161 candidates are competing for 90 seats in this years LegCo election, the second held since Beijing overhauled Hong Kongs electoral system in 2021 to allow only patriots to run. While Beijing argues that these reforms ensure stability, critics contend they undermine democratic participation. The previous election, conducted under the new system, saw record-low turnout of just 30%.

In a bid to boost participation, the government has deployed an array of incentives and publicity campaigns. Voters receive thank you cards redeemable for shopping vouchers, beauty services, medical check-ups, and insurance premiums. Public swimming pool and museum entry will be free on polling day, and neighbourhood carnivals, televised variety shows, and a gala are being organised.

Election-themed mascots and a campaign song adapted from Cantopop star Aaron Kwoks 2001 hit Lets Vote, Together We Create The Future have also been introduced. Chief Secretary Eric Chan stated that these measures aim to foster a happy and festive mood and encourage residents to recognise the elections importance.
7 December 2025 23:16 (UTC+04:00)

Japans defence ministry reported on Sunday that Chinese military aircraft targeted Japanese fighter jets with fire-control radar in airspace southeast of Okinawa. The ministry said Chinese J-15 fighters twice locked their radar onto Japanese jets on Saturday, though no damage or injuries were recorded.

China rejected the accusation, calling Tokyos account completely at odds with the facts and demanding that Japan cease slandering and smearing Beijing.

Tensions between the two countries have risen after Japans new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested that Tokyo could use military force if China were to attack Taiwan. Beijing summoned Japans ambassador last month in response to her remarks.

Japans Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the radar lock-ons as dangerous and extremely regrettable, saying Japan has filed a formal and strong protest with China.

The two sides remain at odds over the Senkaku Islands  known in China as the Diaoyu  a group of uninhabited islets located between Okinawa and Taiwan, which both countries claim.

The latest incident occurred as Australias Defence Minister Richard Marles visited Japan. After meeting Koizumi, Marles expressed deep concern about Chinas actions in the past day. He noted that Canberra had managed to stabilise its relationship with Beijing by maintaining a calm and consistent approach but stressed that Australia would still disagree where we must.

Marles also toured Mitsubishis Nagasaki shipyard, months after Australia inked a $6 billion contract to acquire 11 advanced warships from the Japanese manufacturer.
7 December 2025 22:44 (UTC+04:00)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House later this month to discuss the challenging second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Azernews reports via Yeni Shafak. Netanyahu also stated he will not leave politics even if granted a presidential pardon for his ongoing corruption trial.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed an upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump to coordinate on the next stages of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. During a press conference in Jerusalem alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu indicated the talks at the White House would focus on implementing the more complex second phase of the truce, which includes Gaza's reconstruction and establishing a new governing framework.

Netanyahu described the upcoming phase as "more difficult, or equally difficult, than the first," noting it would follow the confirmed return of all living Israeli hostages and the remains of those killed from Gaza. The ceasefire, mediated by Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar with US backing, has held since October 10. Its initial phase involved a prisoner exchange, while subsequent steps aim to rebuild the devastated enclave and install an administration excluding Hamas.

Separately, Netanyahu addressed his domestic legal challenges, asserting he has no intention of resigning from political life even if he receives a presidential pardon. Last week, he formally requested clemency from President Isaac Herzog for longstanding corruption charges, a move opposition figures criticized as an implicit admission of guilt. The prime minister also faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes in Gaza.
Oregon coast on the downlow (rates, that is), in Lincoln City and Cannon Beach

Published 12/02/25 at 5:25 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon)  Snagging a deal this of year along Oregon's shoreline usually isn't a problem. Everyone is at lower-than-usual rates. Some deals are more deal-like than others, too. (Looking Glass Inn, courtesy photo)

Along come four inns of particular style and grace: three in Lincoln City and one in Cannon Beach. There, the utterance of cheap isn't just a noise birds make: these rates are downright low during midweek. And that, after all, is the best way to see the Oregon coast: while no one else is around and the storms are often raging.

Way in the back of the historic Taft District of Lincoln City, right across from scenic Siletz Bay and its multitude of stranded logs, the Looking Glass Inn is a charming Cape Cod-style retreat just steps from this famed central Oregon coast beach. Get lost in treasure hunting or simply playing in the surf  all of it right outside the door. The inn features a variety of accommodations, including whirlpool tub suites, one-bedroom deluxe suites, two-bedroom fireplace suites, and spacious options with multiple beds and living areas. Many rooms boast beautiful bay or ocean views, creating the perfect backdrop for a coastal getaway.





December midweek specials are being offered with discounted rates on select accommodations. Guests can stay in a two queen studio for $89 per night, a king whirlpool suite for $99 per night, or a two bedroom suite for $99 per night. These special rates are available Sunday through Thursday, November 30 to December 18, 2025, based on double occupancy, and exclude the two bedroom fireplace suite. 800-843-4940. www.lookingglass-inn.com





Upscale and a bit towering, The Shearwater Inn in Lincoln City offers up eye-popping ocean views from practically downtown. There are a bundle of spacious rooms and suites, many with panoramic sights, gas fireplaces, decks or Juliette balconies, and easy access to the beach. Some suites feature full kitchens, king beds, or hide-a-beds, while all rooms include a coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, hair dryer, smart TV, and free wireless internet. Each morning, a complimentary light continental breakfast is delivered to your room, and in the evening you can unwind at the hosted wine social.

Amenities include panoramic ocean views, spacious rooms and suites, low beach access, gas fireplaces, full kitchens in select suites, whirlpool tubs in grand suites, robes in every room, in-room Left Coast Coffee, outdoor hot tub, and rather striking dog-friendly accommodations. The inn is ideally located next to D River Wayside Park, just blocks from nearly everything.

Shearwater Inn is offering December midweek specials with reduced rates on select accommodations. Guests can stay in a king standard for $89 per night, a king studio for $99 per night, or a one bedroom suite for $129 per night. When you stay three nights or more Sunday through Thursday, youll save even more with the Stay Longer & Save rate and receive a complimentary bottle of Oregon red wine to enjoy during your getaway. These special rates are available November 30 through December 18, 2025, and apply to double occupancy. 120 NW Inlet Court, Lincoln City, Oregon. (541) 994-4121. 800-869-8069. www.theshearwaterinn.com

At the northern end of Lincoln City, Pelican Shores Inn offers everyone a stunning view of the rolling surf, perched atop a rather hidden stretch of sands. It's one of the areas more secluded parts and you have your own set of steps down. At night, the surf is lighted for a truly unique Oregon coast experience. Suites include options such as oceanfront patios, gas fireplaces, and full kitchens. King studios feature sliding glass doors that open directly to the lawn-level patios, while one-bedroom oceanfront suites provide separate bedrooms and kitchens. Families will appreciate the spacious two-bedroom suite with living area and kitchen, and the popular one-bedroom king suite offers two bathrooms, two double beds, and an oceanfront king bedroom.

December Midweek Specials are available until December 18. Stay in a King Deluxe Studio for $99 per night, a One Bedroom Suite for $119 per night, or a One Bedroom Fireplace Suite for $129 per night. These special rates apply Sunday through Thursday are based on double occupancy. 800-705-5505. www.pelicanshores.com

For an inexpensive taste of Cannon Beach, at its southern end sits The Wayside Inn. Overlooking the Tolovana area's parking lot and beach, you get quite the oceanic eyeful. A big plus is easy access to miles of sandy shoreline and the iconic Haystack Rock. When winter comes, watch the tides rage against the concrete barrier or maybe even the rock itself.

There are rooms and suites with gas fireplaces, small kitchens - many with ovens - flat screen TVs, complimentary Wi-Fi, and private decks. After a day at the beach, you can unwind in the heated indoor pool or hot tub, both perfect for year-round repose and relaxation.





Amenities include ocean-view rooms, easy beach access, gas fireplaces, smart TVs, full kitchens in select suites, decks, indoor pool, hot tub, complimentary Wi-Fi, dog-friendly accommodations with special dog baskets, complimentary parking, and all non-smoking rooms.

December midweek specials: Stay in a two queen studio for $89 per night, a one bedroom king suite for $99 per night, or a one bedroom two queen suite for $99 per night. These special rates are offered Sunday through Thursday, until December 18, 2025, and apply to double occupancy. 3339 S. Hemlock Street, Cannon Beach, Oregon, 888-659-6397. www.thewayside-inn.com







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News / National

by Staff reporter

Dozens of families left homeless after the demolition of homes at Willdale Farm in Zvimba East say alleged corruption involving government officials and Zanu-PF local leaders is worsening their suffering and delaying their relocation.For more than a week, the displaced families have been stranded along the HarareChirundu Highway, many without food, shelter, toilets, or clean water. Some are sleeping in the open, while others are using nearby bushes as makeshift toilets as heavy rains continue to pound the area.The evictions, conducted in the early hours of last Friday, targeted informal and peri-urban settlements whose occupants had lived on the land since the land reform programme in 2000. During the operation, household items - including mattresses, beds, wardrobes and clothing - were loaded onto trucks and dumped along the highway.Authorities say the evicted families are meant to be temporarily relocated to Nyabira Farm.Zvimba East Member of Parliament Kudakwashe Mananzva confirmed that assistance was being provided through the Zvimba Rural District Council and the Civil Protection Unit (CPU)."Efforts to drill boreholes are underway to provide clean water for the displaced families," Mananzva said.Despite assurances from authorities, many displaced residents accuse politicians and officials of manipulating relocation lists to benefit relatives and politically connected individuals."The disturbing issue is that those being relocated are not genuine victims of the mass evictions, but people being smuggled in by politicians," said Charity Semwayo, one of the first residents to be evicted.Another resident, Mavis Muroyiwa, echoed the concern."Names were written, but no help is coming. We see people we don't even know being moved to the new site. There is corruption in the whole exercise. Those with children and the elderly are being left out," she said.Hunger has emerged as the biggest threat."We are starving," said elderly resident Joseph Jimu. "The little food we had is finished. Even if they relocate us now, we will die of hunger."Zanu-PF local leader in Mt Hampden, Wonder Sigauke - also among the evicted - described the situation as dire."There is no shelter and no food. Children and women are suffering the most," he said.A site visit revealed women bathing in the open at night, children playing dangerously close to the highway, and families huddling under makeshift structures.Many residents say they lost birth certificates, national identity cards and other key documents during the demolitions, alleging that police and the messenger of court denied them time to remove their belongings.A mother of four, Tarisai Chatsamwa, said, "I lost my identity documents and the birth certificates of all my children. We appeal to the Registrar-General's Office to come here and help us."Zvimba District Development Coordinator and CPU chairperson, Joseph Manyurapasi, acknowledged irregularities in the relocation process."In situations like this, chancers try to benefit at the expense of genuine victims," he said, adding that so far around 600 people had been recorded at the temporary site in Nyabira.He said authorities had previously been assured by Willdale management that no evictions would take place during the rainy season.MP Mananzva estimated the total number of affected residents to be more than 5,000 scattered across three settlements on the farm."It's devastating to see children and mothers in the open without food and shelter," he said.Former Zanu-PF district coordinating committee member Solomon Nasho condemned the evictions, alleging political motives."In our view, their eviction is political, driven by people who do not want to see Zanu-PF winning Zvimba East in the next elections," he claimed, appealing for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's intervention.Efforts to get comment from Willdale management were unsuccessful.The evictions are reportedly intended to pave the way for the Zim Cyber City project, a multi-million-dollar development initiative. However, authorities have not provided clear communication about the future of the affected families, deepening anxiety and frustration.The Willdale Farm evictions follow a pattern of forced displacements across the country that have drawn condemnation from human rights groups.In November last year, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) represented villagers arrested for allegedly occupying gazetted land without lawful authority. The organisation has argued that many such evictions violate section 74 of the Constitution, which protects citizens from arbitrary eviction.ZLHR criticised government authorities for what it described as "insensitive and callous" displacement of vulnerable people, saying the actions amounted to degrading treatment."It is prudent for both the local and central government to invest efforts and resources in creating a stable, safe and just society rather than perpetuating injustice," ZLHR said in a statement. It urged authorities to prevent settlement in undesignated areas before structures are erected, rather than demolishing homes without due process.As the crisis deepens, thousands of families across Zimbabwe continue to face uncertainty - and in Zvimba East, the residents of Willdale Farm wait in the rain for answers, shelter and food.
Oregon / Washington King Tides Misconceptions: Not Always a Supermoon Involved

Published 12/01/25 at 6:25 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Manzanita, Oregon)  What is different about this upcoming King Tides, December 4  6? There's an added supermoon  and no, that's not always the case. (Above: Yachats - Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

One of the great misconceptions is that king tides happen only with supermoons. Since 2024 we've had a run of that, but back in 2023 there was a different super full moon in the summertime, far from the Perigean tides we know as king tides.

And yes, Perigean tides is actually the correct name for them.

The actual definition of a king tide event often gets mixed up with other things. Oregon Coast Beach Connection chatted with National Weather Service's (NWS) Brian Nieuwenhuis, from its Medford office. King tides is close in definition to a super full moon  but not quite.

A Perigean Spring Tide occurs when the moon is at its closest point to the earth and also aligned with the sun and our point on the planet (this alignment is called Syzygy, which I think is a fun word), Nieuwenhuis said. This typically occurs for us in the winter, and can be at other times of the year in different parts of the world. The Florida king tides occur in the fall.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon happens at the same time that the moon is closest to Earth (perigee) on its monthly orbit, but not necessarily when the alignment occurs.



Barview, courtesy CL Downing and Oregon King Tides Project

The difference is essentially that the sun has to align close at the same time the moon gets close. However, it can get closer during super full moon events. Also part of the problem: the definitions of supermoons and king tides are a bit off because they're not official terms, Nieuwenhuis said.

The next supermoon happens on December 4 at 3:14 p.m.

It just so happens that this winter, the King Tides and Supermoons are aligned, Nieuwenhuis said. The two can happen at the same time, but don't always.

In 2027, there's only one: in January. By 2028, they've shifted to January, February and March.

Nieuwenhuis provided this chart to show how the dates of the closest moon to Earth can and do move around.

Jim Todd, astronomy expert for OMSI, told Oregon Coast Beach Connection a super full moon can make a difference along the Washington and Oregon coastlines.

A supermoon causes slightly higher tides than a regular full moon because the moon's closer proximity to Earth results in a stronger gravitational pull, he said. This effect can be quantified as the tidal force being about 25% greater than average during a supermoon, leading to higher-than-normal Perigean tides.

However, the other great misconception about king tides is that people now throw the term around at every high wave event  or what was simply know before as winter storm action has suddenly now become king tides by those talking about the Washington or Oregon coast.

High waves on the coast are not king tides: big waves are created by storm systems and can be much bigger and badder than during king tides. King tides can be wilder if there's a storm barreling through at the same time, and indeed that ends up being the case a lot in winter. But it's just coincidence.

Nieuwenhuis has said there's a lot of confusion about that, and another official trying to set the record straight is Janice Langlinais is head of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor & Convention Bureau.

We want people to come and see how high the tides can get during a King Tide but was also do not want them to be disappointed if there is not a corresponding High Surf to create the awe-inspiring wave crashes we see at Shore Acres State Park, Langlinais said.

The breakdown:

- Big storm waves are not king tides; those only happen on king tide events.

- King tides are about tidal conditions  how high the incoming or outgoing tide. Wave events are how rough the seas are and how big the incoming waves on top of the tidal levels.

- King tides do not mean there's always a supermoon as well.

- Whatever the conditions, never turn your back on the ocean. If there's a high surf advisory or warning, stay off beaches altogether.



For full weather forecasts as well as wave forecasts and tides for each area:

Washington Coast Weather

Astoria / Warrenton Weather

Seaside Weather

Cannon Beach

Manzanita Weather / Waves

Nehalem Bay / Wheeler

Rockaway Beach Waves, Weather

Oceanside/Tillamook

Pacific City Weather, Waves

Lincoln City Waves, Weather

Depoe Bay Weather

Newport Waves, Weather

Yachats

Florence

Coos Bay - North Bend - Charleston

Bandon Weather

Port Orford Weather

Gold Beach Weather

Brookings Weather

Upload your photos to the MyCoast app or website for Washington, and in Oregon it's the Oregon King Tides site. They're also hoping to get more from a wider variety of areas.

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What's Up (and Not Up) for King Tides on Oregon / Washington Coast This Week

Published 12/03/25 at 6:55 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon)  King tides are coming up on the whole of the Oregon coast and Washington coast this week, December 4  6 (Wednesday through Friday), and aside from some minor flooding on Thursday, it's rather unremarkable. As Roxy Music put it back in the '70s,  'T ain't no big thing.'  (Photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

There are no major high wave events coinciding with the tides. You're not going to catch much at areas like Cape Disappointment or Depoe Bay, but some flooding may occur at the northern end of Oregon's coastline and southern part of Washington  so you will want to take some care out on the beaches. Those trying to shoot king tides may not encounter a whole lot, but to be safe you should be snapping pics from above the beaches.

There is a beach hazards statement for sneaker waves that is expiring for the northern half of Oregon's beaches, but there is also some amount of flooding in store for some areas.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for the South Washington Coast and the Clatsop County Coast in Oregon. The advisory is in effect from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, when minor tidal overflow flooding is possible during high tide. Water levels may rise up to one foot above ground in low-lying areas near bays, sloughs, and the lower reaches of coastal rivers.

Residents in the affected areas are urged to stay alert for rising water and take necessary precautions to protect life and property. Officials also advise staying out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions.

This is due to total tide of up to 11.1 feet at Toke Point resulting in tide up to one foot above ground level during high tide, total tide of up to 10.6 feet at Tongue Point resulting in tide up to one foot above ground level, the NWS said.

On the south coast, offshore waves and seas don't climb much beyond 10 feet, if at all, although the period between swells is rather long at 12 to 14 seconds this week. As king tides get going, areas like Coos Bay's Shore Acres or even Port Orford aren't going to show off a lot.





Up north  for areas like Seaside, Cannon Beach, Oceanside, Pacific City or Depoe Bay  it's largely the same, although period timing starts off a little higher as Wednesday sees the end of the beach hazards statement. High tides may present some beach dangers when coupled with the flooding, so it's a good idea to be extra cautious on the beaches from Florence through the south Washington coast this week.

Oregon / Washington King Tides Misconceptions: Not Always a Supermoon Involved - Not the same as high wave events, don't always include a supermoon

Seas may begin to rise again as the weekend kicks in.

Most of the king tides this week don't exceed nine feet, and the majority max out around 8 to 8-and-a-half feet, occurring around 10:30 a.m. to maybe 12:30 p.m. in most areas.

See the links below for weather forecasts and even wave observations offshore at that moment in time, as well as links to tide tables.

Washington Coast Weather

Astoria / Warrenton Weather

Seaside Weather

Cannon Beach

Manzanita Weather / Waves

Nehalem Bay / Wheeler

Rockaway Beach Waves, Weather

Oceanside/Tillamook

Pacific City Weather, Waves

Lincoln City Waves, Weather

Depoe Bay Weather

Newport Waves, Weather

Yachats

Florence

Coos Bay - North Bend - Charleston

Bandon Weather

Port Orford Weather

Gold Beach Weather

Brookings Weather

Upload your photos to the MyCoast app or website for Washington, and in Oregon it's the Oregon King Tides site. They're also hoping to get more from a wider variety of areas.

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"Did those two men clinging to the side of the boat pose an imminent threat?"@MarthaRaddatz weighs in on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean. https://t.co/qh5zs8hdWr pic.twitter.com/alnukF1hlq  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 30, 2025

 Joey Jones just ended the left with one quote:"Spare me the tears over terrorists when you don't cry over Americans who've died from them. Spare me the tears over terrorists when you didn't have anything to say when President Obama droned American citizens." pic.twitter.com/6ISsgZkWzD  Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) November 29, 2025

Considering what real news is available for all to witness, and in great specificity, should one pursue what is true outside of the channeled realm of the corrupt corporate /legacy media, and: Is Institutionalized Corruption real, and is it a hindrance to sustaining our Constitutional Republic now, and for future generations of American citizens? Yes No Not sure 488 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



poll#215

Under the cover of Covid, and now in the shadow of the infamous Election Irregularities of that fated 2020 presidential election, with current emerging alleged election fraud in Nevada and Pennsylvania inconveniently slipping into the public discourse, there is proved a colluded ongoing Election Interference in the nomination of the Republican candidate, the likes of which has never occurred in our Constitutional Republic's history, albeit, the question remains: Do you support the plain-sight Election Interference of the Democratic Socialist party, employing its minions in their Propagandistic Media, and their Two Tiered Justice System? No, I do not support Election Interference; I am a patriot unto our Constitution. Yes, I do support Election Interference; the alternative, Donald Trump, to this mentally diminished president is far worse. "What, me worry" if elections are rigged? 170 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



poll#218

Now that President Trump is picking his cabinet and immediate staff to insulate him from the poor judgement of the Bureaucratic Class, while moving quickly to transition this Constitutional Republic unto a wise and sustainable direction: What is your immediate impression as to how our nation will prosper? We are headed toward a Golden Age in America's self-governed society. This will all wind up in a clustered mess since Trump is a Fascist, and thought to be the second coming of Adolf Hitler by our best journalists. This is a time where critical days lay ahead, where only wise and responsible decisions must be made to sustain US. I generally do not pay attention, but expect only the best to occur ... and that is what I always expect. 143 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl spent part of Sunday morning's broadcast oftalking about a Washington Post hit piece attacking War Secretary Pete Hegseth.The story in question alleged that Hegseth had ordered a second strike on a boat full of narco-terrorists when the first had left two survivors.Hegseth responded to the story in a lengthy post on X, saying in part,But when Karl raised the issue on Sunday morning, he opted to speak instead with ABC's global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz, who has reported extensively on the military but has never served herself.WATCH:Raddatz cited The Washington Post report and said that the second strike - executed when the two survivors were apparently clinging to the wreckage of the destroyed boat - had been ordered based on verbal instruction from Hegseth himself toshe asked, going on to wonder whether the order to strike a second time had been given with the knowledge that survivors were hanging on for dear life, and whether the lawyers had been consulted about the legality of such a strike.The conversation focused on the idea that attacking when there was nowould be a violation of theBut as Marine Corps veteran and Fox News personality Joey Jones said onandoes not always have to come in the form of guns pointed at American citizens.Jones noted that if the survivors were able to radio others in their drug trafficking network, that could be just as grave a threat - and could also quickly result in men with guns showing up to defend them.
The Charlotte Light Rail system, where a young Ukrainian woman was stabbed to death earlier this year by a career criminal who was out on bond, has been the scene of another horrific stabbing. This time the victim is male and although badly injured, is still alive. The perpetrator of this latest stabbing is a 33 year old illegal alien from Honduras who had previously been deported twice but returned to the US. His address on court documents matches that of a shelter for illegal aliens. When and how he returned is not known at this time.

"What's going on in Charlotte?," President Trump asked, "The Democrats are destroying it, piece by piece."

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/president-trump-responds-after-previously-deported-illegal-alien/

https://justthenews.com/government/local/illegal-immigrant-charged-another-charlotte-train-stabbing-after-ukrainian

https://nypost.com/2025/12/06/us-news/oscar-solarzano-arrested-on-first-degree-attempted-murder-in-charlotte/

https://redstate.com/wardclark/2025/12/06/again-illegal-alien-stabs-rider-in-charlotte-light-rail-attack-n2196883

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15359831/iryna-zarutska-charlotte-train-stabbing.html

Democrats previously did all they could to thwart ICE's efforts to arrest illegal aliens, particularly those with criminal records, in Charlotte. Local Charlotte Democrats as well as liberal Democrat Governor Josh Stein and the state Democrat Party chairwoman did all they could to protect illegal alien criminals so they could stay in the community. This is just the sort of thing that results from that sort of betrayal of American citizens.
Second control zone now in place around farm near Greyabbey

The new suspect case follows confirmation of more than 40 cases of bluetongue in a herd near Bangor last week (PA)

A second suspected case of Bluetongue in a herd in Co Down is alarming for famers, a DUP MP has warned.

Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart said she is continuing to monitor the unfolding Bluetongue situation in Northern Ireland, describing it as a serious challenge for the farming industry.

Northern Irelands Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said the suspect case is on a farm close to Greyabbey.

It follows the confirmation of more than 40 cases of bluetongue at a herd close to Bangor last week.

Daera said the new suspect case of the virus in a cow near Greyabbey is within the existing 20km temporary control zone (TCZ).

A second 20km TCZ around the Greyabbey farm has now been introduced, effective from 6pm on Saturday.

The animal disease affects livestock including cattle and sheep, as well as goats, deer and llamas.

It does not affect humans or food safety and is primarily transmitted through midges, which are most active from April to November.

Stormont Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said the emergence of the new suspect case in the existing TCZ is very disappointing  especially for the farmer concerned.

He added: The decision to now introduce a second TCZ is an essential measure.

This suspect case serves as another reminder of why farmers need to be extra vigilant for clinical signs of bluetongue in their flocks or herds  details of which are on the Daera website and the departments social media accounts.

Once again, I would remind members of the public that Bluetongue does not have any impact on human health or food safety. It does however pose risks to cloven hoofed animals  particularly sheep which can show the most severe symptoms.

I urge farmers in the second TCZ to familiarise themselves with the animal movement restrictions that will operate in their area and to follow them closely.

As vets continue their investigations, I and my officials will continue to work closely with stakeholders in the agri-food industry, as well as our counterparts in the Irish, UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, as we respond to a rapidly evolving situation.

Chief Veterinary Officer Brian Dooher described Bluetongue as an unpredictable virus.

He said: The spread of bluetongue has a significant impact on livestock, the agri-food sector and the rural economy.

That is why, as a result of the Disease Control Framework we launched in June, Daera continues to move rapidly to put in place control measures.

I would urge everyone in the farming industry to continue to play their part in protecting our farms by remaining vigilant, and would especially urge those in the TCZs to follow the restrictions.

It is also imperative that keepers who suspect an outbreak report any symptoms immediately to their vet, local divisional veterinary office or to the Daera helpline on 0300 200 7840.

The new suspect case follows confirmation of more than 40 cases of bluetongue in a herd near Bangor last week (PA)

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Ms Lockhart added: Farmers are advised to remain vigilant and follow the bio-security guidelines issued by DAERA. All concerns or suspicious symptoms should be reported to local vets, or via the DAERA helpline on 0300 200 7840.

Communication is key as we navigate this latest threat to our farming industry.

Farming can be a lonely occupation, and I realise many farmers will be anxious and overwhelmed by these latest developments. Advice and support is available, and I would urge anyone who is struggling to reach out to family and friends, or contact Rural Support on 0800 138 1678 or email: info@ruralsupport.org.uk.
Justice Minister Naomi Long has reacted after comments made by the TUVs Timothy Gaston about how the PSNI handled riots in Ballymena.

Justice Minister Naomi Long has hit out at disgraceful comments by an MLA who claimed the PSNI contributed to rioting in Ballymena earlier this year.

It comes after the TUVs Timothy Gaston told a Stormont committee that he has raised serious concerns with Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton.

"Any violence and all violence in Ballymena was wrong, but theres an element of that was underlying tensions and on the night, the police contributed to that starting by the way they handled the blocking of Harryville Bridge, he said on Friday.

The large majority of people  there was only a small minority of people who were in Ballymena on the night to cause trouble  but yet the PSNI came out with this message that the whole thing was racist thuggery and far right.

Mr Gaston said the narrative allowed labels to be applied, which he described as deeply misleading and deeply regrettable.

It helped ensure the violence continued for several nights, he added.

The Justice Minister took to social media to criticise the remarks.

Disgraceful comments for any political representative. Such disorder is solely the fault of those who engaged in it, Alliance party leader Mrs Long posted on X.

Suggesting @PoliceServiceNI contributed to what unfolded is despicable.

Officers actually placed themselves at risk to save lives.

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland also took to social media to dispute the allegations made by Mr Gaston.

On behalf of our members, we totally reject the assertion being made that our officers in some way contributed to the disgraceful disorder scenes in Ballymena last summer, the body that represents rank-and-file officers posted.

We didnt and dont always get everything right, but that in no way justifies the wanton violence and criminality that subsequently played out.

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Multiple nights of rioting in Ballymena back in June spread to other parts of Northern Ireland, including Portadown, Larne and Belfast, and have so far resulted in 100 arrests being made.

The disorder erupted following reports of a young girl being sexually assaulted and saw police come under sustained attack, while properties housing ethnic minorities were targeted and destroyed.

Mr Gaston acknowledged huffing and blowing in the chamber as he outlined his lived experience and that of my local community where the Roma community came in and basically took over Clonavon.

"People didnt feel safe to go down into Clonavon, ghettos were allowed to bed in.

"This was on the doorstep of the police station  local people felt as if they were marginalised and people felt forgotten about integration simply didnt happen.

The Executive Office committee chair acknowledged the really good point about social cohesion before Mr Gaston went on to express serious reservations about a police service that has been captured by ideology.

The North Antrim representative also called for the force to be properly resourced and staffed with people in positions based on merit and not skin colour or religion.

Mr Gastons comments on November 12 came before attempted rape charges against two Romanian teenagers were withdrawn by the Public Prosecution Service at the end of the month.

Justice Minister Naomi Long has reacted after comments made by the TUVs Timothy Gaston about how the PSNI handled riots in Ballymena.

Belfast History Explained: The Story of the River Farset

The 14 and 15-year-old boys had been accused of attempting to rape a schoolgirl in Ballymena on June 7, resulting in them being held in juvenile detention.

A separate suspect was believed to have fled to Romania the next day.

But criminal proceedings against all three were abandoned recently due to "significant evidential developments" in Belfast Youth Court.

In a statement in response Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland will always listen to feedback and concerns on our policing operations but I do not accept that our actions on the evening of 9th June contributed to rioting.

To the contrary the actions of our officers on that and subsequent nights undoubtedly saved lives. Responsibility for the despicable disorder in Ballymena rests squarely with the small number of people who chose to engage in wanton violence against the police and others within their own community. There was not, and cannot be, any excuse or justification for their actions."
Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses in relation to a report of an arson incident at a property in east Belfast yesterday evening, Saturday 6th December. Photo - Andrew McCarroll/ Pacemaker Press

Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following the report of an arson attack at a property in east Belfast on Saturday night.

Detective Sergeant McCallum said: Shortly after 10.20pm, colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire Service reported a fire at a block of flats at Inverary Avenue.

It was reported that an accelerant had been used to set the front door alight. Thankfully, there was no one inside the property at the time of the incident, and there were no reports of any injuries in relation to other residents in the apartment block.

Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses in relation to a report of an arson incident at a property in east Belfast yesterday evening, Saturday 6th December. Photo - Andrew McCarroll/ Pacemaker Press

News Catch Up - Sunday 7 December

Significant scorch damage was caused to the flat door as a result of the blaze.

An investigation is underway, and police are treating the report as arson with intent to endanger life.

We would appeal to anyone who may have any information which might help us to contact detectives at Musgrave via 101, and quote reference number 1558 of 06/12/25.
The photograph on the card was taken in Italy to mark the King and Queens 20th wedding anniversary (Aaron Chown/PA)

The King and Queen have chosen their 20th wedding anniversary portrait for their official Christmas card this year.

Charles and Camilla are pictured standing side by side, with the Queens arm linking the Kings, in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassadors residence in Rome, earlier this year.

The photograph is framed inside the card by a dark red border, with the printed message in a matching colour on the opposite side reading Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

The couple reached their milestone 20 years of marriage on April 9 2025 while out of the country and on royal duty during their state visit to Italy, and spent the evening of their anniversary as guests of honour at a grand banquet.

In the image taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson, Camilla is wearing a white and beige coat dress by Anna Valentine and a lily of the valley brooch, while the King is dressed in a blue pinstripe suit with a grey tie and a silk handkerchief in his chest pocket.

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The King and Queen send out hundreds of Christmas cards each year to family, friends, world leaders, diplomats, charities and organisations.

The King and Queen with the royal family in Norfolk on Christmas Day in 2024 (Aaron Chown/PA)

Charles will be preparing to host the wider royal family on Christmas Day, with the royal festivities usually taking place at Sandringham in Norfolk.

The Prince of Wales divulged last year he was spending the day with 45 members of his family all in one room.

But off the guest list is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, with the former prince banished from the royal family and stripped of his titles over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The royal family usually walk to church on Christmas morning and enjoy a traditional turkey roast with all the trimmings before sitting down to watch the Kings Christmas broadcast on television.

The King during the recording of his Christmas message at the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London last year (Aaron Chown/PA)

Last year, Charles used his Christmas address to pay tribute to the selfless doctors and nurses who provided strength, care and comfort during cancer treatment for him and the Princess of Wales.

The King and Camilla have had a busy run over the past year, despite Charles still undergoing treatment for the disease.

They travelled to Canada, met the Pope at the Vatican, and hosted three incoming state visits at Windsor  France with President Emmanuel Macron, the US with President Donald Trump, and then last week Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

It is the first time in nearly 40 years there have been three state visits to the UK in one year.
Row over Palestine flag at Belfast City Hall reignites

Jamie Bryson writes to council amid claims standard was provided by republicans

The Palestinian flag flying from Belfast City Hall (Caoimhin McNulty/PA)

Ciaran Barnes Sat 6 Dec 2025 at 20:00

Unionists are demanding to know where the Palestinian flag which flew from Belfast City Hall came from.
News / National

by Staff reporter

ZIMESCORTS agency, the foreign based company that has set up a prostitution website that advertises sex workers in Zimbabwe, has recruited its first male prostitutes to cater for female clients, Sunday News revealed.Male prostitution is the sale of sexual services by a male to either male or female clients.Two male prostitutes have so far placed personal adverts on the agency's website. Like female escorts, the male prostitutes do not walk the streets and are not visible to the general public. They work either in-call, where the client comes to them, or out-call, where they go to the client.Male prostitution is novel in Zimbabwe and is characterised by taboos. Receiving money for sex from female clients is not generally a norm and is not "accepted" by society. Plus men are not "supposed" to be the victims of prostitution or sexual abuse.The male prostitutes advertised on the site are both from Harare.One of the male prostitutes is called Wella and he is 25-year-old. He charges $10 an hour.Wella's personal advert boasts and declares that he is "VERY ENERGETIC AND ABLE TO SATISFY EVERY WOMAN" (sic).Sunday News called Wella under the guise of setting him up with a female client and he confirmed that he is a male prostitute."Are you calling in connection with ZimEscorts? Okay tell the woman to call me when she gets to Harare. I will satisfy her every need. I am the best man hahaha! I am not expensive because I am not doing this for the money, I just want to satisfy sex starved women in Zimbabwe," he said.The other male prostitute is named Caithboi and his charges range from $10 to $40 an hour depending on the client.Caithboi's profile says that he is "young and playful with the will to satisfy your every desire, energetically created to please women."Caithboi was not available for comment.Just like on the profiles of female prostitutes the escort agency claims that it is dispatching the prostitutes to provide a social or conversational service rather than a sexual service since prostitution is illegal in Zimbabwe and forbids taking payment for sex or communicating for the purpose of arranging a contract for sexual services.The advertisements carefully skirt the legal line and avoid specifically offering prostitution."This is not an offer for prostitution. All fees are exchanged for time and companionship only. No fees of any kind will be quoted, negotiated, or collected in exchange for any sexual conduct."Anything else that may occur is a matter of personal choice between two consenting adults of legal age, and is not contracted for, nor is it requested to be contracted for, or compensated for in any manner," the website's notification reads.Lawyer Mr Thomas Sibanda said male prostitutes are at risk of prosecution like their female counterparts."All kinds of prostitution are illegal in Zimbabwe and these men risk being arrested and charged if they are caught."The same laws that are used on female prostitutes can be applied to male prostitutes. Male prostitutes are at risk of getting heavier sentences because male prostitution is a new thing in Zimbabwe," said Mr Sibanda.Male prostitutes are known by various names and euphemisms including male escorts, gigolos, rent-boys, hustlers, models or masseurs although the words "hustler", "model", and "masseur" do not always refer to prostitutes. Male prostitutes offering services to female customers are sometimes known as "gigolos".Clients, especially those who pick up prostitutes on the street or in bars, are sometimes called "johns or "tricks". Those working in prostitution, especially street prostitutes, sometimes refer to the act of prostitution as "turning tricks".Although male prostitution is and was often associated (particularly in the West) with teenage street kids, "runaways" and drug addicts, prostitution is practised by people of every social, economic, and relationship status, and it is also practised by some people as a career choice.The gender of a male prostitute's sexual partner; or the sexual act that the hustler participates in may not indicate a hustler's sexual orientation.Compared to female sex workers, male sex workers have been far less studied by researchers, and while studies suggest that there are differences between the ways these two groups look at their work, more research is needed.Financial incentives may be the primary reason that prostitutes engage in this work, but they are by no means the only reasons.Hustling may also confer on the hustler a sense of self-worth (the hustler is desired by the client), or of social status (the hustler may be taken to expensive restaurants or travel destinations), or of erotic gratification, or of societal rebellion (the hustler is breaking social conventions.Conversely, the hustler may also experience a sense of self-destructiveness or exploitation. The reasons for hustling are thus extremely personal and may involve a mixture of positive and negative justifications.This same complexity may underlie the justifications of the hustler's client: although sexual gratification may be her primary motive, the client may also be moved by many emotional concerns (including issues related to sexual orientation, power and emotional attachment).The advent of male prostitution in Zimbabwe is likely to undermine the fight against Aids as male prostitutes the world over have limited knowledge of Aids and self-protection. They are in great danger of contracting venereal disease and Aids than their female counterparts.As in all forms of prostitution, the male prostitute and his client can face a number of risks and problems which are health-related including sexually transmitted diseases, drug-use, physical abuse; legal or criminal including solicitation, drug and age of consent laws; societal or familial social stigma, rejection by family and friends, loss of job; and emotional including sense of exploitation or of leading a "double-life", loss of affection and self-destructiveness.
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NORTH ADAMS  Is North Adams better off without the Route 2 overpass? The city and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art will unveil the results of a study examining that question this week.

On Friday, the team that conducted the $750,000 Reconnecting Communities feasibility study will release its final report, recommending whether the city should repair or remove the deteriorating bridge over Marshall Street, which divides the busy area between Main and River streets.

The report will be announced at 3 p.m. in the Swing Space on the Mass MoCA campus. Started in 2023, the study was helmed by Boston-based Stoss Landscape Urbanism.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said the study examines the bridges decaying saddles, which put it at risk of collapse, explores potential changes to better connect downtown, and analyzes traffic patterns into the city center.

The study is part of a nationwide wave of projects funded by the federal Reconnecting Communities pilot program, which prioritizes transportation projects that restore connections to neighborhoods harmed by past infrastructure decisions.

In late 2023, the state Department of Transportation deemed the Veterans Memorial Bridge, also known as the Route 2 overpass, structurally deficient. To buy time for a permanent solution, the city and Mass MoCA, working with state Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, secured $160,000 from the DOT to install support trusses, which were added this summer.

Reconnecting Communities is done, but we are pursuing how to make it come alive, said Macksey.

After the study, the city will need to figure out funding for the recommended changes. In the meantime, a $20 million repair funded by the 2026 state Transportation Improvement Program is required, since the temporary fix does not provide enough time to implement the studys recommendations, Macksey said.

MassDOT will oversee the repair, which is expected to go out to bid in the spring.
On Friday, the team that conducted the $750,000 Reconnecting Communities feasibility study will release its final report, recommending whether the city should repair or remove the deteriorating bridge over Marshall Street, which divides the busy area between Main and River streets.
Ireland will have a "huge role" to play in Ukraine's future with the EU presidency, an MEP has said as peace talks led by the United States continue.

Fianna Fail MEP Barry Andrews was in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv two weeks ago. He said people were cautiously optimistic about peace talks involving the US and Russia, but still feel they need the support of Europe.

In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Mr Andrews said: "I was in Ukraine just two weeks ago and they are excited about Trump's interest in Ukraine. They desperately want peace but they know that Europe has a crucial role to play to ensure that it's not just peace as the absence of war but peace with justice, democracy and sovereignty, the opportunity to choose their own future.

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"If America was able to do this by itself then Ukraine would concede masses of territory, they would have no sovereign independence, there would be huge American profiteering from all of this, so it's clear that Europe has an incredibly important role. As desperate as they are for peace, they know it won't be delivered by the US and Russia by themselves."

Irish EU Presidency

Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July 1st to December 31st, 2026.

Mr Andrews said: "We've a huge role to play. Ireland's EU presidency next year will put us in the driving seat if funding for Ukraine is still an issue, where does Ukraine fit in the next seven-year budget? That might fall into Ireland's lap during our presidency.

"We've done big things in the past. With the presidency in 2004 we had the massive expansion of EU membership, 2026 could be one of those red letter years where we see a major expansion again.

"We could be into accession talks with Ukraine, possibly Moldova, possibly others. With Ukraine we have to be strict, clear we can't go beyond the criteria, but we have an important role to play as an honest broker."

He added: "Volodymyr Zelenskiy coming to Ireland demonstrated that notwithstanding our military non-alignment, he really respects Ireland's support over the past four years.

"It's not just about accession, there's more Ireland can do. We have to be within the boundaries of military neutrality but there is more we can do with non-lethal assistance. The Taoiseach announced more support during the visit.

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"Anti-drone technology, cyberdefences, things that are non-lethal in nature. We are already supporting their demining projects, their combat care training, we really just have to push this idea of what constitutes non-lethal aid as far as we can within the boundaries of that neutrality."

Mr Andrews also said Europe will have a huge role in post-war Ukraine.

Ireland will have a "huge role" to play in Ukraine's future with the EU presidency, Barry Andrews said.

"Ukraine is suffering a massive problem around human resources, not just in the military but for the future of the economy. Population has dramatically reduced from 52 million to below 40 million. Post-war recovery isn't just about investment and money... it's also about trying to get people to come back to Ukraine and to contribute to the recovery of the economy."

He said Russian president Vladimir Putin's recent comments about Russia being "ready" for war with Europe should be a wake-up call.

Mr Andrews also said a proper peace agreement must include real guarantees over the future safety of Ukraine.

"As we know in Ireland, peace has to be more than just a stopping of the hostilities. It has to be justice, it has to be transitional justice, accountability, respect, parity of esteem, all these words and phrases we are familiar with from our own peace process.

If we are serious about this fight for their European future, it's about our future too.

"We can't expect Ukraine to accept anything less. If they choose to do that it's their sovereign right to do so, but as long as they want to protect their own national territory, we need to support them 100 per cent.

Ireland Ireland 'unprepared' for coastal threats but could avail of EU assistance, MEP says Read more

"Ukraine are fighting for our values, it's not about territory, it's an idea of democracy. It's a European future Ukraine aspired to and Russia desperately wants to prevent because of its imperialist fantasies.

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"If we are serious about this fight for their European future, it's about our future too."

He added: "We're now caught up in this debate about how do we support Ukraine in the future financially? Will it be a reparation bill, will it be frozen assets, mutual debt on the European side? Whatever it is, the stakes are so high.

"Ukraine has to be aware Europe is a backstop. Let America and Russia continue their talks, hopefully something positive comes out of it, but Ukraine has the comfort to know Europe will support them financially and militarily for as long as they wish to defend their national territory."
Northern Irelands Minister for the Economy has said there needs to be a balance between economic opportunity and upholding our responsibilities and values when it comes to trading with China.

Caoimhe Archibald is embarking on a five-day trip on Monday to build business and economic ties between Northern Ireland and the worlds second-largest economy.

The visit is billed as shining a spotlight on the norths strengths in education, trade, tourism and our screen industries.

I think it's important that we engage, because there is a significant opportunity to grow our exports and to make those connections, and to have that opportunity to go out and do that face-to-face engagement Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald

But with Chinas human rights and environmental records frequently raising serious concerns, there are questions as to whether this is the right market to focus on.

Ms Archibald said she will use the trip to raise issues of concern, something she says she has done on previous visits.

She said despite these concerns there is an economic argument for building further ties with China, adding: I think its important that we engage with China on the same basis that we approach all our international engagement, so advancing our economic interests, but upholding our values and responsibilities as well.

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The minister said her team is developing an ethical investment framework based on UN principles which will guide all of our investment and trade relationships and which will undergo a public consultation process.

The trip will include representatives from Invest NI, Tourism Ireland, NI Screen and local universities, and will involve events in Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian and Shanghai.

Ms Archibald said: I think its important that we engage, because there is a significant opportunity to grow our exports and to make those connections, and to have that opportunity to go out and do that face-to-face engagement.

Last year 1.43 million (125 million) worth of goods were exported from Northern Ireland to China, a figure dwarfed by the 1.15 billion (1 billion) worth of imports which came into the region from the country.

I think we do have to be aware also that there is economic opportunity to be garnered, and it is a case of getting the balance right in respect of that Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald

Ms Archibald said some of the areas she is keen to grow to address this imbalance are the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, pointing to professional scientific instruments, chemicals and materials as important products.

But the trip comes amid a row over the fate of a proposed new Chinese embassy in London, which has stalled amid security concerns, renewing the focus on the countrys reach in the UK.

While the Economy Minister said she takes matters of data security very seriously, she returned once again to the theme of balance, saying: I think we do have to be aware also that there is economic opportunity to be garnered, and it is a case of getting the balance right in respect of that.

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Other priority sectors for Ms Archibald are tourism and Northern Irelands screen industry, and on the trip she will deliver presentations to members of the Chinese tourism and screen industries.

World US and China say trade deal drawing closer as Trump and Xi prepare to meet Read more

In particular, she hopes to promote Studio Ulster, the 75,000 square foot facility on the shores of Belfast Lough, which opened during the summer, saying: There are really significant opportunities to develop that and to promote that internationally.

Last year around 186,000 people visited Ireland from Asia and Ms Archibald said she hopes to focus on promoting Irelands landscape and hospitality to draw in more tourists.

She added: I think that we have a really strong offer there, and its about going out and selling that and promoting it.
68 per cent of voters blame Taoiseach Micheal Martin for Fianna Fail's botched presidential campaign - but his personal popularity has recovered since last month.

A Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll published on Sunday shows that just 14 per cent blame Jim Gavin for the fiasco, and only 5 per cent blame the party's deputy leader, Jack Chambers.

The poll comes ahead of the publication of an interval review into Fianna Fail's handling of the campaign, which is now unlikely to be published before the new year, the Irish Times reported.

The review was initially set to be published by November 12th, but the date has been pushed back several times.

Conal Thomas, Political Correspondent with the Sunday Independent, spoke on Newstalk about the findings.

"Simon Harris' personal popularity stays at about 34 per cent, which was a record low last month since he took over from Leo Varadkar.

"Interestingly, Micheal Martin's popularity has gone back up to about 36 per cent from 33 per cent last month - albeit from a very, very high drop of 10 points last month."
Gardai are appealing for information on the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of Trevor Deely in Dublin.

Trevor Deely, originally from Naas, Co Kildare, was 22 when he disappeared.

He was living on Serpentine Avenue in Ballsbridge at the time of his disappearance.

He was last seen on December 7th 2000, after he attended his work Christmas party at the Hilton Hotel.

Afterwards, Trevor Deely went to Buck Whaleys nightclub on Leeson Street, which he left between 02.30am and 03.25am.

The weather on the night in question was extremely wet and there was a taxi strike in progress.

At 03.35am on December 8th, Mr Deely called to his place of work at Bank of Ireland, Asset Management Offices, Fitzwilliam Place, in Dublin 2.

CCTV footage shows an unknown man speaking with Mr Deely at the back gate of the building. Gardai are still looking to identify this man, who may have information that could assist the investigation.

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Mr Deely was last seen on CCTV passing the Bank of Ireland ATM on Haddington Road at 04.14am.

MrDeely, who was 6ft1 tall, with a slim build, short red/brown hair, fair complexion, was last seen wearing a mustard and brown checked shirt, beige/grey corduroy flared trousers, dark deck shoes with white stripes, a green padded jacket, and carrying a large dark blue umbrella with white ACC Bank lettering.

Gardai are appealing for any information that will assist the investigation.

Anyone with information can contact Pearse Street Garda Station on 01 6669000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Ryan Tubridy is back in the country this weekend for his wedding to Dr Clare Kambamettu.

The couple have been spotted in Clifden in Co Galway, where Mr Tubridy's cousins Brian and Ronan Hughes own the Abbeyglen Castle hotel, according to the Irish Independent.

DJ Emma B will stand in for Mr Tubridy's Virgin Radio show in London on Monday for the rest of the week.

Former RTE Radio and Late Late Show presenter Mr Tubridy confirmed his engagement earlier this year, when a post by ODalaigh Jewellers said that he had bought an engagement ring for a very special lady.

A source at Virgin Radio UK told the Irish Independent that Mr Tubridy had been "telling people hes getting married this weekend".
Ireland is being advised to brace for blustery conditions over the coming days.

A nationwide status yellow wind warning will come into effect at 3am on Tuesday morning and run until 9pm.

Met Eireann warns of very strong and gusty winds, with increased flood risk in coastal areas due to very high spring tides.

A status yellow rain alert has also been issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, and Waterford from 9pm on Monday until 9am on Tuesday.

The UK Met Office has also issued a yellow rain warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry, which is in place from 8am to 3pm on Sunday.
Opinion / Columnist

By any measure, political spin is expected in election season - but there is a point where spin becomes deception. When ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula argues that President Cyril Ramaphosa's 6th and now 7th administration is uniquely burdened by domestic and global crises, to the extent that no presidency before it had to contend with such pressures, one must call this what it is: a soft attempt at absolution through revisionism.Yes - Ramaphosa governed through a once-in-a-century pandemic and global economic instability. Covid-19 tested every state on earth, and South Africa, despite deep inequality and a fragile healthcare system, navigated the crisis relatively well. But to elevate that era as unprecedented while downplaying the turbulence, complexity and international pressures faced by previous ANC administrations is intellectually dishonest. It is scapegoating disguised as analysis.Because if history matters - and it does - then we must remember it in full, not only when it flatters the present.Zuma's administration inherited a crisis and confronted it - not with excuses, but with actionThe 4th ANC administration under Jacob Zuma came into office carrying the weight of one of the worst public health disasters in South African history: the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It inherited a legacy of denialism and delay from earlier leadership. The stakes were existential - millions of lives hung in the balance.What followed is undeniable: a dramatic shift in national policy, the expansion of ARV access to one of the largest treatment programmes in the world, and a full reversal of the state's posture towards HIV/AIDS. That was not a government claiming exceptionalism or begging for sympathy - it was a government responding to crisis with urgency and strategy.Then came the 2008 global financial crisis - an economic earthquake that destabilised markets, destroyed jobs worldwide and left developing nations gasping. Zuma's government responded not with deflection, but with a R787 billion recovery plan focused on infrastructure development, industrial support, local manufacturing, FET skills training, and social cushioning.We built stadiums, bridges, roads, housing. We established new universities and expanded further education. We funded local industries through schemes like AIS and MCEP. We protected the poor via expanded grants. South Africa acted, it did not lament. It strategised, it did not shift blame.That is the historical record - uncomfortable to some, but undeniable.International politics then was no gentle playground either.Mbalula's claim that Ramaphosa alone has carried complex international pressures ignores another truth: Zuma's presidency reshaped South Africa's geopolitical alignment. The decision to join BRICS was seismic. It recalibrated our foreign policy towards the Global South, strengthened diplomatic muscle, and deepened economic partnership with China - which became our largest trade partner under Zuma's tenure.This came with geopolitical friction. Washington did not applaud politely - the threat to strip South Africa of AGOA access over the private security ownership bill was a reminder that foreign policy autonomy is never free. The Zuma era balanced international hostility and global expectation while rebuilding continental leadership.All of this unfolded against violent internal division following the 2007 Polokwane conference. The ANC did not govern in calm waters. It governed in a storm of its own making - and still, the state did not collapse.So no - Ramaphosa is not the first president to face a crisis and pretending otherwise is political laziness.Every administration has inherited failure, built progress, created contradictions, and faced crisis. The Mandela era navigated nationhood and reconciliation. Mbeki faced deep ideological contests and a continental renaissance alongside foreign policy tension. Zuma's administration confronted HIV/AIDS, recession, internal fragmentation, and global geopolitical realignment. Ramaphosa managed a pandemic, corruption clean-up, economic turbulence, and institutional decay.There is no era without hardship - only eras that either respond or deflect.If the governing party wants credibility, it must abandon the reflex to excuse present failures by romanticising selective struggle and exaggerating present burdens. The public sees through it. Scapegoating breeds resentment, not trust.South Africa does not need leaders who plead exceptional difficulty.It needs leaders who build exceptional solutions.The message is simple:History did not begin in 2018 - and crisis is not a justification for stagnation.Ramaphosa's administration must stand on its results, not on claims that its challenges are unprecedented. We did not elect a government to explain why it struggles - we elected it to overcome struggle.And history has already proven that it is possible.
Water supply has been restored to customers in Dublins north inner city after Uisce Eireann crews completed repairs to a significant water main burst.

Teams worked overnight on Saturday to isolate and repair the affected section, allowing supply to be restored to customers in Fitzgibbon Street, Frederick Street North, Dorset Street, Gardiner Row, Summerhill, Gardiner Place and surrounding areas in Dublin 1.

It typically takes three to four hours for normal supply and pressure to be fully restored to all areas as the water refills the network, an Uisce Eireann spokesperson said.

Thousands of people had been left without water due to a burst water main in Dublin City.

Uisce Eireanns Keith Conmy assured customers that every effort was being made to restore a full water supply as quickly as possible.

Mr Conmy highlighted that the problem was down to a significant burst and (would) take some time for repairs to be completed.

He continued: We understand the inconvenience of an unplanned outage and we thank customers for their support while our works continue.
A variety of politics and crime stories dominate the headlines on Sunday, with the tabloids taking a look at Brian Sheehan, the getaway driver jailed for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

The Sunday Independent looks at the low support for Fine Gael, and how a review to increase its popularity is currently underway. The latest Sunday Independent polls shows the party at 17 per cent popularity - the lowest since 2016.

The Irish Sunday Mirror leads with Brian Meehan, jailed for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, who has applied for temporary release from prison to spend time with his family for the first time in 26 years.

The Peter McVerry Trust, a charity that has been ridden with controversies, spent 172,000 on renting out a derelict house instead of using the money to help the homeless, an investigation by The Irish Mail on Sunday reveals.

The Sunday World tracked down Brian Meehan on one of his days out from the open prison at Ilac shopping centre, where he reportedly refused to apologise for his role in the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

The Business Post looks at housing targets at risk in Dublin, as well as an AIB crackdown on hybrid working.
A coup that was announced in Benin on Sunday has been foiled, the countrys interior minister has said.

In a video posted on Facebook, Alassane Seidou said: In the early morning of Sunday December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions.

Faced with this situation, the Beninese armed forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic.

Earlier, a group of soldiers had appeared on Benins state TV to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in west Africa.

The group, which called itself the military committee for refoundation, announced the removal of the president and all state institutions.

Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri had been appointed president of the military committee, the soldiers said.

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Following its independence from France in 1960, the west African nation witnessed multiple coups, especially in the decades following its independence.

Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kerekou.

There has been no official news about President Patrice Talon since gunshots were heard around the presidential residence.

The signal to state television and public radio was cut off after the military announcement.

Mr Talon has been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.

His party pick, former finance minister Romuald Wadagni, was the favourite to win the election.

Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.

World London museum returns looted Benin bronzes to Nigeria Read more

In January, two associates of Mr Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.

Last month, the countrys legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.

The coup is the latest in a string of military takeovers that have rocked west Africa.

Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former president Umaro Embalo after a contested election in which both he and the opposition candidate declared themselves winners.
Thomas Markle has said he does not want to die estranged from his daughter, the UK's Duchess of Sussex, after reports he had his leg amputated following surgery in the Philippines.

Mr Markle said he would like to meet Meghans children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and her husband, the Duke of Sussex.

It comes after Meghan was said to have reached out to her father, who she has been estranged from since her 2018 wedding, when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to the big day.

I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too. Thomas Markle

A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: I can confirm she has reached out to her father.

No further details have been released, including whether or not Meghans attempt was successful.

Meghan is said to have previously tried to reach out to him in the past.

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Mr Markle told the Mail on Sunday: Ive always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her.

I dont want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.

Mr Markle said he has not yet received a message from her, the newspaper reported.

Thomas Markle did not attend Meghans wedding, where the then-Prince of Wales stepped in to walk Meghan up the aisle (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Mr Markle, who moved from Mexico to live in the Philippines, has never met his grandchildren Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.

The retired TV lighting director ended up in intensive care on Wednesday after three-hour emergency operation, the Daily Mail reported.

He was later said to have had his leg amputated below the knee after his foot turned black.

His son, Thomas Markle Jr, said before the news that the duchess had reached out that he hoped Meghan would show compassion.

My only wish is that Meghan shows my father some compassion. He is literally fighting for his life, he told the Mail.

Mr Markle pulled out of attending Harry and Meghans wedding seven years ago after he was caught staging photographs for the paparazzi in the US, and then suffered a heart attack.

Harrys father, now the King, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

Meghan spoke about the importance of how Christmas trees allow you to really encapsulate your family story in her Netflix holiday special (Jake Rosenberg/Netflix/PA)

Mr Markle went on to repeatedly speak to the media and later claimed he had been shunned by Meghan.

He criticised the duchess but still said he wanted to reunite with her, and publicly pleaded to be able to see Archie and Lili, saying in 2023: She is not the person I knew as my daughter.

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The duchess won a High Court privacy and copyright claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that reproduced parts of a personal and private handwritten letter she wrote to Mr Markle in a bid to get him to stop talking to the press.

Meghan, who has not seen her father for seven years, paid gushing tributes to Mr Markle on her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig before she married into the royal family.

She called herself a daddys girl and wrote how he invested blood, sweat and tears so she could pursue her dreams.

The Duke of Sussex, who is also estranged from his brother the Prince of Wales and has a troubled relationship with the King, has never met Mr Markle in person.

Entertainment Meghan Markle says she had to wear nude pantyhose all the time as a British royal Read more

Harry reunited with the King face-to-face at a private tea in Clarence House in September after 19 months apart, after previously telling how Charles would not speak to him amid the dukes High Court battle with the Home Office over security.

Mr Markle has reflected on how both he and the King know how tough it is to be estranged from their child.

This week, the duchesss new With Love, Meghan Christmas special  which has been roundly lambasted by critics  premiered on Netflix the same day as news broke of Mr Markles admittance to intensive care.
Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel and Hamas are very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage being held in Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister made the comments during a news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is visiting Israel.

Mr Netanyahu stressed that the second phase of the ceasefire  the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza  could begin as soon as the end of the month.

Hamas is still holding the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer who was killed on October 7th 2023 and whose body was taken to Gaza.

The second stage also includes deploying an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary Palestinian government to run day-to-day affairs under the supervision of an international board led by US President Donald Trump.

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The return of Mr Gvilis remains would mark the completion of the first phase of Mr Trumps 20-point ceasefire plan.

Hamas says it has not been able to reach all of the remains because they are buried under rubble left by Israels two-year offensive in Gaza.

Israel has accused the militants of stalling and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned.

Mr Merz said Germany is assisting with the implementation of the second phase by sending officers and diplomats to a US-led civilian and military co-ordination centre in southern Israel, and by sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu said that few believed the first stage of the ceasefire could be achieved and the second phase is just as challenging.

He added: As I mentioned to the chancellor, theres a third phase, and that is to deradicalise Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it was done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too, but, of course, Hamas has to be dismantled.

Mr Merz said that Germany will always stand up for Israels existence and security after the atrocities of the Holocaust.

He added: This is part of the unchanging core of our relationship. This applies today, it applies tomorrow, and it applies forever.

The chancellor also said that Germany still believes that a two-state-solution is the best possible option but that the German federal government remains of the opinion that recognition of a Palestinian state can only come at the end of such a process, not at the beginning.

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Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it killed a militant who approached Israeli troops across the so-called yellow line, which divides the Israeli-controlled part of Gaza from the rest of the territory.

Gazas health ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 370 Palestinians since the start of the ceasefire in October.

In the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, the militants killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 others hostage. Almost all the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.

Israels offensive in Gaza has killed more than 70,100 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry which operates under the Hamas-run government.

It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
Christmas celebrations are returning to Bethlehem as the shaky ceasefire holds in Gaza.

For the past two Christmases, most businesses in the traditional birthplace of Jesus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were shuttered and eerily empty.

But on Saturday evening, crowds watched a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Manger Square and restaurants bustled with families and  a hopeful change in the Palestinian city thats been reeling since war broke out in Gaza.

Its not like it was before the war, 30-year-old restaurant owner John Juka said. But its like life is coming back again.



A man dressed as Father Christmas was among the crowds in Manger Square (Mahmoud Illean/AP)

Tourism and religious pilgrims have long been a prime economic engine for Bethlehem. Around 80% of the Muslim-majority citys residents live off it, according to the local government.

Those earnings ripple out to communities across the West Bank, a territory long marked by economic precarity.

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When we have 10,000 visitors and pilgrims sleeping in Bethlehem, that means the butcher is working, the supermarket is working and everybody is working, said city mayor Maher Nicola Canawati. Theres a ripple effect.

That economic lifeline vanished when war broke out in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. Bethlehems authorities cancelled major Christmas celebrations during Israels retaliatory offensive in Gaza, whose health ministry has reported more than 70,000 Palestinians killed.

At the same time, Israels military scaled up operations in the West Bank, including communities near Bethlehem.

I think this sends a great message to the whole world that we Palestinians love life and we are eagerly looking forward to a peaceful solution Maher Nicola Canawati, Bethlehem mayor

The unemployment rate in the city jumped from 14% to 65%, the mayor said. Poverty soared, and about 4,000 people left in search of work.

A United Nations report last month said the West Bank is going through its most severe economic downturn on record, citing the ongoing Israeli military operations.

Now Bethlehem residents seek a comeback.

The decision we took was to reignite the spirit of Christmas and to reignite hope, the mayor said.

I think this sends a great message to the whole world that we Palestinians love life and we are eagerly looking forward to a peaceful solution.
Russia has welcomed the US governments new national security strategy in comments by the Kremlin spokesman published by the countrys Tass news agency.

Dmitry Peskov said the updated strategic document was largely in line with Moscows vision.

There are statements there against confrontation and in favour of dialogue and building good relations, he said, adding that Russia hopes this would lead to further constructive co-operation with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement.

The document released on Friday by the White House said the US wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core US interest to re-establish strategic stability with Russia.

The spokesmans comments came as Russian missile, drone and shelling attacks overnight and on Sunday killed at least four people in Ukraine, after US and Ukrainian officials wrapped up a third day of talks aimed at ending the war.



Rescue workers put out a fire of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, last month (AP/Andrii Marienko)

A man was killed in a drone attack on Ukraines northern Chernihiv region on Saturday night, local officials said, while a combined missile and drone attack on infrastructure in the central city of Kremenchuk caused power and water outages. Kremenchuk is home to one of Ukraines biggest oil refineries and is an industrial hub.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call weaponising the cold.

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Three people were killed and 10 others injured on Sunday in shelling by Russian troops in Ukraines Kharkiv region, according to the regional prosecutors office.

The latest round of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he had a substantive phone call with American officials engaged in talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. He said he had been given an update over the phone by US and Ukrainian officials at the talks.

Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace, Mr Zelensky wrote on social media.

Speaking on Saturday at the Reagan National Defence Forum, US President Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said efforts to end the war were in the last 10 metres.



The United States outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said the Donbas region remains an outstanding issue in the peace talks (Ukrainian Defense Forces via AP)

He said a deal depended on the two outstanding issues of terrain, primarily the Donbas, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia controls most of Donbas, its name for Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which, along with two southern regions, it illegally annexed three years ago. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is in an area that has been under Russian control since early in Moscows invasion of Ukraine and is not in service. It needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

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Mr Kellogg, who is due to leave his post in January, was not present at the talks in Florida.

Separately, officials said the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany would participate in a meeting with Mr Zelensky in London on Monday.
Volodymyr Zelensky has said he had a substantive phone call with American officials engaged in talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida aimed at ending the nearly four-year war.

The Ukrainian president said on Saturday he had been given an update over the phone by US and Ukrainian officials at the talks, which have entered a third day.

Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace, Mr Zelensky wrote on social media.

However following Fridays talks, the two sides had offered the sober assessment that any real progress towards any agreement ultimately will depend on Russias readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.

Mr Zelenskys comments came after Russia unleashed a major barrage against Ukraine, using 653 drones and 51 missiles in the wide-reaching attack overnight into Saturday.

It triggered air raid alerts across the country and came as Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day, the countrys air force said.

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Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralised 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air force said, adding that 29 locations were struck.

Mr Zelensky said energy facilities were the main targets of the attacks, also noting a drone strike had burned down the train station in the city of Fastiv, in the Kyiv region.





In many regions, recovery efforts are now underway following last nights Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, there is some destruction. A drone strike burned down the main railway station building in Fastiv. The attack was meaningless from a military point pic.twitter.com/pSvMOaPtA5  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) December 6, 2025

At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, Ukrainian minister of internal affairs Ihor Klymenko said. Among these, at least three people were injured in the Kyiv region.

Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraines Lviv region.

Russia carried out a massive missile-drone attack on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraines national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.

Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power, the International Atomic Energy Agency said, citing its director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The plant is in an area under Russian control since early in Moscows invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shut-down reactors and spent fuel to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

Meanwhile, Russias ministry of defence said its air defences had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.
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Eating outRestaurant news From a converted church to an English pub: Hottest openings in Sydneys east this summer Theres also a deli serving lasagne sandwiches and $2 Italian-style stand-up espresso, and Orazio DElias new no pizza trattoria. Scott Bolles December 8, 2025 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Flanked by the sparkling harbour on one side and golden sand beaches on the other, Sydneys eastern suburbs are home to some of the citys most exclusive restaurants. But this summers hospitality action isnt all about top-end venues. You can also expect new cafes, sandwich joints and a hot Sunday roast thatll have the Barmy Army licking their lips as they march into town for the New Years Test Match. The bolos levedos at Manteiga in Darlinghurst. Manteiga Manteiga (Portuguese for butter) is a new Darlinghurst cafe with lofty ambitions. Owner-chef Justin Martins worked at high-end restaurants in London, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and the chefs hatted Bentley, here in Sydney. Id love to open a fine diner one day, Martins said. Working slowly toward that goal, next year Manteiga will add Friday and Saturday nights to the roster, with a rotating line-up of emerging and established local chefs, Martins included. His cafe-by-day model will underpin that adventure, with the chef tapping the food he grew up eating: Mum and Dad are from Portugal. Bolos levedos, a traditional Portuguese muffin cooked in-house on stone, features on the breakfast menu, sandwiching a beef sausage patty and double-smoked bacon. Ricotta pancakes with strawberry gum compote plus hand-cut, double-cooked hot chips in a cafe setting  whats not to like?

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169 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, manteiga.com.au Orazio DElia is opening his new trattoria at Rushcutters Bay. Steven Woodburn Da Orazio Trattoria Before Orazio DElia etched himself on Sydneys pizza consciousness with his namesake Bondi pizzeria, he was head chef at Popolo restaurant at Rushcutters Bay. More than a decade later, hes snapped up the Popolo site (more recently Marta Osteria) where hell open Da Orazio Trattoria. No pizza, DElia said. What there will be is a takeaway window selling desserts, and the chef is already working on the opening menu, with plenty of seafood and an octopus pie. The bad news is youll have to be patient. Da Orazio Trattoria wont open until late summer or early spring 2026. 30 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay

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Japanese restaurant Kushi 2011 has opened at the former home of The Hook. Zi Chen Kushi 2011 Potts Point is having a moment. Sunday, December 21, to be exact  the date Merivale has announced it will say goodbye to Ms.Gs after a 15-year run. Its the same date Chula Mexican restaurant on Bayswater Road will serve its last Baja fish taco. Chula co-owner, the restaurateur Peter Lew, said the restaurants building has sold to a developer who has big plans for the strip. And Potts Point has a way of quickly rejuvenating. A couple of doors up from Chula, at the site of short-lived piano bar The Hook, Japanese restaurant Kushi 2011 has opened in recent days. Owner Chris Park honed the concept at the Manly original, Kushi 2095. Park recommends the skewers, straight off the robata grill. 13-15 Bayswater Road, Potts Point, instagram.com/izakaya.kushi/ Aambra has opened in a former church on Old South Head Road. Vincent Yeung

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Aambra The former Uniting Church building at Rose Bay has been born again as Aambra restaurant, with a new crowd congregating this summer. Paul Papadopoulos from creative agency DS17 has given the heritage-listed building on Old South Head Road a design makeover, and chef Gianluca Lonati, who worked at Nour restaurant in Surry Hills, runs the Aambra kitchen. The Aambra courtyard. Vincent Yeung Moreton Bay bug borek, smoked carrot hummus and raw tuna kibbeh nayeh are all on the opening menu, in a dining room where sun dapples on Italian marble floor tiles through stained-glass windows. 518A Old South Head Road, Rose Bay, aambra.com.au

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The Beekeepers British pub vibe is strong. The Beekeeper Dont know a Cumberland pinwheel from a chicken chop? The Beekeeper, a December arrival at Bondi Beach, will enlighten you. The English pub offers up a Sunday roast, pie of the week and Cumberland pinwheel: pork sausage, amped up with herbs and spices, and hand-rolled into a coil. Its served with mash and onion gravy. The Ashes and the Barmy Army are yet to hit Sydney, but The Beekeeper is already busy. Last weekend we actually poured 2500 pints, a spokeswoman for The Beekeeper said. Owners Ben Campbell and Brendan Darcy, the duo behind Bondi dive bar Chuck Trailers, are championing their northern England roots. A northern dip steak sandwich is on the menu, and The Beekeeper name is a nod to Manchesters worker bee. 45 Hall Street, Bondi, northern-hospitality.com Salumerie opens in Bondi on December 18. Francesca Alvandi

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Salumerie Salumerie already serves its cult focaccia sandwiches in the Sydney CBD, Potts Point and Manly, but the new Bondi venue is Salumerie on steroids. Equal parts deli and aperitivo bar, you can grab a mini martini or mini negroni. Owner Donato Salomone has one eye on the morning crowd, with Italian-style stand-up espresso at just $2 a pop. Im from Naples, we want to be by the water, he said of the new location. You can pop by for aperitivo [small snacks] and a drink, he said. Bondi has also inspired a new creation. Were doing a lasagne sandwich, Salomone said. Opens Thursday, December 18 75-79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, salumerie.square.site

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Rick Stein at Coogee Beach Bronte stalwart, the 17-year-old Bronte Road Bistro, has announced it will serve its last steak frites on Sunday, January 25, pivoting into the more casual Bronte Road Fish in February. But stealing the limelight for now is last weeks Coogee arrival of UK celebrity chef Rick Stein. Steins Cornish-style thick-cut fish fillet cooked in beef drippings and served with chunky chips and mushy peas could be Sydneys summer show-stopper. 242 Arden Street, Coogee, ricksteinatcoogeebeach.com.au Besa Hot-on-the-heels of its November launch of rotisserie chicken restaurant Henrietta at The Hub, Esca Hospitality Group (Aalia, Nour) is doubling down on its Bondi Beach investment, opening a Spanish restaurant this summer in the same Hall Street complex. Located next door to Harris Farm Markets, Besa restaurant will focus on coastal Spanish cuisine. Therell be tapas plates, lots of things on toast, skewers, and some bigger dishes, Esca group executive chef Ibrahim Kasif said. Head chef Alan Kropman has a great pedigree, he worked at Seans Panaroma and Aalia. Besa, the Spanish word for kiss, will squeeze 70 seats into the space. It opens in February.

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NationalNSWPollution Could this town solve Sydneys waste problem? Locals dont think so Angus Thomson December 7, 2025  12:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

A plan to burn 600,000 tonnes of Sydneys waste in NSWs central west has attracted fierce opposition from farmers, families and traditional owners, who say the proposed $1.5 billion incinerator threatens their health and endangers their livelihoods. With Sydney projected to run out of landfill space by 2030, the state government last year awarded a tender to a private consortium to build and operate a waste-to-energy facility near Parkes  famed for its Elvis festival, astronomical observatory and the film about its role in the 1969 moon landing. Third-generation farmer Graeme Somers, 66, on his farm bordering the proposed waste-to-energy facility. Kate Geraghty The proposed plant will burn non-recyclable waste at 1000 degrees to create steam, driving turbines to generate electricity. Emissions from the process pass through a filtration system to remove toxic particles.

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The company, Parkes Energy Recovery, has told the community all emissions would be within safe and legal limits, but residents are uneasy about household waste being burned within kilometres of homes, schools and prime agricultural land. If it goes ahead, [and] we get our produce contaminated ... where do we go? said Graeme Somers, whose farm borders the proposed incinerator site. The third-generation farmer said he had delayed necessary improvements to his home and farm due to the uncertainty about the project. The state government has the right to acquire Somers land as part of the Parkes special activation precinct, a business hub that would draw power from the waste-to-energy plant. The 66-year-old said he would have the option to lease back the land, but he would not stay in the area if the incinerator went ahead. Im at retirement age now, Ive got three sons and none of them are that interested [in farming this land], so Ill be off, he said.

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The NSW government in 2022 legislated a ban on all energy-from-waste facilities except in four locations: Lithgow, Goulburn-Mulwaree, the Richmond Valley and Parkes. Wiradjuri people and their supporters gather in Cooke Park, Parkes, to protest against the planned incinerator. Kate Geraghty The proposal promises to create 50 permanent jobs, fund projects in the community and generate enough electricity to power 100,000 homes annually. More than 200 locals marched through Parkes on Saturday to support a push from local Wiradjuri groups to stop the project. Id put this in Point Piper, Id put it in Penrith, Id put it in Parkes ... the emissions will be safe. Parkes Energy Recovery director Edward Nicholas

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A 2019 cultural heritage assessment of the precinct identified scar trees, cultural artefacts and a quarry, but concluded no Aboriginal objects or intact archaeological features would be harmed by the project. Aunty Frances Robinson, a traditional owner from Peak Hill, said the potential impact on the health of her community and their lands was not worth the economic benefits of the project. If one person gets sick from the fallout  that is one too many, Robinson said. Ive got grandchildren to take care of tomorrow, to take care of Country  we dont need it. Aunty Frances Robinson at the site of the proposed incinerator with a photo of her Wiradjuri ancestors, which she carries everywhere she goes. Kate Geraghty A 2020 systematic review found modern incinerators were associated with fewer negative health effects than older technologies, but warned many had not been operating long enough to gather strong evidence for or against construction.

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Parkes Energy Recovery director Edward Nicholas said the state government had chosen the site, but he was confident the technology was safe regardless of its location. Related Article Exclusive

Energy Rubbish tip or gasfield? How the fumes from landfill are powering homes Id put this in Point Piper, Id put it in Penrith, Id put it in Parkes, he said. Were not saying this is zero emissions. What were saying is that the emissions will be safe and will be within licence limits. The $1.5 billion project is backed by a consortium including investors in Abu Dhabi and Swiss company Kanadevia Inova, a pioneer in energy-from-waste technology. Nicholas said dozens of energy-from-waste facilities were operating around the globe, including 63 in the United Kingdom and three in central Paris.

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Australias first, the $700 million Kwinana Energy Recovery facility south of Perth, was opened by Western Australian Premier Roger Cook last month. Construction on the Parkes incinerator is slated to begin in 2027 and it is scheduled to open by 2030. An Environment Protection Authority spokesperson said the company had not yet submitted a development application. Any such proposal would need to be supported by community feedback and rigorous environmental assessments considering air quality, health, agricultural risk, traffic noise, water issues and social impact. Emission limits in NSW are among the most stringent in the world, the spokesperson said. [The proposal] will need to meet strict regulatory settings that align with global best practice. A NSW parliamentary inquiry into proposed energy-from-waste facilities in Parkes and Tarago, south of Goulburn, received more than 1400 submissions.

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Later this month, the inquiry will begin investigating the technologies proposed at the two sites and their impacts on human health and agriculture, as well as alternatives to reduce and manage waste in greater Sydney. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Opinion / Columnist

I'm based in Zimbabwe, the battleground of one of the last few decades' most divisive national elections, and the first one where Social media is arguably playing a big part. Political parties have hired specialist agencies and established large volunteer teams for a wide range of roles: to support their agendas, malign opponents with both propaganda and lies, and to act as trolls and converts as the day turns. While I try to be nonchalant about their shenanigans, it is near impossible to ignore their efforts from a marketer's perspective. And so far, I think most politicians, whether in Zimbabwe or other regions of the world, fail miserably on social media. Here's why:1.Can't be firm on policy: Depending on the way the wind is blowing on a given day, a politician needs to change tack immediately. With multiple stakeholders, and a diverse set of audiences to satisfy, they end up making promises to everyone. With conventional media and one way dialogue, they could take a misstep on a given day and course correct in due time, or simply, say they were misquoted. With social media, the audience hears from the proverbial horse's mouth, and they have to be firm- which simply isn't the way politics is played.2.Spend half their time dissing competition: When in doubt, blame the other party- with such rules of engagement, politicians don't have the wherewithal to sustain campaigns by the strength of their manifestos. They necessarily try to malign opponents, and try to convert fence sitters. On social media, name calling and other such activities are frowned upon by people engaging with you, even as your supporters rejoice in your pot shots. With conventional media, one could think of responses and reply with wit, derision or amity in due course. With social media's instant pressure, they can't mostly keep up.3.Too serious for their own good: Try to remember the last time you heard a politician bring their personality to the table, Obama's House of Cards tweet notwithstanding. Politicians, often to add respectability to their 'image', become split personalities, reserving interesting aspects of their personalities for family and close associates. One of Zimbabwe's MP candidates, has been constantly criticized for being dour and unforthcoming, despite being collegial with groups closer to him. This isn't just about him- Politicians from every country strip their personality of candour and become a wee bit 'stuffy', which isn't something that wins you admirers on social media, who later convert to votes, hopefully.4.Engage with social in the same way as traditional media: While comparing these two forms would take another blog post, suffice it to say Politicians don't want to appear ill at ease. With social media, their response is to create the same support teams and structures. God help you if you are a politician and not naturally 'media savvy'. Next to your publicist, your social media team will have the toughest task.5.Fearful of social media: Above, I cited examples from countries where social media is mainstream enough to congregate voters, and thus politicians. Let's however, not forget a wide swathe of countries, from Turkey banning Twitter to Russia restricting social media usage at the Sochi Olympics. Totalitarian regimes realise the losing battle they fight if they participate on social media. This is perhaps the most important reasons for many politicians' failure on social- they just can't stand to scrutiny.These reasons, and the examples I cite above, may be limited in their worldview, because, like you, there's only so much of Politics and heated debates I can take on various platforms before I watch the next cat video. I look forward to your thoughtful comments, and examples of social media successes you've seen emerging from Politics in any country.
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A man has been shot in the foot after a group of men broke into his home on Brisbanes bayside in the early hours of Monday morning, in what police believe was a targeted home invasion.

The men broke into the home on Mander Court in Wellington Point just before 1am, police said, before shooting the 25-year-old resident in the foot.

They proceeded to steal several items from the house, including a Dodge Ram ute.

The attackers fled in the stolen ute and a BMW X5, although police are not sure of the owner of the second vehicle.

Paramedics treated the victim at the scene before taking him to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a stable condition.
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NationalRare earths Opinion When will the Australia/US critical minerals deal bear fruit? Lets ask a player Peter FitzSimons Columnist and author December 7, 2025  4:00am

December 7, 2025  4:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share 40 View all comments

In a week when PwC Australia released a report saying just seven of 124 investment-ready critical mineral projects have received the green light for funding in Australia in the past financial year, I talked to my friend, Michelle Wood, the CEO of Gippsland Critical Minerals. Fitz: Hi Michelle, but enough chit-chat. Two months ago, we had brass bands and balloons because Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump had done a deal whereby  I think  America would buy our critical minerals, and Australia would get squillions! Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump signed the critical minerals deal at the White House. Aresna Villanueva MW: Yes, it was a great breakthrough. And all about recognising that China has become dominant in critical minerals and Australia and America both need to have a secure supply of them to make so much modern technology work. Fitz: But this week, I read, PwC has come out with a report saying that while Australia has 124 investment-ready critical mineral projects  as the need has been so widely recognised for years now  only seven actually got started in the last financial year. As you are close to being on the list to carry my coffin in 30 years, I know I can trust you to give me the good oil, as I want to understand this issue. Are you ready to play?

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MW: Indeed. It is complicated, difficult and slow to get new projects up and going in Australia. A lot of it plays back to this stuff that actually happened last month with the federal government passing the legislative reform on the EPBC . . . Fitz: EPBC!? I actually thought we could start on a simpler level, like, What are critical minerals? MW: [Laughing] OK, lets do it like that. Governments came up with the term critical minerals to describe certain important materials  such as copper and nickel. And if you remember the periodic table at school, at the bottom are 17 little boxes, and theyre the rare earth elements, a subset of critical minerals. Fitz: And what are they critical of? Those snooty elements at the top of the table, in shape to contest the Elementary Grand Final, who think theyre sooooo good? MW: Maybe they are critical because its only recently that we have recognised their brilliance and done something about it! Basically, they are critical because of how important they are to modern technology, renewable energy and so many defence systems. It is not because theyre scarce, per se.

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Fitz: And I gather they have been mined for years, but only this century or so have they really become desperately critical? Related Article Opinion

Rare earths Rinehart hates renewables, but her green metals bets are booming Colin Kruger Senior business reporter MW: Yes. Driven in large part by renewable energy, but also our demand for modern technologies such as mobile phones and robotics. Just prior to that realisation, though, lots of critical mineral mines around the world closed in the 1990s because the margins were so small. Fitz: And thats where the trouble started. MW: Thats where Chinas sheer dominance started. From the late 1990s and early 2000s China realised how important they were going to be to everything in the modern age, and so started buying mines and increasing processing capacity  helped by very low labour costs, government support and little regulation  and started finding, processing and stockpiling huge quantities of them.

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Fitz: And so racing forward, when Trump became president the second time, his first move was to whack tariffs on everything that moved and most things that didnt, to which Chinas response was, No more soup for you today, and no more critical minerals? MW: Yes, China went all-in on critical minerals. In Australia, we do iron ore, and they buy our iron ore. China controls more than 90 per cent of processing, and almost all the processing for the heavy rare earths the West relies on for defence and high-end magnets. The Chinese know how to do it: theyve got the skills, the intellectual property, the machinery, theyve come up with faster and faster ways to do it, not always the most environmentally sensitive, while the rest of the world was left behind. Fitz: So the Chinese have Trump over a barrel of processed lithium, which he cant have. And suddenly, because Australia has a lot of critical minerals, we are Americas new Best Friend Forever, again. Cue the bugles and balloons, this big deal is signed to much fanfare. What was the essence of the deal? MW: America will commit billions of dollars to Australia, to secure rare earths and critical minerals, that can then go to America from a source that they can trust and rely upon  independently of China. Fitz: OK, so from that moment, even Albaneses most bitter critics say, Actually, this is a good deal for Australia. Thunderbirds Are Go! But then the PwC report comes out, saying Thunderbirds are actually flying like sick ducks into a headwind. Why are investors so slow to back these projects?

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MW: Largely because of our regulations  which are important and necessary and which protect us and the environment. Related Article Opinion

Electric vehicles Chinas electric car dominance is starting to falter Fitz: Which is where that new law that was passed a fortnight ago comes in, championed by Environment Minister Murray Watt, with the support of the Greens. Remind me? The guts of it? MW: Its called the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). Some are now calling it the nature positive bill. And its not there to weaken the environment regulations, but to give clearer rules and timeframes, so projects get a faster yes or a faster no, providing clarity to companies that want to invest, and better certainty as to how long things are going to take, from inception to production. Fitz: Is it the feds taking over from the states or not?

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MW: State governments still make the decisions, but it does also allow the federal and state ministers to prioritise projects deemed of particular importance and make regulators give much quicker approvals or refusals. Otherwise, companies end up spending millions of dollars just trying to get approval. For a lot of modern mines, it can now take nearly 20 years from discovery to production once you add exploration, studies, approvals and financing. Its not really feasible for small companies to sustain that, but I think these new laws look good. Fitz: OK, so in your case, I cant help but notice that in the past three years, youve been constantly disappearing to Victoria to do something, something, mineral sands, something, something, heavy metals, something, dysprosium, terbium, something, something. If we can fit in a tight gratuitous plug  at least by way of using your own experience as an example of the issues  what is that all about? MW: Our project is called the Fingerboards project in East Gippsland, and it seeks to mine zircon, titanium and light and heavy rare earths. Fitz: OK. But as a serious question, how do your locals in beautiful East Gippsland know that youre not going to ravage the earth and leave a huge and unsightly gash on Mother Natures shapely left breast? MW: We are heavily regulated. The approval process is exacting and is reviewed by the public, by government, by community, by independent experts. But they wont approve the project if we dont put in place assurances about how we manage local impacts, how we work with First Nations peoples and ensuring we approach the project with transparency and strong levels of local engagement. I suspect thats why a humble non-engineer like me got a job like this  because community is as much a part of it as the technical aspects.

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Fitz: And what sort of money are you claiming your mine will bring? MW: We think we can contribute about $100 million a year to the local economy over 22 years, and thats just from that one mine. Victoria is filled with projects like ours. Fitz: This is the other thing. I did a book on the Eureka Stockade, and I remember a line from a miner from the 1850s, who said, In the Sierra Nevada, we measured gold in ounces. At Ballarat, we measured in pounds. And as we go on, it is becoming apparent that Victoria  the most debt-ridden state in Australia  is actually sitting on something much more valuable than a gold mine, which might be dozens, if not hundreds, of critical mineral mines? MW: Exactly. Theyre sitting on critical minerals all through the Murray Basin and in Gippsland. And I was in the room when the government just approved a new mine for the critical mineral, antimony, at Sunday Creek, an hour north of Melbourne. It will bring in billions of dollars to the Australian economy. Fitz: And your own chances of such approval?

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MW: We are going well. And we are one of only two projects in Victoria with no Chinese offtake or ownership. Fitz: Offtake? MW: Were one of only two to be wholly Australian-owned, and if we get approval, we are totally free to sell to whoever  we are not committed to sell a portion to China. Fitz: All right, on the assumption the Chinese are listening to our phone call, I should just like to place on the record that I love the Chinese, and the horse they rode in on. But, thank you, Michelle, for helping me to understand the complexities of this. Still, if your project gets up, the next lunch is on you. The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.
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WorldEuropeUK Yobbos with custard vandalise Crown Jewels in disgraceful dessert protest Patrick Sawer , Steve Bird and Genevieve Holl-Allen December 7, 2025  11:36am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

London: Tax the rich activists vandalised the Crown Jewels with crumble and custard in a disgraceful protest at the Tower of London on Saturday. Police arrested four people after officers rushed to the Tower following reports of an incident shortly before 10am, UK time. Take Back Power activists pose in front of a dessert-smeared Crown Jewels case at the Tower of London. The State Crown was not damaged during the custard and crumble incident. Take Back Power They found that food had been thrown onto a case containing the State Crown, which is used at coronations and state openings of parliament. A group calling itself Take Back Power staged the attack, with members of the group filmed unfurling a sign reading: Democracy has crumbled  tax the rich.

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Take Back Power describes itself as a non-violent civil resistance group that advocates for a permanent citizens assembly, but critics condemned the activists as yobbos with custard with too much time on their hands. Two of those who said they had taken part in the Tower protest defended their actions in statements made before the arrests. Miriam Cranch, a 21-year-old retail worker from Leeds, said: Britain is broken because the super-rich are pocketing billions while working people struggle to get by. Billionaires should not pay a lower tax rate on the wealth they generate doing nothing than those of us working jobs. Miriam Cranch, protester and 21-year-old retail worker from Leeds This wealth inequality is leading us towards civil unrest, and it doesnt have to be this way. Billionaires should not pay a lower tax rate on the wealth they generate doing nothing than those of us working jobs.

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Zahra Ali, a 19-year-old student from London, added: Our country is crumbling before our eyes. We have homeless people dying on the very streets that King Charles passed on his way to the Coronation, while there are more empty homes than unhoused people in this country. Loading Its time the ultrarich pay their fair share. We demand a permanent house of the people. Its time to take back power, tax the rich and fix Britain. Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston said: I am so tired of these self-absorbed protesters with too much time on their hands doing stunts to gain attention rather than doing the hard graft of developing a compelling argument and getting involved in the democratic process. Related Article Analysis

UK Milkshakes, mansions and EVs: Britains brutal new $53b tax grab

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Thats too much like hard work. Much easier to throw apple crumble at the Crown Jewels to get on telly. Theyre not demonstrators, theyre yobbos with custard. Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: Disgraceful incident this morning at the Tower of London. I am grateful to the police for their swift response and for the full investigation, which is now under way. There is a clear difference between the democratic right to protest and unacceptable behaviour. In her budget last month, Rachel Reeves announced 26 billion ($53 billion) in tax increases, including a mansion tax on homes worth more than 2 million, pushing Britains tax burden to its highest level on record. Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, said the Crown Jewels were not damaged during the custard and crumble incident, and that the Tower had reopened to the public. Cranch has previously protested against the banning of Palestine Action and was arrested in July in connection with a demonstration in Parliament Square in support of the group.

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Ali, a history student, was also arrested in July following a demonstration in support of Palestine Action. She said at the time: The starvation in Gaza, its disgusting. And our government isnt doing anything about that. She said imagining herself in prison was a big thing, but if people who are in their 80s can do it, then I can do it, adding that she did not describe herself as an activist but a normal person ... who decided that what our government is doing is wrong. Ali was previously arrested alongside five other young women when police broke up a Youth Demand meeting at the Quaker Meeting House in London in March. She said she was held in a freezing cell for 17 hours. Scotland Yard said the raid, described as intelligence-led, was targeting the protest group. The members in attendance were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Manure dumped at the Ritz

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On Wednesday afternoon, members of Take Back Power emptied bags of manure next to the 25-foot Christmas tree in the lobby of the Ritz Hotel, in central London, in a demonstration against wealth inequality. They were seen in footage posted on social media being swiftly removed by staff before sitting outside the hotel with signs reading Inequality is s---. Tax the rich. Take Back Power was set up by Just Stop Oil student activists Arthur Louis Nolan Clifton, 25, and David Luca Milligan Currey, 23, who have been involved in numerous other protests. Related Article Opinion

Federal budget Sex, money and politics: how a taboo subject could trip up the left Parnell Palme McGuinness Columnist and communications adviser Clifton, originally from Chiswick, West London, was found guilty of causing criminal damage after spraying orange paint onto a building at University College London. The former English literature student at Exeter University had sprayed the building orange to protest against the Governments oil and gas projects.

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He was arrested last year in connection with plans to disrupt Remembrance weekend events by Youth Demand. Currey, who is originally from Gateshead and studied politics and sociology at the University of Manchester, has been arrested after taking part in a number of Just Stop Oil protests. The Telegraph, London Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.

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Welcome to Cartoon Brews series of spotlights focusing on the animated shorts that have qualified for the 2026 Oscars. The films in this series have qualified through one of multiple routes: by winning an Oscar-qualifying award at a film festival, by exhibiting theatrically, or by winning a Student Academy Award.

Todays short is Butterfly (Papillon) from director Florence Miailhe, produced by Sacrebleu Productions and XBO Films. Among its numerous festival stops, the short screened at Annecy, Berlin, and Clermont-Ferrand, earning its Oscar qualification with a Grand Prix win at Stuttgart.

Butterfly adapts the remarkable real-life story of Alfred Nakache, an early 20th-century Jewish Olympic swimmer who faced tremendous racism at the 1936 Berlin games, was later imprisoned at Auschwitz, where he was the only survivor from his family, and eventually returned to compete in the first post-war Olympics in London in 1948. The short uses Miailhes signature technique of creating images directly under the cameras lens with paint, pastel, and sand, to recount memories from his childhood to adulthood, each one tied to water, sometimes joyful, sometimes triumphant, sometimes painfully traumatic. The result feels alive with texture and movement. Colors flow and dissolve into one another like memories, giving the short a hand-crafted aesthetic that mirrors the emotional ebb and flow of Nakaches real-life journey.

Cartoon Brew: What was it about this story or concept that connected with you and compelled you to direct the film?

Florence Miailhe: Discouraged by the difficulties of financing my feature film, The Crossing, I thought back to a childhood memory: my encounter with Alfred Nakache, whom my father admired so much. They met during World War II through the French Resistance, and I took swimming lessons with his brother, which allowed me to meet Alfred Nakache. As I learned more about him, I discovered his moving story, one of courage, resilience, and memory. The omnipresence and importance of swimming in his life made it clear to me that I wanted to tell this story. I also really liked the idea of working with water, which, in animation, offers something very subtle, very poetic, almost abstract.

What did you learn through the experience of making this film, either production-wise, filmmaking-wise, creatively, or about the subject matter?

I learned how creative work can become a real historical investigation. At first, very little information existed about Alfred Nakache, even in Toulouse, the city where he lived during the war and where he was denounced and arrested. So I had to search, cross-check, and verify every detail, and then choose how I would interpret his life, because I didnt want to make a documentary or realistic film. As I dived into Alfred Nakaches story, I was deeply moved by his resilience and dignity in the face of the injustices he suffered. This experience reminded me of the need to share these stories, especially today. The issue of revoking citizenship is back in the news, and its essential to remember how violent and deeply unfair it can be, and what dramatic consequences it can have on a persons life*.

*Algerian Jews had obtained French citizenship thanks to the Cremieux Decree (in 1870). But during the Second World War, this nationality was taken away from them, which explains why Alfred Nakache was excluded from French competitions: he was no longer considered a French citizen.

Can you describe how you developed your visual approach to the film? Why did you settle on this style/technique?

The making of the film came to me quickly: I could already visualize the story, Nakaches various dives leading to his memories before his death. The animation took a hundred days and a year of work in total. Animated painting was perfect for transitions, age changes, and symbolic passages related to water. What mattered was the gesture, the movement of bodies, like that of water. The drawings are never ultra-precise as they evoke memories, traumas, sensations Color also played a fundamental role in creating a sensory universe; we associated each moment of his life with a particular color palette.

What are the advantages and challenges that come with making a sport-heavy short in oil paintings? Were there any tricks you used to make the action seem more dynamic?

Technically, I worked with several layers: a varnished canvas for the background, especially the underwater ones, on which I could erase and redraw. On top of that, a glass pane on which I could apply layers of oil paint to create blurring, distortions, and aquatic movements. The characters were animated either on the background or on the glass pane. Underwater, I made them more abstract; on the surface, more realistic, in order to distinguish the different memories. The graphic style of the film is based mainly on oil painting, done directly on canvas. It allows a very rich texture through the grain of the canvas, and the brushstrokes add visual density to the film. The speed of the strokes also helped to make the competition scenes more dynamic.
Antananarivo, 8 decembre 2023  Lhorloge de la transition malgache se met en marche, et le compte a rebours est lance. Deux ans. Cest le delai imperatif que sest fixe le president de la transition, le colonel Michael Randrianirina, pour rebatir les fondations institutionnelles du pays et rendre le pouvoir a des civils elus. Le premier acte concret de cette feuille de route serree sera le lancement, ce mercredi 10 decembre, dune vaste Concertation nationale. Une initiative presentee comme cruciale pour definir le programme des 24 prochains mois, mais dont les contours precis restent, pour lheure, mysterieux.

Dans un discours rapporte par LExpress de Madagascar, le chef de lEtat transitoire a martele son ambition :  Nous assurons que nous allons tenir le delai de deux ans. Certes, ce ne sera pas facile car il y a beaucoup a faire, mais notre souhait est de le respecter.  Un calendrier ambitieux, presque defi, tant la tache est colossale. Elle implique rien de moins quune revision en profondeur des  bases constitutionnelles de lEtat , ladoption de nouvelles lois electorales, et lorganisation dun referendum pour une nouvelle Constitution, prealable a des scrutins locaux et nationaux.

Si le colonel Randrianirina a garde le silence sur le format et la composition exacte de cette concertation, il a en revanche confie un role de premier plan a une institution influente de la societe civile : le Conseil cumenique des Eglises chretiennes de Madagascar (FFKM). Cette instance, respectee pour son role de mediation dans les crises passees, sera chargee de conduire les debats. Un choix qui vise sans doute a credibiliser le processus et a rassembler au-dela des clivages politiques traditionnels.

Cette transition acceleree fait suite a un seisme politique survenu en octobre. Le 14, lAssemblee nationale votait la destitution du president Andry Rajoelina, au pouvoir, pour cause dabsence prolongee du territoire. Une decision validee par la Haute Cour constitutionnelle, qui a immediatement propose a larmee, sous la direction du colonel Randrianirina, dassurer linterim. Investi par la Cour trois jours plus tard, lofficier sest donc engage dans une course contre la montre institutionnelle.

La communaute nationale et internationale observe maintenant avec une attention aigue cette transition malgache. Pourra-t-elle, en seulement 24 mois, apaiser les tensions, reecrire les regles du jeu democratique et organiser des elections incontestees ? Le lancement de la Concertation nationale ce mercredi donnera le ton. Le colonel Randrianirina a promis de relever le defi. Madagascar retient son souffle.

Madagascar at a Crossroads: Colonel Randrianirina Launches National Dialogue for Express Transition

Antananarivo, December 8, 2023  The clock of Madagascar's transition is ticking, and the countdown has begun. Two years. That is the imperative deadline set by the transitional president, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, to rebuild the country's institutional foundations and return power to elected civilians. The first concrete step in this tight roadmap will be the launch this Wednesday, December 10, of a major National Dialogue. An initiative presented as crucial to defining the program for the next 24 months, yet whose precise contours remain, for now, shrouded in mystery.

In a speech reported by L'Express de Madagascar, the interim head of state emphasized his ambition: "We assure you that we will meet the two-year deadline. Certainly, it will not be easy because there is much to do, but our wish is to respect it." An ambitious, almost defiant timeline, given the colossal task at hand. It involves nothing less than a deep revision of the "constitutional foundations of the State," the adoption of new electoral laws, and the organization of a referendum for a new Constitution, prior to local and national elections.

While Colonel Randrianirina remained silent on the exact format and composition of this dialogue, he entrusted a leading role to an influential civil society institution: the Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar (FFKM). This body, respected for its role in mediating past crises, will be tasked with leading the discussionsa choice likely aimed at lending credibility to the process and uniting beyond traditional political divides.

This accelerated transition follows a political earthquake in October. On the 14th, the National Assembly voted to oust President Andry Rajoelina from power due to his prolonged absence from the country. A decision validated by the High Constitutional Court, which immediately proposed that the military, under Colonel Randrianirina's leadership, ensure the interim. Sworn in by the Court three days later, the officer has thus embarked on an institutional race against time.

The national and international community is now watching this Malagasy transition with keen attention. Can it, in just 24 months, ease tensions, rewrite the rules of the democratic game, and organize uncontested elections? The launch of the National Dialogue this Wednesday will set the tone. Colonel Randrianirina has promised to meet the challenge. Madagascar is holding its breath.

Madagascar, transition politique, Michael Randrianirina, concertation nationale, FFKM, Conseil cumenique, Andry Rajoelina, Haute Cour constitutionnelle, Assemblee nationale, crise politique, elections Madagascar, nouvelle constitution, referendum, lois electorales, gouvernement de transition, actualite Madagascar, Afrique de l'Est, politique africaine

Didier Cebas K.
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General Interest Imported List: General Interest
When a country goes to war against another nation it is a calculated effort to invade, kill and destroy a people by whatever means to bring said people into subjection.



In doing so it is about controlling people mentally and physically against their will by fear and whatever means necessary.



It amazes me that a certain group of people, who by their words and actions, deny the fact that there is a war raging in our country where outside forces and influences are set on destroying the United States not by bombs and bullets but by drugs and that these people, who hold so much anger and animosity towards President Trump, will side with ruthless drug cartels including our local and national propaganda outlets.



Anyone who has any sense can see the damage that drugs have caused so many families by death, incarcerations, separation and financial difficulties but still the TDS overrides any compassion for the many victims of this war.



It would be my hope that those with this hatred towards President Trump, his staff and supporters deal with it before the bitterness consumes them from the inside out.



Jay Reed

* * *

Mr. Reed's letter compares Americas drug crisis to a war and accuses critics of President Trump of siding with cartels or suffering from TDS. But if drugs are truly weapons of war, then we must judge leaders by their actions, not their rhetoric.

President Trump pardoned major drug offenders, including Ross Ulbricht, who ran Silk Road, a marketplace that enabled global drug trafficking, and Juan Orlando Hernandez, the Honduran president convicted of helping smuggle more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. He also allowed 17 relatives of cartel leaders, including family members of El Chapos son Ovidio Guzman Lopez, to settle in the U.S. under negotiated deals. These are not the actions of someone waging war on drugs - they are concessions to traffickers and their families.

To date, the Trump administration has not provided a single shred of evidence that the Venezuelan boats being destroyed by extrajudicial measures are in fact carrying any drugs. Pointing out these contradictions is not hatred or TDS; it is accountability.

True compassion for victims of drugs lies in consistent enforcement, prevention, and treatment - not in pardons for traffickers or accommodations for cartel families. If we are serious about protecting American families, we must hold all leaders to the same standard they demand of others.

Robert Block

Hixson
Bobbie Jean Wright, 94, of Chattanooga, Tennessee passed away on Friday, December 5, 2025.



She was born on July 21, 1931, in Chattanooga, to the late Ruel Jenkins and Catherine Harvey Jenkins.

Bobbie was a proud graduate of Central High School and devoted more than 40 years to a successful career as a real estate agent. Known for her warm spirit and steady dedication, she built lasting relationships with colleagues and clients throughout her lifes work.

Outside of her profession, Bobbie found joy in sewing, knitting, and listening to gospel music. Above all, she cherished time spent with her familyespecially her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who brought her endless happiness.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles L. Wright Jr.; her sister, Patsy Harvey; and her brother, Charlie Jenkins, father and mother-in-law, Charles L. Wright Sr. and Ella Wright.

She is survived by her son, Stephen L. (Kellie) Wright; daughter, Melody J. (Kevin) Cecil; half brother, Robert (Sharon) Jenkins; half sisters, Linda Yother and Judy Boggs; as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, all of whom will continue to honor and remember her with love.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. until the funeral service hour at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Beautiful Greenwood Cemetery.

Condolences can be shared with the Wright family at www.lane-southcrestchapel.com

All arrangements are by Lane Funeral Home and Crematory South Crest Chapel, Rossville.
Joyce Mountcastle Cross, a cherished wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, passed away at the age of 75 on November 28, 2025, surrounded by her beloved husband, her only son, and her daughter-in-law. Joyce was known for her strength, her humor, and the bright spirit she carried into every room. She lived a life defined by service, love, and unwavering faith.She was born on April 24, 1950. From 1974 to 1983, Joyce served her community in Edgewood, FL as a police officer with steadfast courage and integrity. Entering the field at a time when few women wore the badge, she broke barriers and set a standard of excellence. Her determination, sharp instincts, and unshakable presence in the face of adversity earned her the nickname Iron Pants a testament to her toughness, resilience, and ability to meet every challenge head-on.On Dec. 14, 1984, Joyce married the love of her life, Mike Cross. They met while she was visiting her brother, Tim, who lived in Tennessee, it didn't take long before she knew that Tennessee would be her new home and from that moment forward, the two were inseparable. Their 41 years of marriage were a true reflection of deep companionship, steady devotion, and enduring love.Joyce was naturally gifted in many areas, she loved working with horses, photography, and technology. She had a talent for capturing attention the moment she entered a room and was well known for her quick wit and contagious laughter. Joyce was incredibly close to her family. She shared a special bond with her mother, Velma, and was still taking her on trips well into her late 90s. Her connection with her siblings was equally strong, and Joyce treasured the closeness they maintained throughout their lives.She is survived by her son, Mark Wayne Mountcastle, whom she loved deeply and was immensely proud of, and his wife, Gilda Mountcastle, whom Joyce cherished like a daughter. She is also survived by her mother, Velma Mountcastle, age 97; and siblings, Dianna, Timothy, Patricia, Anita, Alice, and Lisa. She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph Mountcastle, and her brother Danny.A devout Baptist, Joyces life was anchored in her faith, and in her final moments it was her greatest comfort. She met her passing without fear, fully assured in the Lords promise and the eternal peace of Heaven.On Dec. 13, at 2 p.m., a Celebration of Life will be held in the fellowship hall at Hickory Valley Baptist Church, 2320 Hickory Valley Road, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421.This gathering will be a sacred time for all who loved her to come together, reflect on her grace and joyful spirit, and honor the legacy of love she leaves behind. She would want our hearts to rest in the comfort that she is no longer suffering, but rejoicing in the presence of the Lord, and that we are here to celebrate the beautiful life God blessed us with through her.If Joyce were here beside me as I wrote this, she would want to close with a question that held great meaning in her life, a question she would gently offer to you.---If today were your last, are you confident in where you will spend eternity?
With an East Ridge man slated to be put to death in Nashville on Thursday, an ad-hoc group of friends of current and former Tennessee death row prisoners and other opponents of the death penalty said they were set to "March4Mercy" from Riverbend Maximum Security Institution to the State Capitol starting on Sunday (today).They planned a short program of music, speakers and prayer once the marchers arrived to the Capitol.The group said they had a petition with nearly 30,000 signatures in support of halting the planned execution.The group had these "scheduled events protesting the execution of Harold Nichols":THIS WEEKEND: Communities of faith throughout Tennessee will include prayer during regular worship services this weekend.Churches with bells are asked to toll their bells for two minutes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025 if the execution has not been halted.December 8 at 9 a.m CT: Press conference followed by petition delivery at State CapitolDecember 9 at 6 p.m. CT: Prayer Vigil at Edgehill United Methodist Church in NashvilleDecember 11 at 9 a.m. CT: Live Hybrid Virtual Vigil convened by Death Penalty Action, which hosts such vigils starting one hour ahead of every scheduled U.S. execution, convening a multifaith panel of experts and faith leaders and connecting viewers worldwide with the protest on the ground at the prison.December 11 at 9 a.m. CT: Opponents of the execution will begin gathering at the prison. A liturgy will commence as the hour of execution approaches.December 11 at 10 a.m. CT: In keeping with the For Whome the Bells Told campaign, communities of faith throughout Tennessee and beyond are invited to solemnly toll their bells for two minutes in opposition to the execution.The Tennessee Supreme Court earlier gave this account of the crimes of Nichols, who at the time was known as "the Red-Headed Stranger" who preyed on women he found alone:"The proof showed that on the night of September 30, 1988, the defendant broke into the house where the 21-year-old-victim, Karen Pulley, lived with two roommates in the Brainerd area of Chattanooga, Tennessee. After finding Pulley home alone in her upstairs bedroom, the defendant tore her undergarments from her and violently raped her. Because of her resistance during the rape, he forcibly struck her at least twice in the head with a two-by-four he had picked up after entering the house. After the rape, the defendant, while still struggling with the victim, struck her again several times with great force in the head with the two-by-four."The next morning, one of Karen Pulley's roommates discovered her alive and lying in a pool of blood on the floor next to her bed. Pulley died the next day."Three months after the rape and murder, a Chattanooga police detective questioned the defendant about Pulley's murder while he was in the custody of the East Ridge Police Department on unrelated charges. It was at this point that the defendant confessed to the crime. This videotaped confession provided the only link between the defendant and the Pulley rape and murder."The evidence showed that, until his arrest in January 1989, the defendant roamed the city at night and, when 'energized,' relentlessly searched for vulnerable female victims. At the time of trial, the defendant had been convicted on five charges of aggravated rape involving four other Chattanooga women.[2] These rapes had occurred in December 1988 and January 1989, within three months after Pulley's rape and murder. The convictions presented to the jury were as follows:"The defendant was indicted for feloniously engaging in sexual penetration of T.R. on December 27, 1988, by the use of force or coercion while the defendant was armed with a weapon a cord. The defendant pled guilty to the offense of aggravated rape. The defendant was indicted for feloniously engaging in sexual penetration anal intercourse with S.T. on the 3rd day of January, 1989, by the use of force or coercion while he, the defendant, was armed with a weapon a pistol. The defendant pled guilty to aggravated rape. The defendant was indicted for feloniously engaging in sexual penetration fellatio with P.A.R. on January 3, 1989, thereby causing personal injury to her. The defendant was also indicted for feloniously engaging in sexual penetration vaginal intercourse with P.A.R., on January 3, 1989. The defendant pled not guilty and the jury found the defendant guilty of aggravated rape in each case. The defendant was indicted for feloniously engaging in sexual penetration, vaginal intercourse, with P.A.G. on December 21, 1988, by the use of force or coercion while he, the defendant, was armed with a weapon a knife. The defendant pled not guilty and a jury convicted the defendant of aggravated rape."
A$AP Rocky recently discussed his and Rihanna's upcoming holiday season. Did he give a clue about where they might spend the holidays? Here's what he said.

In 2025, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky turned the spotlight from stage to family, celebrating the arrival of their first daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, born on Sept. 13. The happy news, announced via Instagram, added a soft new chapter to their publicfacing lives. Now, fans want to know what the stylish couple has planned for the holidays. While they live in Beverly Hills, Rihanna is famously from Barbados. However, Rocky mightve dropped a clue that they dont plan to have an island holiday.

A$AP Rocky says he wants a white Christmas, which could mean he and Rihanna arent heading to Barbados

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have had an exciting year, as they welcomed their daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, into the world. Now, just two months later, theyre gearing up to celebrate the holidays. Rocky spoke to E! News at the 2025 Gotham Film Awards, and while he didnt say exactly where he and Rihanna planned to celebrate this year, he mightve given a clue about their location.

Im looking forward to a white Christmas with snow and some chestnuts roasting, Rocky exclusively shared with the publication. Logs in the fireplace  stuff like that.

If the rapper is serious, we doubt he and Rihanna are headed to Barbados. The tropical island nation rarely falls below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. And if Barbados gets any precipitation, its rain. That said, it also sounds like Rocky and Rihanna might not be staying in Beverly Hills for Christmas if Rocky wants to see cold weather, since its too warm to see snow in December. Perhaps the couple will take their three kids on a winter vacation to make Christmas more festive.

Ultimately, it seems he doesnt care all that much about where he celebrates the holidays as long as his family is there. And he could be completely joking about desiring a white Christmas. Togetherness  all joking aside, he said of his top priority. I think just being together, thats enough. Thats enough to ask for, and its a dream come true, you know, be with your family, and just watch them grow, and just listen to old records playing on vinyl and stuff.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky spent Christmas in Barbados in the past

Rihannas bond with Barbados remains deeply personal and public. She recently marked the islands 59th Independence Day (and its fourth year as a republic) by sharing intimate family photos on Instagram, celebrating home and honoring national leaders while offering fans a rare glimpse of life on the island.

A proud Barbadian who has served as an official ambassador and was later named a national hero, Rihanna frequently returns for cultural moments and family time. And she famously brought A$AP Rocky home for Christmas in 2020  not long after they started dating in 2019. The couple was photographed holding hands as they boarded a Catamaran sunset cruise with friends and family on Christmas Eve.

Rihanna has been in Barbados since [last] Thursday, a source told People at the time. A$AP joined her, and they are spending Christmas together with Rihannas family.

Could the couple spend the holidays in New York?

A$AP Rocky could still get a white Christmas if he and Rihanna spend the holidays in New York.

The rapper grew up in Harlem, New York, and navigated a childhood marked by financial instability and periods in shelters. Amid these challenges, his relationship with his mother, Tanya Mayers, remained a cornerstone of his life. Rocky has often credited her guidance and support for keeping him grounded while he pursued a music career. He also maintains a connection with his siblings, whom he has mentioned in interviews as an important part of his life and support system, even though he keeps much of his family life private.

Fans will have to wait and see whether Rocky and Rihanna take their three kids to the East Coast or have a warm Christmas instead.
Home News As Christians put more trust in AI, pastor warns of idolatry

Just over two years ago, when some pastors began experimenting with artificial intelligence to generate sermons, a majority of Christians didn't think the technology was good for the Church.

Fast-forward, and the use of AI has increased by 80% across all ministries in churches, and a growing number of people have been turning to apps like Text With Jesus for spiritual guidance.

While he doesn't see the use of AI by Christians as a threat to faith in God because "God is much bigger than AI," Pastor Ray Miller of First Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas, warns that the rapid adoption of the technology in the faith arena could become "another type of idol pulling at our attention."

"The interactivity that AI brings will feel more like a personal deity that seems all-knowing. When a company tries to sell you on texting with Jesus, I believe we have walked into dangerous, perhaps idolatrous waters," Miller told The Christian Post.

The Text With Jesus app is powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT and developed by Catloaf Software, a Los Angeles-based company founded by Stephane Peter. It allows users to interact with AI versions of Jesus, the apostles, a host of other biblical figures and even a counselor.

In October, Peter told Fox 32 that most users have been gravitating towards the Text With Jesus App out of curiosity.

"Since launch, most people have come to the app out of curiosity, and it's been incredible to see how many want to try a conversation with biblical figures," he said.

Miller told CP that he began having concerns about the impact of AI in the faith space while he was a professor at Belmont University, a private Christian College in Tennessee.

"I started noticing my students using AI to get answers to difficult questions. It became sort of a running joke in the class. As I have reflected further and become more conversant with AI, what I have noticed is that AI tailors its answers to something you will like. When you use it to replace a religious community, for instance, you get the comfort but maybe not the conviction," he explained.

Miller also worries about AI's exploitation by "bad actors."

"I also have a concern that AI will be used deceptively by bad actors who wish to exploit church people (promises of conversations with Jesus or Martin Luther or whomever). Often, people turn to AI because they do not have another human being or pastor or priest to turn to, and it becomes convenient. With discernment and care, I believe we can develop some best practices when it comes to AI usage for churches and use for faith in general," he said.

The Texas pastor believes AI should be treated as a tool to be used sparingly to support human flourishing, but adds that it should never be seen as a substitute for the work required to draw closer to God.

"We are living in the midst of a technological revolution unseen in human history since the advent of the printing press. That technological shift had profound implications for faith, as the Bible was finally placed in the hands of the people.

"As we begin to sift through what AI will do to us as humans, the Church will have to help answer the question: what does it mean to be human, to be made in God's image in an age of digital AI?"

Miller suggested that churches could help people develop an interactive relationship with God and teach them how to use AI as a research tool.

"We will have to double down on discipling people to develop their own slow interactive relationship with God," he said.

"New things and new technology can be exciting and scary at the same time. There will be early adopters and probably people who will never use it. I still have people in my church without an email address," he said. "God has already gone before us [and] will give us wisdom in best practices."
Home News Travel: Discovering a quieter, more authentic side of the Smokies in Sevierville

SEVIERVILLE, Tennessee  This gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Americas most-visited national park, has kept its small-town feel even as millions of tourists pass through every year.

Thats a welcome relief for visitors seeking something more authentic than the kitsch found in neighboring Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Sevierville (population 17,889 souls) is more than just a place to stop for gas or shop at the big Tanger outlet mall. With the Smokies visible from almost anywhere in town, its become a destination in its own right.

Fortunately, growth and development havent eroded its heritage.

The red-brick Sevier County Courthouse, a 130-year-old landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, anchors downtown. Out front is a bronze statue of favorite daughter Dolly Parton. Needless to say, its a popular spot for selfies.

Long before the courthouse was built, what became Sevierville and Sevier County was settled during one of the first waves of westward expansion after the American Revolution. The namesake, John Sevier, was a veteran of the revolution and the first governor of Tennessee. Seviers legacy looms large: He helped secure the region and encourage settlement during the Volunteer States formative years.

Within walking distance are cafes, restaurants, shops and even an old-school hardware store. A newish boutique hotel, the Historic Central Hotel, attracts visitors who might otherwise spend a night or two at a forgettable chain hotel on the outskirts of the city. Plaques and markers recounting the areas history are everywhere.

Just outside downtown is SkyLand Ranch, a mountaintop attraction that blends panoramic views with agricultural heritage. Reached by a ski resort-style chairlift, the 100-acre ranch sits above the valley and features miniature animals, seasonal events and overlooks with million-dollar views of the Smokies.

Still, the main draw is the mountains themselves. From downtown, it takes less than 30 minutes to reach the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Because the Smokies are a park for all seasons, Sevierville is a year-round destination  particularly striking when snow dusts the upper elevations. While I didnt see snow during my visit last month, I did catch the last of the autumn colors.

Christmas is when the town shines brightest. The annual Smoky Mountain Winterfest keeps more than 15 million lights glowing through Feb. 16  two weeks past Candlemas, the traditional close of the Christmas season. Meanwhile, the Festival of Lights at SkyLand Ranch runs through Jan. 3.

Visitors expecting the over-the-top spectacles of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge will instead find a community parade, a singing Christmas tree featuring the choir of First Baptist Church and quiet streets wrapped in simple white lights. On a December evening, Sevierville feels  in the best possible way  like the set of a Hallmark or Great American Family movie.

If you go

A short drive outside the city limits is the Harrisburg Covered Bridge, one of Tennessees last remaining covered bridges. Built in 1875 and spanning the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River, it recalls a time when wagons were the primary means of transportation.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives more than 12 million annual visitors, likely because no admission is charged. Instead, the only fee that applies is for a parking pass. To escape the crowds, plan a weekday visit during the spring and fall shoulder seasons.

I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, which was clean, comfortable and affordable. Some rooms have views of the Smokies. If your budget allows, consider staying downtown at New Hotel Collections Historic Central Hotel.

Recommended restaurants include DO Scratch Made Pizza & Pasta (its more upscale than a typical pizzeria), Seasons 101 and Italian Roma Table. More casual options include Reds Soda Fountain and Central Coffee & Crumb.

Sevierville is about an hours drive from the nearest major airport in Knoxville. Since a car is essential, driving may be easiest. Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Louisville are all within four to five hours.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.
Five Australian founders share their 2026 strategies, from tripling trainer networks to launching medicinal teas. Discover why slow growth is winning.

Whats happening: From opening new retail locations and tripling professional networks to launching wellness brands and hosting international retreats, these entrepreneurs are building businesses that reflect their deepest convictions whilst maintaining meaningful impact in their industries.

Why this matters: Female-led startups continue navigating significant challenges in Australias business landscape. These founders demonstrate how strategic planning, authentic leadership and community-building can drive business growth despite systemic barriers.

Five Australian female founders are redefining what business growth looks like in 2026. Their goals range from physical expansion to market penetration, from tripling networks to launching new product lines.

Yet what unites them is a commitment to building businesses that align with their values, support their communities and create lasting impact beyond profit margins.

Building a jewellery empire with education at its heart

Talitha Cummins understands the power of storytelling. After spending over 20 years in television journalism, she co-founded The Cut Jewellery with her uncle Craig Blizzard, who brings more than 50 years of diamond industry experience to the business.

The company recently marked a significant milestone with the opening of its second location in Sydneys CBD. We recently launched our second location in the iconic St James Trust Building in Sydneys CBD, which was incredibly exciting for our team, Cummins says. At the same time, were focused on growing our presence in the US market.

But its not traditional advertising driving this international expansion. Instead, Cummins is leveraging her journalists instinct for compelling content. Weve seen a significant increase in organic traffic and enquiries from the US, largely thanks to the educational video series we run on Instagram, she explains. Its been amazing to see how strongly that content resonates, and were eager to build on that momentum in the year ahead.

The strategy reflects a broader shift in retail, where authenticity and education build trust with consumers seeking transparency about their purchases, particularly for significant investments like engagement rings and fine jewellery.

Tripling a network through data and determination

Jen Dugard has set an ambitious target for MumSafe in 2026: triple the number of certified trainers in her network, with particular focus on Queensland. Its a goal grounded in both opportunity and necessity.

MumSafe connects mothers with fitness professionals trained in pre and postnatal exercise, addressing a gap where 77 per cent of Australian women become mothers yet the fitness industry provides limited specialised training. The market need is clear. What sets Dugards approach apart is her commitment to evidence-based decision making.

My top goal for 2026 is to triple the number of MumSafe Trainers in our network, with a strong focus on Queensland, so that MumSafe becomes the obvious choice for both trainers who work with mums and mums who want a trusted, highly qualified trainer, Dugard says.

Her strategy combines refinement with courage. Ill achieve this by doubling down on what works and being brave enough to change what doesnt, she explains. That means tightening our message to clearly show the value of becoming a MumSafe Trainer, building stronger partnerships with key industry bodies and gyms and supporting our trainers with the business skills they need to grow.

Data drives every decision. Personally, Im committed to constantly challenging my own assumptions, staying close to the data and testing and measuring every strategy until we have a repeatable, predictable model for sustainable growth.

Its an approach that reflects lessons from successful female entrepreneurs whove scaled past the million-dollar markthrough understanding their numbers rather than relying on gut feelings.

Redefining beauty through nervous system safety

Joni Hodson-Ilias is on a mission to transform how facialists and beauty professionals build their businesses. As founder of Facelift Facialist, shes expanding her impact globally in 2026, but not through traditional business mentoring alone.

My top goal for 2026 is to expand my impact globally as a business Mentor and Trainer for Facialists and beauty professionals, helping them grow thriving, sustainable businesses from a place of nervous system safety and alignment, Hodson-Ilias says. I also want to guide the industry toward more ritual-based treatments, not just fluffy facials, so that every client experience feels like a sacred, healing moment.

Her philosophy stems from a deeper understanding of the industrys potential. This is my goal because I truly believe treatment rooms are where deep healing happens. Theyre not just spaces for skincare but spaces for connection, regulation, and transformation. I want to support practitioners in feeling confident holding that level of depth, so they can create real change for the women they serve.

To achieve this vision, Hodson-Ilias is pursuing both inner and outer work. Personally, Im embodying the version of me whos already living this. Making sure my body feels safe to hold that level of expansion, she explains.

Her strategic approach encompasses multiple channels. Strategically, Im connecting with new audiences through collaborations, podcasts, global masterclasses, in-person trainings, and hosting a Bali business-expansion retreat in November 2026.

The Bali retreat represents a growing trend amongst female entrepreneurs creating community-focused experiences that combine business education with personal development.

Launching a midlife wellness revolution

Meaghan Dobinson is addressing a gap in the wellness industry with her comprehensive approach to midlife health. As founder of Your Pilates Class, shes building a programme that goes beyond exercise to encompass nutrition, supplementation and cellular regeneration.

My goal for 2026 is to bring awareness and an achievable health programme covering exercise, nutrition and supplementation, and regeneration from a cellular level for women approaching mid-life, Dobinson says. My programme focused on looking and feeling strong, lean and youthful, getting off glp1 medication and building back muscle and getting back their glow while keeping the weight off, and experiencing optimum clarity, energy and well-being.

Currently, Dobinson operates from her private studio, providing detailed nutrition and supplementation programmes that include advice on peptides for anti-ageing and better sleep. Shes planning to expand her reach with online one-on-one training and comprehensive nutrition programmes.

But 2026 marks a significant product launch for Dobinson. In 2026, my medicinal tea and superfood brand, Mura Organics will hit the market, all-naturopath designed for my programme to incorporate into everyday life, for skin, vitality, sleep and overall good health and well-being.

The launch of Mura Organics represents a strategic move to provide clients with practical tools they can integrate into their daily routines, supporting the comprehensive approach Dobinson advocates for midlife wellness.

Leading with energy and purpose

Tess Brouwer has learned hard lessons about growth. As co-founder of Awake Academy, shes committed to building her business from the inside out in 2026, prioritising alignment over speed.

Brouwer co-founded Awake Academy with seven-time world champion surfer Layne Beachley after recovering from a spinal cord injury that required two operations. That experience profoundly shaped her approach to business.

My goal for 2026 is to keep building Awake Academy from the inside out. I want to grow slow, stay aligned, and truly practice what I preach, Brouwer says.

The company has expanded into vitamins, T-shirts, a top-three podcast, and major corporate programmes, partnering with organisations including KPMG, Coles, The Iconic and AIA Vitality. Despite numerous opportunities, Brouwer emphasises measured growth.

We have expanded into new products and platforms, including vitamins, T-shirts, a top-three podcast, and major corporate programs. There are so many exciting opportunities, but my focus is on doing it well, not fast.

Her philosophy stems from experience. Over the years Ive learned that real success doesnt come from pushing harder. It comes from staying steady, leading with energy, purpose, and integrity. Every decision I make this year is guided by one simple question: Does this create more connection, more calm, and more meaning?

This single question acts as a filter for every opportunity that crosses her desk. Its a decision-making framework that keeps the business aligned with its core mission whilst protecting Brouwer from the burnout that plagues many entrepreneurs.

Awake is growing in reach, impact, and heart. And Im growing with it. Because the way we build matters just as much as what we build. Living and leading this way keeps me grounded in the truth that practising what we preach is not just important, its everything.

What unites these five founders is their rejection of growth for growths sake. Theyre building businesses that serve specific communities, solve real problems and align with their personal values. Whether through educational content, data-driven strategies, holistic wellness programmes or conscious expansion, these women are proving that sustainable business growth in 2026 requires more than ambition.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Canadian government said on December 6 that it has removed Syria from its list of foreign state supporters of terrorism and removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that spearheaded the rebel alliance that helped oust President Bashar al-Assad, from its list of terrorist entities."These measures are in line with recent decisions taken by our allies, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and follows the efforts by the Syrian transitional government to advance Syrias stability, build an inclusive and secure future for its citizens, and work alongside global partners to reinforce regional stability and counter terrorism," the Canadian government said in a statement.Meanwhile, Syria's interim president accused Israel of fighting ghosts and searching for enemies following the war in Gaza. President Ahmad al-Sharaa told an international conference that since he took power a year ago, he has been sending positive messages regarding regional peace and stability.He said Israel has rejected his overtures, extrapolating its conflict with Hamas militants and justifying what he called aggression in the name of security. He promised Syria would not behave in that way.We are not concerned in being a country that exports conflict, including to Israel, he told the Doha Forum.Al-Sharaa, who was once detained by the US for joining al-Qaida in Iraq, called on Israel to withdraw its forces from his country and to recommit to a 1974 truce agreement. He called on the international community to put pressure on Israel and expressed hope a formula could be reached to meet reasonable security demands.There are currently negotiations, and the United States is participating and engaged in those negotiations, he said.Since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Israel has held a slice of southern Syria that was previously a UN-patrolled buffer zone under a 1974 disengagement agreement.Israel says it seized the 400-square-kilometre (155-square-mile) demilitarised buffer zone in southern Syria in a pre-emptive move to prevent militants from moving into the area after Islamist insurgents toppled Assad.Israeli troops have regularly carried out operations in villages and towns inside and outside the zone, including raids snatching people it says are suspected militants. At least 13 people were killed in an Israeli operation against suspected militants last month.Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he was satisfied with al-Sharaa's performance, and urged Israel not to interfere in Syria's affairs.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/petroporoshenko

Petro Poroshenko handed over four more Ai-Petri complexes to the Armed Forces, which have already proven themselves to be effective protection against guided aerial bombs and kamikaze drones.

"Now the task of the Ukrainian people, our society, is to protect every soldier just as they protect our state on the front line. Today, our team is handing over another four Ai-Petri systems. They will be received by the 225th Assault Regiment and the 21st Separate Mechanised Brigade," wrote Petro Poroshenko, Member of Parliament and leader of European Solidarity, on Facebook.

"Word has long spread among Ukrainian soldiers that the Ai-Petri systems are highly effective. The PDTR complexes are being tested on guided aerial bombs and enemy wings, including the annoying and dangerous Lancets, Zalas, Orlans, and Superkams, Poroshenko writes.

"The Ai-Petri production facility operates 24/7 and continues to increase its capacity. This is all in order to manufacture the maximum number of systems that will protect the lives of soldiers. While the authorities are stealing from the army, we continue to strengthen Ukraine's defence. Supporting the army not only with words but also with actions is our team's guiding principle. We thank every soldier who fights the enemy and those who help the army," wrote Poroshenko.

Since autumn 2023, Petro Poroshenko has invested over 200 million hryvnias in the production of unique systems to counter technical reconnaissance equipment, Ai-Petri SV, which have been successfully tested and are used by the Armed Forces, covering a thousand kilometres of the line of contact. For a long time, the state did not allocate funding for this programme. In March 2025, Poroshenko announced a contract with the Ministry of Defence.

Each such PDTR installation saves the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, equipment and weapons on the front line. The Ai-Petri complexes also cover critical infrastructure facilities.
Most Christmas songs & carols are about happy things  snowmen, Santa Claus, jingling bells. And if theres anything objectionable in them, its usually subtle, like the much-debated lyrics of Baby, Its Cold Outside." There is, however, one standout Christmas standard that is unapologetically dark and about as un-subtle as you can get. Im talking, of course, about the 1979 novelty Christmas hit Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer by Elmo & Patsy.

While youve most likely heard it, the song tells the story of an eggnog-drunk grandmother who wanders home during a blizzard on Christmas Eve. By Christmas morning, shes found trampled to death, reindeer hoofprints scattered around her likely mangled body. Which raises an obvious question: Could a reindeer actually kill an elderly woman  and if so, how many would it take?

To get an answer, I wanted to talk to a reindeer rancher, but not just any reindeer rancher youd pass on the street. I wanted a reindeer rancher who has been through it  who looked a reindeer in the eye as it tried to mow him down and lived to tell the tale. So I reached out to Randy Espe from Whispering Pines Reindeer Ranch in Shabbona, Illinois, who told me, Ive been run over and hospitalized by a reindeer. I sang that song all the way to my hospital bed.

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Espe notes that reindeer can be gentle creatures. Most of them are like dogs or pets, he says. They're friendly. We've had bottle-babies weve raised in our house. But during the breeding season, reindeer can be tough to control. And four years ago, Espe found himself stuck between two fighting reindeer at the tail-end of the breeding season.

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The 400-pound bull charged me and threw me into a fence, Espe recalls. Then he got on top of me and I grabbed his antlers while he swung me back and forth like a ragdoll. Ultimately, two of Espes son-in-laws came to his rescue and brought him to the hospital, where they learned he had a dislocated collarbone and total AC separation. Had his son-in-laws not been there, however, he easily could have died.

Relating his own experience to that of the fictional eggnog-slurping grandmother, Espe breaks it down plainly: For six-month-old juveniles, it might take five or six to do any real harm. They're anywhere from 150 to 175 pounds. When they run up on me, they wrap their antlers around my leg and shake their head. Theyll even try to stick their antlers up my butt  youre more likely to get an enema from a yearling bull than anything else. But one adult bull? It would have no problem taking out Grandma on its own.
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Beauty fans are raving about a 'luxurious' item that has transformed their skin, with many saying they can't go a day or night without it.

Aussie skincare brand Bronte has shaken up the beauty world with its popular body lotions, including Santal, which sold out in just 72 hours.

But it's the Multi-Oil Body Lotion in Sea Salt that's got everyone talking, thanks to its velvety formula that melts into the skin beautifully without the sticky finish - unlike so many other lotions on the market.

What shoppers love most about the body lotion is the refreshing, soothing scent of crisp sea air, with hints of citrus and white florals resting on a driftwood base - reminiscent of salty skin after an ocean swim.

The 'freshly whipped' and 'buttery-soft' moisturiser features a fast-absorbing blend of shea butter, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and nutrient-rich ingredients such as Tasman Sea Kelp, Kakadu plum, almond oil and aloe vera - all sustainably sourced in Australia - leaving the body smooth, supple, and glowing.

Shoppers have rated the body lotion a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, with one sharing: 'My skin has never felt this good. Not only does it smell divine, you instantly feel hydrated and more confident in your skin. The beautiful smell also lasts throughout the day making you feel so good as you go about your day.'

Another customer said that not only does her skin feel deeply hydrated, but she's also been receiving compliments on her scent since using the sea salt body lotion.

'I must say, it has quickly become a staple in my daily routine. The formulation is all-natural, featuring carefully selected ingredients that leave my skin feeling incredibly soft and nourished,' she explained.

Beauty fans are raving about a 'luxurious' item that has transformed their skin, with many saying they can't go a day or night without it

Bronte Multi-Oil Body Lotion Sea Salt Drench your skin in daily luxury with the Bronte Multi-Oil Body Lotion  a silky, fast-absorbing blend of shea butter and radiance-boosting oils that leaves skin feeling smooth, supple, and luminous. Formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Niacinamide, and Vitamin E, this multitasking lotion helps hydrate, soften, and improve the appearance of the skin barrier. Infused with Kakadu Plum and Australian Sweet Almond Oil, it promotes skin that looks toned and radiant. Finished with the fresh, sunlit notes of sea salt and citrus, every application becomes a moment of pure indulgence. Shop

'What truly sets this lotion apart is its captivating sea salt scent. It's fresh and invigorating - so delightful that I no longer feel the need to wear an extra layer of perfume. The fragrance naturally lingers on my skin throughout the day, giving me a subtle, oceanic aroma that is both soothing and refreshing.

'Whether I'm at work or out with friends, I receive compliments on my scent, and it's all thanks to this lotion.'

Bronte founders Georgie Gilbert and Camille Peressini were inspired to create a body lotion that 'actually performs like skincare'.

'Our Multi-Oil Body Lotion in Sea Salt was born from our obsession with results-driven formulas that nourish the skin barrier, smooth texture, and leave skin feeling like silk, not sticky or tacky,' Georgie told Daily Mail.

'Body lotion felt like the perfect place to start because it's the one product people use daily but often settle for something basic. We wanted to make it exceptional.'

What makes the sea salt body lotion stand out is its ultra-hydrating formula that's suitable for all skin types.

'Most body lotions hydrate - but usually not well enough or for long enough. Our Body Lotion was designed to nourish even the driest skin types,' Camille explained.

'Whether you're dehydrated from one too many coffees, not enough water, or noticing changes from life stages like pregnancy, ageing, or stress, we wanted a formula that truly replenishes the skin.

'With five botanical oils, hydrating hyaluronic acid, moisture-locking glycerin, and brightening niacinamide, it delivers long-lasting hydration to support your skin tone, texture, and radiance all at once.

'It absorbs instantly, never pills, and leaves your skin unbelievably smooth.'

Bronte has shaken up the beauty world with its Multi-Oil Body Lotion in Sea Salt

The velvety formula melts into the skin beautifully without the sticky finish - unlike so many other lotions on the market

For best results, apply the body lotion immediately after showering, while your skin is still slightly damp.

'This locks in moisture and enhances absorption,' Camille explained.

'Use it daily for instantly soft skin, or twice a day for those wanting to target dryness or dullness. Morning or night, it works beautifully, but applying after using our Bronte Exfoliating Glove is next-level.'

Two years ago, Georgie and Camille were both working full-time roles at MECCA, as Head of Skincare and Head of New Concepts.

'We were constantly frustrated by body care that felt like an afterthought, sticky lotions, bland formulas filled with synthetic ingredients, no scent experience, and no real results,' Georgie said.

'We wanted to bring skincare-level innovation to the body category. Bronte was our answer to that gap.'

The pair left their senior corporate roles to start a business together - with no brand name, product, or concept, and five kids between them, including a newborn.

'We did everything ourselves, from branding to formulation to supply chain. It took time, hustle, and a lot of late nights, but we now understand every detail of our business,' Georgie said.

Bronte founders Georgie Gilbert (left) and Camille Peressini (right) were inspired to create a body lotion that 'actually performs like skincare'

The founders chose Bronte as their skincare brand for many sentimental reasons. The first is Camille's Nonna (centre), who was born in Bronte, Italy, in 1925, while Georgie's love of the beach (including Bronte Beach) also felt like a natural fit for their brand

Fans of the brand have been loving the Body Firm & Sculpt Cup. These pictures were taken six to eight weeks part after using the kit three to five minutes every day

In January 2025, Georgie and Camille launched two body care brands - Bronte and SOMA, which is stocked exclusively in Woolworth.

Bronte was designed to carve out a new space in the market. Just 10 months after its launch, it secured retail distribution in David Jones, Myer, Priceline and Atomica.

The body care brand can now be found in more than 500 stores across Australia.

One product the brand has been struggling to keep up with is the Multi-Oil Body Lotion in Santal, which sold out in just three days.

'We were completely blown away,' Georgie said.

'We knew people would love it, its warm, woody notes are so on trend, but selling out in just 72 hours exceeded all our expectations.

'We believe that combining high-quality ingredients and performance with the sensory experience of Santal is what made it truly stand out.

'It was one of those "pinch-me" moments that reminded us why we started Bronte: to create products people genuinely can't live without.'

What makes the sea salt lotion stand out is its hydrating formula, suitable for all skin types

Two years ago, Georgie and Camille were both working full-time roles at MECCA. Earlier this year, they launched two body care brands - Bronte and SOMA

Bronte's top three best-sellers 1. Multi-Oil Body Lotion in Sea Salt: Fast-absorbing, deeply hydrating, and instantly addictive. 2. Body Firm & Sculpt Kit: The easiest routine ever! Under 15 minutes: 1. Cleanse, 2. Enjoy an amazing massage with our Body Firm & Sculpt Cup, 3. Finish with body lotion. Energised, sculpted, and glowing skin, done. 3. Body Polish Kit: Featuring our cult-favorite Exfoliating Glove, this new launch packs a punch. A super simple, no-fuss routine that makes exfoliating satisfying, effective, and leaves your skin looking incredible. Advertisement

Another fan favourite product is the brand's Body Firm & Sculpt Cup.

'This tool is incredibly effective, and people are always surprised by how powerful it can be,' Georgie said.

'Apply our Multi-Mineral Body Cleanse in the shower, squeeze the Body Firm & Sculpt Cup to create suction on the skin, and then use circular or zig-zag movements towards your heart.

'It's amazing... You have to give it a go this summer.'

Georgie said her all-time favourite Bronte product is the sea salt body lotion.

'It captures everything Bronte stands for: incredible texture, visible results, and effortless everyday luxury. It's the product I use morning and night and the one were most proud of,' she said.

While Camille adores the Multi-Mineral Cleanser in Green Fig.

'It's an incredibly luxurious formula that genuinely nourishes your skin and never leaves it feeling stripped or dry. With a honey-like, rich foaming lather, its pure heaven,' she said.

For anyone who's never tried Bronte, Camille said your body 'deserves the same level of care as your face'.

'Over 90 per cent of our skin is below the neck, so how we care for it, and the products we put on it, is incredibly important.

'Our formulas are all custom-made in Australia, clean, effective, fast-absorbing, and genuinely transformative.

'If you want healthier skin, improved texture, and an all-day glow without any heaviness or fuss, Bronte will change your routine - and your skin - for the better.'

To shop the Bronte range, click here.
Countries like Romania, Serbia, and Bosnia upkeep socialist spaces, with the aim of turning them into Instagrammable spots where people can experience the regimes of the past

Looking for a glimpse into the past? Do you prefer megalomania, or domestic intrigue? Want to experience the everyday life of another era some dark episodes, perhaps?

In Romania, there are plenty of options. You can visit communist leader Nicolae Ceausescus mansion, the Palace of Parliament, or even the prisons that were used to crush dissent. However, if you travel to Serbia, Croatia, or Bosnia, the experience will be paradoxical: in contrast to the places where the Cold War left behind some of the worst images of the late-20th-century, the era of Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz Tito is viewed with a certain benevolence.

These are different cases, but the shadow of totalitarianism still looms over these Eastern European nations today. And communism continues to generate revenue through tourism, in yet another twist on capitalism. According to Katherine Verdery, an American anthropologist specializing in post-socialist memory, there has only been a change in tone: [Socialism in Eastern Europe] went from being an ideology to an emotional repertoire, one that expresses both loss and belonging.

Nostalgia isnt so much a desire to return to that system, but rather an attempt to make sense of the lack of stability, community and purpose that followed its collapse, the expert writes via email, in a response to EL PAIS. She is referring to the themes that she discussed in her book, The Political Lives of Dead Bodies: Reburial and Postsocialist Change.

This phenomenon encompasses a reality with many nuances. The Romanian communist regime (1947-1989)  where thousands were imprisoned or killed, torture was widespread in detention centers, and the Securitate (secret police) maintained massive surveillance  cannot be compared to Titos regime (1943-1980) in the former Yugoslavia, which dissolved between 1990 and 1992.

Certainly, in this conglomeration of countries, struggles and episodes of repression have been documented. However, its break with Stalin and the Soviet Union led to a more decentralized structure and greater cultural richness. We must distinguish between different types of nostalgia, as well as between different generations, warns British sociologist Paul Stubbs, a specialist in the Balkans. For those who lived through socialist Yugoslavia, political memory  anti-fascism, self-management, or the Non-Aligned Movement  is intertwined with emotional [memory]. Its not just about Tito, but about the memory of an era that isnt perceived as a disaster. The House of Flowers in Belgrade  the mausoleum where the leader rests  is the heart of the Museum of Yugoslavia, the most-visited museum in the country.

Nowadays, one can experience a neoliberal immersion into an era of absolute control. People miss the rhythm of collective life, the shared routines, the community spirit. They long for the texture of the ordinary: the queues, the uniforms, the neighborhood friendships, notes Ana Maria Luca, an Italian anthropologist who specializes in migration.

This yearning she describes is even evident in the bars and establishments that are decorated with Soviet iconography: People dont travel just to see history, but to feel it.

But the line between memory and merchandising is becoming increasingly blurred. And the Instagram era has amplified this aesthetic: brutalist buildings, uniforms, or hammer-and-sickle emblems have gone from being images associated with authority to harmless souvenirs. Legacy is a kind of visual time machine, the researcher concludes, and we can only make things vintage if weve already accepted them. What still hurts cannot be aesthetically pleasing. In certain countries, however, it seems that the two feelings can go handin-hand.

Communism may no longer promise utopias, but clearly, it continues to generate revenue.

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Pakistan on Sunday criticised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankars remarks against its military, saying its institutions, including armed forces, are a pillar of national security. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Jaishankar said much of Indias problem emanates from Pakistans military and even referred to its support for terror groups.

Like there are good terrorists and bad terrorists, there are good military leaders and apparently not-so-good ones, he said, seen as a reference to Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Pakistan categorically rejects and condemns the highly inflammatory, baseless and irresponsible comments made by the Indian External Affairs Minister, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in response to media queries regarding Jaishankars comments.

Andrabi said that Pakistan is a responsible state and its all institutions, including armed forces, are a pillar of national security. The spokesperson said that the conflict in May demonstrated the resolve of Pakistani forces to defend the country against any aggression in a befitting, effective yet responsible manner. He criticised what he called the attempts to defame Pakistans state institutions and its leadership as a part of a propaganda campaign.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10. At least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes, according to Air Chief Marshal A P Singh.

The Senate already approved the school cellphone ban in principle earlier this year, but made several changes that were put to a vote late Tuesday in Chiles lower house of Congress. After a debate, lawmakers overwhelmingly endorsed the updated legislation banning smartphone use during class hours  except during emergencies and for educational and other purposes specified under the law. The bill must be signed by President Gabriel Boric before taking effect nationwide at the start of the 2026 school year.

In response to rising concerns about young people and their mental health, parents and teachers in Chile have lobbied for such a law for years, arguing that the use of smartphones impairs students learning and emotional development. A school in Santiago, Chiles capital, this year launched a successful pilot program that blocks cellphone signals. More than half of all Chilean students reported digital devices disrupting their learning, according to the most recent international study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which evaluates student academic performance.
A top Indian diplomat on Saturday briefed Sri Lankan corporate leaders about New Delhis response and continued commitment to the cyclone-hit island nation in its resurgence from the disaster that has claimed over 600 lives so far. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha met Sri Lankan corporate leaders associated with the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund as the island nation is grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse following Cyclone Ditwah.

Till Saturday noon, as many as 611 people had died because of the disaster, which also left several districts isolated and acutely strained the countrys disaster-response capacity. During his meeting with the corporate leaders, Jha discussed the way ahead for rehabilitation and recovery, the Indian High Commission said in an X post. He also briefed them on the elements of Indias response and continued commitment to stand by Sri Lanka in its resurgence from this crisis, it added.

India was the first country to respond to Sri Lankas international appeal for assistance under its Operation Sagar Bandhu.Its humanitarian assistance has continued across land and air, focusing on both emergency response and sustained medical care, the Indian mission here said in a press release. Since the launch of Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28, India has provided more than 58 tonnes of relief

material including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, water purification kits and around 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment. Another 50 tonnes of equipment including generators, inflatable rescue boats, and Outboard Motors have been provided, and 130 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units have been airlifted along with 31 engineers to restore critical connectivity.

The Indian Engineer Corps is conducting surveys and reconnaissance for the construction of Bailey Bridges on vital road routes to restore connectivity in flood-hit areas. On Saturday, a ship laden with 950 tonnes of essential goods including 300 MT rice was dispatched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

It is carrying clothes and food to be distributed among those affected by the cyclone following a request made by the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai, according to the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry.

India was the first country to respond. India sent helicopters and rescue teams. They sent food and medicine very quickly, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said, calling the response received from the international community to Sri Lankas appeal overwhelming. Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, two columns of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, conducted rescue and relief operations, evacuating around 150 stranded persons. A full-fledged field hospital with 78 medical personnel from India is now providing life-saving care in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy.

It was airlifted by the Indian Air Force on Wednesday. In its first 24 hours, the facility provided much-needed medical care to around 400 patients affected by the cyclone, conducted 55 minor procedures and an operation, the High Commission said in an X post. Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo reviewed the field hospital and thanked the Indian Government for its swift response and for ensuring that critical medical care reaches those in need.

Medical centres have also been set up using the BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri) Arogya Maitri cubes in the badly hit Ja-Ela and Negombo. Indias medical teams continue to stand beside Sri Lanka, ensuring that timely care reaches those in need, the X post said. Meanwhile, INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri and INS Sukanya have provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.

Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material. Further, about 2,500 stranded Indians were evacuated from Sri Lanka, including more than 400 on IAF aircraft. The NDRF teams, which returned home on Friday, worked closely with Sri Lankan authorities and conducted extensive search, rescue and relief operations.

The teams evacuated around 150 people, assisted vulnerable groups including pregnant women and the physically challenged, recovered mortal remains, distributed over food packets, and restored safe water by de-watering contaminated wells. Indian Air Force helicopters remain at the frontline of aerial operations, and safely airlifted those affected from Kotmale to Katunayake on Thursday for further medical care and support.

On Friday, Indian MI-17 helicopters evacuated seven survivors and airlifted 9.5 tonnes of relief material under the coordination of Sri Lankan authorities, the Indian mission said. High Commissioner Santosh Jha during a meeting with Sri Lankas corporate leaders associated with Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will undertake his maiden official visit to Pakistan from Monday to deepen bilateral ties and explore new avenues of cooperation. Subianto has been invited by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the visit from December 8-9, the Foreign Office said in a statement, adding that he will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising key ministers and senior officials.

This will be President Prabowos first visit to Pakistan, the Foreign Office said. The upcoming visit carries added significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Indonesia. During his stay, President Subianto will hold delegation-level talks with Sharif. He will also meet President Asif Ali Zardari.

Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will call on President Prabowo as well. During his visit, the two sides will discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at strengthening Pakistan-Indonesia relations and exploring new avenues of cooperation, including trade, investment, defence, IT, climate, as well as enhancing collaboration at regional and global levels.

Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed during the visit, the Foreign Office said. Subiantos visit will provide an important opportunity to deepen bilateral ties and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, it said. The last presidential visit to Pakistan from Indonesia was undertaken by President Joko Widodo in 2018.
A senior Indian government official arrived on Sunday to review Nepals election preparations and assess progress in India-funded development projects, officials said. Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, will hold a series of high-level meetings during his four-day visit, foreign ministry officials here said. He is expected to call on Prime Minister Sushila Karki and meet Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal, Commerce Minister Anil Kumar Sinha and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal on Tuesday, they said.

Mahawars discussions in Kathmandu will focus on Indias support and cooperation for the March 5 elections, the officials said, adding that he will also assess progress in India-funded development projects in Nepal. Besides meeting Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, he will travel to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, to attend an official event. He will also inspect the integrated check post in Bhairahawa, constructed with Indias assistance, the officials said. Mahawar is the senior-most Indian official to visit Nepal since the Gen Z uprising in September, which led to the ouster of the prime minister K P Sharma Oli-led government.
Cyclone-struck Sri Lankas Kandy district  the seat of the last Royal kingdom of Ceylon  suffered extensive damage and was the worst-hit by the Ditwah disaster, which has claimed a total of 618 lives in the island nation. Surrounded by three mountain ranges and set in a basin-like valley, Kandy city escaped direct damage except for disruptions to its road network, electricity, and communication.

However, the devastation in the districts outer areas in the rural heartland was disastrous. Till Saturday night, Kandy district had accounted for 232 of the 618 deaths verified so far. It leads with 91 disappearances and 1,800 fully destroyed homes. Rescue teams are still struggling to reach some of the villages cut off from road access there. An expert indicated that unplanned and haphazard settlements were a cause of the disaster.

One such village is in the Minipe administrative division, 75 miles east of the city, 145 feet above sea level. Here unfolded the tragic tale of the village of Nelummala (the lotus flower). Around 5:30 in the evening on November 27, boulders came descending from a nearby range, burying all 21 houses in the village, along with the people inside. I managed to save six of them, Rev Palletanne Chandrananda, 34, a Buddhist monk who ran a Buddhist school in the village, told PTI on the phone.

He believes over 30 people are dead while the search is still on. Once a beautiful, quaint village amidst acres of paddy fields, it now stands as a site of boulders and loose earth with not a trace of the happier times. A female villager who did not want to be identified said she was thankful to the monk for her survival. We do not know what to do now, how to restart our lives, school books, clothes and everything lost, she said.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited the district on Saturday and told the officials that allowing unauthorised construction of premises was as much of a problem as the nature of the disaster. No constructions in danger areas will be allowed in future, he said. The president also pledged a SLR 5 million grant to construct a new house for fully destroyed homes and a SLR 5 million grant for land acquisition to rebuild homes lost to the disaster.

Kalum Samarasena, a university lecturer based in Kandy, said that while unplanned, haphazard settlement was a cause, the policymakers need to think more deeply. What happened in places like Minipe is a warning  a warning on climate change, Samarasena told PTI. The government must start planning settlements from now on. Giving cash handouts is not the answer. People will naturally go back to their old places with cash.

They must be resettled on state lands with necessary precautions to face disasters as these in a planned way, Samarasena said. The cyclone wreaked havoc in the island nation and severely strained Sri Lankas disaster-response capacity, and various nations, including India, are assisting in the rehabilitation process. India was the first country to respond to Sri Lankas international appeal for assistance under its Operation Sagar Bandhu.
Shares of Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ALEX  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $15.26 and last traded at $15.3070, with a volume of 448807 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $15.41.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ALEX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler set a $21.00 price objective on Alexander & Baldwin in a report on Monday, November 3rd. JMP Securities reiterated a market perform rating on shares of Alexander & Baldwin in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Alexander & Baldwin in a report on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $21.00.

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Alexander & Baldwin Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.00.

Alexander & Baldwin (NYSE:ALEX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.08). Alexander & Baldwin had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 33.62%.The business had revenue of $50.25 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $50.69 million. Analysts expect that Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. will post 1.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alexander & Baldwin

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ALEX. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC bought a new position in Alexander & Baldwin in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Alexander & Baldwin during the third quarter worth $207,000. Hancock Whitney Corp grew its stake in shares of Alexander & Baldwin by 38.6% during the third quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 33,369 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $607,000 after buying an additional 9,291 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in shares of Alexander & Baldwin by 10.6% during the third quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 180,160 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,256,000 after buying an additional 17,302 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP lifted its stake in shares of Alexander & Baldwin by 37.4% in the 3rd quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 43,648 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $794,000 after acquiring an additional 11,872 shares during the last quarter. 91.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alexander & Baldwin Company Profile

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Alexander & Baldwin, Inc engages in the real estate business. It operates through the Commercial Real Estate and Land Operations segments. The Commercial Real Estate segment includes investments and acquisitions, construction and development, and in-house leasing and property management. The Land Operations segment consists of legacy landholdings, assets, and liabilities subject to the companys simplification and monetization effort.

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Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the eleven analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $478.8750.

GPI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Group 1 Automotive from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, August 30th. Zacks Research lowered Group 1 Automotive from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $470.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. They set an overweight rating and a $510.00 price objective on the stock.

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Group 1 Automotive Price Performance

NYSE GPI opened at $404.15 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $412.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $432.89. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $355.91 and a 52-week high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $10.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.64 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $5.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.67 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.67% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.90 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. Group 1 Automotives payout ratio is presently 7.00%.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, November 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 10.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPI. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Group 1 Automotive during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Elequin Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. MAI Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 131.3% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 74 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 90.5% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 80 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Group 1 Automotive

(Get Free Report)

Group 1 Automotive, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts, as well as service and insurance contracts; arranges related vehicle financing; and offers automotive maintenance and repair services.

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Aritzia Inc. (OTCMKTS:ATZAF  Get Free Report) shares traded up 1.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $80.62 and last traded at $79.7599. 26,150 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 48,039 shares. The stock had previously closed at $78.6722.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ATZAF. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Aritzia in a research note on Monday, November 17th. CIBC restated an outperform rating on shares of Aritzia in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Aritzia in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aritzia has a consensus rating of Buy.

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Aritzia Trading Up 2.4%

Aritzia Company Profile

The firms 50-day moving average is $68.56 and its 200-day moving average is $59.36.

(Get Free Report)

Aritzia Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs and sells apparel and accessories for women in the United States and Canada. The company offers t-shirts and tops, sweaters, shirts and blouses, bodysuits, sweatshirts, blazers, jacket and coats, and dresses; pants, denim, leggings and bike shorts, sweatpants, skirts, shorts, sweatshorts, and jumpsuits and rompers; accessories, such as socks, hats, bags, scarves, belts, and intimates; swimwear; and shoes.

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Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set a market perform rating for the company. Cowen restated a hold rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Wednesday, August 27th. National Bankshares reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Finally, Cibc World Mkts raised shares of Bank Of Montreal from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bank Of Montreal presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $163.00.

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Bank Of Montreal Price Performance

BMO stock opened at $128.81 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $91.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.79, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $125.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $118.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00. Bank Of Montreal has a 52-week low of $85.40 and a 52-week high of $131.36.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 4th. The bank reported $2.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $6.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.51 billion. Bank Of Montreal had a return on equity of 11.79% and a net margin of 11.13%.Bank Of Montreals quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.90 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bank Of Montreal will post 7.71 EPS for the current year.

Bank Of Montreal Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This is a boost from Bank Of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Bank Of Montreals dividend payout ratio is presently 58.58%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank Of Montreal

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank Of Montreal during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Bank Of Montreal during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Bank Of Montreal by 466.7% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 238 shares of the banks stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Bank Of Montreal in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Bank Of Montreal in the first quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 45.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Bank Of Montreal Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The companys personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products.

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Yellow Cake (LON:YCA  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Canaccord Genuity Group from GBX 695 to GBX 680 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. Canaccord Genuity Group currently has a buy rating on the stock.

YCA has been the subject of a number of other reports. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on shares of Yellow Cake from GBX 682 to GBX 675 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Panmure Gordon raised Yellow Cake to a buy rating and increased their price target for the company from GBX 550 to GBX 630 in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Yellow Cake from GBX 570 to GBX 670 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 655.

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Yellow Cake Price Performance

Yellow Cake Company Profile

Shares of LON:YCA opened at GBX 552 on Thursday. Yellow Cake has a 1 year low of GBX 359 and a 1 year high of GBX 603. The company has a market cap of 1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.56 and a beta of 0.27. The stocks fifty day moving average price is GBX 547.16 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 521.45.

(Get Free Report)

Yellow Cake is a London-quoted company, incorporated in Jersey, which offers exposure to the uranium spot price. This is achieved through its strategy of buying and holding U3O8. It may also seek to add value through other uranium-related activities. Yellow Cake and its wholly owned subsidiary (the Group) seek to generate returns for shareholders through the appreciation of the value of its holding of U3O8 and its other uranium-related activities in a rising uranium price environment.

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If history is a volcano and memory is lava, some experiences pour into ones body like fiery lava and congeal there. From that moment on, they can be recalled, immovably, at all times and unchanged. The quote from German historian Reinhart Koselleck, in which he calls upon his experience as a Nazi soldier to examine his countrys traumas, does a good job of synthesizing the dilemmas that stack up upon looking at the past and reviewing, many decades or centuries later, historical facts with the eyes of the present.

Spanish colonial legacy is no stranger to such difficulty and, particularly in Mexico, has been the subject of much discussion in recent years, spilling over from more academic debates and into the muck of politics and diplomatic strategy. The latest milestone came when Spains foreign minister acknowledged that there was injustice and pain during the Conquest, which has served to ease diplomatic tensions that have been particularly severe since former Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors controversial 2019 letter, in which he asked for an official apology from King Felipe VI of Spain. All this, amid a wave of hardcore historical revisionism on the part of the Spanish political right, and another global trend that supports settling scores over forgotten memories.

The lava of colonial legacy has grown hot in recent times, but the battle over the narrative goes back much further. This is not so much the result of opposing positions on either side of the Atlantic, but rather a certain asymmetry in the importance attached to the issue: a kind of neglect on the part of Spain and an omnipresence on the part of Mexico. And in between, historical events (as most are) soaked in blood, but also, in contrast and nuance that require complex interpretation.

Of course, it wasnt pretty, but its more complicated than a story of good guys and bad guys, says the U.S.-based Mexican historian Mauricio Tenorio, who teaches at the University of Chicago. There was violence, cruelty and subjugation, and between 60 and 80% of the population of the Valley of Mexico died. It was a regression in terms of civilization, life and culture for those lands, to a catastrophic degree, notes Spanish historian and philosopher Jose Luis Villacanas. But there were also alliances between different Mesoamerican peoples and the small army of Hernan Cortes. It was not only a war between the Mexicas and the Spanish, but also between Mesoamerican peoples, says Federico Navarrete, who holds a doctorate in Mesoamerican studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the countrys leading institution of higher learning.

The academics contacted for this article insisted on the importance of a considered approach to untangling such a complex issue. One of the keys lies in understanding the 16th century Conquest as the starting point of the construction of national identity and its unavoidable labyrinths, which are clearly perceived differently in Mexico and Spain. They also highlight the fact that the ardor with which politicians have utilized the subject recently has yet to be reflected in popular culture, nor has it sparked a greater interest in reading about the history, with some exceptions in Spain. This, despite publishers frenetic output looking to capitalize on the recent commemoration of the 500th anniversary of an episode that, depending on who you ask, was an encounter, a conquest, or an invasion.

Heroes and villains?

In Mexico, historians agree that the monolithic narrative that has been repeated ad nauseum in textbooks is that Hernan Cortes is the villain, the Conquest was a criminal act. We as Mexicans are the heirs of Moctezuma, the last Mexica emperor. This is how Tenorio sees it. Navarrete agrees that such representation is part of the national catechism of Mexican education. For Martin Rios Saloma, who is also a researcher at UNAM, the Conquest is a subject that is crucial to Mexican identity, which begins to take shape through the government after the Mexican Revolution.

But before the 1910 revolution, upon which a large part of Mexicos institutional and cultural system still rests, it is necessary to look at what happened during the preceding century. The struggle between liberals and conservatives in the 19th century, which took a few wars to resolve, was eventually won by the liberals, who subsequently imposed their narrative: Mexico existed before the Conquest, which was a dark shadow that lasted throughout a hibernation of three centuries of colonial rule, until national resurrection with Mexicos independence from Spain in 1821. The revolution institutionalized this heroic narrative, whose banner is held aloft to this day by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Morena political party. However, historians warn of its pitfalls, such as those embodied by the concept of mestizo, a fundamental tenet of post-revolutionary Mexican identity. Mestizaje is a whitewashing operation. Mestizo children became Hispanic, not Indigenous. It is no coincidence that the Spanish far right defends mestizaje as an act of generosity or rather, of paternalism, says Navarrete.

Genealogy of the house Menduza-Moctezuma. From left to right. Tezozomoc (governor of Azcapotzalco, 15th century), Quaquahpitzuac (governor of Tlatelolco, 15th century), Moctezuma. 17th-18th century. Prisma / Universal Images / Getty Images

In Spain, the Conquest plays a less central role in the construction of national identity. Tomas Perez Vejo, a Spanish historian who has worked for many years at the National Museum of Anthropology and History of Meixco (ENAH) and is the former co-director of the Chair on Studies of Mexico and Spain at the College of Mexico, explains it thus: The conquest of Mexico does not play a significant role in the 19th century narrative of the Spanish nation. It is just one episode among many that demonstrated the imperial and bellicose nature of the Spanish nation, from the discovery of America to the wars in Italy and Flanders. The loss of the last colonies in 1898 enveloped Spain in a feeling of civilizational failure, triggering an identity crisis for the country. Canovas del Castillo, a 19th-century conservative politician, said that a Spaniard was someone who could not be any other nationality. The 40 years of Francos dictatorship deepened this wound, with its association of Spanish nationalism with national-Catholic ideology.

With the transition to democracy, there was a shift away from the narrative about Spain, as a result of the trauma of Francos regime. And so we arrive at the current situation, where no one in Spain knows anything about the Americas. This void is exploited by right-wing revisionism, which is nostalgic for an imperial and Catholic past. Their books are very much like self-help manuals for Spaniards in crisis, adds Perez Vejo. David Hernandez de la Fuente, a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, points out in his Pequena historia mitica de Espana (A brief mythical history of Spain) that the Conquest constituted the mythical epic par excellence of modern Spanish history. And we all know the ease in which history is often confused with myth.

Complex conflict

One of the most commonly reoccurring elements that complicate this simplistic narrative is the participation of other Indigenous peoples in alliance with Cortes to defeat the Mexica empire, which had previously subjugated them. Recent historiography has moved away from the nationalist tradition, both Mexican and Spanish, to place greater emphasis on the role of allies, which was much more important than previously believed, Navarrete points out. Cortes forged alliances with the Tlaxcaltecs, the Otomies and the Purepechas, among others. He used the Indigenous people, and they used him, says Rios Saloma, who interprets these alliances as a way of inserting themselves into that world to come. The UNAM scholar points to a historical analogy with some factions of the Visigoths, in the midst of a civil war, who allied themselves with the Muslims during their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century.

Hernan Cortes, accompanied by his interpreter La Malinche, in an engraving from the National Library in Paris. Ann Ronan Pictures / Print Collector / Getty Images

In this complex panorama, it is also necessary to give greater context to the figure of La Malinche. She was an Indigenous slave given to Cortes, who realized that she knew Mexica and used her as an interpreter. He had a son with her and gave her every privilege, says Tenorio. Malintzin, her name in Nahuatl, or Dona Marina, the name given to her by the colonists, has sometimes been viewed as a traitor. For Tenorio, she was more of a survivor.

Jose Luis Villacanas agrees that it is important that we not forget that the conquests of Mexico and the Inca empire were legally illegitimate, carried out by adventurers on their own initiative, and that the Spanish monarchy accepted the fait accompli of a conquest that it had not authorized. Tenorio adds that after an initial phase that lasted almost two centuries, in which Emperor Charles V granted the encomienda system to the colonists, the king became the ruler, not the conquerors. Of course, this included the arrival of the Inquisition, but also the opening of a dynastic line for the Moctezumas, and privileges like the fueros, similar to those that the Basques had, for the Tlaxcaltecs. Or the thesis, which was already present in the mid-16th century, that the Indigenous people could not be enslaved unless they resisted. The spiritual conquest was no small matter; the Franciscans protected the Indigenous people in order to Christianize and better exploit them.

This backdrop of Catholicism has been strongly emphasized by those who argue that the Spanish Conquest in Mexico was less cruel than that of the Protestant Anglos elsewhere. One of the views most recent exponents is Elvira Roca Barea. Her resounding bestseller Imperiofobia y leyenda negra (Imperialophobia and the Black Legend; Siruela, 2016) aims to dismantle the Hispanophobia that in her opinion, has permeated historical tradition through the influence, or outright conspiracy, of propaganda from the Dutch and English, who were adversaries of the Spanish empire at the time.

Villacanas, who authored a book in response to Bareas, Imperiofilia y el populismo nacional-catolico (Imperialphilia and national-Catholic populism; Lengua de Trapo, 2019), argues that the criticism expressed in Mexican territory by the Spanish friars Fray Bartolome de las Casas or Fray Servando Teresa de Mier have been dismissed among us as mere black legend, but it was not generated by European enemies, but rather by the Spanish themselves, and by the best-educated Creoles. Spanish ENAH historian Perez Vejo agrees in part, though he does offer a reminder that the first publication outside of Spain of the work of De las Casas, Brevisima relacion de la destruccion de las Indias (Very Brief Tale of the Destruction of the Indies), was in Holland. Its true that there was a propaganda campaign on the part of the Protestant countries. At any rate, the atrocities of the Spaniards were no less severe than those of the English and the Dutch  but the Spanish liberal elite internalized some of the criticism.

Perez Vejo highlights another contrast with, for example, the United States. One of the Spanish Crowns justifications for not enslaving people was the conversion of the Indigenous population. That is why the comparison with the United States does not work, as only the descendants of settlers were considered citizens there. In New Spain, everyone who lived in its territory was considered a citizen.

The apology

Lopez Obradors polemic letter can be understood in the context of the tradition of Mexican liberals. The former president was an avowed follower of Benito Juarez, the great Mexican liberal statesman, as well as a deeply nostalgic and nationalistic politician. All the academics who were consulted underscored the partisan aspects of AMLOs letter. But at the same time, they value the importance of its so-called processes of recognition, memory and reparation. Spain lacked some sensitivity, and the lack of response was interpreted as an affront, notes Rios Saloma. The UNAM researcher, who promoted various academic events during the recent anniversary of the Conquest, emphasizes that the famous letter did have valuable aspects. It proposed the creation of a joint commission made up of historians from both countries to reflect on their common past and help build a shared narrative.

And similar events have taken place in the past. In the 1990s, during the 500th anniversary of 1492, the Mexican delegate to UNESCO, Miguel Leon-Portilla, the great historian of the world of the Nahuatls, the people who inhabit the modern-day Valley of Mexico, proposed to his Spanish colleagues that the phrase discovery of America be substituted by the meeting of two worlds. The proposal caused some unrest in the Spanish delegation, whose response lagged, though they did eventually make the change.

Among the academics consulted for this article, there is a unanimous conviction that the recent gesture by the Spanish foreign minister was the right thing to do. It was seen as a compromise to break the deadlock, taking advantage of an exhibition on Indigenous art at the Cervantes Institute in Madrid, as well as the Princess of Asturias Awards to the National Museum of Anthropology and Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide.

For Spanish professor Enrique Moradiellos, it is understandable that part of the current Mexican population feels like the heir to the pre-Columbian peoples, but he considers it ridiculous to demand an apology for events that took place five centuries ago. It is a phenomenon that cannot be judged by present-day moral standards because it puts us in an absurd anachronism, he argues. It was the pattern of behavior known and practiced by humanity since we have written records.

Going a step further, UNAM expert Federico Navarrete argues that, in any case, the apology should not be directed at the Mexican state, but Indigenous peoples. The academic points out that during forums with Indigenous intellectuals on the issue, their demands focused on the colonial policies of the Mexican state, such as the imposition of Spanish, the dispossession of lands, and even the sterilization of Indigenous women. It is yet another twist in the thousand facets of this historical conflict, which, as one of the historians says, has become shadow theater for political gain.

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Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Free Report) had its target price hoisted by TD Cowen from $72.00 to $77.00 in a report published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the transportation companys stock.

DAL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Dbs Bank raised shares of Delta Air Lines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Wolfe Research lowered their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Delta Air Lines in a research note on Thursday. They issued a buy rating and a $77.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on Delta Air Lines from $65.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $72.37.

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Delta Air Lines Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE DAL opened at $67.20 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $56.32. The firm has a market cap of $43.88 billion, a PE ratio of 9.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.38. Delta Air Lines has a twelve month low of $34.74 and a twelve month high of $69.98.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 15th. The transportation company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 23.83%. The company had revenue of $8.40 billion during the quarter. Analysts expect that Delta Air Lines will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 16th were given a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 16th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Delta Air Liness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.56%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP William C. Carroll sold 14,010 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.25, for a total transaction of $858,112.50. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 15,816 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $968,730. The trade was a 46.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John E. Laughter sold 23,323 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.33, for a total transaction of $1,453,722.59. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 81,109 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,055,523.97. This trade represents a 22.33% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.88% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Delta Air Lines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 90.6% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 444 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 184.6% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 572 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 1,983.3% in the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 2,280.8% in the second quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 619 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 593 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.93% of the companys stock.

Delta Air Lines Company Profile

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Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo.

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Shares of GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE  Get Free Report) shot up 1% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as high as $294.54 and last traded at $291.49. 4,068,637 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 25% from the average session volume of 5,389,388 shares. The stock had previously closed at $288.49.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, January 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. GE Aerospaces dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.23%.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on GE shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of GE Aerospace in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research cut GE Aerospace from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on GE Aerospace from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on GE Aerospace from $275.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of GE Aerospace in a research report on Monday, October 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $304.31.

GE Aerospace Trading Down 2.8%

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $300.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $276.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market cap of $299.29 billion, a PE ratio of 37.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.40.

GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.20. GE Aerospace had a net margin of 18.34% and a return on equity of 34.01%. The business had revenue of $11.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.15 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 26.4% compared to the same quarter last year. GE Aerospace has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.000-6.200 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that GE Aerospace will post 5.4 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Russell Stokes sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.71, for a total transaction of $2,381,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 150,434 shares of the companys stock, valued at $44,785,706.14. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GE Aerospace

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jacobsen Capital Management grew its position in shares of GE Aerospace by 1.4% during the third quarter. Jacobsen Capital Management now owns 2,295 shares of the companys stock valued at $690,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in GE Aerospace by 0.4% during the third quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 7,444 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,239,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Ledyard National Bank grew its holdings in GE Aerospace by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ledyard National Bank now owns 2,754 shares of the companys stock valued at $828,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Hardy Reed LLC grew its holdings in GE Aerospace by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 4,999 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,504,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in GE Aerospace by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. RMG Wealth Management LLC now owns 442 shares of the companys stock worth $132,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. 74.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

GE Aerospace Company Profile

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GE Aerospace (also known as General Electric) is a company that specializes in providing aerospace products and services. It operates through two reportable segments: Commercial Engines and Services and Defense and Propulsion Technologies. It offers jet and turboprop engines, as well as integrated systems for commercial, military, business, and general aviation aircraft.

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JDE Peets (OTCMKTS:JDEPF  Get Free Report)s share price traded up 0.5% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $36.75 and last traded at $36.75. 401 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 99% from the average session volume of 57,460 shares. The stock had previously closed at $36.55.

JDE Peets Price Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $36.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.95.

About JDE Peets

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JDE Peets N.V., together with its subsidiaries, provides various coffee and tea products worldwide. It operates through LARMEA, APAC, Europe, and Peets segments. The company sells its products under the LOR, Peets, Jacobs, Senseo, Tassimo, Douwe Egberts, OldTown, Super, Pickwick, and Moccona brand names.

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Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Compass Point set a $620.00 price objective on Mastercard and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a buy rating and set a $713.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Mastercard to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $640.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $652.50.

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Mastercard Stock Performance

MA stock opened at $545.48 on Friday. Mastercard has a one year low of $465.59 and a one year high of $601.77. The firm has a market cap of $489.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.88, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $556.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $567.02.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The credit services provider reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.31 by $0.07. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.28% and a return on equity of 202.03%. The firm had revenue of $8.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.89 EPS. Mastercards revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Mastercard will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 9th were issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 9th. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is 19.44%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the third quarter worth about $8,160,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in Mastercard by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 17,153 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $9,759,000 after acquiring an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in Mastercard by 8.2% during the third quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 222,928 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $126,804,000 after purchasing an additional 16,844 shares in the last quarter. Stillwater Wealth Management Group acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the third quarter valued at about $248,000. Finally, Groupama Asset Managment increased its stake in shares of Mastercard by 7.7% during the third quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 15,419 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $8,770,000 after purchasing an additional 1,103 shares in the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mastercard Company Profile

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Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions.

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ONE Gas (NYSE:OGS  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Bank of America from $90.00 to $92.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the utilities providers stock.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of ONE Gas in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an underperform rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of ONE Gas in a report on Thursday, November 20th. UBS Group raised shares of ONE Gas from a sell rating to a neutral rating and raised their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $86.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of ONE Gas from $89.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on ONE Gas from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, ONE Gas currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $86.29.

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ONE Gas Stock Performance

ONE Gas stock opened at $78.76 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $76.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. ONE Gas has a twelve month low of $66.38 and a twelve month high of $83.96. The company has a market capitalization of $4.73 billion, a PE ratio of 18.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.79.

ONE Gas (NYSE:OGS  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.44. The firm had revenue of $379.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $404.19 million. ONE Gas had a return on equity of 8.06% and a net margin of 10.76%.The companys quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.34 earnings per share. ONE Gas has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.340-4.400 EPS. Research analysts expect that ONE Gas will post 4.26 EPS for the current year.

ONE Gas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. ONE Gass payout ratio is currently 62.47%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of ONE Gas in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in ONE Gas in the third quarter worth $36,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new position in ONE Gas during the second quarter valued at $50,000. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new position in ONE Gas during the second quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of ONE Gas by 36.1% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 856 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.71% of the companys stock.

ONE Gas Company Profile

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ONE Gas, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a regulated natural gas distribution company in the United States. The company provides natural gas distribution services to approximately 2.3 million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. It serves residential, commercial, and transportation customers.

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Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:PZG  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 4.3% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $1.08 and last traded at $1.11. 289,632 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 57% from the average session volume of 674,950 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.16.

Paramount Gold Nevada Price Performance

The companys 50 day moving average price is $1.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $0.89. The company has a market cap of $90.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.82 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32.

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Paramount Gold Nevada (NYSEAMERICAN:PZG  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 14th. The basic materials company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Paramount Gold Nevada

About Paramount Gold Nevada

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Paramount Gold Nevada by 531.1% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 67,095 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 56,463 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Paramount Gold Nevada during the 2nd quarter valued at $77,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Paramount Gold Nevada by 6.0% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 607,801 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 34,614 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Paramount Gold Nevada by 11.3% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 997,102 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $611,000 after acquiring an additional 101,180 shares in the last quarter. 4.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Paramount Gold Nevada Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties in the United States. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. It holds principal interest in the Sleeper gold project, which comprises 2,474 unpatented mining claims totaling approximately 44,917 acres located in Humbolt County, Nevada.

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LADENBURG THALM/SH SH reissued their sell rating on shares of Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR  Free Report) in a research report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has a $43.00 target price on the utilities providers stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Portland General Electric in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set an equal weight rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. BTIG Research raised shares of Portland General Electric to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $51.00 price objective on shares of Portland General Electric in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $47.00.

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Portland General Electric Stock Performance

NYSE:POR opened at $48.59 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.67, a PEG ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a 50 day moving average of $46.86 and a 200 day moving average of $43.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.95. Portland General Electric has a 1-year low of $39.54 and a 1-year high of $51.14.

Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. Portland General Electric had a net margin of 8.63% and a return on equity of 8.32%. The firm had revenue of $952.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $975.64 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.90 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Portland General Electric will post 3.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Portland General Electric Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. Portland General Electrics payout ratio is currently 76.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Portland General Electric news, CEO Maria M. Pope sold 18,896 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.50, for a total value of $803,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 194,135 shares in the company, valued at $8,250,737.50. This trade represents a 8.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Portland General Electric during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Portland General Electric in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Portland General Electric by 1,291.7% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 668 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 620 shares in the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new position in Portland General Electric during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Portland General Electric by 80.6% during the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 829 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares in the last quarter.

About Portland General Electric

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Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,254 circuit miles, including 287 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 554 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 934 thousand retail customers in 51 cities.

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Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd. (CVE:SPA  Get Free Report)s share price dropped 14.8% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as C$0.23 and last traded at C$0.23. Approximately 1,669,179 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 229% from the average daily volume of 507,406 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.27.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Atrium Research upgraded Spanish Mountain Gold to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Strong Buy.

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Spanish Mountain Gold Stock Up 4.3%

Spanish Mountain Gold Company Profile

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 5.99 and a quick ratio of 3.03. The firms 50 day moving average is C$0.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$0.16. The firm has a market capitalization of C$117.73 million, a P/E ratio of -24.00 and a beta of 1.28.

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Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd., an exploration stage resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. It holds a 100% interest in the Spanish Mountain gold project, which comprises approximately 50 contiguous mineral claims and 13 placer claims covering an area of approximately 10,414 hectares located in the Cariboo region of central British Columbia.

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Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of TELUS (TSE:T  Free Report) (NYSE:TU) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Natl Bk Canada raised shares of TELUS from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Desjardins lowered their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$25.00 to C$24.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Scotiabank upped their target price on TELUS from C$25.00 to C$26.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. National Bankshares raised TELUS from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and decreased their target price for the stock from C$23.00 to C$21.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut TELUS from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and lowered their target price for the company from C$22.00 to C$19.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, TELUS has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$22.82.

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TELUS Price Performance

Shares of T stock opened at C$18.70 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 183.41, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.69. TELUS has a fifty-two week low of C$17.92 and a fifty-two week high of C$23.29. The firm has a market cap of C$28.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.90. The businesss 50 day moving average price is C$20.35 and its 200-day moving average price is C$21.60.

TELUS (TSE:T  Get Free Report) (NYSE:TU) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported C$0.24 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$5.07 billion during the quarter. TELUS had a return on equity of 5.80% and a net margin of 4.62%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that TELUS will post 1.2267985 earnings per share for the current year.

About TELUS

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Telus is one of the Big Three wireless service providers in Canada, with its 9 million mobile phone subscribers nationwide constituting about 30% of the total market. It is the incumbent local exchange carrier in the western Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, where it provides internet, television, and landline phone services.

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The European Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE:EEA  Get Free Report) was up 0.3% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $10.71 and last traded at $10.63. Approximately 31,753 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 50% from the average daily volume of 21,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.60.

The European Equity Fund Stock Up 0.0%

The companys 50 day moving average price is $10.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.45.

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Institutional Trading of The European Equity Fund

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EEA. Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in The European Equity Fund by 23.5% during the first quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 59,898 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $545,000 after buying an additional 11,386 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The European Equity Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $182,000. Almitas Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of The European Equity Fund by 297.7% in the 1st quarter. Almitas Capital LLC now owns 63,976 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $582,000 after acquiring an additional 47,889 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in The European Equity Fund by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 694,622 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,106,000 after purchasing an additional 30,826 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Shaker Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in The European Equity Fund by 13.9% during the second quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 447,331 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,576,000 after purchasing an additional 54,759 shares during the last quarter. 51.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The European Equity Fund Company Profile

The European Equity Fund, Inc is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc The fund is managed by Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH. It invests in the public equity markets of Europe. The fund seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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A coalition of NGOs has challenged in court the deal in which the United States paid $5.1 million to the African country to take in migrants who were deported without a trial, some even after serving their sentences

Nearly 100 people packed into the sweltering High Court chamber on an early October morning, in Mbabane, the capital of Eswatini, filling the wooden benches and spilling into the aisles. They had come to hear Judge Titus Mlangeni rule on whether accepting foreign deportees from the United States in exchange for millions of dollars violates the nations own constitution  a question that has consumed this landlocked kingdom, formerly known as Swaziland, for months.

The case, he declared, raised constitutional questions serious enough towarrant review by the Chief Justice and a full bench of judges. The full court met on November 3 and postponed its ruling to an indefinite date.

However, the fact that judges are considering the unconstitutionality of receiving deportees has been seen as a significant victory for the activists and lawyers who have spent months challenging a deportation agreement they say was signed in secret, bypassed Parliament, and turned their country into what one critic called a dumping ground for Americas unwanted.

Eswatini received $5.1 million from the U.S., as confirmed in mid-November by Neal Rijkenberg, the finance minister of the African nation, an absolute monarchy. The sum is considerable for this small country of 1.2 million inhabitants, where two-thirds of the population live below the national poverty line.

Human Rights Watch cited that figure in September and denounced that, in the agreement signed on May 14, Eswatini committed to accepting up to 160 deportees.

The first five  nationals of Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Cubaand Jamaica  arrived in July at the maximum-security prison in Matsapha after being labeled violent offenders in the United States. A month later, a coalition of NGOs took the case to court, arguing that the agreement breached both Eswatinis laws and the mens due-process protections. They accused the monarchy-appointed government of effectively serving as an extension of U.S. immigration enforcement. In October, despite the pending legal case and growing public opposition, a second group of 10 people arrived. Only one deportee, Jamaican citizen Orville Isaac Etoria, has been able to return to his country.

The agreement has now spiraled into a full-blown constitutional crisis. Yet for the five deportees, who are at the core of the case, the ruling brought little immediate relief. They remain in a notoriously overcrowded facility  the occupancy rate of Eswatinis penal system exceeds 171%, according to the World Prison Brief  with a record of human rights abuses that has been confirmed by the U.S. State Department. Whats more, they are being held without charge, unable to contest their detention and effectively trapped between two governments.

The first five men deported to the African country had been convicted of serious crimes in the United States, including homicide and child rape, and had served their sentences. But rather than being returned to their countries of origin, they were sent to Eswatini under an agreement that the government had never disclosed to its own citizens or Parliament.

The case has thrust this small African kingdom into the center of a broader controversy over the Trump administrations third-country deportation program. Since July, the United States has sent more than 40 migrants to at least four African nations  including South Sudan, Rwanda, and Ghana. Rights organizations say the program circumvents due process by exiling migrants to states with poor human rights records.

Eswatini is one such country. The U.S. Department of State report cites cases of arbitrary detention, politically motivated killings, and torture and cruel treatment by law enforcement.

Since 1986, Mswati III, Africas last absolute monarch, has reigned in this country. The economy relies on the service sector, and poverty is deeply entrenched, according to the World Bank, due to limited formal job creation, a weak business climate, and scarce economic opportunities. More than half the population lives on less than $4.20 a day in a country highly vulnerable to climate change, which manifests above all in recurring droughts.

A deal shrouded in secrecy

The news of the arrival of the first five deportees in mid-July quickly reached activist circles. We only found out about this through rumors and then media reports, says Mzwandile Masuku, executive director of the Eswatini Litigation Centre, one of the organizations that challenged the agreement. Our own government made a deal affecting our sovereignty and security without telling anyone.

In late July, the Eswatini Litigation Center joined forces with the Southern African Litigation Center (SALC), a regional advocacy group, to issue an ultimatum to the government to withdraw from the deal or face legal action. The demand was ignored.

On August 14, the groups filed an urgent application in the High Court of Eswatini, arguing that the deportation agreement violated three sections of the countrys constitution. Section 236 requires Eswatini to conduct international relations transparently and in accordance with international law. Section 238 mandates parliamentary ratification of international agreements. And Section 69 holds the Cabinet accountable to Parliament for its decisions.

This is not just about these five men, says Melusi Simelane, program manager for civic rights at SALC and a co-applicant in the case. It reflects a deeper issue regarding Eswatinis commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

The government has maintained that the deportees pose no security threat and are being treated humanely. Thabile Mdluli, the acting government spokesperson, says that the arrangement reflects 50 years of fruitful bilateral relations between Eswatini and the United States. Every agreement entered into is done with meticulous care and consideration, argues Mdluli, adding that the deportees will eventually be repatriated to their home countries with assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Constitutional questions

But activists and legal experts have questioned that narrative. Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, a human rights lawyer, filed a separate urgent application in August challenging prison authorities denial of access to the detainees. Despite being hired by the mens U.S.-based lawyers, Nhlabatsi was repeatedly turned away from the prison.

Regardless of the reason for their detention, their right to access a legal practitioner and communicate with family is inviolable, says Nhlabatsis. If they were truly being treated humanely, they would have been brought before a judge.

The lack of access has fueled speculation about the mens treatment and legal status. Simelane argues that the deportees are effectively victims of human trafficking, having been sent to a country without their consent and detained without due process. These people should not be imprisoned, he says. They have not been convicted by any court. They were trafficked to Eswatini, as they never consented to being brought here.

Legal experts have warned that the case carries implications far beyond Eswatinis borders. Mandla Hlatshwayo, an Eswatini attorney, argues that the government needs to show us the law under which they are receiving and detaining these foreign nationals. All conventions and treaties with other countries are required to be affirmed by Parliament. Otherwise, this looks like human trafficking.

Sifiso Vuyo Musi, a law professor at the University of Eswatini, agrees that the case raises fundamental questions about national integrity. What is at stake is our national integrity and the basic rights of individuals, he says.

Protests

The controversy has also drawn concern from neighboring South Africa, which has expressed security worries about the deportation program.

Hlatshwayo fears that Eswatinis acceptance of the deal could encourage other cash-strapped African governments to enter similar arrangements, undermining human rights standards across the continent.

The activists have organized protests outside the U.S. Embassy in Eswatini and attended court proceedings, using the case as a rallying point for broader concerns about democratic governance in a country ruled by an absolute monarchy.

For Simelane and other activists, the case represents a crucial test of Eswatinis commitment to constitutional governance and the principle of separation of powers. The fact that the Cabinet bypassed Parliament entirely, they argue, signals a dangerous erosion of democratic institutions.

Over and above this is the principle of open government and accountability, which requires the Eswatini government to account to its electorate for the details of the deal and how it benefits the country, says Simelane.

This article was published in collaboration with Egab, a platform that works with journalists from the Middle East and Africa.

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Voyager Technologies (NYSE:VOYG  Get Free Report) lock-up period will end on Monday, December 8th. Voyager Technologies had issued 12,348,387 shares in its public offering on June 11th. The total size of the offering was $382,799,997 based on an initial share price of $31.00. After the expiration of the companys lock-up period, restrictions preventing company insiders and major shareholders from selling shares in the company will be lifted.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VOYG has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Voyager Technologies from $46.00 to $25.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Wall Street Zen cut Voyager Technologies from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of Voyager Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. KeyCorp dropped their target price on Voyager Technologies from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Voyager Technologies from $50.00 to $41.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 25th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $42.71.

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Voyager Technologies Price Performance

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

NYSE VOYG opened at $23.62 on Friday. Voyager Technologies has a 1-year low of $17.41 and a 1-year high of $73.95. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $27.42.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VOYG. Senvest Management LLC bought a new stake in Voyager Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at $110,514,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Voyager Technologies during the third quarter worth about $54,119,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Voyager Technologies by 653.9% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,631,613 shares of the companys stock worth $48,589,000 after purchasing an additional 1,415,192 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC bought a new stake in shares of Voyager Technologies in the second quarter worth about $41,607,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Voyager Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,997,000.

About Voyager Technologies

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We are an innovation-driven defense technology and space solutions company. Our company was purpose-built to address issues at the forefront of defense, national security and space industries and we have organized our business to reflect this goal. We strive to solve complex challenges to fortify national security, protect critical assets and unlock new frontiers for human progress and economic development.

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GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. purchased a new stake in shares of MAG Silver Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:MAG  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 118,999 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,514,000. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. owned 0.11% of MAG Silver as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MAG. Luminist Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of MAG Silver in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new position in MAG Silver during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $53,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in MAG Silver in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $71,000. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. increased its stake in MAG Silver by 39.3% in the 1st quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. now owns 8,178 shares of the companys stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 2,308 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in MAG Silver by 916.9% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 7,118 shares of the companys stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 6,418 shares during the last quarter. 52.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

MAG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank restated an outperform rating on shares of MAG Silver in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Roth Capital reissued a neutral rating and issued a $23.00 price target (up previously from $22.00) on shares of MAG Silver in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $21.00.

MAG Silver Stock Down 1.2%

NYSEAMERICAN:MAG opened at $24.47 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.72 and a beta of 0.73. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $24.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.94. MAG Silver Corporation has a twelve month low of $11.72 and a twelve month high of $25.09.

About MAG Silver

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MAG Silver Corp. develops and explores for precious metal properties in Canada. It explores for silver, gold, lead, copper, and zinc deposits. The company's flagship property is the 44% owned Juanicipio property located in the Fresnillo District, Zacatecas State, Mexico. MAG Silver Corp. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Black Iron Inc. (TSE:BKI  Get Free Report) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$0.11 and traded as high as C$0.15. Black Iron shares last traded at C$0.14, with a volume of 369,477 shares traded.

Black Iron Trading Down 3.6%

The firm has a market capitalization of C$41.34 million, a P/E ratio of -13.50 and a beta of 1.60. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$0.12 and its 200 day moving average is C$0.11.

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Black Iron (TSE:BKI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported C$0.00 earnings per share for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Black Iron Inc. will post -0.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Black Iron Company Profile

Black Iron Inc is a Canadian iron ore exploration and development company. The principal activity of the company is the exploration and development of ferrous metals in Ukraine namely the Shymanivske iron ore project located in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. The company operates through the development of its Ukrainian mining and exploration permits segment.

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Shares of B&M European Value Retail S.A. (LON:BME  Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the eight analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 221.63.

BME has been the topic of several research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of B&M European Value Retail from GBX 250 to GBX 235 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of B&M European Value Retail from GBX 205 to GBX 163 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on B&M European Value Retail from GBX 260 to GBX 175 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on B&M European Value Retail from GBX 395 to GBX 245 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of B&M European Value Retail in a research report on Thursday, November 13th.

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B&M European Value Retail Stock Up 0.3%

BME stock opened at GBX 166.75 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of 1.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.75 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 315.77. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is GBX 191.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 234.68. B&M European Value Retail has a 1-year low of GBX 154 and a 1-year high of GBX 378.50.

B&M European Value Retail (LON:BME  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported GBX 7.20 EPS for the quarter. B&M European Value Retail had a return on equity of 43.85% and a net margin of 5.81%. Analysts expect that B&M European Value Retail will post 38.4814815 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other B&M European Value Retail news, insider Tjeerd Jegen bought 29,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 164 per share, for a total transaction of 47,560. Insiders have bought 315,350 shares of company stock worth $67,115,500 over the last quarter. 22.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

B&M European Value Retail Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

B&M European Value Retail SA operates general merchandise and grocery stores. The company operates a chain of stores under the B&M, Heron Foods, and B&M Express in the United Kingdom; and stores under the B&M brand in France. It also provides property management services. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Munsbach, Luxembourg.

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Flow Traders U.S. LLC reduced its position in BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (NYSEARCA:XTWO  Free Report) by 18.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 68,202 shares of the companys stock after selling 15,439 shares during the quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLCs holdings in BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF were worth $3,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of XTWO. Nemes Rush Group LLC lifted its position in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 42.2% during the second quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 134,010 shares of the companys stock worth $6,639,000 after purchasing an additional 39,744 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new position in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 11.0% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 113,386 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,618,000 after purchasing an additional 11,256 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors increased its stake in BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 14.6% during the 2nd quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 15,366 shares of the companys stock worth $761,000 after buying an additional 1,953 shares during the period. Finally, Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 27.0% during the 2nd quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,656 shares of the companys stock worth $1,915,000 after buying an additional 8,223 shares in the last quarter.

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BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Price Performance

Shares of XTWO stock opened at $49.43 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $49.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $49.45. BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF has a 52 week low of $48.94 and a 52 week high of $49.72.

BondBloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Company Profile

The Bondbloxx Bloomberg Two Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (XTWO) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund is passively managed to invest in a portfolio of US Treasury securities with a target duration of two years. XTWO was launched on Sep 13, 2022 and is managed by BondBloxx.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered its stake in shares of Brinks Company (The) (NYSE:BCO  Free Report) by 11.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 154,293 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 19,834 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.37% of Brinks worth $13,777,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of BCO. Fourth Sail Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Brinks in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,135,000. Boston Partners boosted its stake in Brinks by 80.3% in the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 548,366 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $48,916,000 after acquiring an additional 244,242 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brinks during the first quarter worth about $9,929,000. Ariel Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Brinks by 8.7% during the first quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 1,394,284 shares of the business services providers stock worth $120,132,000 after purchasing an additional 112,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brinks in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,842,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.96% of the companys stock.

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Brinks Stock Up 0.2%

Brinks stock opened at $116.69 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $113.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $103.39. Brinks Company has a twelve month low of $80.10 and a twelve month high of $118.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.84 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.14.

Brinks Dividend Announcement

Brinks ( NYSE:BCO Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The business services provider reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.09 by ($0.01). Brinks had a return on equity of 93.16% and a net margin of 3.31%.The company had revenue of $1.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.51 EPS. Brinkss revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Brinks has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.280-2.680 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Brinks Company will post 6.49 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 3rd were paid a $0.255 dividend. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 3rd. Brinkss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BCO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Brinks from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b-) rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Zacks Research downgraded Brinks from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Brinks from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Sunday, August 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

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Brinks Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Brinks Co engages in providing cash management services, digital retail solutions, and ATM managed services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Latin America, Europe, and Rest of World. The North America segment operates in the U.S. and Canada. The Latin America segment refers to the operations in Latin American countries.

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California Public Employees Retirement System cut its holdings in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 14.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,197,343 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 720,825 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement Systems holdings in Southern were worth $385,442,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Southern by 275.0% in the second quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 300 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the period. Advantage Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Southern by 1,428.6% during the 2nd quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 321 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Accredited Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Southern in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the second quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Southern by 309.5% in the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the companys stock.

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Southern Stock Performance

Southern stock opened at $86.25 on Friday. Southern Company has a fifty-two week low of $80.46 and a fifty-two week high of $100.83. The company has a market capitalization of $94.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.35, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $93.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $92.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.75.

Southern Announces Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.09. Southern had a return on equity of 12.52% and a net margin of 15.42%.The firm had revenue of $7.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Southern Company will post 4.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.74 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 17th. This represents a $2.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Southern to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Southern from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $98.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Thursday, November 6th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $102.50 price objective (up from $99.50) on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, October 17th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Southern in a research report on Monday, October 6th. They set an in-line rating and a $103.00 target price on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp upped their target price on Southern from $78.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Southern has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $99.03.

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Southern Profile

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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Shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel Unsponsored ADR (NYSE:ELPC  Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $10.39, but opened at $9.70. Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel shares last traded at $9.8090, with a volume of 2,228 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold.

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Check Out Our Latest Report on ELPC

Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $10.30 billion, a PE ratio of 18.88 and a beta of -0.02. The company has a 50 day moving average of $9.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.70.

Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel (NYSE:ELPC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel stock. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new position in shares of Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel Unsponsored ADR (NYSE:ELPC  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,250 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $28,000.

Companhia Paranaense de Energia  Copel Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Companhia Paranaense de Energia  COPEL engages in the generation, transformation, distribution, and sale of electricity to industrial, residential, commercial, rural, and other customers in Brazil. The company operates through Power Generation and Transmission, Power Distribution, GAS, Power Sale, and Holding and Services segments.

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Croma Security Solutions Group plc (LON:CSSG  Get Free Report)s stock price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 79.32 and traded as low as GBX 78. Croma Security Solutions Group shares last traded at GBX 78, with a volume of 2,001 shares changing hands.

Croma Security Solutions Group Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.88. The company has a market capitalization of 10.74 million, a PE ratio of 13.66 and a beta of 0.85. The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 77.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 79.27.

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Croma Security Solutions Group (LON:CSSG  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported GBX 5.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Croma Security Solutions Group had a return on equity of 3.60% and a net margin of 6.21%. On average, equities analysts predict that Croma Security Solutions Group plc will post 4.3927649 EPS for the current year.

Croma Security Solutions Group Company Profile

Croma Security Solutions Group plc provides various security services in the United Kingdom. The company operates through two segments: Croma Locksmiths; and Croma Fire and Security. The Croma Locksmiths segment supplies, installs, and maintains locks, padlocks, safes, ironmongery, UPVC mechanisms, security shutters, grilles, and doors.

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Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI  Free Report) by 2,066.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,476,001 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,315,589 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. owned about 0.17% of British American Tobacco worth $164,519,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pandora Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in shares of British American Tobacco in the first quarter worth approximately $32,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of British American Tobacco during the 2nd quarter worth $44,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco during the 1st quarter valued at $57,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in British American Tobacco by 36.4% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,371 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in British American Tobacco by 279.2% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,475 shares of the companys stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 1,086 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.16% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on BTI. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley reissued an underweight rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, August 15th. Argus raised shares of British American Tobacco from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $62.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, September 8th. Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, British American Tobacco currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Trading Down 1.7%

British American Tobacco stock opened at $57.03 on Friday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 1 year low of $34.82 and a 1 year high of $59.29. The firms 50 day moving average price is $53.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

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.

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Talking about someone behind their back gets a bad rap, but it can also be a force that unites and helps create bonds. What matters is who you share gossip with and how you use it, whether to connect or divide, to understand or to judge

It happens at work, with friends, and even within the family. Whether you like it or not, gossip arises daily. The act of speaking indiscreetly  or maliciously  about other people and their affairs is almost part of everyday life.

People spend approximately one hour a day gossiping, as confirmed by a study published in February 2024 in the academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The report, titled Explaining the Evolution of Gossip, clarifies how gossip has evolved to help social groups function, by disseminating useful information about their members and fostering cooperation.

Gossip is a ubiquitous feature of human communication, explains psychologist and psychotherapist Barbara Zorrilla. From a social-psychological perspective, gossip helps reinforce social norms  whats appropriate and whats not  which is why gossip is often used to socially sanction people who dont comply with these norms, she details.

Psychologist and human behavior expert Silvia Manjavacas agrees that gossip makes us feel like part of a group. Its a way of bonding and regulating relationships, creating a sense of belonging, and even relieving tension. Theres [such a thing as] good gossip, as long as theres no intention to harm the other person [or] expose their privacy without their consent, this expert argues.

Gossip has evolved to help social groups function, to spread useful information about their members and to foster cooperation. Catherine Falls Commercial (Getty Images)

However, when gossip becomes a form of judgment, or when its used as a weapon against another person, it becomes harmful. Its not a question of frequency, but of content. Acting on unverified information is very dangerous. For example, a person with narcissistic traits may want to ruin someones reputation through malicious gossip, Zorrilla points out.

When it becomes a way to exclude or control others and reinforces power dynamics (I know something you dont know)  [given the fact that] we rarely have the full context  whats conveyed is only part of the story, told from a specific perspective. The thoughts we generate from rumors are often automatic, distorted and difficult to question, Manjavacas argues.

Who you gossip with matters more than the gossip itself

Generally, people enjoy gossip. Its fun, pleasurable and generates emotional release. In fact, one of the most important considerations when gossiping is who you gossip with. The study titled How Information on Networks Facilitates Strategic Gossip, published last July in the scientific journal Nature Human Behavior, concludes that humans are capable of instinctively calculating who to gossip with, taking into account the popularity of the person being talked about and the listeners connection to them. This cognitive process allows gossip to spread widely and quickly, while still minimizing the risk of it reaching the wrong person.

Not all [listeners] are the same, Manajavacas analyzes. There are those who carefully and discreetly [hear] a comment and those who turn it into crossfire. [Before you gossip, you should] know whos fueling criticism and who has the ability to spread it. Choosing who you share [gossip] with isnt only about choosing the level of damage you wish [to inflict]: its also about determining the role that youll play in that conversation, Manjavacas analyzes.

Gossip activates an area of the brain that we know as the reward circuit, because dopamine is released. [Gossiping] is like an addiction, Zorrilla notes. In the chain of rumor transmission, its been proven how gossip is distorted and the original message changes as its passed from one person to another. If there are malicious links in this chain, theyll be responsible for adding a sensationalist and pejorative component. Once the rumor has started, the initial sender loses control of [the] communication path, says clinical psychologist Maria Angeles Fernandez. According to the American Psychological Association, if you dont have anything nice to say about someone, dont say anything at all. This stops things from getting out of control.

Gossip activates an area of the brain we know as the reward circuit, because it releases dopamine and acts like addiction. Maskot (Getty Images/Maskot)

The person who hears gossip is also responsible for its dissemination, regardless of the medium they choose. Why do I need to share this? What does it make me feel to know this information? Am I contributing to a conversation, or just fueling morbid curiosity? Manjavacas lists questions that people should ask themselves. If we hear gossip, we must treat it with awareness and care, she cautions. We shouldnt spread something we dont know is true, nor should we act on gossip, because theres a difference between taking note [of something] and making decisions. The healthy thing to do is to check with the person involved and understand the context.

Gossip isnt dichotomous. Whats important is how we use it: whether to connect or divide, to understand or to judge. Manjavacas adds.

Where is the line between chatting and gossiping?

Talking is a way of expressing thoughts, feelings, experiences and ideas to the people around us. You can talk about information that is true and real, that has rigor. What matters is the intent and the veracity of the content. If theres no negative intent and the gossip is true, it cant be called a malicious rumor: rather, its merely gossip, Manjavacas argues. For example: Pepe is going on vacation to the Caribbean this year with his new girlfriend.

We like to learn about others so we can compare our own lives with theirs and gauge our personal and family issues. skynesher (Getty Images)

If the intention is to share information about someone elses life with another person without malice, self-reflection] can be encouraged, [via] dialogue and listening. People [often] talk about the private affairs of others; [these are] everyday events that reflect the complexity of human life. We like to learn about others so that [we can compare our lives with theirs] and gauge our personal and family issues, Fernandez asserts. In community or family settings, a well-intentioned comment being shared can open up spaces for reflection so long as we protect the confidentiality and dignity of the other person, Manjavacas cautions.

When we think about the well-being of the person were talking about, theres a focus on the common good, Fernandez points out. Information can be conveyed by using gossip, in order to exemplify something that needs to be improved in the community. Or, it can serve as a basis for dialogue and reflection, allowing for solutions to be sought out to help the social group.

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Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its position in Flowserve Corporation (NYSE:FLS  Free Report) by 3.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,351,572 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 44,952 shares during the period. Flowserve makes up about 0.7% of Gamco Investors INC. ET ALs holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL owned approximately 1.03% of Flowserve worth $70,755,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of FLS. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Flowserve by 5.4% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,856,358 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $237,185,000 after acquiring an additional 248,273 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in Flowserve in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $223,561,000. Earnest Partners LLC increased its position in Flowserve by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 2,741,538 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $133,897,000 after purchasing an additional 173,528 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Flowserve by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,443,456 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $119,332,000 after buying an additional 75,374 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Flowserve in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $111,598,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.93% of the companys stock.

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Flowserve Stock Performance

NYSE:FLS opened at $72.06 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market capitalization of $9.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $61.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $55.75. Flowserve Corporation has a twelve month low of $37.34 and a twelve month high of $72.82.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Flowserve ( NYSE:FLS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.10. Flowserve had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 19.41%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.21 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.62 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Flowserve has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.400-3.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Flowserve Corporation will post 3.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Flowserve in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Flowserve from $64.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of Flowserve in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $84.00 target price on shares of Flowserve in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Flowserve from $68.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $75.33.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Flowserve

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Susan Claire Hudson sold 10,667 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.01, for a total value of $746,796.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,589 shares of the companys stock, valued at $461,295.89. The trade was a 61.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Lamar L. Duhon sold 1,609 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.51, for a total value of $111,841.59. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 15,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,050,713.16. The trade was a 9.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 59,276 shares of company stock valued at $4,196,578. Corporate insiders own 0.76% of the companys stock.

Flowserve Company Profile

(Free Report)

Flowserve Corporation designs, manufactures, distributes, and services industrial flow management equipment in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through Flowserve Pump Division (FPD) and Flow Control Division (FCD) segments. The FPD segment offers custom and pre-configured pumps and pump systems, mechanical seals, auxiliary systems, replacement parts, upgrades, and related aftermarket services; and equipment services, including installation and commissioning services, seal systems spare parts, repairs, advanced diagnostics, re-rate and upgrade solutions, retrofit programs, and machining and asset management solutions, as well as manufactures a gas-lubricated mechanical seal for use in high-speed compressors for gas pipelines and in the oil and gas production and process markets.

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Gabelli Funds LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI  Free Report) by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 660,650 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 6,500 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC owned about 0.57% of Donaldson worth $45,816,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC bought a new stake in shares of Donaldson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $679,475,000. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Donaldson by 75.3% during the first quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 3,330,602 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $223,350,000 after purchasing an additional 1,430,120 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Donaldson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $68,759,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI grew its stake in Donaldson by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 2,499,756 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $167,634,000 after buying an additional 290,477 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Donaldson by 32.4% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,172,395 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $77,636,000 after buying an additional 286,598 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.81% of the companys stock.

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Donaldson Stock Down 1.8%

DCI opened at $92.49 on Friday. Donaldson Company, Inc. has a 12 month low of $57.45 and a 12 month high of $95.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $85.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $77.48. The company has a market cap of $10.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.99.

Donaldson Announces Dividend

Donaldson ( NYSE:DCI Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $935.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $922.68 million. Donaldson had a return on equity of 30.24% and a net margin of 10.25%.Donaldsons quarterly revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.83 EPS. Donaldson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.110 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Donaldson Company, Inc. will post 3.64 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 5th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Donaldsons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on DCI shares. Robert W. Baird set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Donaldson in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley raised Donaldson from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $72.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Donaldson from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Donaldson in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Donaldson from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Donaldson currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $93.33.

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About Donaldson

(Free Report)

Donaldson Company, Inc manufactures and sells filtration systems and replacement parts worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions, and Life Sciences. Its Mobile Solutions segment provides replacement filters for air and liquid filtration applications, such as air filtration systems; liquid filtration systems for fuel, lube, and hydraulic applications; exhaust and emissions systems and sensors; indicators; and monitoring systems.

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Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its position in shares of Crane (NYSE:CR  Free Report) by 0.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 776,114 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 7,184 shares during the quarter. Crane makes up about 1.0% of Gabelli Funds LLCs holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Gabelli Funds LLC owned about 1.35% of Crane worth $147,376,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CR. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Crane by 63.4% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 219 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Crane by 15.4% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 390 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp bought a new stake in shares of Crane in the first quarter worth about $76,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new position in Crane during the 2nd quarter valued at about $96,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group raised its position in Crane by 35.7% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 809 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the companys stock.

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Crane Stock Performance

Shares of Crane stock opened at $187.68 on Friday. Crane has a 12 month low of $127.04 and a 12 month high of $203.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $184.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $185.26.

Crane Announces Dividend

Crane ( NYSE:CR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.18. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The company had revenue of $589.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $578.54 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.38 EPS. Cranes quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Crane has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.750-5.950 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 28th. Cranes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their target price on Crane from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Crane from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. DA Davidson set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Wolfe Research set a $215.00 target price on shares of Crane and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Crane in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $222.17.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Crane

Crane Company Profile

(Free Report)

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.

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Halma (OTCMKTS:HLMAF  Get Free Report)s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $47.48, but opened at $49.44. Halma shares last traded at $49.44, with a volume of 636 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HLMAF has been the topic of several analyst reports. Zacks Research cut Halma from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, August 18th. Barclays reissued an overweight rating on shares of Halma in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating on shares of Halma in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Halma in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Halma presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

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Check Out Our Latest Analysis on HLMAF

Halma Trading Up 4.4%

About Halma

The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $46.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.43.

(Get Free Report)

Halma plc, together its subsidiaries, provides technology solutions in the safety, health, and environmental markets in the United States, Mainland Europe, the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Safety, Environmental & Analysis, and Medical.

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Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ALEX  Free Report) by 50.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 158,432 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 53,100 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.22% of Alexander & Baldwin worth $2,813,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Alexander & Baldwin by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 19,810 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $341,000 after purchasing an additional 621 shares during the period. Quarry LP grew its holdings in shares of Alexander & Baldwin by 32.3% during the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,264 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 1,042 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Alexander & Baldwin by 76.7% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,462 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 1,069 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in Alexander & Baldwin by 1.2% during the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 105,005 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,872,000 after buying an additional 1,210 shares during the period. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its stake in Alexander & Baldwin by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 42,206 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $753,000 after acquiring an additional 1,286 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.29% of the companys stock.

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Alexander & Baldwin Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE ALEX opened at $15.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.09, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.38. Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.22 and a 52 week high of $19.76.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Alexander & Baldwin ( NYSE:ALEX Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.08). Alexander & Baldwin had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 33.62%.The business had revenue of $50.25 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $50.69 million. On average, research analysts predict that Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. will post 1.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ALEX has been the topic of a number of research reports. JMP Securities reiterated a market perform rating on shares of Alexander & Baldwin in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Piper Sandler set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Alexander & Baldwin in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Alexander & Baldwin in a research report on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Alexander & Baldwin has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $21.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on ALEX

Alexander & Baldwin Profile

(Free Report)

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc engages in the real estate business. It operates through the Commercial Real Estate and Land Operations segments. The Commercial Real Estate segment includes investments and acquisitions, construction and development, and in-house leasing and property management. The Land Operations segment consists of legacy landholdings, assets, and liabilities subject to the companys simplification and monetization effort.

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Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE  Free Report) by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,676,318 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 528,575 shares during the quarter. Invesco Ltd.s holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities were worth $267,011,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ARE. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities during the second quarter valued at $1,195,306,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,318,035 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $312,407,000 after purchasing an additional 82,591 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,723,583 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $251,959,000 after purchasing an additional 158,177 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 4.9% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,655,204 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $192,848,000 after purchasing an additional 125,020 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 21.8% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,849,582 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $171,105,000 after purchasing an additional 330,673 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.54% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

ARE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $98.00 to $65.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Citizens Jmp lowered shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price target on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a report on Thursday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $72.00 to $50.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $72.43.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Stock Performance

ARE opened at $45.57 on Friday. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. has a 1-year low of $45.47 and a 1-year high of $107.19. The company has a market cap of $7.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.45, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 1.32. The companys fifty day moving average price is $63.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.09). Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a negative net margin of 13.43% and a negative return on equity of 1.89%. The business had revenue of $751.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $752.90 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.37 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.980-9.040 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. will post 9.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be paid a $0.72 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess dividend payout ratio is -213.77%.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Company Profile

(Free Report)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since our founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology mega campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle.

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Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA:GDX  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 347,122 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $18,071,000. Jump Financial LLC owned about 0.12% of VanEck Gold Miners ETF at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. North Forty Two & Co. lifted its position in VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. North Forty Two & Co. now owns 5,100 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $266,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Aspect Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 3.9% during the second quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 5,572 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. raised its stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 71.0% during the second quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. now owns 513 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 10.0% in the 2nd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,414 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $126,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CreativeOne Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of VanEck Gold Miners ETF by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 11,428 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $525,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter.

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VanEck Gold Miners ETF Stock Performance

GDX stock opened at $81.03 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $24.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.70 and a beta of 0.55. The firms fifty day moving average is $76.48 and its 200 day moving average is $63.98. VanEck Gold Miners ETF has a 52 week low of $33.42 and a 52 week high of $85.08.

VanEck Gold Miners ETF Company Profile

The Fund seeks to match as closely as possible the price and yield performance of the AMEX Gold Miners Index. The Fund, utilizing a passive or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the Index by investing in a portfolio of stocks that generally replicate the Index.

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Kennedy Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:PB  Free Report) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 47,290 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $3,322,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Steph & Co. acquired a new stake in Prosperity Bancshares during the 2nd quarter worth $38,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new position in shares of Prosperity Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth $48,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of Prosperity Bancshares during the second quarter worth $48,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 1,251.4% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 973 shares of the banks stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 901 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Prosperity Bancshares by 16.8% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 978 shares of the banks stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. 80.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Prosperity Bancshares

In other Prosperity Bancshares news, Director Ned S. Holmes sold 600 shares of Prosperity Bancshares stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.18, for a total value of $40,308.00. Following the sale, the director owned 44,100 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,962,638. This trade represents a 1.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Harrison Stafford II sold 800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.76, for a total value of $56,608.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 107,937 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,637,622.12. This trade represents a 0.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,100 shares of company stock valued at $1,006,458. Corporate insiders own 4.20% of the companys stock.

Prosperity Bancshares Stock Performance

NYSE PB opened at $70.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.59, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.03. Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $61.06 and a 52-week high of $82.90.

Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The bank reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.45. Prosperity Bancshares had a net margin of 30.28% and a return on equity of 7.06%. The firm had revenue of $314.67 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $317.94 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.34 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. will post 5.83 EPS for the current year.

Prosperity Bancshares Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This is a boost from Prosperity Bancsharess previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. Prosperity Bancsharess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.78%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PB has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Prosperity Bancshares from $78.00 to $72.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $84.00 to $77.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Prosperity Bancshares in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $77.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Prosperity Bancshares from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Prosperity Bancshares has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $80.21.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Prosperity Bancshares

Prosperity Bancshares Profile

(Free Report)

Prosperity Bancshares, Inc operates as bank holding company for the Prosperity Bank that provides financial products and services to businesses and consumers. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand, savings, money market, and time accounts, as well as and certificates of deposit. The company also offers 1-4 family residential mortgage, commercial real estate and multifamily residential, commercial and industrial, agricultural, and non-real estate agricultural loans, as well as construction, land development, and other land loans; consumer loans, including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, home improvement, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans; term loans and lines of credit; and consumer durables and home equity loans, as well as loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery.

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Shares of LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF (NYSEARCA:ACTV  Get Free Report) rose 0% on Friday . The company traded as high as $33.15 and last traded at $33.1450. Approximately 852 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 93% from the average daily volume of 13,008 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.14.

LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $8.29 million, a PE ratio of -51.79 and a beta of 0.96. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $33.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.56.

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LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 23rd were given a dividend of $0.4243 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 128.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 23rd. LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETFs dividend payout ratio is presently -106.25%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

About LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF stock. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF ( NYSEARCA:ACTV Free Report ) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 12,516 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $423,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC owned about 5.01% of LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF at the end of the most recent quarter. 26.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

(Get Free Report)

The LeaderShares Activist Leaders ETF (ACTV) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund actively selects US equity securities that are the target of shareholder activism. ACTV was launched on Oct 27, 2020 and is managed by LeaderShares.

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Legal & General Group Plc cut its stake in shares of Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII  Free Report) by 22.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 85,633 shares of the companys stock after selling 24,884 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.15% of Polaris worth $3,481,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of PII. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of Polaris by 305.0% in the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 26,982 shares of the companys stock worth $1,105,000 after buying an additional 20,320 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Polaris by 243.8% in the first quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 298,736 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,230,000 after acquiring an additional 211,832 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Polaris by 352.5% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 902,751 shares of the companys stock worth $36,959,000 after acquiring an additional 703,240 shares during the period. Arrowpoint Investment Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Polaris during the 1st quarter worth about $495,000. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in Polaris during the 1st quarter valued at about $5,418,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.06% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a market perform rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Polaris in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on Polaris in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They set a hold rating and a $59.00 target price for the company. UBS Group increased their target price on Polaris from $45.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, September 8th. Zacks Research raised Polaris from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on Polaris from $60.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $55.25.

Polaris Stock Performance

Shares of PII stock opened at $67.52 on Friday. Polaris Inc. has a 12-month low of $30.92 and a 12-month high of $75.25. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $65.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $54.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The company has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a PE ratio of -25.48 and a beta of 1.12.

Polaris (NYSE:PII  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.04. Polaris had a positive return on equity of 3.89% and a negative net margin of 2.17%.The firm had revenue of $1.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.73 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Polaris Inc. will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Polaris Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Polariss dividend payout ratio is -101.13%.

Polaris Profile

(Free Report)

Polaris Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; and moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats.

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The health specialist has published a book that has 80 recommendations for avoiding toxins, as well as advice for a healthier life, away from harmful substances

Until recently, endocrine disruptors  found in many everyday products  were largely absent from public discussion, but that term is now heard more and more. Nicolas Olea, emeritus professor of Radiology and Physical Medicine at the University of Granada in Spain, has played a key role in this shift. I began to study them in 1988 in the United States, and it was a big surprise.

In 1992, he focused on one in particular, bisphenol A, and since then has participated in dozens of studies on these substances, which he detailed in the popular science book Liberate de toxicos (Free Yourself from Toxins). Six years later, he has recently published 80 recomendaciones para evitar los toxicos (80 recommendations for avoiding toxins), a book offering advice for living a healthier life.

Question. What are endocrine disruptors?

Answer. They are chemical substances which, once inside the body, modify its hormonal balance. Hormones are the messengers that communicate between, for example, the ovary and the breast, as does estradiol, which is an estrogen. Disruptors can mimic estradiol and compete with that message, distorting it. They are hackers that alter hormonal messaging.

Q. Do they have immediate effects?

A. The effect is certainly immediate, because the alteration is instantaneous, but the repercussions of adverse effects can be very long-term: early exposure to a hormone can condition your adult life. The consequences are not visible until adulthood, so it is difficult to establish causality. In our study on poor semen quality, the prevailing hypothesis is that it was defined in the first 40 days after the childs fertilization.

Q. What other effects do they cause?

A. Thyroid disorders  there are a huge number of people taking thyroid hormone for hypothyroidism  weight gain and diabetes, infertility. This summer, a scientific article noted that declining fertility in Europe is linked to womens empowerment and economic conditions, but also to poor semen quality, decreased ovarian reserve, and diseases such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, all of which are associated with endocrine disruptors.

Q. Are women more affected by endocrine disruptors?

A. Yes, because hormonal variability plays a major role in female physiology. Between the development of puberty, the first period, mammary development, monthly ovarian cycle and pregnancies, they are much more susceptible to hormonal changes. Hypothyroidism affects 17 times as many women as men, and chemical sensitivity also multiplies in women.

Q. If endocrine disruptors are so harmful, why are they allowed?

A. There has been an enormous delay in incorporating the legislation that a compound is hormonally active into chemical regulations. If the compound is CMR [carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic], it is banned, but hormonal toxicity is not included in those rules. When the European Chemicals Agency [ECHA] wants to legislate on endocrine disrupters, it considers whether they are reprotoxic [toxic to reproduction]; the regulations are stricter in that area. The first time that endocrine disruptors might be regulated is in upcoming European toy regulation.

Q. In your book, you give advice on avoiding toxins. One of the tips is to avoid using coffee capsules.

A. Coffee prepared under pressure and at a high temperature in a cheap plastic capsule liberates microplastics that contribute to exposure to endocrine disruptors. The plastic is usually polyethylene and often contains an epoxy resin that acts as glue between the two pieces, as well as other additives. The alternative is the traditional coffee maker.

Nicolas Olea, on Wednesday at the EL PAIS headquarters. Carlos Rosillo

Q. What about plastic cups?

A. The same thing happens when you put a hot beverage in them.

Q. What about plastic bottles?

A. Six years ago, we were talking about how there were 3,000 microplastics per bottle. A year ago a paper was published in the PNAS journal looking at microplastics, and it raised that figure to 300,000 per liter of water. The more they are reused and the older they are, the more microplastics are released. Its also very bad to leave a bottle of water in the car in the summer, it can reach 50C [122F]. In Spain, it is much better to drink water from the tap. At home, 1,000 liters cost around 2 [$2.33], while in the street you could get one liter for that price.

Q. Does the food we eat at home have pesticides?

A. Around 38% of all food has some kind of residue, and 2% is above the legal limit. But the key is how much is in conventional food: enough that biomonitoring studies show that Spanish children urinate a cocktail of pesticides. Current regulations satisfy officials, but they do not protect human health. The French have measured pesticides in breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner through the countrys Generations Futures project and found 87 substances  though most are legal, regulations do not take into account the cocktail effect when they combine. This combined effect does not appear in legislation. Pesticides, cosmetics, and plastics converging in the same system can alter hormones.

Q. What kinds of fish contain mercury, and how does it affect us?

A. The small ones, like anchovies, sardines, squid and blue whiting, are clean. On the other hand, large predators have high mercury levels: tuna, shark, dogfish, emperor fish and swordfish. Since 2019, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has recommended not eating much of that kind of fish, and not sucking the heads of shrimps because they contain cadmium.

Q. What about food packaging?

A. Canned food containers used to have epoxy resins derived from bisphenol A, but since last year, that has been regulated [by the European Union  the FDA continues to classify the substance as safe for use in food packaging], and now theyll have to look for another material for packaging. That is why we have always recommended glass jars.

Q. Where are perfluorinated compounds (PFAs) found?

A. They are found in non-stick frying pans, stain-resistant clothing, fire extinguishers, many cosmetics they have many applications, because they improve the qualities of products, but they are very persistent. The ECHA has declared war on perfluorinated compounds and has already regulated 12, but there are 12,000 on the market. In 2017, it was reported that the levels of perfluorinated compounds in the blood of Spanish people were very high. History repeats itself: first, organochlorines [PCBs, DDT] were banned, then organobromides, and now we are dealing with perfluorinated compounds. They are obesogenic, and their main effect as endocrine disruptors is to promote obesity. They are found in all living beings and are not eliminated through urine.

Q. What is the issue with tea bags?

A. Before, they were made from vegetable cellulose, but now they are made of polyamide or polyester, which means that every time they are put in boiling water, millions of microplastics and nanoplastics are released. The alternative is to use traditional metal tea infusers.

Q. What about microwave popcorn?

A. The inside of the bag usually contains perfluorinated compounds, which heat up along with the food and are very toxic, because they pass into the food and contribute to exposure to endocrine disruptors.

Q. Should food be heated in plastic containers?

A. No. They release phthalates and chemical contaminants, and microplastics wear down and release components when heated, which end up in the body. The same is true for silicone containers. The alternative is glass containers and metal or glass ovenware.

Q. What about cosmetics?

A. A lot of them have benzophenones, parabens. In Spain, a woman uses an average of 14 products, each containing an average of 38 ingredients, which amounts to 400 chemical compounds that can produce a cocktail effect. They say that the concentrations are low and absorption is minimal, but then you see that many remain in the urine. Exposure has been proven. In girls, early use may be linked to the onset of early puberty that pediatricians are seeing.

Q. Sunscreen?

A. They usually contain benzophenones. The ECHA has a list of substances that it will restrict next year, which includes benzophenones, camphen, and a salicylate.

Q. What happens if a dog or cat wearing a flea collar sleeps in a kids bed?

A. The Spanish Medicines Agency says that flea collars contain pyrethrin and other pesticides that are not designed to be in your childs bed, and can affect them.

Q. What are the health risks linked to clothing?

A. They often have perfluorinated compounds, although they are not usually indicated on the label. They prevent clothes from staining and eliminate the need for ironing, but they are endocrine disruptors.

Q. You say not to put a newborn baby in a new car. Why?

A. The interior of a car is made of plastic, even in electric cars. And the newer the car, the worse the exposure, because they release more chemicals like phthalates, phosphates, bisphenols  a volatile mixture. If you have a new car, ventilate it thoroughly and never get in with your child if the vehicle has been left in the sun and is very hot.

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Lido Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (NYSEARCA:IGM  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 6,124 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $688,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IGM. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 1.4% in the second quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 7,076 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $795,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Etesian Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 2.8% during the second quarter. Etesian Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 5,372 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $603,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Investment Group increased its stake in iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Kennedy Investment Group now owns 5,678 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $638,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Choreo LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 6.8% during the second quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 3,160 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $355,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kelly Financial Services LLC raised its stake in iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Kelly Financial Services LLC now owns 2,516 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF Stock Performance

Shares of IGM stock opened at $132.77 on Friday. iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF has a fifty-two week low of $76.26 and a fifty-two week high of $135.81. The stocks fifty day moving average is $129.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.08 and a beta of 1.27.

About iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF

iShares North American Tech ETF, formerly iShares S&P North American Technology Sector Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, of the United States-traded technology companies, as represented by the S&P North American Technology Sector Index (the Index).

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Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE:RIO  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 841,579 shares of the mining companys stock, valued at approximately $49,089,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pandora Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Rio Tinto in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Rio Tinto during the second quarter worth approximately $43,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto during the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto during the first quarter worth approximately $48,000. 19.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Rio Tinto Price Performance

NYSE:RIO opened at $73.01 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $69.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Rio Tinto PLC has a fifty-two week low of $51.67 and a fifty-two week high of $74.53.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on RIO. Citigroup reiterated a hold rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Zacks Research lowered Rio Tinto from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a sector perform rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $73.00.

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About Rio Tinto

(Free Report)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. The Iron Ore segment engages in the iron ore mining, and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. The Aluminum segment is involved in bauxite mining; alumina refining; and aluminium smelting.

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MicroSectors FANG+ ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGS  Get Free Report)s share price traded up 1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $72.29 and last traded at $71.92. 33,646 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 138,495 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.23.

MicroSectors FANG+ ETN Stock Up 1.0%

The stock has a market cap of $539.40 million, a P/E ratio of 35.17 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.99.

MicroSectors FANG+ ETN Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The MicroSectors FANG+ ETN (FNGS) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NYSE FANG+ index. The fund tracks an equally-weighted index of US-listed technology and consumer discretionary companies, selected by a committee. FNGS was launched on Nov 15, 2019 and is issued by REX Microsectors.

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Wall Street Zen lowered shares of NiSource (NYSE:NI  Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on NI. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of NiSource from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $46.00 to $50.00 in a report on Friday, October 31st. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on NiSource from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Barclays lifted their price objective on NiSource from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of NiSource from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of NiSource from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $46.44.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on NiSource

NiSource Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:NI opened at $42.01 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $43.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.58. The firm has a market cap of $20.05 billion, a PE ratio of 22.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.63. NiSource has a 12-month low of $35.36 and a 12-month high of $44.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

NiSource (NYSE:NI  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $983.25 million. NiSource had a return on equity of 8.09% and a net margin of 14.15%.During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.20 EPS. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.07 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 1.870-1.89 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that NiSource will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other NiSource news, EVP Kimberly S. Cuccia sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.13, for a total value of $345,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 41,247 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,778,983.11. The trade was a 16.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.24% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NI. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of NiSource by 55,625.2% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 16,866,898 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $680,411,000 after purchasing an additional 16,836,630 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of NiSource during the 2nd quarter worth about $296,543,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in NiSource by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 60,844,001 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,439,236,000 after purchasing an additional 3,050,420 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of NiSource by 2,288.8% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 3,166,313 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $137,101,000 after acquiring an additional 3,033,764 shares during the last quarter. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of NiSource by 12.4% in the first quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 24,020,859 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $962,997,000 after acquiring an additional 2,650,827 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.64% of the companys stock.

About NiSource

(Get Free Report)

NiSource Inc, an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 3.3 million customers through approximately 55,000 miles of distribution main pipeline and the associated individual customer service lines; and 1,000 miles of transmission main pipeline in northern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland.

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Panagora Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Free Report) by 99.0% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,295 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 229,712 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $395,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of BDX. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the first quarter valued at $26,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA bought a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 474.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 155 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 378.9% in the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 182 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of BDX opened at $193.92 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $188.28 and its 200 day moving average is $183.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 12-month low of $162.29 and a 12-month high of $251.99. The company has a market capitalization of $55.35 billion, a PE ratio of 33.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend

Becton, Dickinson and Company ( NYSE:BDX Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 14th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 16.42% and a net margin of 7.68%. Research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th will be issued a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 8th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Becton, Dickinson and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.04. Becton, Dickinson and Companys payout ratio is presently 71.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $211.00 to $202.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $197.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $257.00 to $215.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $204.45.

Read Our Latest Report on Becton, Dickinson and Company

Insider Buying and Selling at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, Director Bertram L. Scott sold 217 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.58, for a total transaction of $38,317.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 35,816 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,324,389.28. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Claire Fraser sold 917 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.50, for a total value of $171,937.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 22,226 shares in the company, valued at $4,167,375. This trade represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,324 shares of company stock worth $245,860. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the companys stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile

(Free Report)

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.

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Quantbot Technologies LP lowered its position in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE  Free Report) by 55.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 174,590 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 219,737 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in Hawaiian Electric Industries were worth $1,856,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC increased its position in Hawaiian Electric Industries by 28.6% in the second quarter. Horizon Kinetics Asset Management LLC now owns 16,281,709 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $173,075,000 after purchasing an additional 3,624,709 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in the 1st quarter valued at about $5,895,000. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,440,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. raised its stake in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries by 110.3% during the second quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 810,140 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $8,612,000 after buying an additional 424,885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EagleClaw Capital Managment LLC acquired a new position in Hawaiian Electric Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,443,000. Institutional investors own 59.91% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries from $12.25 to $12.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $12.13.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Trading Down 0.2%

HE opened at $11.26 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average is $11.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market cap of $1.94 billion, a PE ratio of 140.69 and a beta of 0.64. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. has a twelve month low of $8.14 and a twelve month high of $13.41.

Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by $0.39. The company had revenue of $790.61 million during the quarter. Hawaiian Electric Industries had a net margin of 0.56% and a return on equity of 9.51%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. will post 1.71 EPS for the current year.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Profile

(Free Report)

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility businesses in the United States. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.

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Quantbot Technologies LP reduced its holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI  Free Report) by 27.0% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 8,208 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock after selling 3,030 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in Badger Meter were worth $2,011,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System increased its stake in Badger Meter by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 8,649 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $2,119,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Norway Savings Bank increased its position in shares of Badger Meter by 2.1% during the second quarter. Norway Savings Bank now owns 2,775 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $680,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Badger Meter by 4.6% during the second quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $317,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 6.1% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,039 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Monument Capital Management lifted its position in Badger Meter by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Monument Capital Management now owns 15,588 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $3,818,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Badger Meter Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BMI opened at $180.24 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $179.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $201.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.31 billion, a PE ratio of 38.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.93. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52 week low of $162.17 and a 52 week high of $256.08.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

Badger Meter ( NYSE:BMI Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.08. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 21.12% and a net margin of 15.40%.The company had revenue of $235.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $231.88 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.08 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Badger Meters dividend payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on BMI. Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, September 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised Badger Meter from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $208.00 to $215.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Badger Meter in a research report on Tuesday, September 9th. They issued an overweight rating and a $230.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 price target on Badger Meter and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $229.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $227.33.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Badger Meter

Badger Meter Company Profile

(Free Report)

Badger Meter, Inc manufactures and markets flow measurement, quality, control, and communication solutions worldwide. It offers mechanical or static water meters, and related radio and software technologies and services to municipal water utilities market. The company also provides flow instrumentation products, including meters, valves, and other sensing instruments to measure and control fluids going through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, and other liquids and gases to original equipment manufacturers as the primary flow measurement device within a product or system, as well as through manufacturers' representatives.

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Quantbot Technologies LP lowered its stake in Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH  Free Report) by 45.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,827 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 28,970 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in Black Hills were worth $1,954,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BKH. LPL Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Black Hills by 22.1% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 39,802 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,414,000 after purchasing an additional 7,211 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its position in Black Hills by 3.9% in the first quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 20,926 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,269,000 after buying an additional 784 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Black Hills during the first quarter worth $229,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Black Hills by 9.1% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 14,592 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $885,000 after acquiring an additional 1,217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Black Hills by 0.4% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,634,076 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $523,657,000 after acquiring an additional 31,853 shares during the last quarter. 86.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Kimberly F. Nooney sold 14,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.70, for a total transaction of $1,025,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,621 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,447,704.70. This trade represents a 29.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.63% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Black Hills in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Scotiabank raised shares of Black Hills from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $66.00 to $81.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Black Hills from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the company from $57.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $71.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on Black Hills

Black Hills Price Performance

Black Hills stock opened at $69.90 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $5.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $66.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.08. Black Hills Corporation has a 1 year low of $54.92 and a 1 year high of $74.02.

Black Hills (NYSE:BKH  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.45. The firm had revenue of $430.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $439.96 million. Black Hills had a net margin of 12.54% and a return on equity of 7.86%. The companys revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.35 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Black Hills Corporation will post 4.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Black Hills Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $0.676 dividend. This represents a $2.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Black Hillss dividend payout ratio is currently 68.18%.

About Black Hills

(Free Report)

Black Hills Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in the United States. The company operates in two segments: Electric Utilities and Gas Utilities. The Electric Utilities segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 222,000 electric utility customers in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming; and owns and operates 1,394 megawatts of generation capacity and 9,106 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines.

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Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 37,237 shares of the natural resource companys stock, valued at approximately $1,614,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dagco Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 59.6% in the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 876 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 327 shares during the last quarter. CKW Financial Group bought a new position in Freeport-McMoRan during the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in Freeport-McMoRan during the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its stake in Freeport-McMoRan by 74.9% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 1,002 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.77% of the companys stock.

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Freeport-McMoRan Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of Freeport-McMoRan stock opened at $45.22 on Friday. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a 52-week low of $27.66 and a 52-week high of $49.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.94 billion, a PE ratio of 31.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.45 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The companys fifty day moving average price is $41.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.19.

Freeport-McMoRan Dividend Announcement

Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The natural resource company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.74 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a net margin of 7.97% and a return on equity of 7.84%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.68 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 15th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 15th. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio is currently 21.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FCX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. CICC Research cut their price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $51.60 to $42.30 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 26th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Clarkson Capital raised shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $46.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $47.30.

View Our Latest Report on Freeport-McMoRan

Freeport-McMoRan Profile

(Free Report)

Freeport-McMoRan Inc engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile.

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Quantbot Technologies LP reduced its stake in shares of Teck Resources Ltd (NYSE:TECK  Free Report) (TSE:TECK) by 83.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 43,774 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 225,754 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LPs holdings in Teck Resources were worth $1,768,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. VestGen Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Teck Resources by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC now owns 6,353 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $257,000 after acquiring an additional 467 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Teck Resources by 32.7% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 7,989,715 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $323,311,000 after purchasing an additional 1,969,286 shares during the period. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ purchased a new stake in shares of Teck Resources in the second quarter worth $153,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Teck Resources during the 2nd quarter valued at $437,657,000. Finally, Scotia Capital Inc. raised its position in shares of Teck Resources by 13.1% during the 2nd quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 438,444 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $17,703,000 after purchasing an additional 50,818 shares during the period. 78.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Teck Resources Price Performance

NYSE:TECK opened at $45.10 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $42.62 and its 200 day moving average is $38.81. Teck Resources Ltd has a 12 month low of $28.32 and a 12 month high of $47.85. The company has a market capitalization of $21.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Teck Resources Increases Dividend

Teck Resources ( NYSE:TECK Get Free Report ) (TSE:TECK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The basic materials company reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $2.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.93 billion. Teck Resources had a return on equity of 4.14% and a net margin of 11.93%.The companys revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.60 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Teck Resources Ltd will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This is a positive change from Teck Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Teck Resourcess payout ratio is currently 19.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of Teck Resources in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Teck Resources from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c) rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Teck Resources from $43.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday. Benchmark restated a buy rating on shares of Teck Resources in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Teck Resources in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $55.71.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on TECK

Teck Resources Profile

(Free Report)

Teck Resources Limited engages in exploring for, acquiring, developing, and producing natural resources in Asia, Europe, and North America. The company operates through Steelmaking Coal, Copper, Zinc, and Energy segments. Its principal products include copper, zinc, steelmaking coal, and blended bitumen.

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The crisis began when they had to move. Her eldest son was the only one working and his earnings werent enough to cover all of the familys expenses.

This 53-year-old Mexican woman  who has lived in the United States for 25 years  went ahead and tried to find formal employment. However, without papers, she had limited options. The context didnt help, either: its increasingly difficult for immigrants to find stable work. The fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hangs over the country like a fog.

This mother also has two children with autism, who require ongoing therapy. So, with the help of her sister and members of her church in Dallas, Texas, she started making tamales. Green ones with chicken, red ones with pork. They sell quickly, she tells EL PAIS. People here are very nostalgic for tamales. Mexicans love them, but so do almost all Latinos. Even Americans.

The process isnt easy. She has to spend at least a whole day buying ingredients: tomatoes, beef, pork and masa (corn flour). You have to choose [everything] carefully, at good prices but [the ingredients have to be of] very good quality, because you cant risk someone getting sick from your food. Especially since you dont have a permit; its all homemade, the woman explains. She prefers not to be identified, for fear of being arrested and deported.

Women make tamales in Chicago, in December 2023. Erin Hooley (AP)

After the shopping, the sauce is made, the meat is cooked for five hours, the chili is prepared  ground and strained  and the dough is kneaded. Each tamale is filled and carefully wrapped in corn husks. And, finally, theyre placed in large steamers.

The work begins at 3 a.m. and ends at night. The whole family participates: her sister, her godfather, her nephews. Its very hard work. You end up exhausted, the migrant woman sighs.

The church gave them permission to set up a table in the space between the exit and the parking lot. There, every Sunday after Mass, the family sells tamales for $20 a dozen. Gods tamales, the children call out. In their two biggest sales so far, they made 1,200 tamales one day and 900 the next.

With the sale of her tamales, this mother has been able to make rent, while also paying for the ABA therapy that her two younger children  who are 12 and 13  require. She will also eventually use this income to apply for legal residency through her children, who were born in the United States and are citizens.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, nearly 10 million undocumented immigrants were part of the U.S. workforce in 2023. Preliminary data from the same report indicates that this number grew even larger in 2024. However, the study projects a decrease in this population in 2025. Donald Trumps policy of mass deportations has led, on the one hand, to many employers becoming wary of hiring undocumented individuals. And, on the other, migrants have become increasingly afraid to look for work.

For millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, finding formal employment has become virtually impossible.

A peso is a peso

After weeks of being unemployed, Manuel saw an ad on Facebook: Looking for a driver to deliver Shein packages in Austin. They offered $1.75 per delivery. After gas, I was left with very little. But since I had nothing, I thought, well, a peso is a peso.

He called. They asked for his information. I dont have a drivers license, he explained. It doesnt matter, they replied.

Manuel is Cuban and arrived in the Texas capital a little over a year ago, through humanitarian parole. He also asked EL PAIS that he remain anonymous (as did everyone else who was interviewed for this report). He explains that, in his first month in the U.S., he had a license and a work permit. However, he lost them when Trump eliminated the benefits for those who arrived through the aforementioned program.

Since then, his life has been chaotic; hes had to make ends meet by doing odd jobs. He mows lawns, walks dogs he does whatever he can. Hes applied for jobs at restaurants, but they never call him back. Im worse off here than in Cuba, Manuel laments. However, he doesnt want to go back to the island. Hes hopeful that things will improve once he regularizes his immigration status.

At 6 a.m., he was at a warehouse, ready to make deliveries. He was assigned 60 packages to deliver that day, at destinations located about two hours away. You have until 10 p.m., he was warned. When he checked the route, he realized hed been given more than 100 packages. A total mess. A disaster, he recalls.

He started making deliveries. But there were fake addresses, houses without numbers, condominiums where he wasted half an hour looking for a place to leave a package. After making 54 deliveries, he called his manager. I dont have enough time. He delivered what he could and returned the rest to the warehouse. She told him: You have to wait 21 days until you get paid.

In the end, Manuel sighs, he was never paid. That kind of business has no oversight; no one takes responsibility, he points out. And, when youre undocumented, you dont even have the right to complain.

Donating plasma

In Oakland, California, Juliana, a 25-year-old Mexican woman, couldnt find stable work. So, a friend took her to a plasma donation center. The first time [I went], I was very nervous, because I was afraid I would faint, she recalls.

They took her to a room to check her blood pressure, then to a waiting room with reclining chairs. A nurse looked for a vein, but couldnt find one. She had Juliana squeeze a rubber ball, while tying a band around her forearm. When the nurse finally inserted the needle, Juliana began to tremble with fear. The staff calmed her down and tried again. The whole process took an hour. She was paid $250 in cash. Juliana then proceeded to donate plasma once a month for three months.

Plasma donation in Seattle, in a stock photo. AGUSTIN MARCARIAN (Reuters)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates plasma donations, doesnt prohibit undocumented immigrants from donating. It only requires centers to verify the donors identity and address. Some centers also request a Social Security number, although this depends on each locations internal policies.

Camila  who recently started seeing ads to donate on social media  also thinks that its a good option to make some money. The 21-year-old Venezuelan quit her job after receiving a deportation order. Until then, she had been a waitress at a restaurant. However, overnight, fearing that ICE would find her, she was left without income and with unpaid bills. I started seeing ads about donating plasma [and] I heard some Latinos around me talking about it. And I started considering it as a way to make money quickly and safely, she says, while making finger quotes. But Im worried about the physical and emotional impact it could have on me.

Camila made an appointment at a clinic, but she didnt go. She hasnt made a decision yet. Shes living off her meager savings and relying on food banks for meals. She says that she feels increasingly close to deciding to donate plasma, though she struggles with the idea.

I wouldnt be donating altruistically, she reflects. Im practically forced to. No one should be forced to do something like this out of necessity.

Translated by Avik Jain Chatlani

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Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lessened its holdings in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG  Free Report) by 3.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 495,064 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 15,927 shares during the period. Republic Services makes up approximately 1.2% of Gamco Investors INC. ET ALs portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL owned 0.16% of Republic Services worth $122,088,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Republic Services during the 2nd quarter worth $12,956,000. Avestar Capital LLC acquired a new position in Republic Services during the second quarter worth about $206,000. Diametric Capital LP purchased a new position in Republic Services in the second quarter valued at about $344,000. Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Republic Services by 232.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 38,173 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $9,414,000 after acquiring an additional 26,688 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in shares of Republic Services by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,278,672 shares of the business services providers stock worth $303,971,000 after acquiring an additional 269,446 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.73% of the companys stock.

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Republic Services Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of RSG stock opened at $216.49 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $67.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.22, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $216.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $231.74. Republic Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $199.43 and a twelve month high of $258.75.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

Republic Services ( NYSE:RSG Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.25 billion. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 18.24%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Republic Servicess payout ratio is 37.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. National Bankshares dropped their price objective on Republic Services from $270.00 to $241.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Republic Services in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They set an overweight rating and a $238.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Republic Services from $257.00 to $251.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Republic Services from $260.00 to $240.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $250.45.

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About Republic Services

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Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.

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Shares of SAF-Holland SE (ETR:SFQ  Get Free Report) traded up 0.8% on Friday . The company traded as high as 14.76 and last traded at 14.62. 45,626 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 68% from the average session volume of 141,316 shares. The stock had previously closed at 14.50.

SAF-Holland Stock Performance

The businesss fifty day moving average is 14.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is 15.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $685.92 million, a PE ratio of 9.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.06.

SAF-Holland Company Profile

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SAF-Holland SE manufactures and supplies chassis-related assemblies and components for trailers, trucks, semi-trailers, and buses. The company offers axle and air suspension systems, fifth wheels, hweel systems, coupling systems, kingpins, and landing gears, as well as ball races, braking and EBS systems, lighting systems, and disc brakes.

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Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its position in Southwest Gas Corporation (NYSE:SWX  Free Report) by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,048,497 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 75,182 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC owned 1.46% of Southwest Gas worth $77,998,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Southwest Gas by 40.4% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 10,976 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $788,000 after acquiring an additional 3,159 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Southwest Gas by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 11,683 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $839,000 after purchasing an additional 660 shares during the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. grew its stake in shares of Southwest Gas by 99.5% during the first quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 7,219 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $518,000 after purchasing an additional 3,600 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC increased its holdings in Southwest Gas by 144.0% in the first quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 510 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Southwest Gas by 4.5% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 382,958 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $27,496,000 after buying an additional 16,483 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.77% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Southwest Gas news, major shareholder Carl C. Icahn sold 1,500,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.91, for a total transaction of $116,865,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,032,604 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $470,000,177.64. This trade represents a 19.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Southwest Gas from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Mizuho initiated coverage on Southwest Gas in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They set an outperform rating and a $91.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research raised Southwest Gas from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Southwest Gas in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Southwest Gas from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $76.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Friday, August 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $84.50.

Read Our Latest Analysis on SWX

Southwest Gas Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE SWX opened at $79.05 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $79.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.48. The stock has a market cap of $5.71 billion, a PE ratio of 12.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Southwest Gas Corporation has a 52-week low of $64.69 and a 52-week high of $83.11.

Southwest Gas (NYSE:SWX  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $316.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.08 billion. Southwest Gas had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 6.78%. Southwest Gass quarterly revenue was down 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.09 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Southwest Gas Corporation will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Southwest Gas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Southwest Gass dividend payout ratio is currently 38.63%.

About Southwest Gas

(Free Report)

Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, distributes and transports natural gas in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The company operates through Natural Gas Distribution, Utility Infrastructure Services, and Pipeline and Storage segments. It also provides trenching, installation, and replacement of underground pipes, as well as maintenance services for energy distribution systems.

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Shares of Telecom Argentina S.A. (OTCMKTS:TCMFF  Get Free Report) dropped 21.3% on Friday . The company traded as low as $1.85 and last traded at $1.85. Approximately 150 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 1,197 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.35.

Telecom Argentina Price Performance

The companys 50-day moving average is $1.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.45.

Telecom Argentina Company Profile

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Telecom Argentina SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services. The company offers mobile telecommunications services, including voice communications, high-speed mobile Internet content and applications download, online streaming, and other services; and sells mobile communication devices, such as handsets, Modems MiFi and wingles, and smart watches.

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Trio Petroleum Corp. (NYSEMKT:TPET  Get Free Report)s share price traded down 13.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $1.01 and last traded at $0.8950. 198,879 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 1,717,439 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.03.

Trio Petroleum Trading Down 13.1%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $0.99 and a 200 day moving average of $1.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.55 million, a PE ratio of -1.42 and a beta of -5.15.

Trio Petroleum Company Profile

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We are an oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Bakersfield, California, with operations in Monterey County, California. The Company was incorporated on July 19, 2021, under the laws of Delaware to acquire, fund and develop oil exploration and production assets in California.

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Figma, Inc. (NYSE:FIG  Get Free Report) CAO Tyler Herb sold 2,310 shares of Figma stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.60, for a total value of $84,546.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 203,406 shares in the company, valued at $7,444,659.60. This trade represents a 1.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Tyler Herb also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Monday, December 1st, Tyler Herb sold 3,073 shares of Figma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.45, for a total value of $108,937.85.

On Monday, November 17th, Tyler Herb sold 757 shares of Figma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.21, for a total value of $28,924.97.

On Monday, November 10th, Tyler Herb sold 43,357 shares of Figma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.93, for a total value of $1,904,673.01.

On Monday, November 3rd, Tyler Herb sold 3,133 shares of Figma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.17, for a total value of $150,916.61.

Figma Stock Down 1.9%

FIG stock opened at $37.96 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.86. Figma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $32.83 and a fifty-two week high of $142.92.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Figma ( NYSE:FIG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($1.56) by $1.66. The business had revenue of $274.17 million for the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.04 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 38.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Figma in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in Figma in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Figma in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Figma in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE bought a new stake in shares of Figma during the third quarter worth $31,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (e+) rating on shares of Figma in a report on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Figma from $70.00 to $52.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Figma in a research report on Monday, August 25th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Figma from $80.00 to $70.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Figma from $85.00 to $70.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $62.86.

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Figma Company Profile

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Figma is where teams come together to turn ideas into the worlds best digital products and experiences. Every day, billions of people around the world use apps, websites, and other digital experiences that are made in Figma. Theyre looking up directions on Google Maps; requesting rides with Uber; checking in for flights on JetBlue; streaming shows on Netflix; learning languages with Duolingo; asking questions of Claude; connecting on LinkedIn; buying goods on Mercado Libre; or booking stays and experiences with Airbnb.

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Wall Street Zen cut shares of West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Saturday morning.

WST has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $345.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. TD Cowen started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They set a buy rating and a $350.00 price target for the company. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $320.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $343.36.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.6%

WST opened at $279.98 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $20.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.87 and a quick ratio of 2.18. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 12 month low of $187.43 and a 12 month high of $348.90. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $273.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $248.03.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.29. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.29% and a return on equity of 18.16%. The firm had revenue of $804.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $788.42 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.85 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Servicess revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.060-7.110 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 68.5% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 770 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $202,000 after buying an additional 313 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 98.2% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 218 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 19,488 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $5,112,000 after purchasing an additional 2,306 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $427,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 7.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 236,963 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $62,163,000 after purchasing an additional 16,919 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the companys stock.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products.

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XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Lemonade, Inc. (NYSE:LMND  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 7,608 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $333,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Analyst IMS Investment Management Services Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Lemonade by 80.7% during the second quarter. Analyst IMS Investment Management Services Ltd. now owns 571,768 shares of the companys stock worth $25,049,000 after acquiring an additional 255,368 shares in the last quarter. Mandatum Life Insurance Co Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Lemonade during the 2nd quarter valued at $202,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in Lemonade by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 160,328 shares of the companys stock worth $7,024,000 after purchasing an additional 6,646 shares in the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Lemonade in the 2nd quarter worth about $203,000. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Lemonade in the 1st quarter worth about $1,455,000. 80.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on LMND shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Lemonade from $23.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d-) rating on shares of Lemonade in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lemonade from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Lemonade from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a market outperform rating on shares of Lemonade in a report on Monday, November 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Lemonade has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $58.57.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lemonade news, insider John Sheldon Peters sold 18,930 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.77, for a total transaction of $1,377,536.10. Following the sale, the insider owned 83,467 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,893.59. This trade represents a 18.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Adina Eckstein sold 40,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.02, for a total value of $2,920,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 227,987 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,647,610.74. The trade was a 14.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 74,258 shares of company stock worth $5,445,742. 14.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Lemonade Price Performance

Shares of LMND opened at $78.97 on Friday. Lemonade, Inc. has a 1-year low of $24.31 and a 1-year high of $83.77. The company has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a P/E ratio of -33.04 and a beta of 2.13. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $63.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.60.

Lemonade (NYSE:LMND  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.51) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.72) by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $194.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $185.06 million. Lemonade had a negative net margin of 26.39% and a negative return on equity of 31.86%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 42.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.95) EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lemonade, Inc. will post -3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Lemonade Profile

(Free Report)

Lemonade, Inc provides various insurance products through various channels in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Its insurance products include stolen or damaged property, and personal liability that protects its customers if they are responsible for an accident or damage to another person or their property.

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American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (NYSE:SQM  Free Report) by 46.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 184,924 shares of the basic materials companys stock after purchasing an additional 58,394 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.06% of Sociedad Quimica y Minera worth $6,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 61,700.0% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 618 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 153.0% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 969 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 586 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera in the first quarter valued at about $105,000. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 55.9% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,915 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 1,045 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Sociedad Quimica y Minera by 2,093.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,926 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $138,000 after buying an additional 3,747 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 12.41% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on SQM shares. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera from $36.50 to $43.50 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $63.00 price objective (up from $45.00) on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $50.00 price objective (down from $53.00) on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera in a report on Monday, October 6th. Rothschild Redb upgraded Sociedad Quimica y Minera to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on Sociedad Quimica y Minera in a report on Friday, October 24th. They issued a neutral rating and a $54.00 target price on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $50.81.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera Price Performance

SQM stock opened at $61.25 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $50.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.02. The firm has a market cap of $17.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.47 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 2.82. Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. has a 1 year low of $29.36 and a 1 year high of $65.65.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE:SQM  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 18th. The basic materials company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.06). Sociedad Quimica y Minera had a return on equity of 9.79% and a net margin of 12.12%.The company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. will post -1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera Profile

(Free Report)

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA operates as a mining company worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers under Ultrasol, Qrop, Speedfol, Allganic, Ultrasoline, ProP, and Prohydric brands. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, agricultural, industrial, and human and animal nutrition products comprising x-ray contrast media, biocides, antiseptics and disinfectants, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for LCD and LED screens, chemicals, organic compounds, and pigments, as well as added to edible salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders.

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Amundi raised its position in Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR  Free Report) by 12.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,103,024 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 226,249 shares during the period. Amundi owned 0.53% of Ingersoll Rand worth $182,017,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 1.4% during the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 9,044 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $724,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ingersoll Rand by 2.4% in the first quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,918 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $474,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 18,708 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,556,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,942 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $235,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 14.2% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,206 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.27% of the companys stock.

Ingersoll Rand Stock Performance

Shares of IR opened at $79.83 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $78.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 2.16. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 52-week low of $65.61 and a 52-week high of $103.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 1.33.

Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend

Ingersoll Rand ( NYSE:IR Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.01). Ingersoll Rand had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 12.14%. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.84 EPS. Ingersoll Rands quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Ingersoll Rand has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.250-3.310 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 3.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were issued a $0.02 dividend. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 13th. Ingersoll Rands payout ratio is presently 5.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IR has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Ingersoll Rand from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $93.90.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Ingersoll Rand

Insider Activity

In other Ingersoll Rand news, CAO Michael J. Scheske sold 1,477 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.63, for a total value of $119,090.51. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,153 shares of the companys stock, valued at $979,896.39. The trade was a 10.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.59% of the companys stock.

About Ingersoll Rand

(Free Report)

Ingersoll Rand Inc provides various mission-critical air, gas, liquid, and solid flow creation technologies services and solutions worldwide. It operates through two segments, Industrial Technologies and Services, and Precision and Science Technologies. The Industrial Technologies and Services segment designs, manufactures, markets, and services air and gas compression, vacuum, and blower products; fluid transfer equipment and loading systems; and power tools and lifting equipment, including associated aftermarket parts, consumables, air treatment equipment, controls, other accessories, and services under the under the Ingersoll Rand, Gardner Denver, Nash, CompAir, Elmo Rietschle brands, etc.

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American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Banco Santander Chile (NYSE:BSAC  Free Report) by 31.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 271,733 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 65,264 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.06% of Banco Santander Chile worth $6,853,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cardinal Capital Management raised its stake in Banco Santander Chile by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 99,974 shares of the banks stock worth $2,521,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares in the last quarter. Simplex Trading LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander Chile during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of Banco Santander Chile by 54,450.0% during the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,091 shares of the banks stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its position in shares of Banco Santander Chile by 5.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 23,789 shares of the banks stock worth $600,000 after purchasing an additional 1,275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Banco Santander Chile by 8.8% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 17,993 shares of the banks stock valued at $454,000 after purchasing an additional 1,453 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 6.42% of the companys stock.

Banco Santander Chile Trading Down 4.0%

NYSE:BSAC opened at $29.74 on Friday. Banco Santander Chile has a 12-month low of $18.19 and a 12-month high of $31.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $28.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.91. The firm has a market cap of $14.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.82, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.58.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Banco Santander Chile ( NYSE:BSAC Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $581.56 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $732.50 million. Banco Santander Chile had a net margin of 24.74% and a return on equity of 22.18%. Equities analysts anticipate that Banco Santander Chile will post 2.07 EPS for the current year.

Several research analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Banco Santander Chile from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Banco Santander Chile in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Banco Santander Chile from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday. Citigroup downgraded shares of Banco Santander Chile from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Banco Santander Chile from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Reduce and an average target price of $27.67.

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Banco Santander Chile Profile

(Free Report)

Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency-denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines, as well as mortgage financing services.

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A Chinese artist performs at a Cambodia-China music and cultural show in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on Dec. 6, 2025. The show was one of joint activities to promote the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025. (Photo by Sao Khuth/Xinhua)

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's pilot visa-free policy will lure more Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asian country and boost local tourism, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak said here on Saturday.

The government on Tuesday approved the pilot program of visa exemption for Chinese nationals traveling from China.

This exemption allows a 14-day stay during a four-month period from June 15 to Oct. 15, 2026. They will not be required to pay any fees and will only need to complete an electronic arrival card. Multiple entries will be permitted during the trial period.

"The government's decision marks a historic milestone in the development of the Cambodia-China tourism sector," Hak said in a speech at a Cambodia-China music and cultural show in the cultural province of Siem Reap.

"It will pave the way for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, and will definitely attract more Chinese tourists to Cambodia," he added.

The minister said the move will give a boost to the development of Cambodia's tourism industry, which is one of the major pillars supporting the country's economy.

Cambodia received a total of 1 million Chinese tourists during the January-October period of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 44.6 percent, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

China is the second-biggest source of foreign holidaymakers to Cambodia after Vietnam, with Chinese tourists accounting for 21 percent of the 4.75 million international tourist arrivals to the kingdom during the first 10 months of this year.

Hak said the future of Cambodia's tourism industry is inseparable from the inflows of Chinese tourists and investors.

"Cambodia is fully prepared and ready to welcome the return of Chinese tourists and investors," he said. 

Cambodian artists perform at a Cambodia-China music and cultural show in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on Dec. 6, 2025. The show was one of joint activities to promote the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025. (Photo by Sao Khuth/Xinhua)

Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak speaks at a Cambodia-China music and cultural show in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on Dec. 6, 2025. The show was one of joint activities to promote the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025. (Photo by Sao Khuth/Xinhua)

Cambodian artists perform at a Cambodia-China music and cultural show in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on Dec. 6, 2025. The show was one of joint activities to promote the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025. (Photo by Sao Khuth/Xinhua)

A Chinese artist performs a long-spout pot tea art show at a Cambodia-China music and cultural show in Siem Reap province, Cambodia on Dec. 6, 2025. The show was one of joint activities to promote the Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025. (Photo by Sao Khuth/Xinhua)
Edgestream Partners L.P. lowered its position in DXC Technology Company. (NYSE:DXC  Free Report) by 77.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 60,182 shares of the companys stock after selling 205,726 shares during the quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P.s holdings in DXC Technology were worth $920,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in DXC. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in DXC Technology by 1,765.9% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,652,331 shares of the companys stock worth $28,172,000 after purchasing an additional 1,563,775 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of DXC Technology in the second quarter worth approximately $16,589,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of DXC Technology by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 6,503,675 shares of the companys stock worth $110,888,000 after acquiring an additional 686,705 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in DXC Technology during the 1st quarter valued at $10,830,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its holdings in DXC Technology by 178.4% during the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 599,254 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,163,000 after acquiring an additional 384,020 shares during the period. 96.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Christopher Anthony Voci sold 2,500 shares of DXC Technology stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.52, for a total value of $36,300.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 91,105 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,322,844.60. This trade represents a 2.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on DXC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on DXC Technology from $18.00 to $14.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of DXC Technology from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of DXC Technology from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Susquehanna set a $14.00 target price on shares of DXC Technology and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of DXC Technology in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Reduce and an average price target of $15.00.

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DXC Technology Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE DXC opened at $14.14 on Friday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $13.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.11. DXC Technology Company. has a one year low of $11.82 and a one year high of $23.75. The company has a market capitalization of $2.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.96 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09.

DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.17 billion. DXC Technology had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 17.83%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that DXC Technology Company. will post 3.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About DXC Technology

(Free Report)

DXC Technology Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology services and solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Australia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Global Business Services (GBS) and Global Infrastructure Services (GIS).

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As homes across Northern Ireland get ready to deck the halls, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is reminding everyone to stay fire safe this Christmas. It can be easy to get distracted when celebrating with friends and loved ones, however it is important to keep fire safety at the top of your Christmas list.

With added holiday fire hazards like twinkling Christmas trees, glowing candles and festive cooking in the kitchen, NIFRS is urging the public to remain vigilant this festive season to protect themselves and their loved ones.

NIFRS Group Commander Jonathan Gamble said: Christmas is a magical time of year when we welcome our families and loved ones into our homes. However, with busier households, increased alcohol consumption, and the use of various electrical appliances, it's important to prioritise fire safety to prevent any unwanted or accidental fires this festive season.

Christmas lights can be a perfect way to brighten up your home, but make sure its done safely. First, check that your lights are in good working order and comply with British Standards. Dont overload plug sockets and stick to 1 plug per socket. Always remember to switch off and unplug the lights before leaving your home or going to bed. If you have a real Christmas tree, make sure it is well hydrated, as a dry tree becomes more flammable.

Christmas dinners and parties can be one of the best parts of the holiday season. Always avoid cooking while under the influence of alcohol, and ensure there are no dishtowels, packaging or paper near the hob. Remember to turn appliances off when you are finished using them or if you need to leave the room.

Candles can be a great centrepiece at the dinner table, but they are also a fire hazard if not controlled properly. Keep candles away from curtains and decorations and when possible, opt for battery-operated candles instead.

We understand that homes can become very crowded at Christmas. Therefore, its important to ensure all escape routes are clear of any decorations or gifts and that everyone staying with you during the festive season is aware of the fire escape plan in case of an emergency.

Its vital that every home is protected with working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Smoke alarms give an early warning if a fire breaks out, so they should be fitted on every level of your home.

"Any room with a fuel-burning appliance, such as a gas boiler, fireplace or wood-burning stove, should have a working carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odourless, so having an alarm in these rooms is essential.

NIFRS crews will continue to be on call 24/7 throughout the festive period to keep Northern Ireland safe. By following these safety tips, you can help ensure we dont have to visit your home this Christmas.

NIFRS Christmas Safety Advice
Police have issued an appeal for information following a suspected arson attack on a flat in east Belfast.

No-one was injured during the incident at a block of flats at Inverary Avenue on Saturday.

A police spokesperson said: Shortly after 10.20pm, colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire Service reported a fire at a block of flats at Inverary Avenue.

It was reported that an accelerant had been used to set the front door alight.

Thankfully, there was no-one inside the property at the time of the incident and there were no reports of any injuries in relation to other residents in the apartment block.

Significant scorch damage was caused to the flat door as a result of the blaze.

An investigation is under way and police are treating the report as arson with intent to endanger life.

Police have asked anyone with information to contact detectives via 101 or online using the non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/.
The local community is being asked by the Marine Institute, the State agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland, to take part in a bird tagging and monitoring initiative in Dundalk Bay.

Every winter, tens of thousands of birds travel all the way from northern Europe to Dundalk Bay. Birds, like the oystercatcher, are an iconic part of our shoreline, and they are also early warning indicators of the Bays health.

Because they migrate long distances and rely on very specific habitats, even small changes in Dundalk Bays environment show up in their behaviour and numbers.

Dundalk Bay is a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protected Area under EU law.

Its mudflats, salt marshes and eelgrass beds support rich marine life, including shellfish, worms and small crabs, which in turn feed wintering waterbirds and support local shellfisheries such as cockles.

Read also: Plans underway for 1,058 new homes beside Cu Chulainns Castle in Dundalk

Right now, scientists from the Marine Institute are studying how oystercatchers use the Bay and how their feeding overlaps with the cockle fishery.

This research will help protect vital food sources for wildlife while supporting sustainable shellfishing for local communities.

To do this, the researchers from the Marine Institutes Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services (FEAS) have fitted lightweight GPS trackers to 25 oystercatchers and added colour rings to another 50 birds.

The trackers show, hour by hour, how these birds move across the Bay, but the colour rings depend on people spotting and reporting them.

The Marine Institute is inviting local residents to get involved. If you see an oystercatcher with a coloured leg ring, please log your sighting on the European Colour-ring Birding platform, https://cr-birding.org/, or email Natasha Murphy, Scientific Technical Officer at the Marine Institute: natasha.murphy@marine.ie.

Every report helps build the scientific picture needed to protect Dundalk Bay and local livelihoods.
Primary Education graduate, Jason Finnegan, from Dundalk, had double cause for celebration after achieving top of his class status at the 25th annual Hibernia College conferring ceremony, held at Dublins Convention Centre recently, and at which the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD was guest of honour.

In addition to receiving his Masters qualification, Jason was honoured with the Research Prize for achieving the highest overall grade in the Research module of his cohort.

A teacher at Gaelscoil Dhun Dealgan, Jason was one of what was a record number of over 1,000 graduates from all 26 counties to qualify with Masters in Primary and Post-Primary teaching, and, for the first time, a Masters or Postgraduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education, or a BSc in Nursing.

Congratulating the graduates and acknowledging the remarkable achievements of each and every one of them, Dr Mary Kelly, President of Hibernia College Group, emphasised that those gathered had demonstrated exceptional dedication and resilience throughout their studies.

She affirmed her confidence that each graduate will go on to make a vital and valuable contribution to their chosen profession.

Read also: Kind hearted Dundalk students go all out for Focus Ireland
Louth TD, Paula Butterly, has said that the Governments Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan will deliver more homes, better transport as well as the critical infrastructure Irelands growing population needs.

Deputy Butterly told the Dundalk Democrat that "these reforms mark a turning point in cutting delays, streamlining planning approvals and ensuring that major infrastructure projects the country needs dont stay on paper.

Families need homes, commuters need better transport, while businesses need certainty. This plan will deliver on all three.

The plan, which was published this week, has 30 time-bound actions that the Deputy Butterly said will cut red tape, reduce regulations, and remove barriers.

According to the Fine Gael TD, the plan will ultimately knock months and years off the time it takes to build homes, water treatment plants, energy grid infrastructure, roads and other essential capital projects like public transport, schools, and hospitals.

Read also: Arrests made in relation to mid Louth burglary

The plan includes emergency legislation to fast-track critical infrastructure projects through planning and approval processes, while also reform the Judicial Review system to limit how projects can be opposed through the courts.

Deputy Butterly said the Fine Gael General Election manifesto in 2024 called for a dedicated Department of Infrastructure, and while that remains our ambition, this plan is the next best thing.

We are facing a growing population and rising demand for housing, transport and energy. This plan will ensure Ireland can keep pace and build stronger communities.

The Louth TD described the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan as the most ambitious reforms any Irish Government has ever introduced. It is the most important piece of work the Government will deliver in terms of meeting our housing need.
BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Russian militaries conducted their third joint anti-missile exercise in Russia in early December, said the Ministry of National Defense on Saturday.

The joint exercise does not target any third party and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation, the ministry said in a statement on its website. 
A Cork man who duped three unsuspecting individuals out of a total of 10,000 did so to help his father, who was in financial difficulties, a recent sitting of Macroom District Court was told.

Padraig Barrett, (33), of Lisladeen, Berrings, Co Cork, had previously pleaded guilty to three deception offences dating from 2021 and 2022.

The court heard on May 21, 2021, he defrauded an individual of 6,000, an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

On February 6, 2022, he accepted 1,400 for the sale of a Citroen Berlingo van in Macroom, despite not being the owner of the vehicle.

A further offence occurred on October 7, 2022, when he obtained 2,600 in Leap, Co Cork, by deception through the use of a cheque.

Barrett had previously agreed to bring 2,000 in compensation to court but failed to do so and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

When he appeared at Bandon District Court in November without any compensation, he was remanded in custody.

Defence solicitor Sean Cahill said Barrett had finally raised the compensation by selling his van for 8,000, and the injured parties would be compensated, the court was told.

DECEPTIONS

The court heard Barrett carried out the deceptions to help his father, who was in a difficult financial situation.

The court heard he did not have issues with gambling or drug-addiction.

Judge Joanne Carroll said Barrett had told the court a tissue of lies.

She said at a previous hearing that he had told the court he was earning 800 per week in Northern Ireland, which also seemed doubtful.

She said Barrett was very polite in court but was also very deceptive. She said he was on the precipice of going to prison and had only finally come up with the compensation after he was remanded in custody for a week.

Barrett was remanded on bail to appear again on March 4, 2026, to allow time for the preparation of a probation report.

Judge Carroll said something doesnt seem right about the matter and she said she wanted to know the truth of everything when Barrett came before the court again next March.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Flu cases and hospitalisations in Cork and Kerry have more than doubled, as HSE South West has put visitor restrictions in place at all acute hospitals in Cork and Kerry due to a high number of patients with influenza.

There were 263 influenza cases resulting in 51 hospitalisations in Cork and Kerry last week, up from 117 and 24 the week previous. In the last eight weeks, there have been 645 cases and 114 hospitalisations, according to weekly data from the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre.

Visitor restrictions

HSE South advises that all acute hospitals within this region are experiencing a high number of patients with Influenza. In order to reduce the spread of Influenza in healthcare settings, all HSE hospitals in Cork and Kerry are today introducing visiting restrictions.

One visitor per patient will be allowed during visiting times, and all visitors are asked to wear surgical masks (which will be provided). Visiting times at each hospital will be strictly enforced.

The restrictions apply to Cork University Hospital; University Hospital Kerry; Bantry General Hospital and Mallow General Hospital.

As always, the public are reminded not to visit if you feel in any way unwell  for example a temperature, runny nose, cough or any diarrhoea or vomiting.

These measures will be lifted as soon as possible when clinical circumstances allow. Certain exceptions will be made by contacting ward staff in advance.

HSE South Wests regional director of public health, Dr Anne Sheahan, said: We are introducing this visitor restrictions in light of the increasing cases of flu circulating. Unfortunately, flu rates in the community continue to increase and we are taking these measures within our hospitals to keep patients safe.

Dr Sheahan thanked the public for their help in stopping the spread of flu, saying: It is our strong advice that anyone eligible for their free flu vaccine should get it as soon as possible.

We continue to see a rapid increase in the number of cases with patients with influenza, and in the number of patients needing to be hospitalised. This presents a risk to those who are susceptible to more severe disease including those aged over 60; those with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised. Our strong advice to those groups is to get vaccinated now and get the protection they need.

Speaking today, Dr. Peadar Gilligan, a member of the Consultant Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation, said: The flu has come early and is accelerating in terms of the number of cases presenting to General Practice and Emergency Departments. There was a doubling of cases over the course of the last two weeks reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

The number of people hospitalised with influenza is in excess of five hundred currently and is projected to exceed one thousand in the coming weeks. In real terms that means the equivalent of two large hospitals in a system hugely challenged by the lack of hospital beds.

To date nine people have died from influenza in Ireland this flu season, all but one of whom were over sixty-five years of age. He also encouraged people to get vaccinated and to avoid contact with others if any symptoms are showing (runny nose, cough, lack of energy etc).

He said: If you have these symptoms and have to be in contact with others wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and limit the contact time. Not all patients with the flu need to seek medical attention.

The symptoms tend to last for two weeks. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics and so the treatment is to keep well hydrated with oral fluids, treat the aches and pains with paracetamol and ibuprofen if you are not allergic to them.

Consider seeking medical attention if you get the flu and are sick with it and are immunocompromised, have a respiratory condition, are obese or if you feel markedly short of breath or are unable to keep hydrated.

Capacity issues

Dr. Gilligan also said that the surge in patients needing hospital beds has again highlighted the shortage of beds in the system here. He said Irish acute hospitals run at 97% to 110% occupancy due to inadequate capacity in the system to address the health care needs of our population.

This allows for little or no capacity to deal with any increase in workload. Most Irish acute hospitals, even before the influenza season started, were utilising their surge capacity i.e. sitting in-patients in chairs, managing in-patients on trolleys in day wards, in endoscopy suites, in cardiology day wards, as extra patients on wards and on the corridors of Emergency Departments and wards.

The rise in patient attendances to Emergency Departments and the associated increased numbers requiring admission to hospital leads to real challenges in providing safe care.

Before the flu season began we already had ambulances waiting outside Emergency Departments and ambulance crews waiting with patients in Emergency Departments because there was no cubicle space available for them to transfer the patient to. This means that ambulances are not available to deal with the next emergency they are required for.

The reason for there being no cubicle available in the Emergency Departments is that many of them are occupied by patients who have been admitted but for whom there is no ward bed available.

Crowding of acute hospitals both in their Emergency Departments and on their wards leads to challenges in reducing the spread of infection. Hospitalised patients are already sick and it is important that they are not exposed to an increased risk of infection when in Emergency Departments and on hospital wards.

Emergency department overcrowding

It comes as HSE South West also warned that the Emergency Department at Cork University Hospital is experiencing very high levels of activity with long waiting times for some patients.

With this high number of presentations to the Emergency Department, they asked the public to consider all care options before travelling to the ED - including GPs, pharmacists and SouthDoc out-of-hours services.

A spokesperson explained: Staff at the CUH ED will prioritise patients in terms of clinical need, and at the moment, wait times for non-urgent care may be lengthy.

As always, anyone with an urgent or emergency care need should attend the Emergency Department, but anyone with a less serious condition should review all their other options.

The team at CUH is working incredibly hard at the moment to make sure that those in most need of emergency care receive it as quickly as possible. The public can help the hospital team by considering other trusted health services, such as GPs, SouthDoc, pharmacists, and injury units. As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
A road safety scheme should be introduced to address a series of dangerous bends on a Cork road that has seen multiple vehicles crashing into walls and pillars of local properties, according to Fine Gael councillor Brendan McCarthy.

Mr McCarthy said the road at Curraghalicky, near Drinagh in West Cork, was very busy with local traffic and was the scene of numerous accidents.

He said that he had been contacted by local residents about the issue and said Cork County Council needed to do something about the issue before someone loses their life.

Mr McCarthy proposed a motion to the recent meeting of the councils West Cork Municipal District which asked that this council would look as a matter of urgency at implementing a safety scheme and redesign works on the dangerous bends at Curraghalicky, Drinagh, as there are frequent accidents at the location on this very busy road.

Seconding the motion, Independent Ireland councillor Daniel Sexton said he was also aware of safety issues on the stretch of road and asked for the erection of warning signs to warn motorists of the band bends as they approached.

Fianna Fail councillor Joe Carroll said he had travelled the road for many years and was not aware of the issue. He said there were many bad bends all along the road.

Area engineer John Ahern said the section of road has been included in a list of schemes for which funding has been applied for under the 2026 low cost safety improvement programme.

This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
The second UK&Ireland summit will be held in Cork in early 2026, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has confirmed.

Renewable energy, cultural collaboration, and the Irish and British economies are set to be discussed at the meeting, which will be attended by Mr Martin, British prime minister Keir Starmer, and a number of ministers from both governments.

The first UK-Ireland summit was held in Liverpool last March, with Mr Martin and Mr Starmer agreeing a wide-ranging programme of new and enhanced strategic co-operation between Ireland and Britain, entitled UK-Ireland 2030, to be taken forward by both governments.

The summit and the UK&Ireland 2030 programme for strategic co-operation represent the most extensive policy engagement between the Irish Government and the British government in a generation.

The March summit was also attended by Tanaiste and then minister for foreign affairs and minister for defence Simon Harris; then minister for education and youth Helen McEntee; minister for climate, energy, and the environment and minister for transport Darragh OBrien; and minister for justice, home affairs, and migration Jim OCallaghan.

Speaking after his bilateral meeting with Mr Starmer in Wales at the end of last week, Mr Martin said: We have agreed that the next annual summit between the UK and Ireland will be in Cork, early in the new year.

We will be discussing a range of issues  renewable energy, in particular, our respective economies, stronger cultural collaboration between our two countries  and there will be a number of ministers attending from both sides, just as we did in Liverpool last year.

Its an important event because it cements and it reflects the really strengthening and warm relationship between the UK government and the Irish Government.

Mr Martin also confirmed in the Dail last week that he had recently met Mr Starmer.

He added: We looked ahead to the second UK-Ireland summit, which Ireland will host in the spring of 2026.
Ottoline Spearman

The Department of Higher Education has proposed that private providers be allowed to increase rent prices for students.

The Irish Examiner reports that the proposal is being put forward to attract more developers into the market and address the student accommodation shortage.

Previously, the Department of Housing proposed that a reset of market rent only be allowed every three years, meaning rents could not be increased until 2029.

The Department of Higher Education now wants there to be a further two resets before then.

Student group AMLE said that students are already facing exorbitant rent prices, with many forced to drop out due to high costs.

Daniel Walsh, AMLE's Vice-President for the Dublin region said on Newstalk: "Realistically, many students don't have a choice but to grin and bear it.

"In some unfortunate cases, students are actually forced to drop out because of just how expensive private student accommodation is.

"But in most cases, it's just that students are going without. They're going to lectures hungry, they're skipping lectures so they can work extra hours."

In a statement, the department said that the Minister for Higher Education, James Lawless, would be publishing a new Accommodation Strategy in the coming weeks, that will build a fairer, more sustainable system, where cost and availability are no longer barriers to entry for college.

But Ms Walsh said on Newstalk that the government is over-reliant on the private sector: "The private rental markets and these private student accommodation providers are not the solution to the student accommodation crisis.

"It's not in their interest to solve the crisis. They're currently making millions off the back of students and their families who have no choice but to pay up or to drop out.

"That's going to continue to be the case until the government acknowledges that reality."
Gordon Deegan

A judge has commented that the chequebook is open for obvious reasons after being told that a Child and Family Agency therapeutic service has signed off on a 1 million spend per year on the out-of-jurisdiction care for an at-risk and vulnerable teenager.

At a Family Law Court sitting, Judge Alec Gabbett said that the costs of caring for the teenager in Scotland would be 1 million a year and solicitor for Tusla, the Child & Family Agency, Kevin Sherry agreed, replying there or thereabouts.

Judge Gabbett said: I am very assured that there doesnt seem to be any budgetary constraints in this case. The chequebook is open for obvious reasons - the risk is so high.

Mr Sherry said that a facility in Scotland has extended the deadline to Monday, December 8th, for the CFA to confirm a place for the teenager.

Mr Sherry said that a multi-disciplinary therapeutic service within Tusla has approved the Business Plan for the out-of-state care, and it now goes to the Tusla CEO of the region for final approval.

He said that the extension to December 8th provides leeway for the agency to firm up whether it is to action the business plan and go ahead with the out-of-state placement.

Judge Gabbett said that what was proposed is a good solution for the teenager, where there is a wrap-around service provided by this institution.

Judge Gabbett said that the service provider will be able to deal with the clearly difficult personality issues going on, and more important than anything, there is a school on site.

Judge Gabbett said that the teenager is not getting an education at the moment - so get on with it.

On the costings, Judge Gabbett asked: How much is this place per week? It is probably 25,000 per week?

In response, the designated Tusla social worker for the teenager, said: Yes - correct - it is 23,000 per week.

On an annualised basis, this works out at 1.196 million (1.369 million).

The TUSLA social worker said that the facility includes an on-site therapeutic school that is ADHD friendly.

She said: We just dont have that here.

Judge Gabbett said that Tusla needs to make a final decision on the out-of-jurisdiction placement without delay. Judge Gabbett said that the placement will require orders in the High Court here and the High Court in Scotland.

He said that what we dont need now is the scenario "that is it seven hurdles, three by-passes and seven chicanes and 45 meetings before you get a significant result here, because that is the reality".

Judge Gabbett said that this child is at risk.

He said: It is either on or it is off - get on with it. Otherwise, I will find a therapeutic place in Ireland for this child.

Judge Gabbett adjourned the case to December 18th.
GAZA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, said on Saturday that the group will give up its weapons "if the (Israeli) occupation ends."

"Our weapon is linked to the presence of the occupation and aggression, and if the occupation ends, this weapon will be handed over to the state," he said during an interview with Al Jazeera.

"Weapons are still under discussion with the factions and mediators, and the agreement is still in its early stages," he added.

During the interview, al-Hayya also mentioned that "new areas will be entered on Sunday to search for some bodies of (Israeli) occupation prisoners."

Regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza during the ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10, al-Hayya said that Israel "obstructs the entry of some materials into Gaza as if we are still in the midst of war."

"We are not satisfied with the amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip and call on mediators to intervene," he said.

Hamas has previously refused to disarm, deeming it a red line, while Israel insists on the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza as a key condition in the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. 
GREAT FALLS On Nov. 13, 26-year-old Dakota Wheeler pulled into the parking lot of his workplace, Rainbow Senior Living in Great Falls, to drop a friend off for his upcoming shift. The two sat in the car for a few moments, watching videos on their phones, when a silver Dodge Charger pulled up beside them.

They came out immediately with guns, said Brycen Pickering, Wheelers friend and coworker. They kept yelling, Get out of the car! Get out of the car!

Pickering said Wheeler didnt immediately move from the car, because he didnt understand what was happening.

He kept asking, Whats going on? Whats wrong? They were shouting something about warrants, but Dakota doesnt have any warrants, Pickering said.

When asked if officers ever identified themselves, Pickering said they did not. The surveillance footage released by Rainbow Senior Living, shows agents approaching the vehicle with guns drawn.

They had vests on that said Police, thats all. The car had no markings on it. It could have been anybody, he said. And its hard to concentrate on anything else when theres pistols pointed at you and your good friend in the car.

A Home in Great Falls

Wheeler has been in Montana since he was 15, brought to the United States on a visitors visa from England with his mother. The visa expired in the spring of 2016, and Wheeler has been trying ever since to finish the naturalization process. The main factor in the way, according to his 20-weeks pregnant fiance, Paige McAtee, has been money.

Its at least $10,000 to get everything situated, said McAtee. People cant even make it on minimum wage as it is. And with our 2-year-old daughter it was, pay bills, feed her, get diapers, and then try to save $10,000.

Wheeler has worked at Rainbow Senior Living for eight years. His mother, Lisa Anderson, is the Business Office Director, and remembers the cost when she first came to America.

When I went through my immigration, it was $6,500, said Anderson, emphasizing the process took about three years to complete from start to finish.

On the day Wheeler was taken, McAtee spent hours trying to find him, calling local police, the sheriff, the U.S. Marshals, and the county jail, none of whom had any record of him. It wasnt until after she went with Wheelers mother and stepfather to the federal courthouse to speak to U.S. Marshals in person, that they were able to make some progress on his whereabouts.

We got a call later finding out that he was taken by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, confirmed McAtee.

The following day, after researching similar cases, his family located a petition for a restraining order against ICE and filed it that afternoon. Within two hours a federal judge granted it, ordering that Dakota could not be removed from Montana, must have access to counsel, and had to receive proper legal process.

Federal Inmates as Revenue

Wheeler is currently being held at the Cascade County Jail, along with 11 other immigration detainees at the time of publication of this article. Unlike other jails in the state, Cascade County has a unique federal contract that allows it to hold immigration detainees longer than 72 hours, a practice Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter emphasizes is not new.

When we signed our marshal contract back in 2021, ICE was delineated on that contract, explained Slaughter. And that meant that we would hold anybody that the marshals want us to hold, including ICE detainees, basically making us a federal detention facility.

The Cascade County Jail is utilized by a variety of agencies, including Great Falls Police Department, the Sheriffs office, Montana Highway Patrol, the Great Falls pre-release center and more. Each of these agencies holds a specific contract to house inmates at the jail.

Depending on the contract, the agency will pay anywhere from the state rate of $82 per bed per day, to $115 per bed per day.

The marshal contract covers all federal agencies, such as the FBI, DEA, IRS, even the EPA. The county recently signed a separate contract with Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

In a July meeting of the Cascade County Commissioners, Slaughter explained the need for these federal contracts, spotlighting the jails reliance on outside contracts for 70% of its $14 million annual budget. Only $4 million of the jails budget is covered by taxpayers.

In June of this year, Cascade County sent out what is called a white paper to open negotiations to have a standalone contract with ICE that would pay more in revenue compared to the current marshal contract that already requires Cascade County to hold immigration detainees.

The county never heard back on the inquiry.

In a perfect world youd levy $5, $6 million and you would kick all your feds out and youd drop your population by about 140 (people) a day. You would be a fully funded community, said Slaughter. So Id have a smaller operation that would be smaller in the long term to the taxpayer.

Until such a levy is passed, however, the county has few options.

I struggle to think nows the time to ask for it, said Slaughter. But hey, this is what were up against.

In the meantime, Wheelers family awaits his Dec. 10 hearing. McAtee has started a GoFundMe page, where theyre raising funds not only for Wheelers current legal fees, but also for the $10,000 required to complete the naturalization process.

Today I had my 20-week ultrasound, said McAtee. Lisa came with me, but hes been there for every single OB appointment. That was hard going there without him. Everything has changed because hes always been there, hes always been such a constant in our lives.

Their 2-year--old daughter, Cleo, wants him home more than anyone.

Hes always at work from six to two, so shes good in the morning, said McAtee. And then dinner comes and nighttime is horrible because she just screams for him. She looks for him. And I dont know what to tell her.

And with a baby on the way, McAtee continued, hes super excited, hes the one who picked out the name. He loves being a dad. We just want him home.
A behind-the-scenes image from Salman Khans upcoming war drama Battle of Galwan has set social media abuzz. The photo, shared by a fan on Instagram, features Salman Khan and Chitrangda Singh in full Indian Army uniform as they pose for a quick selfie on the films set. The viral moment offers the first candid glimpse of the stars embodying their military roles in the highly anticipated project.





Salman Khan recently wrapped up a start-to-end 45-day shoot in Leh, Ladakh, completing the films primary schedule by mid-September. The actor then moved into the final leg of production from mid-October, with filming expected to conclude by the end of November. The first look of the film, unveiled on July 4, had already created buzzshowing Salman with bloodstains on his face and a rugged moustached avatar.





Reports indicate that Salman portrays Colonel B Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment who led his troops during the Galwan Valley clash of June 2020. The real-life confrontation between Indian and Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control resulted in the martyrdom of 20 Indian soldiers and significant casualties on the Chinese side.





View this post on Instagram A post shared by Salmankhan fans club (@neelikhan786)

Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Battle of Galwan draws from a chapter of Indias Most Fearless 3 by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh, a bestselling book chronicling extraordinary stories of courage within the Indian armed forces. The film aims to bring to life the intensity of the standoff that occurred amid the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the raw, close-combat nature of the clash.





Chitrangda Singh, who plays a key role, earlier admitted she felt a bit nervous joining the project because of Salmans massive fan following. Im glad they accepted me with their Salman, their hero. Its been good so far, she told HT.




View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)





As speculation continues around who will take over the iconic role of James Bond after Daniel Craigs exit, Shah Rukh Khan has finally reacted to the much-discussed question, could Bollywoods biggest superstar ever slip into the 007 tuxedo? The actor, who is gearing up for his next film King, shared his thoughts during a conversation with BBC News India while in London for the unveiling of a bronze statue alongside his Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge co-star Kajol.

Craigs retirement after No Time To Die has reignited global curiosity about the next face of the franchise. With names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Callum Turner leading the race for the role. So, when SRK was asked whether he would consider the role, his answer was equal parts humorous and humble.





No, I don't have the accent, he laughed, adding, I don't like shaken martini either. Reflecting on his relatively late entry into action cinema, he joked that it was Kajol who unknowingly delayed his action phase. I was always wanting to do an action film, but then Kajol was in my life, and you can't do action films when Kajol is acting opposite you. So I did all the romantic films! Kajol playfully reminded him that he worked on many films without her, too, but SRK maintained that their iconic pairings defined a generation.





View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)



The actor was open about the notion of Bond, even if he acknowledged that he enjoyed his recent action parts. "I don't know about James Bond, but Sean Connery for sure, yeah!" he said, expressing his respect for the renowned original 007.





Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig are among the actors who have starred in the James Bond series. The franchise is going through a change right now. The next instalment will be directed by Denis Villeneuve.




Overwhelmed Japanese fans love

Rajamouli describes Japan as his second home

Prabhas received an unforgettable reception as he landed in Japan for the special release of Baahubali: The Epic. Fans gathered in large numbers, carrying posters, gifts, and warm messages to celebrate the superstars arrival. Their affection touched not only Prabhas but also SS Rajamouli, who penned a deeply emotional note. The director expressed how happy he was to see the actor finally experience Japans admiration firsthand.In his letter on Instagram, Rajamouli wrote that knowing Prabhas sensitive nature, he was sure the actor would be overwhelmed by the affection of Japanese fans. The filmmaker shared how, during all his earlier trips to Japan, fans repeatedly asked him when Prabhas would visit. According to the director, that constant anticipation made him even more eager for the star to witness their love personally. Ive visited Japan four times and every trip came with the same question again and again, when will Prabhas come here? The more they expressed their wish, the more I wanted you to experience the love they have for you, and for them to see how much you care for them too." Rajamouli posted.Rajamouli referred to Japan as his second home and expressed joy that his Baahubali (referring to Prabhas) had finally stepped onto Japanese soil. He thanked fans for their consistent support and also showcased his long connection with the country. Prabhas responded with equal warmth. Sharing the letter on Instagram, he wrote that he missed Rajamoulis presence in Japan and promised that both of them would return together. The actor also posted a cheerful picture from his visit, further delighting fans.During the special screening event, Prabhas addressed the audience with heartfelt gratitude. He said he had heard wonderful things about Japan for nearly a decade and felt emotional finally meeting the fans who had supported Baahubali so deeply. He added that visiting Japan had long been a dream and hoped to return every year, just like members of the Baahubali team have been doing. Prabhas stardom continues to rise globally, and his Japan visit has only strengthened his international bond with fans.
- Inobrodib in combination with pomalidomide + dexamethasone (InoPd) demonstrates strong clinical efficacy and a tolerable safety profile in heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients -

- Observed response rates of 60-75% with inobrodib 20 mg and 30 mg cohorts result in clinical efficacy at least two-fold higher than previously published real-world data for pom-refractory, bispecific or anti-BCMA exposed patients -

Cambridge, United Kingdom and Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - December 7, 2025) - CellCentric, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing inobrodib as a first-in-class, oral p300/CBP inhibitor for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), today announced new data from dose optimization cohorts of its Phase 2 clinical trial of inobrodib in combination with pomalidomide (pom) and dexamethasone (dex; InoPd) in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Presented during a poster session at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, the data further validate a compelling efficacy and safety profile for the all-oral InoPd regimen, including in patients with high-risk disease and prior exposure to T-cell engagers (TCEs) and BCMA-targeted therapies.

"These Phase 2 dose optimization results reinforce our confidence that InoPd can transform outcomes for patients ineligible for or after bispecifics and/or other BCMA targeting agents. While bispecifics in particular have been transformative in the treatment of multiple myeloma, in later lines of therapy almost half of patients ultimately relapse and around one-third do not respond at all," said Will West, Chief Executive Officer of CellCentric. "InoPd offers a completely novel mechanism of action as an oral regimen that can be well tolerated. Following recent discussions with the FDA, we look forward to initiating pivotal registration studies next year."

Study participants were randomized to three dose levels of inobrodib (20mg, 30mg, 40mg, intermittent schedule), and standard dosing of 4mg pom and 20-40mg of dex depending on age. Among evaluable patients at this data cut (n=44, to a minimum of 60), the emerging objective response rate (ORR) was 69% for patients allocated to the 20mg cohort. Early analyses indicate more dose interruptions and de-escalations at higher doses, yielding emerging ORRs to date of 54% for 30mg and 33% for 40mg of inobrodib. Across all cohorts, responses continue to deepen and lengthen.

Specifically, among heavily pretreated (median five lines of prior therapy) pom-refractory patients who had previously failed on BCMA and/or TCE therapy, deep and durable ORRs were observed with 60% at 20mg and 75% at 30mg. This represents at least a two-fold increase against currently available MM therapies after BCMA/TCE agents, where real-world ORR rates are 25-30% in a similar patient population.

Data from the dose optimization study also reaffirmed the favorable tolerable safety profile of InoPd. The tolerability of the triplet, with inobrodib at 20mg, is in line with previously reported datasets of pom-dex alone, where patients were less heavily pre-treated. The most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of any grade in this new data were cytopenias and fatigue. Across the cohorts, the most common grade 3/4 TEAEs were thrombocytopenia (36%), neutropenia (34%) and anemia (20%).

"We are highly encouraged with the safety profile of InoPd in heavily pretreated patients, as we initially focus on addressing the growing unmet need of patients not tolerating or relapsing on bispecifics," said Tomasz Knurowski, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of CellCentric. "Coupled with the observed efficacy responses, many of which we expect will reach complete response and MRD-negative disease status as data matures, InoPd could have substantial impact as a first-in-class treatment for the multiple myeloma patient community."

About Inobrodib

Inobrodib is a potential new treatment for people with multiple myeloma (MM) and other cancers. It is an oral small molecule drug that targets the p300/CBP bromodomains to lower the expression of key cancer drivers, including MYC and IRF4. Inobrodib has been evaluated in over 450 patients to date and has a favorable safety and tolerability profile. Clinical activity has been seen in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. More than 70% of MM patients are treated in the community setting. Delivered as an oral capsule, inobrodib is easy for patients to take and designed be used at home without the need for intensive monitoring. The drug's differentiated profile may broaden use among patients who cannot tolerate or access other treatments, while its ease of administration could reduce healthcare system burden relative to more complex therapies.

Along with InoPd, inobrodib is being explored in combination with elranatamab and teclistamab. Proof of concept in a maintenance setting is also being explored. CellCentric maintains all development and commercial rights to inobrodib and is free to expand the program in combination with other agents.

About CellCentric

CellCentric is a privately held biotechnology company advancing inobrodib, a first-in-class, orally bioavailable p300/CBP inhibitor. Inobrodib is being investigated in a Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, with additional indications under consideration. CellCentric is supported by a robust IP portfolio and external validation through clinical collaborations and strategic partnerships. Headquartered in the UK with expanding US operations, CellCentric is backed by a global syndicate of life science investors, including RA Capital Management, Forbion (and ForCal), Morningside, Pfizer Ventures, Avego, and the American Cancer Society's BrightEdge Fund.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/277119

SOURCE: CellCentric, Inc
AOP Health continues to advance its clinical research program in myeloproliferative neoplasms, a special group of rare blood cancers. The company, specialized in rare diseases, presented the results of two scientific investigations at the 67th American Society of Hematology Association (ASH) Annual Meeting 2025 held in Orlando, FL, USA. The results provide new insights in treatment strategies.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251207587915/en/

Dr. Martin Steinhart, CEO AOP Health; Photo credit: AOP Health/Studio Koekart

ROP-ET and BESREMI PASS

One of the clinical studies, ROP-ET, examined the use of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in people with essential thrombocythemia (ET), a disease in which the body produces too many platelets. The trial, a prospective, multicenter, single-arm phase III study, investigated the safety and efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in ET patients unable to receive available cytoreductive therapies1

The other investigation, the BESREMi-PASS study, looked at how the medicine performs in everyday clinical practice among people with polycythemia vera (PV). PV is a rare cancer of the blood-building stem cells in the bone marrow resulting in a chronic increase of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Solutions for unmet medical need

Both studies provide new insights into how ropeginterferon alfa-2b may help people living with these chronic blood cancers.

Martin Steinhart, CEO of AOP Health, concludes: "AOP Health was founded to address unmet patient needs in rare indications. Our continued investment in research and development is a testament to that commitment, resulting in new findings that we are now proud to share with the scientific community at ASH."

About Ropeginterferon alfa-2b

Ropeginterferon alfa-2b is the first interferon approved for polycythemia vera, a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), indicated in the European Union as monotherapy in adults for treatment of polycythaemia vera without symptomatic enlarged spleen.

Ropeginterferon alfa-2b is a long-acting, mono-pegylated proline interferon (ATC L03AB15). It is administered once every 2 weeks initially, or up to every 4 weeks after stabilization of blood values. It is designed to be self-administered subcutaneously with a pre-filled pen.

About AOP Health

AOP Health is a global enterprise group with roots in Austria, where the headquarters of AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH ("AOP Health") is located. Since 1996, the AOP Health Group has been dedicated to developing innovative solutions to address unmet medical needs, particularly in the fields of rare diseases and intensive care medicine. The group has established itself internationally as a pioneer in integrated therapy solutions and operates worldwide through subsidiaries, representations, and a strong network of partners. With the claim "Needs. Science. Trust." the AOP Health Group emphasizes its commitment to research and development, as well as the importance of building relationships with physicians and patient advocacy groups to ensure that the needs of these stakeholders are reflected in all aspects of the company's actions. (aop-health.com)

1 Kiladjian JJ, Marin FF, Al-Ali HK, et al. ROP-ET: a prospective phase III trial investigating the efficacy and safety of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in essential thrombocythemia patients with limited treatment options. Annals of Hematology. 2024 Mar 4:1-2.

Needs. Science. Trust.

AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH

Member of the AOP Health Group

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251207587915/en/

Contacts:

Further inquiry

DI Isolde Fally

Isolde.Fally@aop-health.com

+43-676-500 4048
JERUSALEM, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called for moving forward to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Israel.

"We need to implement the second phase of the peace plan," Merz said during a joint statement after the two leaders met. The plan, proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, calls for the release of Israeli and Palestinian hostages and detainees and the creation of an interim technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, overseen by an international "Board of Peace" and backed by an international security force.

"Hamas cannot have a role in Gaza. It cannot pose a threat to Israel," the German chancellor added.

Netanyahu said he would hold "very important conversations at the end of the month" on the steps needed to ensure the second phase is achieved, adding that he would meet Trump later in December to discuss peace opportunities and an end to Hamas's rule in Gaza.

Netanyahu said the first phase of the ceasefire was close to completion.

"We have a plan for a new Middle East in which Israel will be part of it alongside the establishment of a Palestinian state," Merz said. He added that a two-state solution would come only after negotiations, saying this was why Germany "supports the Palestinian Authority but also criticizes it."

Merz said it was too early to know how the plan would unfold, and that this uncertainty was one reason Germany had not recognized a Palestinian state. "We will not take that step in the foreseeable future either, because such a state currently lacks the conditions needed to function as an independent country," he said.

Asked whether he planned to invite Netanyahu to Germany despite an international arrest warrant issued for the prime minister by the International Criminal Court, Merz said the possibility of such a visit had not been discussed. He also said he does not support European sanctions on Israel.

Netanyahu dismissed the possibility of Palestinian statehood. "We have a different point of view," he said, arguing that a Palestinian state would threaten Israel's existence.

But he voiced hope for further normalization agreements with Arab countries. "We believe there's a path to advance broader peace with the Arab states, and a path to establish a workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors, but we're not going to create a state committed to our destruction at our doorstep," he said.

Earlier in the day, Merz and Netanyahu joined an expanded meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. Merz also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and met President Isaac Herzog.

Merz's visit comes weeks after Germany lifted a partial embargo on weapons exports to Israel. 
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 7, 2025) - Interview Coder today announced the launch of Interview Coder 2.0, a major update to its AI-powered desktop assistant designed to support software engineers in live technical interviews. The new release introduces real-time audio transcription, improved platform performance, and an expanded suite of discreet interface features to assist candidates during coding assessments.

Interview Coder 2.0 delivers on its goal of minimizing user distraction and maximizing context-driven assistance. Notable features in this release include the ability to transcribe spoken interview questions, provide structured AI coding guidance in real time, and operate in stealth mode across screen-sharing platforms. The product remains fully focused on empowering developers to navigate complex interviews without disrupting their workflow.

"Version 2.0 is the result of over a year of user feedback and platform optimization," said Abdulla Ababakre, CEO of Interview Coder. "The new audio support and undetectability features address real-world challenges faced by developers during remote interviews."

Key Enhancements in Interview Coder 2.0:

Live Audio Transcription - Captures and transcribes interviewer prompts to enable context-aware AI responses.

Discreet Operation Tools - More than 20 system-level features such as invisible overlays, click-through UI, and hidden taskbar presence for undisturbed interviews.

Real-Time Coding Support - AI-assisted code logic feedback, explanations, and debugging help during live assessments.

One-Time License Model - Interview Coder is offered through a lifetime-access license, with no ongoing subscription fees.

Cross-Platform Compatibility - Enhanced performance across supported Windows and macOS desktop environments.

Adoption and Pricing Transparency

Interview Coder reports it has served more than 97,000 users globally. The company's pricing structure is based on a one-time payment that includes all features, future updates, and around-the-clock technical support. This model is intended for candidates who expect to prepare for multiple interviews over time and prefer consistent platform access without recurring fees.

According to internal figures, over 41,000 users obtained job offers in 2025 after using Interview Coder, collectively reporting more than $110 million in new annual compensation. While the platform does not guarantee individual outcomes, the company continues to focus on long-term accessibility and product enhancements that support candidate performance in real-world settings.

A free trial version of Interview Coder is also available, allowing users to explore limited functionality before upgrading.

About Interview Coder

Interview Coder is a desktop-based AI assistant created to help software engineers prepare for and participate in technical interviews. By combining live coding support, transcription tools, and discretion-focused interface design, the platform aims to streamline interview readiness and in-session performance. Founded in 2023, Interview Coder is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/276383

SOURCE: FG Newswire
Tripoli, Libya--(Newsfile Corp. - December 7, 2025) - Libya stepped firmly back onto the regional energy stage today with the opening of the Libya Africa International Gas Forum (LAIGF 2025) at the Lancaster Hotel in Tripoli. The gathering brought together over 500 senior delegates from 72 organisations and 18 countries, uniting international and Libyan ministers, National Oil Companies, international operators, EPCs, financiers, technology firms, and leading energy institutions from across Africa and the Mediterranean.

Organised by IN-VR, and officially endorsed by the Ministry of Oil and Gas, the National Oil Corporation (NOC), and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), with S&P Global Energy as Knowledge Partner, the Forum marked the strongest signal yet of Libya's renewed commitment to expanding gas exploration, strengthening partnerships, and positioning Africa as an increasingly influential player in global gas markets.

The Forum opened with clear and aligned messages from Libya's leadership.

In his keynote, H.E. Dr. Khalifa Abdulsadek, Minister of Oil and Gas, set out Libya's ambition to accelerate development across the gas value chain and restore the country as a strategic energy partner for both Africa and the Mediterranean. His address emphasised the unique combination of resources, geography, and existing infrastructure that places Libya at the centre of emerging regional gas dynamics.

Building on the Minister's message, Hussein Abdullah Saffar, Acting Chairman of the NOC, outlined the Corporation's investment roadmap, including upcoming offshore and onshore developments, expansion of processing capacity, and a renewed push to modernise Libya's transmission infrastructure. His remarks highlighted the NOC's commitment to creating a more integrated African gas corridor and opening long-term avenues for international cooperation.

The regional perspective was reinforced by H.E. Mohammed Hamel, Secretary General of the GECF, who underlined Africa's rising influence in shaping global gas markets. He noted Libya's role not only as a producer, but as a platform for inter-African collaboration, transparency, and knowledge exchange elements critical to the continent's long-term energy stability and economic growth.

The Forum also featured strategic contributions from major international operators, each presenting a clear message of continuity and confidence in Libya's gas sector.

Repsol presented updated subsurface insights suggesting significant untapped gas potential and a strong runway for new discoveries. TotalEnergies Libya reaffirmed its long-term presence in the country, emphasising ongoing investments in imaging, digital analysis, and improved development techniques with focus on local content

Eni North Africa B.V. reiterated that Libya remains central to its Mediterranean portfolio, with new offshore prospects and optimisation of existing assets forming a core pillar of its future plans.

Complementing the operator outlook, S&P Global Energy provided an analytical assessment demonstrating Libya's competitive advantage in the Mediterranean. The combination of world-class geology, underexplored acreage, and improving fiscal and operational conditions has placed Libya back on the radar of global investors, with strong participation in this year's Forum underscoring renewed market confidence.

The event reinforced Libya's intention to serve as both a producer and a gateway for African gas, supporting regional integration and diversification at a time of growing global demand.

About IN-VR

IN-VR is a global leader in government-backed energy investment promotion, delivering licensing round campaigns, roadshows, and strategic forums across Africa, Latin America, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and APAC. With extensive experience in Libya, IN-VR is strengthening international partnerships and positioning Libya as a competitive energy investment destination.

Each year, IN-VR facilitates over 2,200 B2B and B2G meetings, connecting governments with operators, investors, and technology providers worldwide.

End of Press Release

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/277194

SOURCE: IN-VR Limited
Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City--(Newsfile Corp. - December 7, 2025) - Maguen Group, a leading Mexican private security company with over 17 years of operational excellence and ethical leadership, is proud to announce the launch of its new global cybersecurity brand, Fortem Cybersecurity. This launch comes as part of Maguen Group's plans to expand its presence and democratize cybersecurity.





Fortem Cybersecurity, the New Global Cybersecurity Brand from Maguen Group, Officially Launches



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With the launch of Fortem Cybersecurity, Maguen Group continues its commitment to creating secure environments. Fortem Cybersecurity builds on the company's journey into cybersecurity, which began in 2014 when Maguen Group successfully resolved a major cyber incident for a leading Mexican company. Since then, Maguen Group, which is an alliance between five previously established security companies (Maguen Team, Seguridad Dragon, MT Cyber (now Fortem Cybersecurity), Promotora Kabat, and Maguen Tech), has been on a mission to revolutionize security consultancy, physical protection, and digital defense.

Fortem Cybersecurity was founded in 2017 in Mexico City under the name MT Cyber. The company later joined Maguen Group in 2019, positioning itself as the cybersecurity arm of the expanding company. Since its launch, MT Cyber has led the charge in cyber threat intelligence, managed security services, and strategic consulting. Now, under the new brand, Fortem Cybersecurity, the company is establishing itself as a full-scale cybersecurity company equipped for global threats.

Speaking about this launch, Zvi Michaeli, the founder and CEO of Maguen Group, emphasized the importance of democratizing cybersecurity and making enterprise-grade protection accessible to companies of all sizes. He explained that Fortem is built to meet the growing global need for integrated cyber protection. The new cybersecurity brand will continue to build on Maguen Group's 17-year legacy by blending Israeli know-how with Latin American innovation to deliver integrated, proactive, and accessible protection.

"Seventeen years ago, Maguen began with the promise of creating safe environments. Today, that promise evolves with Fortem, a cybersecurity brand built on resilience, trust, and innovation. Fortem is not just a new name, it is our commitment to being true allies to our clients in both the physical and digital worlds," said Zvi.





Fortem Cybersecurity, the New Global Cybersecurity Brand from Maguen Group, Officially Launches



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At the heart of Fortem Cybersecurity is a focus on real-time protection. The company offers 24/7 threat monitoring, constantly checking a company's entire digital estate to ensure that any threats detected are promptly blocked. Fortem also offers CISO-as-a-service (CISO AAS) to ensure clients have access to strategic cybersecurity leadership on demand. The company's in-house R&D team is dedicated to researching and developing advanced safety and security tools that are accessible for businesses of all sizes. Zvi says that since Fortem is positioned as a global cybersecurity agency, its solutions should reflect that identity and help clients protect their information proactively and holistically. "Our holistic protection services integrate intelligence with a strategic vision and the most advanced technology. That is what Fortem Cybersecurity is built to amplify on a global scale."

Beyond its innovative systems and software, Fortem Cybersecurity is powered by people. Ariel Szpecht, the CEO of Fortem Cybersecurity, explained that the core of the company's success lies in its investment in people who are committed to creating a global force in cyber defense. "What makes Fortem unique is our people," said Ariel. "We come from different disciplines, countries, and experiences, but we share a single purpose: to protect. Every service, every system, and every client relationship reflects our commitment to excellence, ethics, and continuous innovation."

As cyber threats continue to evolve faster than ever, digital security is increasingly becoming a necessity for businesses of all sizes. However, the complexities of digital defense can feel like an endless maze. Fortem Cybersecurity is designed to be the trusted protection partner for businesses that refuse to compromise on protection. The company's unique integration of physical and digital security is backed by Maguen Group's legacy of excellence.

Fortem Cybersecurity currently has offices in Mexico, Ecuador, and Germany. The company is already planning its global expansion, starting with entry into the U.S market. By expanding its footprint, Fortem, and by extension, the Maguen Group, aims to empower global businesses to be more proactive about their digital defenses.

For more information on how Fortem Cybersecurity's proactive, people-driven digital defense services can help businesses protect themselves from evolving digital threats, visit https://fortem-security.com/.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/277178

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Sustained Worldwide Outreach Drives Greater Collaboration Opportunities

BEIJING, Dec. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 4th China International Supply Chain Expo ("CISCE," "the Expo") will be held in Beijing from June 22 to 26, 2026. To date, more than 300 companies have signed up to exhibit, with preparations moving forward smoothly.

From November 30 to December 2, a delegation of Chinese business leaders organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) visited Canada, engaging in broad exchanges with government and industry representatives. At the Canada-China Forum on Trade and Investment Cooperation, the group gave a presentation on the upcoming Expo to over 150 government officials, institutional leaders, and corporate executives from both countries. Discussions centered on deepening collaboration in advanced manufacturing, digital technology, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture.

Following this, the CCPIT dispatched a delegation to the United States, engaging in extensive dialogues with American political and business leaders while conducting multiple promotional events across the country. On December 4, in Washington, D.C., CCPIT President Ren Hongbin addressed the forum "From Policy to Partnership: APEC 2026 - Unlocking Trade and Investment Potential." He noted the reciprocal benefits of U.S.-China commercial relations while reaffirming CCPIT's role in deepening practical cooperation and promoting the steady and long-term development of bilateral economic and trade ties. U.S. attendees showed considerable interest in strengthening supply chain ties with China. During the forum, the China International Exhibition Center Group delivered a dedicated presentation on the 4th CISCE.

On December 5, the delegation attended the "Port of Opportunity: U.S.-China Business Networking Breakfast" in Oakland, California, focusing on digital technology, artificial intelligence, and other emerging sectors, to explore joint innovation opportunities within the two countries' industrial ecosystems. Another detailed presentation on the 4th CISCE was also shared.

The Expo has become a vital platform for advancing international cooperation in global industrial and supply chains. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade stated that it will continue to adhere to the strategic guidance of the 15th Five-Year Plan, ensuring high standards and superior quality in all preparations for the fourth edition of the Expo.

Please visit https://en.cisce.org.cn/ for more up-to-date news about the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo.

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The ending and the post-credit scene of Aditya Dhars directorial Dhurandhar sets the stage for an explosive sequel, which is all set to hit the theatres in March 2026. But, what does the ending really mean and imply? Read on to know.

When the credits roll on Dhurandhar, the audience realises that what seemed like a mission complete ending was only the beginning. The protagonist, Ranveer Singhs character, initially introduced as Hamza, ends up revealing his true identity as Jaskirat Singh Rangi. This reveal in a flashback underscores that the entire gang-war arc in Karachis underworld was part of a larger covert operation named Operation Dhurandhar.

In the climax, Hamza completes the first phase of the plan with help from his allies, including SP Chaudhary Aslam and local politician Jameel Jamali. He successfully takes down the crime-lord Rehman Dakait. But the victory is bitter. The final chapter, ominously titled Et Tu Brutus, evokes betrayal. After killing Rehman, Hamza hallucinates seeing the dead gangsters blood-soaked face in a hospital corridor, a haunting moment that reveals the psychological cost of his actions.

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Back home, we see him collapse in the arms of his wife (played by Sara Arjun), begging for basic comfort like food- an image that humanises him, showing the emotional weight behind the bloodshed, the guilt, and the dual identity he carries. It shows that behind the veneer of a spy and assassin is a man bruised by guilt and inner conflict.

But the real twist comes in the post-credits. Hamza opens a secret diary, strikes out Rehman Dakait, signalling Phase One is done. But as he turns the page, invisible-ink names flash out: among them is Major Iqbal of the ISI, and a whole list of high-profile operatives. As this montage plays, showing Hamzas painful past, his rise in Lyaris underworld, the brutal violence, and a glimpse of a violent confrontation between Hamza and Iqbal, it becomes clear - this was not just about a gangster, it was the beginning of a long, broader mission.

The final frame hits hard. Dhurandhar: to be continued, followed by the single word Revenge, and a date- March 19, 2026. Hamzas haunting final line, Yeh naya Hindustan hai, ye ghar mein ghusega bhi aur marega bhi, leaves us with a chilling promise of whats coming.

Why the ending hits emotionally

At its heart, Dhurandhar isnt just a spy thriller. Its a story about transformation, about how duty, anger, and loss can strip away morality and humanity. Hamza begins as a mission-driven spy. But by the end, drenched in the crimes he committed and the betrayal he enacted, he becomes something darker - a puppet-master, a kingpin operating under the banner of patriotism. Yet, we still see the man beneathn with the guilt-ridden, haunted soul, seeking solace in the arms of his wife. That tension, between purpose and humanity, nationalism and personal trauma, gives the movie a raw emotional weight.

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Instead of offering closure, the ending leaves you unsettled and thoughtful. It asks if can a man who kills for his country can still remain human? Or does the mission redefine him entirely?

And with Part 2 already slated for 2026, we know this isnt the end of Hamzas story. Its only the beginning of something far more dangerous, and far more complicated.
A fresh line-up of thrillers, dramas, and high-energy entertainers is hitting your screens, and leading the bandwagon is Saali Mohabbat

December is always a special month with a mix of celebration, nostalgia, and the perfect excuse to binge-watch something new. And this year is no different. A fresh line-up of thrillers, dramas, and high-energy entertainers is hitting your screens, and leading the bandwagon is Saali Mohabbat, a how-dunnit starring Radhika Apte and Divyenndu Sharma.

Whether you want gripping mysteries, emotional journeys or intense crime sagas, here are five December releases that promise to end your year on a high.

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Saali Mohabbat (ZEE5 - 12th December)

A gritty crime thriller headlined by Radhika Apte and Divyenndu Sharma, Saali Mohabbat tells the story of love, betrayal, and the consequences that come crashing down when desire meets danger. Set against a backdrop of crime, power and emotional complexity, the film marks Tisca Chopras directorial debut and is backed by Manish Malhotras production. With layered characters and a dark, gripping narrative, this ZEE5 release is easily one of Decembers most anticipated titles.

Single Papa (Netflix - 12th December)

_Single Papa_, led by Kunal Kemmu, arrives on Netflix as a warm, slice-of-life dramedy centred on a father doing his best to raise his child while navigating the complexities of work, identity and second chances at love. The show leans heavily on emotional relatability like the small triumphs, the frustrating failures, the bittersweet humour of parenting, making it the kind of breezy but heartfelt series thats perfect for a December unwind.

Gharwali Pedwali (ZEE5 - 5 December 2025)

With Gharwali Pedwali, ZEE5 offers a fun, supernatural-comedy that blends everyday family drama with quirky paranormal chaos. With crisp episodes and a cast including Paras Arora, Priyamvada Kant and Seerat Kapoor, the show promises light-hearted, rooted humour wrapped in a cheeky supernatural twist which is perfect for viewers who like a comedy thats fun, chaotic and unafraid to be delightfully weird.

Mrs. Deshpande (JioHotstar - 19 December 2025)

Madhuri Dixit returns in Mrs. Deshpande, a psychological drama anchored in mystery, emotional complexity and a slowly unfolding tension. The show promises a performance-driven narrative that digs into identity, family and the secrets people carry. With Madhuri leading the charge, it stands out as one of the more prestige-leaning OTT releases of the month.

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Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders (Netflix - 19 December 2025)

The sequel to the acclaimed 2020 crime-thriller returns with a bigger, darker case at its centre. This time, Inspector Jatil Yadav (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is drawn into a chilling murder investigation inside the opulent Bansal mansion, a case where secrets and lies intersect, and every suspect could be hiding more than they reveal.
Ishaan Khatter is riding an extraordinary wave of acclaim, and his latest moment from the Marrakech International Film Festival only adds to the celebration.

The actor shared a warm behind-the-scenes glimpse with Hollywood icon Laurence Fishburne after the gala premiere of Homebound. In his caption, Ishaan wrote, With the new bestie in Marrakech  mr Fishburne! Gonna hold on to the hugs and the words of encouragement after our gala premiere for Homebound in Marrakech last evening.

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The post arrives at a time when Homebound is being hailed worldwide as a masterpiece, with audiences and critics unanimously praising Ishaans finest performance yet. From the honesty and restraint he brings to the role to the deep emotional impact of his portrayal, viewers across continents have been celebrating his brilliance. The films exceptional global journeyIndias official entry for the 98th Oscarshas already earned rare nine-minute standing ovations at TIFF and Cannes, along with overwhelming praise at MIFF.

With its Netflix release taking the film into homes globally, the appreciation has surged even further. Fans are calling Homebound one of the most powerful Indian films in recent years, and Ishaans performance the beating heart of the narrative. Against this backdrop of global love, his Marrakech moment with Fishburne adds a heartfelt personal milestoneone that reflects both the journey hes on and the admiration he continues to receive.
Pop superstar Katy Perry has turned months of romance rumours into a public confirmation. She has officially announced her relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau via Instagram. On December 6, 2025, Perry posted a carousel of photos and videos from a recently concluded trip to Tokyo, where the two appear together publicly for the first time on her social media.

In the post, Perry captioned the gallery, Tokyo times on tour and more (  ), followed by a bunch of emojis. Among the snapshots are warm selfies of the pair cheek-to-cheek beneath autumnal Tokyo foliage, images of them dining together, and moments at an interactive art exhibit, including one where Trudeau watches fondly while Perry samples sushi.

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Check out the post here:

The reveal comes just days after the couple appeared together publicly at a diplomatic lunch in Tokyo with former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife. Kishida, on social media, referred to Perry as Trudeaus partner, which became a talking point worldwide.

Their public hard launch in Japan marks a definitive shift, turning whispers into headlines worldwide. The images have triggered a flurry of reactions from fans, media, and social-media commentators, with many expressing surprise, others support, and some poking fun at the unlikely pairing. Even on Reddit, fans have weighed in enthusiastically with comments like, They look cute together, and Damn, they really complement each other well! Such a photogenic couple.

Although their relationship had been the subject of speculation since the summer when they were first spotted dining together in Montreal, this Instagram post is the first time Perry has acknowledged the romance. Previously, the duo had been seen holding hands during a night out in Paris on October 25, 2025, when Perry celebrated her 41st birthday, but neither had formally addressed their relationship.
The bank accounts of Raul Rocha Cantu, co-owner and president of the Miss Universe Organisation, were frozen by Mexican money laundering agency as part of a criminal investigation.

Mexican authorities have frozen the bank accounts of Raul Rocha Cantu, co-owner and president of the Miss Universe Organisation, as part of a sweeping investigation alleging his involvement in organised-crime activities including drug, arms and fuel trafficking. The freeze was ordered by Mexicos anti-money laundering agency, the Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF), following a probe that reportedly began in November 2024.

According to federal prosecutors, the alleged crimes under scrutiny include illegal fuel theft, smuggling of weapons, and narcotics trafficking. Officials say a judge has already issued 13 arrest warrants, including for Rocha Cantu and several accomplices believed to be connected to the suspected network.

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Rochas business entity, Legacy Holding Group USA, owns 50 percent of the Miss Universe franchise; the remaining half is held by another company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd.. The accusations against Rocha therefore cast a shadow not just on him, but also on the broader Miss Universe organisation.

A Pageant Amid Controversy

This development comes at a turbulent time for Miss Universe. The 2025 edition of the pageant, which was recently concluded, had already been enveloped in controversy, including allegations of rigging and judge withdrawals.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Thai half-owner of Miss Universe, Jakkaphong Anne Jakrajutatip, also faces legal troubles. A Thai court recently issued an arrest warrant against her in a separate fraud case after she failed to appear for a hearing.

Together, these developments have plunged the iconic pageant into one of the most serious scandals in its history, with questions now raised about the integrity of its ownership and past events.

Investigation Underway

As of now, neither Rocha Cantu nor the Miss Universe Organisation has publicly responded to questions from media.

Meanwhile, the investigation continues. The freeze on Rochas Mexican accounts marks only the first step, prosecutors may pursue further legal action depending on findings, potentially involving extradition requests, asset seizures, or additional warrants.

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After delivering an acclaimed performance in Tere Ishk Mein, the actor wrapped up the year with elegance and confidence on the global stage

Kriti Sanon continued her impressive year with a powerful presence at the fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. After delivering an acclaimed performance in Tere Ishk Mein, the actor wrapped up the year with elegance and confidence on the global stage.

In a stunning crossover moment, Kriti was also seen interacting with global icons including Dakota Johnson, Nina Dobrev, Uma Thurman, and Adrien Brody at the Red Sea Women in Cinema Gala Dinner.

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What did the actress wear?

Her festival appearances turned heads across the international circuit. Kriti arrived in a statuesque black gown by Australian designer Toni Maticevski for the Women In Cinema event, embodying sharp glamour with a thigh-high slit and sculpted detailing. For her In Conversation session, she chose a beige silk organza gown by Dubai-based designer Kristina Fidelskaya, featuring a structured bodice, sheer skirt, cascading floral appliques, and a flowing silhouette. Paired with studded earrings and rings from h.ajoomal Jewellers, dewy glam, pinky-nude lips, and striking purple glittery eyeshadow, Kritis styling reflected sophistication and ease in equal measure.

During her session at the festival, she spoke candidly about portraying one of her most layered characters in Aanand L. Rais musical _Tere Ishk Mein_. What I love about her is that shes not perfect. Shes not your quintessential, good girl. Shes flawed, as we are as human beings. And shes extremely raw, shes vulnerable, she said, highlighting the shift from the traditional male gaze to more nuanced storytellers. She added: Im really glad that love stories are back. I craved them. Its my favorite genre this year has been about love stories.

With Tere Ishk Mein running successfully in cinemas and her global visibility rising, Kriti Sanons presence at the Red Sea Film Festival signalled an artist confidently embracing her moment.
At least 25 people, including four tourists, were killed and many others injured around midnight Saturday in a devastating fire at a nightclub in India's western state of Goa, police said on Sunday.
December 7 marks the 84th anniversary of Japans surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. This fateful event took away over 2,400 American lives, leading to the US entry into World War II. Its also on this day that Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistans first elected president

A Japanese bomber aircraft is seen in the foreground. Reuters

It was a quiet Sunday morning until the sky over the Hawaiian Island of Oahu erupted in fire. The people of Hawaii were completely shaken by the thunder of explosions and roaring gunfire. And in the matter of minutes, hundreds of Japanese warplanes came screaming out of the sky, striking the heart of the US pacific power: Pearl Harbour.

This is the story of the attack on Pearl Harbour that changed everything.

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In this edition of Firstposts ongoing series of History Today, we recall the devastating surprise attack by Japan on Americas Pearl Harbour and more.

The attack on Pearl Harbour

In the early 20th century, Japan wanted to modernise its economy and military. It aimed to build an empire like Great Britain and the United States, primarily seeking to become one of the worlds great powers.

However, there was a huge problem; the Japanese mainland did not have enough natural resources, in particular, oil, which was required to build that empire.

The first major step Japan took towards empire-building was to invade the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1937. Later, in 1941, Japan occupied French Indochina in 1941.

The United States was unhappy with Japans hostile attitude toward China. US officials responded to this aggression, imposing economic sanctions and a trade ban. However, those sanctions had a minimal effect on Japan; it even made the Japanese stronger to stand on their ground.

Months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington were not fruitful, and war appeared inevitable.

Then the Japanese came up with a simple plan to destroy the US Pacific fleet. After months of planning and practices, Japan staged a surprise attack at the heart of Americas Pacific power: Pearl Harbour.

The forward superstructure of the sunken battleship USS Arizona burns after the attack. Reuters

On December 7, 1941, at 7.55 am, the first Japanese dive-bomber appeared over Pearl Harbor. It was part of a first wave of nearly 200 aircraft, including torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters.

Within minutes, Japans hundreds of fighter planes descended on the Hawaiian base and managed to damage nearly 20 American naval vessels.

Torpedoes slammed into battleships, bombs tore through airfields, and machine guns rattled over fleeing sailors; the fleet was paralysed for months. Americans were completely taken by surprise.

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And all was over in just two hours, claiming more than 2,400 American lives, injuring another 1,000 people.

The Japanese strike was a complete success. The Arizona and the Oklahoma were destroyed. Six other battleships suffered varying degrees of damage. Three cruisers, three destroyers, and other vessels were also damaged. Heavy damage was inflicted on both army and navy aircraft on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Japanese lost from 29 to 60 planes, five midget submarines, perhaps one or two fleet submarines, and fewer than 100 men. The Japanese task force retired from the theatre of battle without being attacked.

Hamid Karzai sworn in as Afghanistans leader

On this day in 2004, Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistans first elected president. He was mainly recognised as Washingtons pick for the job.

The United States, then-Vice President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld attended the ceremony. The former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, also attended Karzais inauguration.

While speaking to the reporters at the ceremony, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called Karzais inaugural speech a very strong, substantial statement."

Karzai faced several challenges, including controlling the nations powerful traditional leaders and preventing the Taliban from recovering power. Karzai was also the target of several assassination attempts.

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With inputs from agencies
Australia is set to become the first country in the world to ban people under the age of 16 from social media platforms. The ban will take place officially from December 10. Ahead of the ban, here is a look at the techniques it is using to enforce the restrictions

Australia will soon ban under-16s from the likes of Facebook and TikTok, a world-first move of huge interest to all those worried about the harms of social media.

Internet regulators the world over are watching to see if Australia can rein in the tech giants  but questions remain as the ban approaches on December 10.

Heres what we know about how Australia will enforce the new restrictions.

Prove age

Starting December 10, some of the worlds largest social media platforms will be forced to remove all users under the age of 16 in Australia.

Hundreds of thousands of adolescents are expected to be impacted, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.

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Australia expects rebellious teens to do their best to skirt the laws. AFP

Not every Australian will have to prove their age, only those suspected of falling foul of the ban.

And young users will still be able to access some social media without logging in  they just cannot register for their own accounts.

More from Explainers YouTube pushes back as Australia move ahead with under-19 social media ban

Verification

Social media platforms will be held responsible for weeding out underage accounts.

A number of trials have looked at different ways to do so, but the Australian government has so far refused to settle on a universally agreed method.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has started deactivating accounts based on information such as the age given when they were created.

Account holders flagged by mistake could verify their age using a video selfie or by providing government-issued ID, Meta said.

Whos in and out

Which platforms fall under the ban continues to be debated.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are covered, as are streaming platforms including Kick and Twitch.

YouTube was added, despite the governments suggestion that it would be exempt so that children could watch lessons online.

Other popular apps and websites such as Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp are currently exempt  but the list remains under review.

Just browsing

Australia expects rebellious teens to do their best to skirt the laws.

Guidelines warn they might try to upload fake IDs or use AI to make their photos appear older.

It remains unclear how Australias internet safety regulator would interpret or enforce what counts as reasonable. AFP

Platforms are expected to devise their own means to stop this from happening.

Of course, no solution is likely to be 100 per cent effective all of the time, the internet safety watchdog has said.

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Harsh penalties

Australia concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset, and some underage users will fall through the cracks as issues are ironed out.

But platforms face the threat of $32 million fines if they fail to take reasonable steps to comply.

It remains unclear how Australias internet safety regulator would interpret or enforce what counts as reasonable.

Reasonable steps means platforms have to act to enforce the restrictions in a way that is just and appropriate in the circumstances, the regulators guidelines say.
Vladimir Putins State visit to India was a big success. His bond with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on display as the world watched. In this wrap, we bring you the highlights of the trip, look back at India-Russia ties, and tell you lesser-known facts about the Russian president

An Aurus limousine of Russian President Vladimir Putin's cortege drives during a ceremonial reception prior to his meetings with Indian officials in New Delhi, on December. Reuters

Its been 25 years since India and Russia inked a strategic partnership. It was marked by Russian President Vladimir Putins two-day visit (December 4-5) to New Delhi. The ties between the two countries have only strengthened over the years, despite geopolitical pressures. Now, PM Modi and Putin are doing all they can to upgrade this relationship.

The two leaders share a strong bond. Their bonhomie was on display as Modi went to receive the Russian leader when Delhis Palam airport, and the two carpooled together, breaking protocol.

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On Day 2 of the visit, Putin and Modi got to business. At the India-Russia summit, the leaders got a lot done, signing several agreements, including the labour mobility pact, a programme for developing strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030, and a lot more.

Here is a roundup of the Putin visit and its significance.

1. India rolled out the red carpet for President Putin. Modi welcomed him at the Palam airport with a handshake and a warm embrace. It is not every day that the prime minister receives a foreign dignitary. Heres why the gesture is so rare.

Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time tested one that has greatly benefitted our people.@KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/L7IORzRfV9  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 4, 2025

2. PM Modi and President Putin held talks at the 23rd annual India-Russia summit in Delhi on Friday (December 5). The focus was to take the relationship between the two nations to the next level, and they succeeded. They signed 16 pacts in the areas of labour mobility, nuclear energy, trade and defence. Moscow also renewed its commitment to ship fuel to India to help boost the countrys economy. Here are the takeaways from the Modi-Putin summit.

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3. India and Russia have only become closer with Putins State visit. From jobs and migration to education and medicine, training, healthcare, food safety and fertiliser, the two nations will collaborate more with an eye on the future. Heres how.

5. One of the key pacts signed during the visit was the labour mobility agreement. The Temporary Labour Activity of Citizens of one State in the Territory of the other State aims to encourage the migration of skilled Indian workers to labour-intensive sectors in Russia, such as construction, agriculture and IT-enabled services. It is a win-win for both countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi, India, on December 5. Putin was on a two-day State visit to India, his first since 2022. Reuters

4. With Putins visit, Ukraine was in the spotlight once again. When he met Modi, the war came up for discussion. The Russian president did not divulge much, but said that he spoke in detail on the situation and on talks with the US towards a possible peaceful settlement of the crisis. PM Modi made a powerful statement. India is not neutral, India is on the side of peace. Here is how the Indian leader has successfully navigated the Russia-Ukraine problem since the war began on February 24, 2022.

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5. Defence has been a big part of the relationship between the two countries. Russia has been one of the top suppliers of weapons to India for decades, starting with the MiG-21 in the 1950s. More recently, the S-400 was used in Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. We explore how arms have united the two allies.

Russias S-400 air defence missile system units drive past a guard of honour during a military parade in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia. India has the S-400, and it has given the country regional air dominance. File photo/Reuters

6. There is so much we know about Putin, and so much we dont. He is known worldwide as a strongman. But the Russian president has a softie side to him. Reports suggest that he is obsessed with ice cream. What else does he like to eat? And where is food delivered from? This report tells you more.

7. Putin is one of the worlds most guarded leaders. He travels in the Flying Kremlin, which is Russias answer to Air Force One. He is protected by bodyguards who call themselves Mukseteers. On a foreign visit, personal chefs and food tasters accompany him, and his security team carries a poop suitcase to ensure that his waste is not left behind. Here is the inside story of Putins security ring.

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8. Putins hectic 27-hour visit concluded with a State Dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. He was served a lavish meal at Rashtrapati Bhavan. On the menu were Indian delicacies  jhol momo, achaari baingan, saffron pulao, badam halwa and more. Modi and Putin were sitting side by side. Adding magic to the evening was the music  both from India and Russia, Bollywood and Tchaikovsky. Heres a sneak peek.

Putin gives a speech during a State dinner hosted for him by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Image courtesy: @rashtrapatibhvn/X

All in all, the summit was a great success, and the Putin-Modi bonhomie was on display, as the world watched. You will find our complete coverage on the visit here.

Well be back with another reading list for you next week. Until then, you can find our explainers here.
India is making steady progress toward its malaria-reduction goals, but the latest WHO report shows the country continues to bear the highest malaria burden in the South-East Asia Region. Doctors warn that weak surveillance, delayed testing and late treatment are undermining control efforts despite the wider availability of improved prevention and diagnostic tools.

India may be on track to meet its malaria-reduction targets, but the latest WHO report shows the country continues to carry the heaviest malaria burden in the South-East Asia Region. Doctors say that weak surveillance and delayed treatment continue to lead to outbreaks.

Dr Prabhat Ranjan Sinha, Senior Consultant- Internal Medicine, Aakash Healthcare, said The WHO report demonstrates that India continues to be a leading malaria burden carrier throughout our geographic area despite efforts to stop disease progression. The main factors behind this situation include large population areas with inadequate mosquito control and irregular rapid testing and delayed medical care because people often wait for their fever to subside. The lack of testing facilities in remote, border, and tribal areas has made the situation more challenging.

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Dr Sinha further said, The world now possesses enhanced malaria control instruments which include vaccines together with better bed nets and preventive medical treatments. The Indian government must expedite its efforts to distribute these tools throughout all high-risk districts across the country. The most effective solutions for malaria control will emerge from improved field monitoring and continuous mosquito control efforts and public health education programmes. India will achieve significant malaria number reduction and elimination status through dedicated basic healthcare delivery to all population areas.

Dr. Sunil Rana, Associate Director and Head- Internal Medicine, Asian Hospital, said The high numbers of malaria cases persist in India because healthcare services fail to reach certain areas of the country in a timely manner.

The patients who live in tribal and forest regions reach medical facilities only after their malaria condition has reached an advanced stage. The length of mosquito breeding seasons has increased because of environmental changes. People tend to delay seeking medical help for their fever because they believe it will resolve on its own. The solution to control malaria requires improved local disease monitoring and fast medical testing and complete treatment follow-up and continuous mosquito control efforts that should operate continuously throughout the year, he added.

Dr Rana further said The combination of weak disease monitoring and unmonitored migrant movements through sensitive areas leads to the development of outbreaks.

The testing efforts in border districts should intensify during monsoon season. Early problem detection becomes possible through regular data exchange between states and Nepal. The most effective measures for controlling malaria involve prompt insecticide applications and proper waste management and accessible mosquito net distribution, he said, adding that health personnel require additional resources to perform rapid testing and treatment procedures.

The achievement of elimination becomes possible when we maintain essential healthcare practices at a high level while maintaining constant vigilance, he added.
Mpowers five-year review shows over 2 lakh young Indian men face rising mental health challenges, with Pune and Mumbai leading engagement. Early support brings immediate relief, reducing stigma.

Young Indian men are experiencing a deepening mental-health crisis, with new data showing a sharp rise in emotional distress across cities, campuses and workplaces. A five-year review by Mpower, an initiative of the Aditya Birla Education Trust found that of the 2.83 lakh men who sought or received support through helplines, screenings and outreach programmes, over two lakh were aged just 1825, a concentration that highlights how fragile young mens mental well-being has become.

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The findings highlight a widening gap between rising stressors and limited emotional support systems, compounded by stigma, silence and a culture that still discourages men from seeking help early.

Helplines show rising distress: relationship strain, loneliness, burnout

Mpowers detailed analysis shows that youth-centric programmes alone reached 2,07,350 men through early-intervention activities, campus engagements and community outreach.

The organisations Mpower 1on1 helpline recorded 75,702 calls from men between 2022 and 2025, many made anonymously, a sign of the hesitation and fear of judgment that still keep men away from in-person care.

Of these, 16,698 calls were tied to relationship stress, depression and anxiety, reaffirming that interpersonal and emotional struggles are among the most common reasons men seek support. Participation was highest in Pune (1,13,435 engagements) and Mumbai (53,657), followed by Delhi, Rajasthan, Bengaluru, Goa and Hyderabad.

Parveen Shaikh, President of Mpower, said Men continue to shoulder an enormous emotional burden, often silently. Our data shows that when men do reach out, the relief is immediate and meaningful. We must encourage young men to seek support early rather than internalising pressure. Seeking help is not a weakness, it is a strength.

Rima Bhandekar Senior Psychologist Helpline Mpower Aditya Birla Education Trust said the trends mirror what counsellors hear daily. Men are expected to handle everything stoically. High competition, poor emotional communication, unresolved conflicts and limited support networks all contribute to rising distress.

Why young men are struggling: structural stress, financial strain and digital overload

Clinical psychologists say the crisis is being fuelled by a complex mix of structural, emotional and digital pressures.

Dr Jasmine Arora, Consultant  Clinical Psychologist, Artemis Hospitals, said men are facing relentless demands at work, unstable finances and rising costs of living, leaving many feelings inadequate or unable to cope.

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Workplaces expect people to be constantly productive and available. Many men feel they must perform all the time, which leads to exhaustion and feeling not good enough. The pressure to be the breadwinner adds further strain, she said.

Younger men face academic overload, family expectations and difficulty balancing personal life. Digital overwhelm from constant notifications to social comparison is emerging as a major trigger for stress, irritability and burnout.

Dr Arora further said Men are stuck in a cycle where they cannot rest, show emotions or ask for help. Understanding these structural factors is key to building healthier systems at work, at home and in schools.

Societal expectations around masculinity deepen emotional suppression

Across services, clinicians report the same patterns: suppressed emotions, withdrawal, over-working, irritability and unhealthy coping behaviours such as excessive gaming or substance use.

Sushmita Upadhaya, Clinical Psychologist at Lissun, said cultural conditioning remains one of the most damaging influences.

From young age boys are told boys dont cry. As adults, this results in suppressed emotions and difficulty acknowledging distress. Many choose avoidant behaviours, overworking, social withdrawal or even aggression  instead of seeking support.

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She noted that competition in education and jobs, loneliness, shifting relationships, and rising financial obligations are pushing young men into chronic stress, anxiety and self-doubt.

Policy changes needed: Experts call for gender-specific mental-health strategies

Indias mental-health ecosystem still lacks frameworks tailored to mens mental-health needs.

Dr Naveen Kumar Dhagudu, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Yashoda Hospitals, said cultural expectations around masculinity and silence make the crisis harder to address.

This stigma contributes to high rates of suicide, substance use and untreated depression among men, yet these issues remain less acknowledged, he said.

He called for men-specific mental-health strategies within the National Mental Health Programme, suicide-prevention initiatives tailored to men, insurance coverage for counselling and routine mental-health screening in primary care.

Dr Dhagudu added that health providers must recognise how differently distress appears in men:

A man struggling with depression may not say he feels sad  he may become irritable, withdraw, or engage in risky behaviour. Recognising these signs can lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes.

Practical steps: What individuals, workplaces and families can do

Experts emphasise that breaking the silence around mens emotions requires coordinated action.

For individuals, Rima Bhandekar recommends expanding emotional vocabulary to help men correctly identify their feelings, challenging the belief that men must always appear strong, speaking to experts early to build emotional-conflict management skills, and using affordable support options such as helplines and online counselling.

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She said that workplaces should encourage leaders to model openness by discussing their own emotional struggles, train managers to recognise signs of emotional stress among male employees, and integrate mental-wellbeing helplines, self-care workshops and dedicated time for feelings into wellness programmes.

For families, she advises treating emotions as gender-neutral, using everyday interactions like chores, car rides and neighbourhood walks to talk about feelings, discussing difficult moments rather than only positive ones, and normalising visits to mental-health professionals in the same way one would visit any doctor, she added.

A silent crisis demanding urgent attention

Experts agree the rise in emotional distress among young Indian men reflects both shifting social realities and longstanding cultural expectations. As outreach data shows young men seeking help in record numbers, often anonymously, psychologists warn that India must act quickly to dismantle stigma, strengthen support systems and create environments where men feel free to express vulnerability.

Without systemic change, the burden of unspoken emotional stress will continue to grow with consequences for families, workplaces, campuses and the broader economy.
At least 23 people were killed in Goa after a gas cylinder exploded at a popular nightclub, triggering a massive fire at the site. The fire broke out at midnight on Sunday in the village of Arpora in the district of North Goa

At least 23 people were killed in Goa after a gas cylinder exploded at a popular nightclub, triggering a massive fire at the site. The fire broke out at midnight on Sunday in the village of Arpora in North Goa district, PTI reported.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed the news and mentioned that several tourists and many kitchen workers were killed in the blaze. Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people, Sawant wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa. A major fire incident at Arpora has taken the lives of 23 people.



I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss.



I visited the incident site and have  Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) December 6, 2025

I visited the incident site and have ordered an inquiry into this incident, he said. Those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law  any negligence will be dealt with firmly. Images and videos circulating online showed rescue personnel rushing to the site with emergency vehicles.

While speaking to the reporters at the scene, Sawant said that three to four tourists had died in the fire. Three people died from burn injuries, while the others died from suffocation, he said. At least three of the victims were women, he added.

The authorities noted that the massive fire erupted due to a cylinder blast at Birch, near Romeo Lane, a popular party venue that began operations last year.

The nightclub did not abide by fire safety norms

While speaking to the reporters, Sawant maintained that the nightclub had not abided by the fire safety norms. Meanwhile, Goa police chief Alok Kumar confirmed to PTI that the fire occurred due to a cylinder blast and was soon brought under control.

All the 23 bodies have been recovered from the premises and sent to the government medical college at Bambolim, local BJP MLA Michael Lobo said in a separate statement on the matter.

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Labo noted that the officials will now conduct a fire safety audit of all the clubs to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Apart from this, the Calangute panchayat will be issuing notices to all the nightclubs on Monday asking them to provide fire safety permissions, the MLA said.

The licenses of clubs not having the necessary permissions will be cancelled, he added.

This is a developing story.
Authorities say the fire allegedly broke out at the nightclubs kitchen shortly after midnight of Sunday, during a party attended by around 100 people

A burned-out interior is seen inside the Birch nightclub following a fire that broke out last midnight, in Goa on December 7, 2025. (AFP)

The Goa Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane after a devastating fire killed 25 people and injured six others.

The FIR names Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the clubs owners. Along with them, the club manager and event organisers are also being investigated. Meanwhile, the panchayat head of ArporaNagoa, Roshan Redkarthe sarpanch who had issued the trade licence to the nightclub in 2013has been detained for questioning.

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Police registered an FIR against Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the owners of Birch by Romeo Lane Nightclub, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

Kitchen was dead end

Authorities say the fire broke out at the venue shortly after midnight of Sunday, during a party attended by around 100 people. According Goa Police chief Alok Kumar, the blaze was triggered by a cylinder blast in the clubs kitchen, PTI reported.

Eyewitnesses, however, claim the fire started on the clubs dance floor. There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames, said Fatima Shaikh, a tourist from Hyderabad to The Times of India.

As panic set in, many of those inside rushed toward the ground floor kitchen areabut that turned into a death trap. The club reportedly had narrow exits and no proper escape routes, and the kitchen area acted as a dead end, contributing to the high number of deaths.

Out of the 25 people who died, police say 14 were staff members and four were tourists; the identities of the remaining seven victims are yet to be confirmed.

A preliminary probe into the tragedy indicated that the clubs construction flouted norms. The building was made without a valid construction licence, on what was earlier a saltpanan ecosensitive zoneand under regulations that prohibit such construction on intertidal land.

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The local panchayat had issued a demolition notice earlier, but that notice was later stayed on appeal by a higher authority, allowing the nightclub to continue operations.

Facing mounting outrage over serious safety lapses, Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, promising strict action against those found responsible.
Eyewitnesses at the Goa nightclub fire recall harrowing details about the cylinder blast that killed 25 people and injured several others.

Tragedy struck a nightclub in Goa on Sunday after a massive fire killed at least 25 people, including foreign tourists. Since the incident, Eyewitnesses have been narrating harrowing details about the cylinder blast at Goas popular restaurant, Birch by Romeo Lane. The authorities noted that the explosion took place around 12:04 am at the nightclub in Arpora village, approximately 25 km from the capital, Panaji.

Videos circulating online show a massive blaze engulfing the site, with fire even spreading across what appeared to be an outdoor seating area. While speaking to news agency ANI, eyewitnesses described the scenes of panic after the blast.

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When I was heading home, I heard an explosion. Later, we saw ambulances arriving at the spot. When we reached the location, we saw that the incident had already occurred. I live nearby, a local told ANI.

#WATCH | Arpora, Goa | A local says, "When I was heading home, I heard an explosion. Later, we saw ambulances arriving at the spot. When we reached the location, we saw that the incident had already occurred" https://t.co/ILHAyzftKA pic.twitter.com/ulvtVfvmld  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

Security guard recalls harrowing details

A security guard near the gate also shared the harrowing details of the incident. We heard a massive explosion. We later learned that the fire broke out after a cylinder blast, he said. As the chaos broke out, fire tenders were pressed into service to bring the situation under control.

Over 50 wounded people were rushed to the hospital while authorities worked through the night to stabilise the situation. The fire has been curtailed, and all bodies have been recovered, the police chief added.

On Sunday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express grief over the mishap. He went on to call the incident deeply saddening and to convey his support to the affected families.

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The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa, is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected," the prime minister said in a post on X.
The severity of the loss has led Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to order a magisterial inquiry, while police have registered an FIR against the clubs owner and general managers, issuing arrest warrants

A massive fire erupted after midnight at the popular nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora.

A massive fire at the popular nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, Goa, has killed at least 25 people, including 14 staff members and four tourists. The tragedy, which occurred post-midnight on Sunday, has now shifted focus from rescue efforts to a massive inquiry into the clubs legality, construction violations, and critical safety lapses.

Most victims succumbed to suffocation while desperately trying to escape the blaze. The severity of the loss has led Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to order a magisterial inquiry, while police have registered an FIR against the clubs owner and general managers, issuing arrest warrants.

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#WATCH | Goa CM Pramod Sawant visits the spot where 23 people died after a fire broke out at a restaurant in North Goas Arpora. pic.twitter.com/H1KBLJ7DjT  ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2025

As investigations begin, key questions surrounding the cause of the fire and the clubs ability to operate despite alleged violations are being raised.

What caused the fire in the first place?

Conflicting accounts have clouded the exact starting point of the fire.

While the Goa police chief initially cited a cylinder blast as the cause, multiple witnesses dispute this, claiming the fire began on the first floor, where approximately 100 tourists were dancing.

With no official forensic conclusion, the precise trigger that turned the venue into a death trap remains unknown.

Eyewitnesses noted that the presence of temporary construction made up of palm leaves contributed to how quickly the structure caught fire.

#WATCH | Nikhnesh from Delhi, who is visiting Goa, says, "Our flight landed at 10.30 pm last night. So, we reached here around 12 am. As soon as we reached our hostel, we saw plumes of smoke rising. We came to here find out what is happening. Actually, we were planning to come https://t.co/qSth23gSZe pic.twitter.com/rtNSKRtGix  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

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Why were escape routes ineffective?

Survivors recounted immediate panic and a chaotic struggle to exit. Eyewitnesses described the club as having a narrow entry, exit and a confusing layout.

In the melee, many people, including staff, rushed downstairs and became trapped in an unventilated ground-floor kitchen area, leading to the high number of deaths by suffocation.

#WATCH | Goa | Aftermath of the fire that broke out at a restaurant in North Goas Arpora, claiming the lives of 23 people. pic.twitter.com/v6qleY5WJX  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

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How did the illegal structure operate?

The establishments legality has come under intense scrutiny.

The Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch, Roshan Redkar, confirmed the structure was illegal, stating the local panchayat had issued a demolition notice due to the lack of a construction license.

However, the demolition order was later stayed by the Directorate of Panchayats, allowing the club to continue operating. Furthermore, reports suggest the club was built on eco-sensitive saltpan land within a Coastal Regulation Zone, where construction is banned.

Why was fire service access delayed?

The clubs location in the backwaters, accessible only by a single, narrow route, severely hampered the emergency response.

Fire trucks reportedly had to be parked 400 metres away from the building, resulting in critical delays that may have cost lives. Whether authorities had previously flagged this issue and if the venue should have been allowed to host large crowds under such conditions is now being examined.

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Were fire safety norms ignored and unchecked?

Chief Minister Sawant explicitly stated that the nightclub had not followed the fire safety norms. The magisterial inquiry is tasked with fixing responsibility for these lapses.

Meanwhile, local politicians have announced that panchayats will now conduct a fire safety audit of all nightclubs and issue notices demanding safety compliance, threatening to cancel licenses for non-compliant venues.

The Prime Ministers Office has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The focus now turns to the full findings of the magisterial inquiry to determine who allowed the deadly combination of safety violations and illegal construction to persist.
President Droupadi Murmu offered her condolences and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief while announcing ex gratia assistance after a devastating nightclub fire in Goa claimed several lives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed in the massive fire at a popular club in North Goas Arpora, taking to X to express grief over the tragedy.

PM Modi took to social media to express his condolences, writing, The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected.

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The fire mishap in Arpora, Goa is deeply saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 7, 2025

President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed profound sorrow, calling the deaths of at least 25 people heartbreaking and offering her condolences to the bereaved families while praying for the swift recovery of the injured.

In a message posted on X, the president said, Deeply pained by the tragic fire incident in North Goa district resulting in the loss of precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they find strength during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also shared his grief on X, stating, The tragic loss of lives in a fire accident in Arpora, Goa, is deeply painful. The local administration is carrying out rescue and relief operations and providing the necessary care to the affected. My sincerest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Goa CM orders magisterial probe

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he is monitoring the situation closely, confirmed the injured are stable, and announced a magisterial inquiry to determine the cause and accountability for the deadly blaze.

Taking to X, he wrote, I am closely reviewing the situation arising from the tragic fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people have lost their lives and 6 have been injured. All six injured persons are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident to identify the cause and fix responsibility.

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Speaking to reporters, he said the nightclub had not adhered to fire safety norms. Goa police chief Alok Kumar told PTI that the fire occurred due to a cylinder blast and was soon brought under control.

Local BJP MLA Michael Lobo stated that all 23 bodies had been recovered from the premises and sent to the government medical college at Bambolim. He added that officials would conduct a fire safety audit of all clubs to prevent similar incidents. The Calangute panchayat will issue notices on Monday to all nightclubs asking them to provide fire safety permissions, and he said, The licenses of clubs not having the necessary permissions will be cancelled.
KABUL, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three workers were killed when an unexploded device left over from past wars went off in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Saturday, provincial police spokesman Sayed Tayeb Hamad said Sunday.

The incident occurred in a scrap shop in Kama district when workers were busy at the site on Saturday afternoon, the spokesman said, adding that three workers died on the spot due to the blast.

Police have urged residents to inform security authorities if they see or come across any suspicious objects.

Earlier in November, a similar incident claimed one life in the Rodat district of Nangarhar province.

Post-war Afghanistan has been regarded as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, and the unexploded ordnances, which were left over from more than four decades of wars and civil unrest, often kill or maim people, mostly children, in the country. 
The countrys largest airline IndiGo on Sunday cancelled over 650 flights while the disrupted operations were slowly stabilising as the number of cancellations reduced and more than Rs 610 crore worth ticket refunds were processed for the affected passengers.

IndiGo scrapped more than 650 flights on Sunday, even as the airline reported gradual improvement in its operations after nearly a week of turmoil. The carrier said over 610 crore worth of refunds had already been issued to passengers hit by the widespread cancellations.

Despite the stabilisation, the airline is preparing a detailed root cause analysis to determine how the crisis stretched into its sixth consecutive day. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol criticised the prolonged disruption, saying passengers had suffered mental harassment and distress, and pledged that accountability measures were underway.

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IndiGos parent company, InterGlobe Aviation, has formed a Crisis Management Group to oversee the situation, with the panel meeting regularly to track progress. The airline said it aims to have normal operations restored by December 10.

The civil aviation ministry, which has intervened by capping fares and instructing the airline to speed up refunds, said nationwide flight operations were now stabilising rapidly.

The civil aviation ministry, which has taken various measures, including capping airfares and directing IndiGo to expedite ticket refund process, on Sunday said air travel operations across the country are stabilising at a fast pace.

IndiGos flight operations have increased from 706 on Friday to 1,565 on Saturday and are likely to reach up to 1,650 by the end of Sunday, the ministry said.

The ministry also said IndiGo has processed Rs 610 crore refunds and delivered 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers across the country as of Saturday.

IndiGo said it will be operating 1,650 flights of its 2,300 daily domestic and international flights on Sunday, and 650 remain cancelled for the day.

At the Delhi airport, at least 118 flights were cancelled on Sunday, while the number was 121 at Mumbai airport, officials said.

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In a video message to the staff, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said, step by step, we are getting back and that the airlines on time performance (OTP) is expected to be 75 per cent.

The OTP, an indicator of punctuality, was 20.7 per cent on Saturday, as per the latest official data.

A senior airline official on Sunday told PTI that it will do a root cause analysis and asserted that the carrier has adequate number of pilots and there is no deficiency.

Our pilot numbers are fine while we may not be having the luxury of a buffer, the official told PTI.

He also said there has been no hiring freeze amid concerns being raised in certain quarters that lean-operating model might have led to the current situation.

Lack of proper crew planning while implementing the new flight duty norms is being cited as a key reason for the significant operational disruptions.

According to the ministry, all other domestic airlines are operating smoothly and at full capacity, while IndiGos performance has shown steady improvement on Sunday, with flight schedules moving back towards normal levels.

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A statement issued by IndiGo said its Board of Directors is doing everything possible to take care of the challenges faced by its customers and ensure refunds to passengers.

IndiGos parent InterGlobe Aviation is a listed company.

Meanwhile, a Parliamentary panel is also likely to summon top airline executives and aviation regulator DGCA officials over the significant disruptions.

Opposition party Congress also took a swipe at the government in relation to the flight disruptions.

Against the backdrop of the introduction of airfare caps, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said the Ministry of Civil Aviation has finally woken up and said such price containment should remain in force till a duopoly in the airline sector exists.

With inputs from agencies
A sudden pilot shortfall, stemming from IndiGos difficulty in adhering to the new government rest and duty rules introduced early last year, triggered widespread flight disruptions

A passenger waits outside the IndiGo Airlines kiosk at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on December 6, 2025. (AFP)

IndiGo airlines has processed refunds amounting to Rs 610 crore ahead of the Civil Aviation Ministrys 8 pm deadline on Sunday.

To ensure financial protection for passengers, the Ministry issued strict directives to IndiGo requiring that all refunds for cancelled or severely delayed flights be completed by 8:00 PM today. IndiGo has so far processed refunds totalling Rs 610 crore, a statement from the Civil Aviation Ministry read.

The refunds follow a severe operational crisis at the airline, where widespread cancellations and delays stranded thousands across the country. The disruption was triggered by a sudden pilot shortfall after IndiGo struggled to comply with new government-mandated rest and duty norms introduced early last year.

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In light of this, a parliamentary panel in India is preparing to summon senior executives from private airlines and top officials from the countrys civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, led by JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, intends to call representatives from the airlines, the DGCA, and the Civil Aviation Ministry for questioning. The goal is to obtain an explanation for the unprecedented disruption that left thousands of passengers stranded and to mandate preventative measures against future chaos.

According to a panel member cited by PTI on Sunday, the committee has taken serious note of the widespread issues, which included cancellations and delays persisting for a sixth consecutive day. The crisis even affected Members of Parliament travelling for the Winter Session.

Lawmakers are reportedly concerned not only about the service collapse but also the "surging airfares" that resulted from the crisis.

Photo: Stranded passengers search for their luggage near a counter at the Bangalore International Airport.

When is IndiGo expected to resume normal operations?

IndiGo has issued a public apology for the serious operational crisis it faced, admitting its failure to adequately adapt to new flight duty regulations. The airline specifically attributed the massive wave of cancellations and delays to internal misjudgement and planning gaps.

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In a video statement delivered on Friday, the airlines CEO Pieter Elbers said that restoring full operational normalcy would require time, given the complexity and scale of the carriers network. He projected that flight operations would return to a completely normal situation sometime between December 10 and 15.

#WATCH | Gurugram, Haryana | On the IndiGo flight disruptions, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers says, "... In my earlier messages, I conveyed that we would be rebooting the system on Friday, take a significant number of cancellations and start afresh on Saturday. That has worked well by pic.twitter.com/JKoyfGnwCK  ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

To manage the fallout, Elbers announced the implementation of a three-pronged action plan. This strategy includes enhanced customer support to improve communication regarding cancellations and refunds, alongside strict adherence to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulations aimed at resolving the crisis.
After six days of flight disruptions and overall chaos across the country, IndiGo on Sunday said that it had managed to restore most of its networks.

After six days of flight disruptions and overall chaos across the country, IndiGo on Sunday said that it had managed to restore most of its networks. The airline carrier noted that it is scaling up operations to more than 1,500 flights and reconnecting 135 of its 138 destinations.

This marked a stark difference from Saturday, with IndiGo operating on a drastic cutback with just over 700 flights. The carrier initiated a planned reboot to stabilise rosters and systems after severe disruptions that left thousands of passengers stranded across airports.

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It is pertinent to note that the recovery efforts are coming amid strong political criticism and regulatory scrutiny. In light of the flight disruption, DCGA has served a show cause notice to the airlines CEO, Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager, Isidro Porqueras, over large-scale operational lapses.

IndiGo faces government scrutiny

Amidst the chaos, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Saturday said that a committee has been established to identify the reasons behind the flight disruptions caused by the IndiGo airlines, adding that necessary actions would be taken against those accountable for the chaos accordingly.

We have formed a committee which will inquire into all this so that they can establish where things went wrong and who did it wrong. We are going to take necessary action on that also. This thing shouldnt be left unattended, Naidu told ANI on Saturday. His remarks on the matter came amid the unprecedented disruption in air services across the country over the last six days caused by the large-scale cancellation and delay of IndiGo flights.

Naidu told ANI that the current priority is to ensure that the flight operation comes back to normalcy. The immediate priority for us is to bring back normalcy and provide all the support to the passengers. Today, in the country, if you see, 5 lakh people are travelling by air every day," he averred.

Apart from this, the civil aviation ministry has introduced limits on the maximum fare charges that other airlines can charge in this situation. It has come to the notice of the Central Government that disruptions in flight operations of one of the scheduled airlines have resulted in flight cancellations, leading to capacity constraints and an unreasonable surge in the fares on several sectors, the ministry said in a statement.

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Flights of 500 km distance will have a maximum fare of Rs 7,500, flights between 5001000 km have a cap of Rs 12,000, flights between 10001500 km are capped at Rs 15,000, while flights with a length of over 1500 km have been capped at a fare of Rs 18,000. However, the fares mentioned above are exclusive of applicable user development fee, passenger service fee and taxes and do not apply to Business class and to RCS UDAAN flights.
A Pakistani woman has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that her husband abandoned her after their 2020 marriage and is now preparing to remarry in Delhi

A Pakistani woman, identified as Nikita Nagdev, has appealed for help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after alleging that her husband, Vikram Nagdev, abandoned her soon after their 2020 wedding and is now planning a second marriage in Delhi, reported News18.

In a video message, she claimed that Vikram, a Pakistani-origin man residing in Indore on a long-term visa, compelled her to return to Karachi and has since refused her re-entry into India.

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She alleged mental and emotional abuse, saying she discovered that Vikram was having an affair almost immediately after she moved into his family home in India. Nikita stated that only after filing complaints did mediation begin, during which she learnt that Vikram was preparing for another wedding in Delhi. The Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Counsel Centre recommended that he be deported to Pakistan on jurisdictional grounds, a recommendation now under local investigation.

Timeline of allegations and ongoing proceedings

Nikita stated that she married Vikram on January 26, 2020, in Karachi following Hindu customs. She said that he brought her to India a month later on February 26. According to her account, her circumstances changed abruptly, and, on July 9, 2020, she was forced back to Pakistan and left at the Attari border on the grounds of a visa technicality. She alleged that Vikram made no effort to facilitate her return despite her repeated requests.

She claimed that the behaviour of her in-laws changed after the wedding and that she discovered her husbands affair with a relative. When she approached her father-in-law, she was allegedly told, Boys have affairs; nothing can be done. She further alleged that during the Covid-19 lockdown, Vikram pressured her to return to Pakistan and later refused to allow her back into India.

Nikita said she learnt that Vikram was preparing to marry another woman from Delhi while still being legally married to her. Distressed by these developments, she filed a written complaint on January 27, 2025. In her video message she stated, If justice is not served today, women will lose faith in justice. Every woman deserves justice in India.

The case is currently being handled by the Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Counsel Centre, authorised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Notices were issued to Vikram and his alleged fiancee, and a hearing was held, but mediation did not succeed.
For the families waiting for their disappeared loved ones, justice is not an abstract principle; it is a necessity for survival, dignity and closure. X/ @Baloch YakjehtiC/ Representative image

Balochistan is a state where Pakistan has done violence of the highest level. This assertion, backed by years of field reports, survivor testimonies and human-rights investigations, is once again reaffirmed by the most recent October 2025 findings released by Paank, one of the most active organisations documenting enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the region.

The report describes a continuous, structured and patterned use of force by Pakistani state institutions and armed groups operating under their patronage. What emerges is not a fragmented picture of localised abuses, but the anatomy of a long-running counterinsurgency model that has turned an entire population into a suspect class. The data compiled by Paank throughout 2025 forms an indispensable context to understand the gravity of the October report.

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Earlier in the year, human-rights monitors documented 785 enforced disappearances and 121 extrajudicial killings in just the first six months. This rhythm of violence approximates four disappearances per day and at least one killing every twenty-four hours. Such statistics are not incidental, nor are they the by-product of occasional escalations. They reveal a systematic security doctrine in which forced disappearance has become an administrative tool and death an unofficial extension of state authority.

In June 2025 alone, the organisation recorded 84 enforced disappearances and 33 extrajudicial killings across fourteen districts. In many of these cases, the individuals were taken in broad daylight, in front of witnesses, or during raids that lacked legal warrants. Those who returned alive described prolonged interrogations, torture, psychological coercion and indefinite detention in undisclosed facilities.

These testimonies are critical to understanding the socio-political ecology of repression in Balochistan: they reveal a pattern where the states violence is not simply about neutralising armed groups but about reshaping the emotional, social and psychological landscape of an entire people.

Mechanisms of Fear and Control

The patterns noted in the October 2025 report reflect a threefold structure of aggression. First is the routinisation of enforced disappearances. Individuals vanish without legal process, without evidence presented against them, and without recourse for their families. Local communities identify these disappearances as the primary tool of domination because they produce permanent uncertainty.

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The disappearance of a family member becomes an open wound that cannot heal, a question that disrupts daily life indefinitely. The psychological violence here is almost surgical: it breaks resistance not by overwhelming force alone, but by destabilising the most intimate units of society. Second is the persistent practice of extrajudicial killing, often following a disappearance. Bodies bearing signs of torture, mutilation, or execution-style injuries have been repeatedly found in remote terrains or dumped on roadsides.

For the families, many of whom search for months or years, the recovery of a body ends one agony but begins another. The states implicit message in such killings is that it can suspend the law at will and that it can make death appear natural or meaningless. The victims are frequently described in official narratives as militants killed in encounters, yet the observable evidencewounds indicating prior torture, the absence of weaponry, uniform patterns of abusecontradicts these accounts.

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The October 2025 report continues this line of documentation, presenting further cases where individuals taken by security forces reappear only as corpses. Third is the increasing use of proxy militias, commonly referred to as death squads. These groups blur the lines of responsibility, allowing state institutions a degree of plausible deniability while expanding the geography of fear.

The squads often intimidate families seeking the release of disappeared relatives, attack activists, or carry out targeted killings of community leaders, writers and students. Their integration into the counterinsurgency architecture allows the state to operate horizontally as well as vertically; repression becomes decentralised, unpredictable and tailored to local conditions. This diffusion of violence deepens the sense that the state is omnipresent yet unaccountable, a power that can shift identities and operate through multiple bodies.

A Landscape Shaped by Impunity

The October 2025 findings also draw attention to the expansion of violence into new domains. Airstrikesonce rare in the documentation of human rights organisationsare now appearing more frequently in reports. Their use signifies a new escalation, one in which the state deploys heavy firepower in areas inhabited by civilians, often on the pretext of targeting insurgent hideouts. Such operations amplify civilian casualties, destroy homes and livelihoods, and create waves of internal displacement.

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The inclusion of airstrikes in this years report marks a shift from targeted repressive tactics toward a broader militarisation of entire regions. To understand why such violence persists, it is necessary to examine the historical arc of Balochistans relationship with the Pakistani state. Since the early years after Pakistans formation, the province has been marked by militarised responses to political dissent.

Each successive phase of the Baloch nationalist movementwhether peaceful or armedhas been met with counterinsurgency policies that prioritise suppression over dialogue. Over decades, this approach has hardened into a security paradigm in which Baloch identity itself is often treated as a security concern.

The October 2025 report does not stand alone; it is part of a continuum stretching back generations, a continuum characterised by cycles of rebellion and repression, negotiation and betrayal, and a deepening gulf between the population and the state. What makes the present moment particularly grave is the institutionalisation of impunity.

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Despite numerous commissions of inquiry, public hearings, and promises by successive governments, prosecution of perpetrators remains virtually nonexistent. Families of the disappeared often protest for months, sometimes years, staging sit-ins, hunger strikes and long marches, yet their demands rarely move beyond promises. The states refusal to acknowledge its rolecombined with the criminalisation of activists, journalists and human-rights defenderscreates a stark imbalance between the powerful and the powerless.

The human consequences are profound. In villages and towns across Balochistan, people alter daily routines to minimise exposure to checkpoints, patrols or raids. Students curtail political discussion, fearing surveillance and targeting. Mothers keep their children close, afraid that a simple journey to school might result in disappearance. Communities that once relied on oral tradition, poetry and collective memory now find these cultural practices endangered, as those who articulate political identity risk becoming targets.

The cumulative effect is a quiet, pervasive suffocation of social life. Economically too, the violence extracts a heavy toll. Enforced disappearances remove breadwinners from households, and the accompanying fear stifles local economies.

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Development projects touted by the state often proceed without consultation and become militarised spaces, heightening tensions rather than addressing the underlying political grievances. The narrative that such violence is necessary for security or development collapses in the face of this reality: for the people of Balochistan, security becomes synonymous with occupation rather than protection.

The October 2025 report forces a deeper reflection on how states justify violence against their own citizens. Counterinsurgency, when stretched beyond the frameworks of law and accountability, becomes a tool of domination rather than security. The state begins to treat entire populations as suspect and reshapes both territory and society to meet militarised objectives. In Balochistan, this logic has persisted for so long that it now appears to many residents as a permanent condition rather than a temporary emergency. The violence is not episodic; it is structural. Any meaningful resolution requires acknowledgement of this structure.

The state must recognise enforced disappearance as a crime, not a counterinsurgency tactic. It must dismantle the parallel networks of militias, prosecute perpetrators, and allow international and independent investigators to access affected regions. Without transparency, the cycle will persist, generation after generation.

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For the families waiting for their disappeared loved ones, justice is not an abstract principle; it is a necessity for survival, dignity and closure. The October 2025 findings underscore a truth long voiced by Baloch activists and scholars: the crisis in Balochistan is not merely political or militaryit is deeply human. It is inscribed in lost lives, shattered families, scarred landscapes and a peoples long struggle to affirm their dignity in the face of overwhelming force.

Any academic examination of the region must begin with this recognition. Violence here is not incidental; it is systemic, structured, and historically produced. To ignore this is to ignore the lived reality of those who endure it daily.

(The writer is a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS), New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.)
Within the India-Russia bilateral is the real play of a multipolar world order. Both countries know the depth of their bilateral can survive the savagely changing winds of contemporary geopolitical reality

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi, India, on December 5. Putin was on a two-day State visit to India, his first since 2022. Reuters

Like the imperial ballet of Saint Petersburg, the India-Russia ties unfold with technical precision masked by a deep emotional expression. Each partner navigating elaborate choreography without a formal score. There is grace in the mechanics and clarity in what both actors refuse to say aloud: that this relationship endures because each side has learnt the others steps with meticulous care.

The reception of Russian President Vladimir Putin by Prime Minister Narendra Modi says foremost, India does not take dictation from Washington. While the US tightens tariffs, Indias response is framed with the precision of a classical pianist: the note is called sovereignty. The Putin visit is the clearest display of strategic autonomy on offer.

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The main takeaway from the visit was that it was business as usual, as India particularly wants to streamline stretched supply lines. Make no mistake, India has suffered from the war in Ukraine. Deals in the works were finalised, stretching across defence procurement, energy arrangements, and economic cooperation. This is a partnership that shows deep diplomatic maturity.

Defence: The Deeper Architecture

The defence relationship between India and Russia transcended the transactional a long time ago. The figures alone tell part of the story. Russian cumulative military exports to India are a mind-bending $80 billion since independence. A remarkable $50 billion just between 2005 and 2025. The texture beneath this defence deal reveals something different: a relationship where India is learning to make Russian systems. Brahmos, as an example, if you will, is India looking at all important intellectual property, and Russia is offering it generously.

The reported submarine agreementfor an Akula vessel equipped with Indian-developed sensors and systemssignals this shift. The real substance of this lies beyond the hardware Moscow supplies; it is in Indias insistence on refitting it with Indian tech. In operations, this match matters.

Meanwhile, the S-400 Triumf air defence systems, of which India has received 3 of 5, are signalled likely to get the rest by 2027. Yet here again, India has established a local maintenance ecosystem. The follow-up deal was not announced, hinting at supply chain issues.

The S-500 co-development proposal represents perhaps the clearest signal of what Russia and India are attempting. Moscow has reportedly offered full technology transfer and co-production rights. These are not handouts. Russia, facing Western sanctions and unable to access global markets directly, sees India as a strategic manufacturing hub.

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The BrahMos missile programme remains the template. With DRDO and Russias NPO Mashinostroyeniya, BrahMos has evolved from a bilateral project into Indias most credible arms export success story. The supersonic cruise missile, which proved effective during Operation Sindoor, is now being considered in advanced versions. There were also exploratory talks on hypersonic missile purchase. India and Russia are poised to resume high-level discussions on BrahMos-II, a next-generation missile aimed at achieving speeds of Mach 6 or higher.

The Project 11356 frigate programme illustrates the sophistication India has achieved. The two latest vessels, INS Tushil and INS Tamal, commissioned in late 2024 and mid-2025, respectively, carry over 26 per cent indigenous content with more than 33 systems made in India. The two additional Project 11356M frigates being built by Goa Shipyard with Russian support will be delivered by 2027, featuring over 56 per cent indigenous content.

On the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter, India has maintained strategic caution. Again, Russia offered unprecedented full technology transfer and local production; New Delhi has not committed. Partly because India is not fully convinced of the stealth capabilities of the SU-57 and partly because its trying its own programme.

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Energy: The Hedged Bet

Energy cooperation has become the ballast of bilateral relations, and Putins discussions with Modi have reinforced what both capitals understand: India will continue to purchase Russian oil because alternatives cannot match the price-to-reliability equation. However, there will have to be a deferred timeframe. In June 2025, India became the largest recipient of Russias seaborne Urals crude, accounting for 80 per cent of total shipments. Currently with the US trade deal under negotiation, India has cut this down to nearly zero. But in the long term Russia is an inevitable choice.

Discussions during the summit have firmed up expectations that India will absorb between 45 and 50 million tonnes of Russian crude annually through 2035, with pricing mechanisms hedged against Brent volatility. For Moscow, this represents a secured revenue stream at a moment when Western sanctions limit its options. For New Delhi, it represents energy security at a stable cost.

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Trade: The Imbalance Acknowledged

India has put the trade imbalance front and centre during the summit discussions, and for good reason. The figures are lopsided beyond justification. During fiscal 2024-25, India imported $63.8 billion from Russia whilst exporting just $4.8 billion. That is a ratio of roughly 13 to 1Delhi bleeds crude while Moscow rakes in cash. Both sides have committed to reaching $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, but the mathematics are challenging if not impossible.

Indias export base expansion with pharma, textiles, and IT will be, at best, gradual. Russia will need to create space for India to look seriously at Indian capital goodsmachinery, electronic components, and precision instrumentsand if the movement of Indian skilled workers to Russia accelerates, this could be presented as an offset to the trade deficit.

The US-China factor

The Russia-India relationship exists in full knowledge that Russia is Chinas biggest defence supplier. India absorbs this asymmetry. Similarly, when India cuts Russian oil purchases, Russia understands. Within the India-Russia bilateral is the real play of a multipolar world order. Both countries know the depth of their bilateral can survive the savagely changing winds of contemporary geopolitical reality. This makes the relationship unique.

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Indias Strategic Autonomy: The Real Story

What makes this visit historically significant is not what was signed, but what was signalled. Trumps escalating tariffs on Indian importsreaching 50 per cent when combined with penalties for Russian oil purchaseswere framed as economic coercion aimed at reshaping Indias strategic alignments. Indias response has been to deepen precisely those alignments that Washington sought to discourage. Modis reception of Putin, Indias expansion of defence ties, and Indias refusal to treat Americas mediation claims about the May 2025 ceasefire with Pakistan as anything other than fiction are acts of strategic assertion.

The Closing Act

There is something almost Raj Kapoor about Putins standing in India. Putin is as popular here as the great Soviet-era Indian superstar! Western leaders often speak to India as though instructing. Putin speaks as an equal. That distinction, small in diplomatic language, is enormous in strategic psychology.

The world will have to factor in RussiaIndias options. Their choices about energy suppliers, defence, and, going forward, technology collaboration will shape the geopolitical contest for decades. But India, equally, must harbour no illusions. Russia is not a replacement for the West in economic terms. Its GDP is below $3 trillion, so for India, Russia is a hedgea counterbalance. The ballet continues, each partner knowing the steps; both convey to the world that this music will continue. The India-Russia play will only deepen with time.

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(The writer is a senior journalist with expertise in defence. Views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of Firstpost.)
A man described in court documents as a previously deported immigrant has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a fellow passenger on Charlottes light rail system, an incident that quickly ignited political backlash

The victim, identified as Kenyon Kareem Shemar Dobie, was taken to hospital with stab wounds. (AP)

US President Donald Trump accused Democrats of destroying Charlotte, North Carolina, following a stabbing on the citys light rail system on Friday, involving a man described in court documents as an unauthorised immigrant.

The comments appeared on Truth Social on Saturday, where Trump wrote, Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. Whats going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece.

The incident involved 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano, who is accused of being intoxicated, challenging another passenger to a fight and then stabbing him with a knife. He has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and several related offences and has been booked into Mecklenburg County jail.

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His alleged victim, identified in court documents as Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie, was taken to hospital and is in stable condition, according to the Mecklenburg EMS Agency. A magistrate described Solarzano in court documents as an illegal who had been deported previously, alleging he was unintelligible and slurred words before using a large fixed blade knife in the attack.

Immigration history and political response

Solarzano, a Honduran national, has entered the United States illegally three times, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was expelled in 2018 and apprehended again in 2021, though it is not known when he re-entered the country.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer to ensure this illegal criminal is not released back into North Carolina neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the county will honour the detainer since they have a history of not cooperating with ICE. Solarzano is due in court on Monday.

Republicans quickly attributed responsibility for the attack to local Democrats, echoing criticism following the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in August on the citys light rail system, a case that drew national attention. Representative Mark Harris of North Carolina wrote on X, Oscar Solarzano was previously deported and then illegally entered our country AGAIN. These are the folks NCs pro-crime Democrats want to keep on the streets.

Last month, the Trump administration deployed additional immigration agents to Charlotte, one of several Democrat-led cities targeted in a broader enforcement surge. Officials framed this as action against violent offenders.

City officials reported in October that crime had been falling significantly throughout the year, with homicides down 24 per cent and aggravated assaults down 19 per cent based on third-quarter statistics. After the Zarutska stabbing, authorities increased law enforcement patrols on the light rail system.

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West Africa has experienced a number of coups in recent years, including in Benins northern neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and, most recently, Guinea-Bissau

Benins President Patrice Talon talks during an event to receive the title of Salvador's citizen at the Benin House Museum in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on May 25, 2024. Talon is on a 3-day official visit to Brazil. (Photo by Rafaela Araujo and Rafaela Araujo / AFP)

Military personnel in Benin on Sunday announced that they had ousted President Patrice Talon, although his entourage said he was safe and the army was regaining control.

Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman dubbed the cotton king of Cotonou, is due to hand over power in April next year after 10 years in office marked by solid economic growth but also a surge in jihadist violence.

West Africa has experienced a number of coups in recent years, including in Benins northern neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and, most recently, Guinea-Bissau.

Early on Sunday, soldiers calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), said on state television that they had met and decided that Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.

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The signal was cut later in the morning.

Shortly after the announcement, a source close to Talon told AFP the president was safe.

This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure, they said.

Its just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well.

A military source confirmed that the situation was under control and the coup plotters had not taken either Talons residence or the presidential offices.

Blocked

The French Embassy had said on X that gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo near the presidents official residence in the economic capital.

It urged French citizens to remain indoors for security.

An AFP journalist in Cotonou said soldiers were blocking access to the presidency and state television.

Access to several other areas, including the five-star Sofitel in Cotonou and districts housing international institutions, were also blocked.

But there was no military presence reported at the airport and the rest of the city, and residents were going about their business.

Benins political history has been marked by several coups and attempted coups since its independence from France in 1960.

Talon, who came to power in 2016, is due to reach the end of his second term in 2026, the maximum allowed by the constitution.

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The main opposition party has been excluded from the race to succeed him, and instead the ruling party will vie for power against a so-called moderate opposition.

Talon has been praised for bringing economic development to Benin but is regularly accused by his critics of authoritarianism.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)
The third round of joint anti-missile exercises were not aimed to target any third party in response to the current international situations, according to a post on the ministrys website.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet each other in Tianjin, China. AP

China and Russia have recently been into a diplomatic shift. The nations held their third round of joint anti-missile drills on Russian territory, as stated by Chinas defence ministry late on Saturday.

Both the nations signed a no-limits strategic partnership before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The pact helped both the countries to exercise coordination between their military armed forces.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin mostly hold frequent phone calls and meetings with official joint statements focusing on Russias narrative of addressing the legitimate security interests in Ukraine.

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They also held talks on missile defence and strategic stability and held artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan in August.

The third round of joint anti-missile exercises were not aimed to target any third party in response to the current international situations, according to a post on the ministrys website.

Both the nations jointly expressed concerns over US President Donald Trumps golden dome missile shield plan, labelling it deeply destabilising and a threat to the global stability that could militarise space and spark in the arms race.
Indonesians in the Aceh Tamiang region are severely suffering with worsening diseases after deadly floods and landslides hit the country

People carry their belongings as they wade through the water at a flooded village in Bireun, Aceh province, Indonesia. AP

After deadly floods and landslides, Indonesians in the Aceh Tamiang region are severely suffering with worsening diseases and lack of medical attention as rescue helpers struggled to help dozens of residents at the lone hospital in the area.

Cyclonic catastrophe devastated thousands of people last week and three provinces were affected including Sumatra island, killing at least 940 people, with an additional 276 people listed as missing, government data showed on Sunday.

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Locals got displaced and lost their homes to pools of mud and debris as diseases got worse.

Diseases affected Indonesia

Residents were affected by diarrhoea, myalgia, and heavy fever as the places triggered by heavy landslides have not recovered post-disaster.

At the only hospital in Aceh Tamiang, a patient and medical workers told Reuters on Sunday of worsening diseases there. Reuters witnesses said medical equipment was covered with mud, syringes were scattered on the floor and floods swept medicines away.

These workers do not know what tired means, said Ayu Wahyuni Putri as quoted by Reuters, who gave birth to her child days before the floods hit.

Hospitals completely paralysed

Nurhayati, a 42-year-old nurse, said the hospital was nearly paralysed due to a lack of medicine. Workers tried to save ventilators at an intensive care unit for babies, but were unsuccessful as rising water covered them.

A baby died, while six others survived, she said.

People know me as a nurse. When I couldnt do something, it felt devastating. I can only give the available medicine, the nurse added, seeing the situation worsening.

Almost 31 hospitals and 156 smaller health centres across the three provinces were impacted by the floods, the health ministry said on December 5.

National emergency

The local officials called on to declare a national emergency in Jakarta to declare a national emergency and set up rescue and relief efforts.

President Prabowo Subianto visited Aceh on Sunday and ordered the officials to focus and fix the bridges, dams along with the cancellation of state-backed microloans for farmers.
NEW DELHI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed early Sunday when their car collided head-on with a truck in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, local police confirmed by phone.

The accident occurred in the state's Jashpur district, and the impact was so violent that the car was completely crushed, killing all occupants instantly.

Local residents alerted the police, who took the deceased to a local hospital. The identities of the deceased have not yet been established, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. 
Facing a surge in unresolved school discrimination cases, the US Department of Education has ordered around 250 laid-off employees to temporarily return to duty while legal challenges over their layoffs continue

The agency said about 250 employees are being called back while legal challenges over their March dismissals are still underway. (AP)

An internal email dated December 5, obtained by USA TODAY, shows the US Department of Education recalling hundreds of employees it dismissed months ago as the Office for Civil Rights struggles with a rapidly expanding backlog of school discrimination cases. The return to duty order highlights the growing pile of unresolved complaints and signals the departments need to pull in all available personnel to manage the caseload.

According to the agency, the request covers roughly 250 employees who have been on administrative leave while legal challenges continue over their March dismissals. Julie Hartman, the departments press secretary for legal affairs, emphasised that there are still no plans to reinstate these workers permanently. In a statement to USA TODAY, she said the department will continue appealing the ongoing litigation concerning the Reductions in Force while utilising all employees currently being funded by American taxpayers.

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Civil Rights Office Reduced after months of upheaval

The recall marks the latest turn in a months-long disruption that has reshaped one of the federal departments most significant offices, which President Donald Trump has pledged to close. Students, parents and educators nationwide have relied on the Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, to uphold antidiscrimination laws, particularly for students with disabilities. The office has played a key role in ensuring equal access to education for families unable to pursue costly legal action against schools or universities.

As the Trump administration has continued its efforts to dismantle the Education Department without securing congressional support, the civil rights office has been reduced considerably. Hundreds of staff have been laid off, and major regional branches, including those in Philadelphia and Boston, have been largely shut down. Of the roughly 450 individuals still listed as OCR employees, only about 60 have not received layoff notices in the past year, according to court documents.

Nearly 250 employees were initially terminated in March, while another 137 were dismissed during the October government shutdown, though those firings were later reversed under an agreement to end the funding dispute.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk called for the abolition of the European Union after the regional bloc fined his social media platform X a whopping 120 million

Tesla CEO Elon Musk called for the abolition of the European Union after the regional bloc fined his social media platform X a whopping 120 million. On Saturday, the billionaire lashed out over the matter and threatened to pursue each country individually in a series of posts on the site.

X, formerly known as Twitter, was fined over transparency breaches. The EU should be abolished, and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people, Musk wrote in a post on Saturday, shortly after the ruling. Hours later, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the bloc, insisting that Europe was Americas closest ally.

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The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 6, 2025

Dear American friends, Europe is your closest ally, not your problem. And we have common enemies. At least thats how it has been in the last 80 years. We need to stick to this; this is the only reasonable strategy for our common security. Unless something has changed, he wrote on X. His response came amid reports of frustration in the White House about the latest directive against X.

What the investigation was about

Americas stance on the matter can be reflected by US Vice President JD Vance's response to the EUs conduct. On Thursday, he said that the bloc should be supporting free speech, not attacking US companies over garbage.

After a thorough investigation which went on for two years, the European Commission ruled against X on three counts. It found that the blue tick verification badge was deceptive, as users could simply pay for the privilege; that there was a lack of transparency over advertisers on the site, falling foul of safeguards against scams and illegal promotions; and that researchers were denied access to what should be public data.

According to The Telegraph, the first charge included a 45 million fine, the second 35m and the last 40 million. In light of this, the EU commission spokesperson said that the penalty was for a breach committed by X, but addressed to the entire corporate structure, which the blocs officials had previously said consists of three entities with Mr Musk at the top.

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Musk went on to condemn the ruling, describing the fine as crazy. The EU imposed this crazy fine not just on [X], but also on me personally, which is even more insane!," he wrote in the post. Therefore, it would seem appropriate to apply our response not just to the EU, but also to the individuals who took this action against me," he said.

Musk ruling angers Trump administration

Meanwhile, top officials from US President Donald Trumps administration piled in with their own biting criticisms of the verdict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the fine was an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments. The days of censoring Americans online are over.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau went on to encourage Washington to further disengage from its role in the Nato member alliance. The nations of Europe cannot look to the US for their own security at the same time they affirmatively undermine the security of the US itself through the (unelected, undemocratic, and unrepresentative) EU, Landau said in a statement.

Amid the brewing tensions between the US and EU, Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on the bloc if it proceeds with the penalisation of US tech giants, while his officials have pushed Brussels to scrap the DSA entirely.

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In the National Security Strategy, the White House welcomed the growth of patriotic European political forces opposed to the blocs current trajectory, and said it would help to cultivate them.

Nobody elected you, the hard-Right Dutch firebrand Geert Wilders wrote on X, addressing the EU. You are a totalitarian institution and cant even spell the words freedom of speech. We should not accept the fining [of X], but abolish [the Commission]," he added.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flew into Israel Saturday for his first visit since taking office, and reaffirmed Berlins support after traditionally solid ties between the countries were shaken by the Gaza war.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (L) meets with Israel's President Isaac Herzog at the president's residence in Jerusalem on December 6, 2025. AFP

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flew into Israel Saturday for his first visit since taking office, and reaffirmed Berlins support after traditionally solid ties between the countries were shaken by the Gaza war.

Merz landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport just before 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) and was met by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called him a friend of Israel. Germany, he added, was an important partner.

Merz met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem later Saturday.

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I consider it a great honour and a truly great distinction to be here and to reaffirm that standing by this country is and will remain the unchanging core principle of the Federal Republic of Germanys policy, said Merz.

Earlier Saturday, Merz held talks with Jordans King Abdullah II during a brief stopover there. Their discussions focused largely on the fragile peace process in Israel and the Palestinian territories, he told reporters.

Merz urged more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and for Hamas fighters to lay down their weapons, adding that both Jordan and Germany remained committed to a negotiated two-state solution.

There can be no place for terrorism and antisemitism in this shared future, Merz said.

Jordans royal palace said in a statement that Abdullah had stressed the need to commit to implementing all stages of the agreement to end the war and deliver humanitarian aid to all areas of the Strip.

The king warned of the danger of continued Israeli escalations in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Hamas said Saturday it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority governing the territory, provided the Israeli armys occupation ended.

We accept the deployment of UN forces as a separation force, tasked with monitoring the borders and ensuring compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas chief negotiator and its Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya added in a statement.

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But he rejected the deployment of any international force in the Strip whose mission would be to disarm it.

Ties shaken

In Jerusalem on Sunday, Merz is scheduled to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Given the dark legacy of Nazi Germanys industrial-scale murder of Jews, German leaders have long seen unflinching support for Israel as a bedrock of the countrys foreign policy.

But Israeli-German ties were shaken during the Gaza war set off by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Merz, who took power in May, has repeatedly criticised Israels relentless military campaign, which has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.

In August, he also moved to restrict sales of weapons for use in Gaza.

Since a fragile US-backed ceasefire and hostage deal ended full-scale fighting, Germany has lifted those export restrictions.

Despite the ceasefire, more than 350 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, as well as three Israeli soldiers.

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The actions of the Israeli army in Gaza have posed some dilemmas for us (and) we have responded to them, Merz said Saturday.

But, he added: Israel has the right to defend itself.

Defence deals

Although Merzs public criticism of Israel was unusual for a German leader, it was measured by international standards.

Merz recently offered Israel full-throated support as European broadcasters considered whether to exclude the country from the annual Eurovision Song Contest, calling such a possibility scandalous.

Thursdays decision to include Israel in the upcoming Eurovision event was warmly welcomed in Berlin.

Nevertheless, German officials have said there are currently no plans to invite Netanyahu to Berlin.

The Israeli leader faces an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Earlier this year however, Merz vowed to invite the Israeli leader and told him he would not be arrested.

Nor have any tensions disrupted key military ties. Germany last week put into operation the first phase of the Israeli-made Arrow missile defence shield.

The $4.5-billion deal was reportedly the largest arms export agreement in Israeli history.

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Before leaving Berlin on Saturday, Merz spoke with Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmud Abbas.

A spokesman said Merz underscored German support for a two-state solution but urged Abbas to push through urgently necessary reforms of the PA in order to play a constructive role in the postwar order.
Hong Kong kicked off voting to elect new lawmakers under Beijings patriots only rules, but government campaigns to boost turnout have been eclipsed by the citys deadliest fire in decades

Supporters campaign for their candidates in the Legislative Council elections in Wanchai district of Hong Kong on December 7, 2025. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

Voters across Hong Kong headed to the polls on Sunday to elect new legislators under Chinas restrictive patriots only rules. However, government efforts to encourage a high turnout were reportedly overshadowed by widespread public anger concerning the citys handling of a recent, devastating residential fire that claimed the lives of at least 159 people.

The election, only the second to be held since Beijing overhauled the citys electoral system to ensure that only those deemed loyalists can hold office, is expected to see a low turnout.

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Of the 90 legislative seats, only 20 are now directly elected by the public, following a political crackdown initiated by the sweeping national security law imposed in 2020. This law has led to the imprisonment, resignation, or flight of many prominent pro-democracy figures.

Tragedy overshadows the vote

The election campaign was abruptly paused in late November after a blaze tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing blocks, a tragedy believed to be one of the deadliest residential fires globally in decades.

Despite the tragedy, Hong Kongs Chief Executive John Lee insisted the vote must proceed to maintain stability. He urged the public to cast their ballots, claiming the vote represented support for reform and the fire victims. A somber-looking Lee was seen casting his vote on Sunday.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee casts his vote in the Legislative Council elections in Hong Kong on December 7, 2025. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

(Your) vote represents a vote that pushes forward reform, and a vote to protect those affected by the disaster, Lee told reporters after casting his vote.

Lee has also announced a judge-led independent committee to investigate the fire, which devastated seven apartment blocks undergoing renovation.

Critics point to governance failures

The deadly fire has triggered public demand for government accountability, with some residents seeing echoes of the pro-democracy protests that roiled the city in 2019.

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Also read | What made fire at Hong Kong apartment building the deadliest in decades?

In the aftermath, police have arrested 15 people from construction companies on suspicion of manslaughter. However, authorities also reportedly arrested at least three people for sedition for publicly criticising the governments response.

International human rights groups have condemned the election process. Elaine Pearson, Asia Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW), released a statement arguing that Chinas attempts to legitimise the legislature hardly fool anyone. Pearson added a pointed criticism connecting the lack of democracy to governance failures.

A government that cannot tolerate genuine discussion and debate undermines its own legitimacy. The recent, devastating Tai Po fire, which has raised concerns of government negligence, shows that the lack of democratic institutions carries real costsin lives but also in effective governance, she said.

Unlike past elections, which were loud and fiercely contested with pro-democracy parties often winning the popular vote, Sundays race looks very different. The citys two biggest pro-democracy parties were nowhere to be seen, having either disbanded or slowly wound down.

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Hong Kong voters trickled into polling stations on Sunday to choose new lawmakers under Beijings patriots only rules, with some urging candidates to help with government relief efforts after the citys deadliest fire in decades.

Supporters campaign for their candidates in the Legislative Council elections in Wanchai district of Hong Kong on December 7, 2025. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

Roughly one-third of Hong Kongs registered voters cast ballots on Sunday to choose a new 90-member legislature, an outcome that spared the government the embarrassment of a sharply lower turnout but offered little sign of strong public backing for the citys overhauled electoral system, which has effectively sidelined the once-vocal opposition.

Turnout reached 31.4% by 10:30 p.m., an hour before polling closed, edging above the 30.2% recorded in 2021, the first election held under Beijings revamped rules. The figure, however, fell well short of the pre-reform era, when more than half of eligible voters typically participated.

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A large share of Hong Kongs 4.1 million voters, especially pro-democracy supporters have withdrawn from electoral politics amid a sweeping crackdown that has sharply curtailed dissent. Candidates are now required to pass a political vetting process to ensure loyalty to Beijing, a move authorities say was necessary to restore stability after the 2019 mass protests.

To boost participation, the government mounted an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign, added polling locations, extended voting hours and organised candidate forums. Still, public frustration over official accountability in a deadly apartment fire that killed at least 159 people last month weighed heavily on voter sentiment. Ultimately, turnout ticked up modestly from 2021.

Im performing my civic duty as a citizen to vote  but Im not too certain which candidate is hardworking and which is not, said retiree Kwan Lam outside a polling station. I chose the one who cares for the elderly.

Ahead of the election, Chinese officials held an unusual meeting with foreign media to remind them of their obligation to comply with Hong Kongs national security laws.

Deadly blaze stalled get-out-the-vote efforts

Election campaigning was suspended after the fire and remained subdued in the final days out of respect for the victims.

Government efforts to drive up turnout, seen as a referendum on the new electoral system, had been in full swing before the blaze. Promotional banners and posters were hung throughout the city and subsidies offered to centers for older people and people with disabilities to help them vote.

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Authorities arrested people who allegedly posted content that incited others not to vote or cast invalid votes.

Hong Kongs deadliest fire in decades has raised questions over government oversight and suspected bid-rigging in building maintenance projects. The 1980s-era apartment complex was undergoing renovations.

Some candidates pledged to combat bid-rigging.

City leader John Lee said last week that going ahead with the election, rather than delaying it, would better support the response to the fire.

They have all experienced this fire and shared the pain, he said of the citys Legislative Council. They will certainly work with the government to promote reforms, diligently review funding, and draft relevant laws.

Even before the 2021 electoral changes, only half of what had been a 70-member legislature was chosen by the general electorate.

Now, that has been reduced to 20 out of 90 seats and 40 others are chosen by a largely pro-Beijing election committee. The remaining 30 represent various groups  mainly major industries such as finance, health care and real estate and are elected by their members.

The patriots requirement for all candidates has pushed out the opposition parties, which advocated for making the system more democratic.

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The candidate pool seems to reflect Beijings desire to have more lawmakers who are more in tune with its agenda, some observers said, in what they see as signs of Beijings tightening control even over its loyalists.

Lee has said that personnel changes are normal during an election. He criticized attempts to distort these changes to smear the new election system.

A fall in turnout would have shown that even some government supporters are staying away, said John Burns, an honorary professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong.

It is a reflection of public sentiment, he said.

China warns foreign media in Hong Kong

Beijings national security arm in Hong Kong summoned representatives of several foreign news outlets, including The Associated Press, on Saturday.

Some foreign media had spread false information and smeared the governments disaster relief efforts after the fire, as well as attacked and interfered with the legislative elections, the Office for Safeguarding National Security said in a statement.

No media outlet may use freedom of the press as a pretext to interfere in Chinas internal affairs or Hong Kong affairs, the statement said.

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Authorities have warned the general public against using the fire to try to undermine the government and have arrested at least one person on suspicion of inciting hatred against government officials.

With inputs from agencies
Iran hanged a man who was the ringleader of a vast investment scam that defrauded tens of thousands of people through a car-buying network scam which promised cars at below-market prices and later expanded into real estate and investment plans.

Iran on Sunday executed the ringleader of a vast investment scam that defrauded tens of thousands of people through a car-buying network, the judiciary said.

Mohammad Reza Ghaffari, owner of the Rezaayat Khodro Taravat Novin company, was hanged after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence for large-scale disruption of the countrys economic system and network fraud, the judiciarys Mizan Online portal said.

The scheme, launched in 2013 in northern Qazvin province, promised cars at below-market prices and later expanded into real estate and investment plans.

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Prosecutors accused Ghaffari and his associates of taking vast sums from the public and using new deposits to pay returns to early clients.

The judiciary said the scheme involved sums equivalent to around $350 million at current exchange rates.

Only around four percent of customers received a vehicle, the judiciary said, adding that a court found Ghaffari guilty of undermining the national economy.

The case drew more than 28,000 complainants and involved 28 defendants.

The judiciary said the court had sought to ensure victims were repaid.

All necessary opportunities were given to the defendants to pay the peoples debts, Mizan said, noting Ghaffari had claimed during trial he was ready to reimburse investors, which would have spared him the death penalty.

But despite several warnings and deadlines after the Supreme Court confirmed the sentence in August, he failed to settle his obligations, Mizan reported.

Judicial officials said the scam caused severe financial and psychological harm to victims, including stress-related illnesses and family breakdowns.

Iran applies the death penalty not only for offences such as murder and rape, but also in major economic and espionage cases.

It is the worlds second most prolific user of capital punishment after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.

(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)

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Japans Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday accused the Chinese fighter jets of directing their fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft during two separate incidents

Japanese defence chief says China's J-15 jets involved in the two incidents were launched from the Liaoning aircraft. File Image / Reuters

Japans Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday accused the Chinese fighter jets of directing their fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft during two separate incidents. Koizumi emphasised that the Japanese aircraft were targeted while they were flying over international waters near the island of Okinawa.

In a post on X, the Japanese defence minister said that Tokyo has lodged a strong protest about the two incidents and made a stern demand for measures to prevent recurrence.

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The radar illumination was a dangerous act that exceeded the range necessary for safe aircraft flight, he added. China is yet to respond to the matter.

Why is it concerning

It is pertinent to note that a fire-control radar lock is one of the most threatening acts a military aircraft can take since it signals a potential attack, forcing the targeted aircraft to take evasive action. The encounter took place over the island, which is close to disputed territory claimed by both Japan and China.

Defence experts are now calling it the most serious run-in between the two militaries in years. The incident came as ties between the two nations soured over the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi declaring in November that Tokyo could respond to Chinese military action against Taiwan if the moves also threatened Japans security.

The Democratically governed island region is claimed by Beijing and lies just 110km (68.4 miles) from Japans westernmost Yonaguni Island. It is also important to note that Japan currently hosts the biggest overseas concentration of United States military power, including warships, aircraft and troops, with a big chunk of that contingent, including thousands of US Marines, based in Okinawa.

However, there was no immediate comment from the US on Japans claims about Chinas radar use. It is extremely regrettable that such incidents have occurred, Koizumis statement said. No damages or injuries were reported from Saturdays incidents near Okinawa, the Japanese defence minister averred.
The Kremlin on Sunday welcomed US President Donald Trumps move to stop calling Russia a direct threat and said his new national security strategy, which portrays European powers as in decline, largely accorded with Russias own perceptions.

The Kremlin on Sunday reacted positively to President Donald Trumps decision to no longer classify Russia as a direct threat, saying the U.S. leaders newly released national security strategy closely mirrors Moscows own worldviewparticularly its assessment that Europes influence is waning.

The strategy document, signed by Trump and framed around the idea of flexible realism, calls for reviving the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine that defined the Western Hemisphere as an American sphere of influence. It also warns that Europe is at risk of civilizational erasure, asserts that ending the war in Ukraine is a central U.S. priority, and says Washington aims to rebuild strategic stability with Moscow.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told state TV journalist Pavel Zarubin that many of the shifts outlined align with our understanding.

He welcomed the section pledging to end the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance, calling it a positive sign.

But Peskov also urged caution, arguing that what he termed the American deep state holds a fundamentally different outlook from Trump. The former president has long used the phrase to accuse entrenched U.S. officials of seeking to undermine leaders who challenge the status quo, including himself.

Trumps critics reject that characterisation, saying the deep state claim is a baseless conspiracy theory aimed at justifying efforts to consolidate presidential authority.

Since Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, U.S. strategies have designated Moscow as an aggressor or a threat that was trying to destabilise the post-Cold War order by force.

In comments to the state-run TASS news agency, Peskov said calling for cooperation with Moscow on strategic stability issues rather than describing Russia as a direct threat was a positive step.

Trump has often made positive and admiring comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin, prompting critics to accuse him of being soft on Moscow even though both his administrations slapped sanctions on Russia.

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Senior officials from major European powers have repeatedly expressed worry that the U.S. under Trump could be turning its back on Europe, which depends on Washington for military support.

With inputs from agencies
The strategys release coincided with ongoing, though non-breakthrough, talks in Florida between Ukrainian officials and US envoys over an American-drafted plan to end the nearly four-year war

Russia has openly welcomed the new US National Security Strategy (NSS), with the Kremlin stating that the documents drastic policy adjustments are largely consistent with Moscows own worldview.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlins spokesman, said that the current US administration is fundamentally different from the previous ones, suggesting that President Trumps currently strong domestic political positions afford him the opportunity to tailor the concept to his personal vision. This ability to make such sweeping changes, according to Peskov, aligns with Moscows assessment of current global dynamics.

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The new NSS, released on Friday, signals a major departure from past American foreign policy, notably taking aim at traditional allies in Europe. The document harshly criticised the continent as over-regulated and lacking in self-confidence, further alleging it faces civilizational erasure due to uncontrolled immigration trendsa highly controversial statement that resonated with long-standing Kremlin narratives about the West.

Crucially, the US strategy affirmed it would continue efforts to prevent other powers from achieving global dominance, but added it would not waste blood and treasure to curtail the influence of all the worlds great and middle powers. This line is widely perceived in Moscow as a favourable signal, suggesting a potential US pullback from confronting Russian influence globally.

The strategys release coincided with ongoing, though non-breakthrough, talks in Florida between Ukrainian officials and US envoys over an American-drafted plan to end the nearly four-year war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy committed to further negotiations for real peace even as Russia launched another round of drone and missile strikes. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with key European leaders in London on Monday to review the status of the peace efforts, placing US and Russian diplomatic positions under further scrutiny.

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The negotiation strategy, which has often been described as an America First approach, involves pushing both Kyiv and Moscow to make concessions

This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on September 11, 2025, shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meeting with US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

US Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated on Saturday that a deal to end the war in Ukraine is really close, though its conclusion hinges on resolving two major sticking points, namely the future of the Donbas region and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum, the outgoing envoy, who has been instrumental in the Trump administration's efforts to broker a peace settlement, described the diplomatic efforts as being in the last 10 metres, which he characterised as the most difficult stage of any negotiation.

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Were really, really close, Kellogg affirmed. He detailed the principal obstacles: If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well. The two main outstanding issues were on territoryprimarily the future of the Donbasand the future of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europes largest, which is under Russian control.

Calls for concessions amid unprecedented casualties

The pursuit of a deal comes as the conflict continues to extract a severe human cost. Kellogg, a retired Lieutenant General, shed light on the scale of the war, calling the death and injuries horrific and unprecedented for a regional conflict.

He estimated that Russia and Ukraine have collectively suffered more than two million casualties, including dead and wounded, since the invasion began in February 2022.

The negotiation strategy, which has often been described as an America First approach, involves pushing both Kyiv and Moscow to make concessions. Kellogg has previously co-authored proposals suggesting military aid to Ukraine be conditional on its participation in peace talks, and that Russia be offered sanctions relief and a delay on Ukraines NATO membership.

When you look at everything the Ukrainians are willing to work with, now its over to the Russians, over to Putin, Kellogg said in a previous interview, reflecting the current state of dialogue. Weve got one side. Now you need to come up the other side. And I think were close.

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Russia currently controls nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula. Kelloggs successor will inherit the delicate task of navigating the final, complex territorial and security issues to secure a ceasefire.
The launch ceremony of "UPanda Cinema" and the China-themed Program Showcase Season in Malaysia was held in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, attended by over 100 representatives from government departments, cultural institutions, and the film and television industry from both China and Malaysia.








Netanyahu said he would meet US President Donald Trump later this month for discussions on Middle East peace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC. File image/Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he expects the second phase of the US-backed Gaza ceasefire plan to begin very soon.

Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after a meeting between the two leaders, Netanyahu said: We discussed how to bring an end to the Hamas rule in Gaza We finished the first part And then we very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult.

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Additionally, Netanyahu said he would meet US President Donald Trump later this month for discussions on Middle East peace. Although Netanyahu did not specify the venue, his office noted that he was invited to the White House following a phone call with Trump on Monday.

Also read | Israel's new Mossad chief has never worked in intelligence: Who is he?

Critical moment

Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that negotiations regarding the US-backed truce in Gaza have reached a critical moment as efforts are underway to transition into the peace plans next phase.

Speaking at the Doha Forum, the Prime Minister asserted that the current halt in fighting should be viewed only as a pause, not a definitive ceasefire. He clarified that a true ceasefire necessitates two key conditions that have yet to be met: the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the establishment of full stability, allowing the unrestricted movement of people and goods.

As a primary mediator, Qatar is working with other guarantors to advance the second phase of the peace plan, which involves deploying an international stabilisation force and creating an interim technocratic Palestinian government.

However, Sheikh Mohammed stressed that any immediate resolution for Gaza would be insufficient without addressing the conflicts deeper roots.

He insisted that the path to a lasting peace must ultimately include securing the rights of the Palestinians for their own state, arguing that the West Bank and the broader need for justice must be central to the final solution.

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Qatar and Egypt on Sunday called on Israel to withdraw its troops from Gaza as the next step to implement the second phase of the fragile ceasefire with Hamas.

Qatar and Egypt on Sunday called on Israel to withdraw its troops from Gaza as the next step to implement the fragile ceasefire with Hamas. The two guarantors of the truce, brokered by US President Donald Trump, also demanded the swift formation of an international stabilisation force to take control of the Palestinian coastal enclave.

The measures were spelt out in the US- and UN-backed peace plan that has largely halted fighting. However, the deal is in a stalemate as the warring parties have yet to agree to move forward to the second phase of the 20-point plan. It is pertient to note that the first phase of the ceasefire required the Israeli troops to pull back behind a yellow line within Gazas borders, while the Palestinian militant group Hamas released the living hostages it still held and handed over the remains of all but one of the deceased.

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Now we are at the critical moment  A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces (and) there is stability back in Gaza, the Qatari premier, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference.

Qatar, alongside Egypt and the US, helped in securing the long-elusive truce, which remains delicate as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching its terms. The major point of contention has been the implementation of the second phase, which has yet to begin, including the question of Hamass disarmament.

Why are both sides not moving forward with the second phase?

As per the 20-point peace plan, Hamas is supposed to disarm, with members who decommission their weapons allowed to leave Gaza. However, the Palestinian group has repeatedly rejected the proposition. On Saturday, Hamas said that it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority on the condition that the Israeli armys occupation ends.

Our weapons are linked to the existence of the occupation and the aggression, Hamass chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said in a statement. If the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state, he added.

Under the order, which was endorsed by the United Nations in November, Israel is obligated to withdraw from its positions, Gaza is to be administered by a transitional governing body known as the  Board of Peace, and an international stabilisation force is to be deployed.

We need to deploy this force as soon as possible on the ground because one party, which is Israel, is violating the ceasefire every day, Egypts foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, said at the Doha Forum. The Egyptian foreign ministry noted that Abdelatty and Sheikh Mohammed met on Saturday, with both stressing the importance of continuing efforts to implement the peace agreement.

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However, Arab and Muslim nations in the region have been hesitant to participate in the new force, since they believe that they could end up fighting with Palestinian militants. Trump would theoretically chair the Board of Peace, while the identities of the other members have yet to be announced.
Qatars PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Saturday said that the Gaza ceasefire has reached a critical moment as its first phase winds down.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani attends a meeting with Hamas, Egyptian and Turkish delegations ahead of a Gaza ceasefire deal announcement, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Reuters

As the Gaza peace plan cemented by US President Donald Trump takes its place, there is not full withdrawal of war and weapons.

Qatars PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Saturday said that the Gaza ceasefire has reached a critical moment as its first phase winds down, with the remains of one Israeli hostage still to be handed over by militants.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a conference in the Qatari capital that the conflict between both the nations has reduced but it could not be stated that there is no war escalation further possible.

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What we have just done is a pause, he told the Doha Forum. We cannot consider a ceasefire yet.

No complete ceasefire

A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out, which is not the case today, he further added as quoted by AP.

Immediate threat

Israels army said it wasnt aware of an airstrike in that location. However, it said that Israeli soldiers on Saturday killed three militants who crossed the yellow line into Israeli-controlled northern part of Gaza and posed an immediate threat."

We are at a critical moment. Its not yet there. So what we have just done is a pause, al-Thani said.

The Israeli army has said it has carried out a number of attacks on Palestinians crossing the ceasefire line.

20-point peace plan

Under the first phase of US President Donald Trumps 20-point peace plan, the fighting stopped and dozens of hostages held in Gaza were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prison.

Trumps plan calls for an interim technocratic Palestinian government in Gaza, overseen by an international board of peace and backed by an international security force. Agreeing on the makeup and mandate of that force has been particularly challenging.

Arab and Western officials told The Associated Press on Friday that an international body overseeing the ceasefire, to be led by Trump himself, is expected to be appointed by the end of the year.

He added: Its about Gaza. Its about the West Bank. Its about the rights of the Palestinians for their state. We are hoping that we can work together with the U.S. administration to achieve this vision at the end of the day.

(With inputs from agencies)
The news has set off alarm bells in Spain, the EUs biggest pork exporter, with the government rushing to safeguard its roughly $10.3-billion pork industry

Thirteen ASF cases have been identified in dead wild boars in the countryside outside Barcelona since late November.. Representational image/Pixabay

Spanish authorities are investigating the possibility that the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak near Barcelona may have originated from a leak at a high-security research facility, officials confirmed over the weekend.

The probe was launched after the specific strain of the virus found in wild boars differed from the one currently circulating across other parts of the European Union.

Thirteen ASF cases have been identified in dead wild boars in the countryside outside Barcelona since late November. Initial theories suggested the disease, which is harmless to humans but deadly to pigs, may have spread after a wild boar consumed contaminated food, such as a discarded meat product.

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However, the strain found in the Catalan outbreak is similar to the Georgia 2007 virus.

Spains agriculture ministry stated that this strain is a reference virus frequently used in experimental infections in containment facilities to study the virus or to evaluate the efficacy of vaccines. The ministry added that the finding does not rule out the possibility that its origin lies in a biological containment facility.

The news has set off alarm bells in Spain, the EUs biggest pork exporter, with the government rushing to safeguard its roughly $10.3-billion pork industry.

In response, Salvador Illa, the regional president of Catalonia, announced he has ordered an audit of five research facilities that work with the ASF virus within a 20 kilometre radius of the outbreak site. Despite the new lead, Illa stressed that officials are keeping an open mind on the source.

The regional government isnt ruling out any possibilities when it comes to the origin of the outbreak of African swine fever, but neither is it confirming any, Illa said. All hypotheses remain open. First and foremost, we need to know what happened.

As the investigation continues, experts have found no trace of the illness in the 39 pig farms near the affected area. Over 100 personnel from Spains military emergencies unit have been deployed to assist police and wildlife rangers in containment efforts.
A drone attack on Kalogi in South Kordofan killed dozens of civilians after strikes hit a kindergarten, a hospital, and rescue attempts.

The UN childrens agency reported that the attack killed more than 10 children aged between five and seven. (AFP)

A paramilitary drone attack on the army-held town of Kalogi in Sudans South Kordofan state struck a kindergarten and a hospital, killing dozens of civilians, a local official told AFP on Sunday. The incident occurred on Thursday and involved three consecutive strikes.

Essam al-Din al-Sayed, head of the Kalogi administrative unit, said via a Starlink connection that the first strike hit a kindergarten, the second a hospital and the third targeted people attempting to rescue the children. He attributed the attack to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.

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Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been embroiled in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million. Independent verification from the Kordofan region remains challenging because of disrupted communications, restricted access and continuing insecurity.

Death toll rises as UN condemns child casualties

The UN childrens agency reported that the attack killed more than 10 children aged between five and seven. The army-aligned foreign ministry placed the overall death toll at 79, including 43 children. UNICEF Representative for Sudan Sheldon Yett described the killing of children in their school as a severe violation of their rights and called on all parties to halt attacks and permit humanitarian access.

Following their late October capture of El-Fasher, the armys last stronghold in western Sudan, the RSF has advanced eastward into the oil-rich Kordofan region, which comprises three states. According to the UN, more than 40,000 people have fled the region over the past month. Analysts state that the paramilitary offensive seeks to break the armys final defensive arc around central Sudan and pave the way for attempts to retake major cities, including the capital, Khartoum.
Police stated that their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening

London Metropolitan Police arrested an armed man on Sunday following reports of an assault involving a form of pepper spray at a multi-storey car park at Heathrow Airports Terminal 3.

The incident, which occurred shortly after 8:00 am (0800 GMT), was reportedly triggered by an argument among a group of people known to each other, police confirmed. Crucially, authorities are not treating the episode as terrorism.

The Metropolitan Police dispatched armed response officers to the scene after receiving multiple reports of assaults. A number of people were sprayed with what is believed to be a form of pepper spray by a group of men who then left the scene, a police statement detailed. One man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault and remains in custody as enquiries continue to identify and trace other suspects involved.

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CHAOS AT HEATHROW Airport, London : Armed police swarm Terminal 3 car park after a group sprayed multiple people with pepper spray in a heated dispute!



At least 1 arrest made (suspect in custody), more details awaited. pic.twitter.com/HRE5AvRArG  Kedar (@Kedar_speaks88) December 7, 2025

The London Ambulance Service attended the incident, and an unknown number of victims were taken to the hospital. Police stated that their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

Heathrow Airport confirmed on social media that its teams and emergency services were responding to the incident at the Terminal 3 car park, advising passengers to allow extra time. Terminal 3 remained operational, though the event caused some traffic and public transport disruption.

Commander Peter Stevens assured the public that there would be an increased police presence at Heathrow throughout the morning. Our officers responded quickly We are not treating this incident as terrorism, he reiterated.
US President Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy said a deal to end the Ukraine war was really close and depended on resolving just two major issues but the Kremlin said there had to be radical changes to some of the US proposals.

This handout picture taken and released by Ukrainian State Emergency Service on December 7, 2025 shows firefighters working to extinguish a fire following a Russian drone and missile attacks to industrial and energy infrastructures in the Poltava region, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine.- AFP

US President Donald Trumps outgoing Ukraine envoy said a settlement to end the war was really close, with negotiations now centred on two unresolved questions: the future of Ukraines Donbas region and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 after years of clashes between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in the Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The conflict has become Europes most lethal since World War Two and has deepened tensions between Russia and the West to Cold War-era levels.

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Keith Kellogg, the U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine who is set to leave his role in January, told the Reagan National Defence Forum that the push for a deal had reached the last 10 metres, which he described as the hardest phase.

The outstanding issues, he said, involve territorial questions chiefly the future of Donbas and the fate of the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europes largest nuclear facility, currently under Russian control.

If we get those two issues settled, I think the rest of the things will work out fairly well, Kellogg said on Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. Were almost there.

Were really, really close, said Kellogg.Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served in Vietnam, Panama and Iraq, said the scale of the death and injuries caused by the Ukraine war was horrific and unprecedented in terms of a regional war.

Kellogg said that, together, Russia and Ukraine have suffered more than 2 million casualties, including dead and wounded since the war began. Neither Russia nor Ukraine disclose credible estimates of their losses. Moscow says Western and Ukrainian estimates inflate its losses. Kyiv says Moscow inflates estimates of Ukrainian losses.

Russia currently controls 19.2% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, all of Luhansk, more than 80% of Donetsk, about 75% of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and slivers of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

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A leaked set of 28 U.S. draft peace proposals emerged last month, alarming Ukrainian and European officials who said it bowed to Moscows main demands on NATO, Russian control of a fifth of Ukraine and restrictions on Ukraines army.

Those proposals, which Russia now says contain 27 points, have been split up into four different components, according to the Kremlin. The exact contents are not in the public domain.

Under the initial U.S. proposals, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, whose reactors are currently in cold shutdown, would be relaunched under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the electricity produced would be distributed equally between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he had had a long and substantive phone call with Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The Kremlin said on Friday it expected Kushner to be doing the main work on drafting a possible deal.

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With inputs from agencies
The commander of sea-drone operations for Ukraines military intelligence agency says more complex strikes against Russian forces are expected next year, after Kyivs uncrewed fleet succeeded in curbing the movements of Russias once-dominant Black Sea navy.

A sea drone Magura V7 of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence equipped with surface-to-air missiles rides in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraines military intelligence commander overseeing sea-drone operations says that more sophisticated attacks on Russian forces are likely next year, after Kyivs uncrewed vessels managed to restrict the once-dominant Black Sea fleets movements.

Speaking to The Associated Press, the leader of the maritime drone division known as Group 13 said Ukrainian strikes have forced Russia to change its tactics, reducing the opportunities for the dramatic Black Sea attacks carried out earlier in the conflict.

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Today, weve likely reached a plateau, said the officer, who goes by the call sign 13th in line with Ukrainian military rules.

We continue to constrain the enemys movements, but those major, high-visibility strikes we saw before havent occurred for some time. Thats because the enemy has adapted.

Ukrainian officials said last month that sea-attack drones were involved in hits on ships belonging to Russias sanctions-dodging shadow fleet of oil tankers. The commander declined to discuss those operations.

The officer said Russian naval vessels barely operate, often venturing only up to 25 miles (40 kilometers) from port to fire missiles before retreating. They constantly hide. And in a way, thats also a result of our unit  because you can imagine the cost of maintaining a fleet that cannot operate at sea.

The officer spoke in uniform, his face covered and eyes obscured by tinted glasses. For security reasons, the intelligence agency asked that the location and other details of the interview not be disclosed.

Drone technology has become vital to Ukraines military, offering inexpensive tools for reconnaissance and strikes in countering Russias invasion. Its two sea-drone programs are run separately by its military and domestic intelligence services.

Group 13 operates the Magura family of sea drones, which Ukraine credits with multiple strikes on Russian ships.

The unit currently deploys two variants  the V5, a smaller ramming drone, and the larger V7, a weapons platform. Both are controlled remotely using suitcase-sized consoles equipped with joysticks, screens and safety switches.

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At a recent demonstration, operators showed a V7 fitted with modified U.S.-made Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. In May, the intelligence agency said a Magura drone shot down a Russian fighter jet  a development the commander called a breakthrough in maritime warfare.

He said the next stage of Ukraines drone evolution will rely on deeper integration of artificial intelligence, using a growing archive of operational video and sensor data to improve targeting and reduce operator workload.

Right now, target search is a combined process  part operator, part AI, he said. In the future, youll launch the drone and it will independently search for a target, distinguish civilian vessels from military ones, and make more of the decisions.

Ukraines military, he added, had a huge amount of operational data available to further train AI models.

Although he did not comment on specific development plans within the intelligence agency, 13th said countries exploring longer-range strike options, submersible drones and more complex mixed-fleet operations see such systems as a logical next step.

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Ukraine is also seeking to expand co-production of drones with several NATO countries next year.

During a visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Athens last month, Kyiv and Greece announced plans for joint work on maritime uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), expanded training and exercises, and information-sharing on maritime threats.

Despite Russias adjustments, the commander said Ukraines sea-drone program remains effective.

Were working on many fronts to change this situation and create a turning point, he said. For now, I can say this: We havent lost effectiveness. Weve simply reached a point where were holding the enemy in check.

With inputs from agencies
The central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, strategically located between Kyiv and the eastern front lines, was subjected to a massive combined strike on its civilian infrastructure.

Russia launched a fresh wave of aerial attacks on Ukraine in an overnight assault on Saturday, hitting major industrial hub just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded what he termed very constructive peace negotiations with President Donald Trumps negotiating team in Miami.

On Sunday morning, the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, strategically located between Kyiv and the eastern front lines, was subjected to a massive combined strike on its civilian infrastructure.

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Mayor Vitaliy Maletsk confirmed the repeated attacks, noting that water, electricity, and heat services were disrupted, though no deaths have been officially confirmed so far.

The fact that the attacks are still raging even as top-level diplomacy ramps up just shows the same old problemthe fighting isnt slowing down.

Constructive dialogue follows intensified diplomacy

President Zelenskyy expressed his determination to continue working with the US side following three days of talks in Florida with Trumps envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Posting on X, Zelenskyy stated they had covered many aspects and went through key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed, focusing specifically on how to ensure Russia adhered to any future peace deal.

The US-led process, aimed at drafting a comprehensive peace settlement, has seen both Ukrainian and American negotiators urge Russia to show a serious commitment to long-term peace. This plea came just days after Witkoffs return from the Kremlin, where breakthrough progress remained elusive.

Witkoff and Ukraines senior negotiator, Rustem Umerov, announced that they had agreed on the framework of security arrangements and discussed necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace.

Europe pushes for security guarantees

The renewed Russian attacks, which included claims by Moscow of shooting down 77 Ukrainian drones in various locations, drew immediate condemnation from Kyivs European allies. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Zelenskyy, offering full solidarity and stating that France is determined to work with all partners to secure de-escalation and a ceasefire.

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The latest developments in the peace process occur ahead of crucial in-person talks in London on Monday, set to involve Macron, Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Europe has been pushing back against earlier versions of the US-led plan, seeking support for its own proposals that include comprehensive security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine.

Starmer has championed the concept of a coalition of the willing to underwrite Ukraines defense and deter a second invasion, a proposal Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected, stating any deployed troops would be legitimate targets.
In a major blow to the US Justice Departments efforts to re-indict former FBI Director James Comey, a federal judge has blocked the prosecutors access to key evidence from email accounts and a computer belonging to a close Comey friend and attorney, Daniel Richman.

Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in prior to testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, June 8, 2017. File Image/Reuters

In a major blow to the US Justice Departments efforts to re-indict former FBI Director James Comey, a federal judge has blocked the prosecutors access to key evidence from email accounts and a computer belonging to a close Comey friend and attorney, Daniel Richman.

US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Saturday granted a temporary restraining order sought by Richmans lawyers, who claim that the government illegally retained his emails and other data. The Court concludes that Petitioner Richman is likely to succeed on the merits of his claim that the Government has violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures by retaining a complete copy of all files on his personal computer (an image of the computer) and searching that image without a warrant, Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a four-page order filed Saturday, a day after Richmans attorneys requested the emergency order.

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Interestingly, Kollar-Kotelly is a Clinton appointee based in Washington. In the hearing, the federal judge issued a restraining order before getting a formal response from prosecutors to a petition Richman filed last week seeking the return of his data.

More from United States Of America Trumps late-night 160-post Truth Social blitz: What did he rant about?

However, she said that a lack of clear indication about who currently has the data and where it is stored supported her conclusion that a temporary order limiting access to the crucial records is needed. Uncertainty about its whereabouts weighs in favour of acting promptly to preserve the status quo, Kollar-Kotelly wrote in the ruling.

Why it matters

Prosecutors argue that Richmans communications with Comey are a central aspect of the case they are attempting to bring against the former FBI director. Back in 2017, the DoJ obtained a copy of the law professors personal computer, iCloud account and Columbia University email accounts.

The data was retrieved shortly after Trump fired Comey as FBI director. Richman allowed investigators to make an image of his computer during an investigation into an alleged disclosure of classified information. The FBI later obtained other records through search warrants.

In September this year, the DoJ charged Comey with allegedly lying to Congress about his contacts with the media. At that time, the former FBI Directors lawyer contended that prosecutors had improperly relied on Richmans records, some of which may have included information protected by attorney-client privilege.

Meanwhile, Richmans attorneys have argued that prosecutors and investigators were obliged to return or destroy the data once the initial investigations concluded. They also noted that the FBI appears to have examined data not within the scope of the warrants. However, it remains unclear exactly how significant the lack of access to Richmans records would be for the DoJs probe.

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With inputs from agencies.
JERUSALEM, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Saturday that its troops shot and killed two Palestinians in the southern West Bank city of Hebron after the pair drove a vehicle toward soldiers at a checkpoint.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said the soldiers opened fire after the vehicle accelerated toward them during an "operational activity." One soldier was slightly injured, according to Israel's Kan public broadcaster, which said the troops were from the 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA offered a different account, reporting that Israeli forces fired on a vehicle carrying Palestinian civilians in the Bab al-Zawiya area of central Hebron and then blocked Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances from reaching the scene.

The West Bank has witnessed a sharp escalation of violence since Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of around 1,000 Palestinians, hundreds of injuries, and the demolition of dozens of homes, according to Palestinian statistics.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. The settlements it has built there, and its military occupation, are considered illegal under international law. 
A vehicle exploded near a police station in Michoacan, killing three people and injuring six, as security forces intensify operations in a region plagued by cartel violence

An explosion outside a local police station in the western Mexican state of Michoacan Saturday killed at least three people and wounded six, local and federal security officials said.

The explosion came as the federal government has stepped up security activities in the state, sending in additional troops after two recent high-profile assassinations.

The Attorney Generals office said in a statement that a vehicle exploded on a central avenue in Coahuayana. The driver died at the scene, while two other people died in the regional hospital, and six others were injured," it said.

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The two people who died in the hospital were community police officers, said Hector Zepeda, commander of the Coahuayana community police. He said the remains of some of the victims were found scattered in the area of the explosion, which also damaged nearby buildings.

With this operation (from the federal government) a lot of marines came, Zepeda said. We stopped doing patrols because the operation is going on.

The community police, which patrol various rural communities, are a remnant of the civilian vigilante forces that took up arms more than a decade ago to defend communities from drug cartels, and then were formalized by the state.

Coahuayana is near the Pacific coast in western Michoacan and the border with the state of Colima, a stronghold of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Saturdays explosion happened while Michoacan Gov. Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla was in Mexico City to celebrate with President Claudia Sheinbaum the anniversary of their Morena partys arrival in power seven years ago.

Ramirez Bedolla and Sheinbaum have been criticized for the deteriorating security situation in Michoacan where numerous drug cartels are fighting to control territory, terrorizing locals.

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At least three of the six drug cartels that the Trump administration designated as terrorist organizations  Jalisco New Generation, United Cartels and The New Michoacan Family  operate here, in addition to a slew of homegrown armed splinter groups, some supported by the Sinaloa Cartel.

Explosives dropped from drones, buried as mines or planted alongside roadways are increasingly employed by criminal groups operating in the state. Last year, some 3,000 explosive devices were seized in the state compared to 160 in 2022. So far this year, there have been more than 2,000, according to the state security agency.

Michoacan is a key importer of chemical precursors for synthetic drugs. In the last two months, 17 drug laboratories were dismantled by Mexican authorities there. The state also produces avocados exported to the U.S. and is a major producer of limes, sectors extorted by cartels for years.

The state government said Saturday in a statement that an explosive device was responsible, but did not provide details. Images circulating online showed a completely burned out vehicle.

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Last month, Sheinbaum sent 2,000 troops  on top of the 4,300 permanent ones and 4,000 in neighboring states  to Michoacan following the killings of an outspoken representative of the lime growers and a popular mayor standing up to the cartels.

(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)
Venezuela sees the US deployment as a cover for an operation to topple Maduro and take control of the countrys huge oil reserves. The claim comes amid reports that US forces have struck over 20 vessels, leaving at least 87 people dead

The Venezuelan armed forces formally inducted 5,600 new soldiers into service on Saturday, a move coinciding with what Caracas describes as escalating military pressure from the United States.

The swearing-in ceremony, held at the capitals largest military base, Fuerte Tiuna, follows President Nicolas Maduros call for increased recruitment, as reported by AFP. The call came after the US deployed a fleet of warships and the worlds largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, ostensibly to combat drug trafficking.

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Colonel Gabriel Rendon, speaking at the ceremony, stated, Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force.

Heightened tensions and allegations

Caracas views the US deployment as a pretext for an operation aimed at overthrowing Maduro and seizing the nations vast oil reserves. This assertion comes as US forces have reportedly carried out deadly strikes on more than 20 vessels, resulting in at least 87 fatalities.

Washington has, in turn, escalated its own pressure, accusing President Maduro of leading the alleged Cartel of the Suns, which the US government designated a terrorist organisation last month.

Official figures suggest Venezuelas military strength stands at around 200,000 active troops, supplemented by an additional 200,000 police officers.

In another development that shows just how tense the political climate has become, former opposition governor Alfredo Diaz died in prison on Saturday while he was facing terrorism and incitement charges.

Diaz, who served as governor of Nueva Esparta from 2017 to 2021, is at least the sixth opposition member to die in custody since November 2024. According to the rights group Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners, Diaz had been imprisoned and held in isolation for a year, with only one family visit permitted. The NGO claims there are currently at least 887 political prisoners in the country.

These arrests followed mass protests sparked by the disputed election last July, where Maduro claimed a third presidential term amid accusations of fraud. The protests led to 28 deaths and approximately 2,400 arrests.

Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado condemned the deaths, stating they reveal a sustained pattern of state repression.

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In a joint statement, Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia argued that the circumstances of the deathsincluding the denial of medical care, torture, and inhumane conditionsare evidence of this pattern of post-electoral repression.
GUIYANG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Colorful Guizhou Airlines has launched a direct route linking Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, with Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, further expanding China's air links with fast-growing ASEAN markets amid rising regional travel and trade.

The service began on Saturday, the Guizhou civil aviation group said. According to the route schedule, outbound flight GY703 will depart from Guiyang at 10:50 p.m. Beijing Time and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 1:30 a.m. local time. Return flight GY704 will take off at 2:30 a.m. local time and arrive in Guiyang at 7:10 a.m. Beijing Time.

This new route will operate alongside the carrier's existing Guiyang-Hanoi service, thereby ensuring direct connections between this mountainous province and Vietnam's two biggest cities.

Officials said the expanded network is expected to support trade, tourism and business travel between southwest China and ASEAN.

China-ASEAN air connectivity has been accelerating in recent months. A passenger route linking Haikou in south China with Nha Trang in Vietnam opened in November, while an all-cargo service connecting east China's Nanjing and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia also began operations last month.

Economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN have remained robust. Since 2022, annual bilateral trade in goods has consistently exceeded 900 billion U.S. dollars and hit a record 982.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

This growth trend has continued in 2025, with trade value rising 8.2 percent year on year in the first 10 months. 
Teenagers across western Colorado can contribute to the fight against youth suicides by sharing their insights with a University of Colorado School of Medicine research team.

Those perspectives will construct an intervention strategy for teenagers at an elevated risk of suicide, which CU School of Medicine Associate Pediatrics Professor Maya Haasz said is higher among teenagers already experiencing suicidal thoughts.

She added that the intervention will be offered as a tool to all health care providers, like emergency department doctors and primary care physicians, since many teenagers are not evaluated by a behavioral health specialist unless they screen for active suicidal thoughts.

If they come to our emergency department, (everyone) 10 and up is screened for suicide, Haasz said. (We) ask questions like In the past few weeks, have you wished you were dead? If they say yes to any of the four questions, then our last question is  Are you having thoughts of killing yourself right now? If the answer to that is yes, then they see a mental health specialist, and those people know how to ask all the right questions, safety plan with them and take a good hour with them.

But 90% of the kids that screen positive actually dont see a mental health specialist (since they said it isnt imminent), Haasz added. Theyre seen by the ER providers, which I am one, and we do not have a lot of training in how to safety plan with these kids. We did a study to look at what we are doing, and the bottom line is were doing very little.

Essentially, the tool would help non-behavioral health providers guide families on the best steps they can take to help their child stay safe and cannot access lethal means in case their risk for suicide attempts becomes a reality.

She added that the interviews will be key to ensuring that the intervention tool is actually realistic, effective and responsive.

Specifically, CU staff are seeking 13 to 17-year-olds in rural and western Colorado who have a history of suicidal thoughts or suicide attempt  and their caregiver.

According to Haasz, strong participation from rural and western Coloradans will be critical in developing an intervention framework that works beyond the bounds of Denver.

We want to make sure this is centered around what people want to hear and that the messaging actually lands. Were doing this so that we can actually make a difference, and not just a product, Haasz said. If people arent hearing something thats going to be meaningful to them, I just dont think it will make the impact that we want.

A specific example would be messaging around firearms, which are the most lethal means of attempting suicide.

Nationwide, firearms are only used in about 5% of suicide attempts but account for more than 50% of suicide deaths.

A testament to that lethality is Mesa Countys above-average suicide death rate: 31 per 100,000 people each year, compared to a nationwide rate of 13.9 per 100,000 people.

Over recent years, the local public health department has attributed the disparity to a higher rate of firearm ownership and access: 50% of Mesa County adults own a gun, compared to 32% of adults nationwide.

Beyond the difference in rates of gun ownership, residents across Colorado and the U.S. own firearms for drastically varying reasons.

In Denver and Aurora, people have guns largely for protection. If youre looking at farming or hunting areas, people have guns for different reasons, and I think the language that people want to hear is different, Haasz said.

So, we want to make sure this tool we develop speaks to a broader population than just people who live in a city who have a handgun...

Participants in the qualitative interview and in-person workshop on potential interventions will receive a $40 gift card to Target or Amazon.

Those who could be eligible are encouraged to learn more and register by visiting redcap.link/xf2dq544 or scanning the attached QR code.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Supreme Court finalizes ex-servicemen spying case with maximum 7-year term

ROC Central News Agency

12/05/2025 07:00 PM

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the prison terms of three former servicemen convicted of leaking sensitive military information to China, finalizing all sentences in a high-profile espionage case involving personnel assigned to Presidential Office security.

The rulings complete the case, as a fourth defendant, former military police officer Lin Yu-kai (), had already withdrawn his appeal earlier in the process, making his five-year-and-10-month sentence final. He has since begun serving his term.

The three whose sentences were finalized Thursday -- Chen Wen-hao (), Li Yu-erh () and Lai Chung-yu () -- received prison terms ranging from six years and five months to seven years for violating the National Security Act and Anti-Corruption Act.

According to the verdict, the four accepted payments ranging from NT$265,900 (US$8,500) to NT$664,100 between 2022 and 2024 to photograph and relay sensitive internal documents from the 211th Military Police Battalion, which guards the Presidential Office, and from the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command.

The information was passed through a Taiwanese middleman surnamed Huang (), who remains at large. Lai and Chen began leaking documents in April 2022. After Lai was reassigned, Li took over the role, later handing it to Lin after retiring.

In the first trial, the Taipei District Court sentenced Lai to seven years in prison, Chen to six years and five months, Li to six years and eight months, and Lin to five years and 10 months, describing their actions as a serious breach of duty.

On appeal, the Taiwan High Court reduced Li's term by one month for returning all illicit gains and cooperating with investigators, but upheld the other sentences.

All four were indicted by prosecutors in December 2024 on national security and corruption charges, after the MND received a tip-off from a soldier.

(By Lin Chang-shun and Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/kb

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Eastern DRC: Statement by the Spokesperson on the signature of Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity

European External Action Service (EEAS)

05.12.2025

EEAS Press Team

The European Union welcomes the signing of the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, including the Regional Economic Integration Framework, by President of Rwanda Paul Kagame and President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi in Washington on 4 December 2025.

The EU commends the efforts of the United States. The renewed commitment of the DRC and Rwanda to pursue a political solution to the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC is an important step. So is the progress achieved between the DRC and the M23 under the auspices of Qatar in Doha. At the same time, the EU regrets the continuation of hostilities and violence in eastern DRC and the persistent humanitarian crisis and human rights violations.

The EU again urges all actors to honour their commitments and calls for the swift implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2773, the Washington Accords and the Doha Framework Agreement. An effective ceasefire is urgently needed.

The EU reiterates its firm support to a peaceful solution of the conflict in eastern DRC and is ready to play its part by contributing to building peace through regional economic integration. Inclusiveness of the processes on regional and national level is paramount. The EU underscores the importance of African Union-led efforts to achieve sustainable peace, as reaffirmed during the 7th AU-EU Summit in Angola on 24-25 November.

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International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG) on the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda signed in Washington on 4 December 2025

Germany Federal Foreign Office

05.12.2025 - Press release

The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG), chaired by Germany, issued a statement on the Joint Declaration between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda signed in Washington on 4 December 2025 recognizing the Declaration of Principles, the Peace Agreement and the Regional Economic Integration Framework (Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity).



Belgium, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as members of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes, welcome the signing in Washington DC on Thursday 4 December 2025 of the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, including the Regional Economic Integration Framework, between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda.

We welcome the commitment by President Felix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame, witnessed and supported by Presidents and Vice-Presidents from Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Togo and Uganda and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, to reinforce the 27 June 2025 Peace Agreement between DRC and Rwanda. We commend the two countries for their leadership, reiterating at the highest political level their will to work towards a peaceful resolution of the long-standing conflict in the Great Lakes region. We recognize the key role of the US in facilitating the process and congratulate all parties on this considerable achievement.

We express our deep appreciation and full support to the Government of Qatar in its ongoing mediation between the government of DRC and the M23 as well as to H.E. Faure Gnassingbe, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, for his mediation efforts, as mandated by the African Union. We urge all parties to work towards an inclusive approach, including civil society and affected populations, as well as engaging with regional actors to securing support and safeguard sustainable peace.

The ICG reiterates the importance of the signatories to honour their obligations and shared responsibility to deliver swift implementation of the Washington Accords as well as the UN Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025) for the benefit of their people. This includes full respect for territorial integrity, a process of neutralization of the FDLR and the withdrawal of the Rwanda Defence Force. It is essential that territorial integrity is fully respected and that the Parties facilitate and support MONUSCO's capacity to implement its full mandate.

We reiterate the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties and all armed groups. The ICG calls on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law, including allowing full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and resumption of humanitarian flights into Goma in the continuity of the Paris conference. Securing the dignified and safe return of those who have been displaced by conflict is of paramount importance.

The ICG emphasizes the crucial role of regional economic integration as a means to foster shared interests and build prosperity. The ICG remains committed to supporting the countries in the region in strengthening regional economic integration on the basis of ambitious, transformative initiatives that are mutually beneficial and contribute to durable peace.

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Closing statement at the OSCE Ministerial Council

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland

5.12.2025

Speeches

Closing statement by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen, delivered by Vice Minister Pasi Rajala at the Closing Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council 5 December 2025.

Mister Chair,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This has been our fourth Ministerial Council meeting since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

As we have heard throughout this 32nd Ministerial Council, the war strikes at the heart of Europe's security order. It weakens the OSCE and the principles it stands for.

Foreign Minister Valtonen reminded us at the start of Finland's Chairpersonship that when one State challenges the foundations of our common security, the rest of us must be prepared to defend them with even greater resolve.

That is what we have done  together, and with the overwhelming support of OSCE participating States.

We will continue to support Ukraine, and we will continue to ensure that Russia is held accountable.

***

In 2025 we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Declaration.

But we also got to work to prepare this Organisation for the next 50 years.

The energy and dedication you all showed for the Helsinki+50 discussions reflect our shared commitment to OSCE's vital work.

Together, we have reaffirmed the enduring relevance of the Helsinki principles.

These principles, including

 respect for sovereignty of states,

 territorial integrity,

 the non-use of force, and

 respect for human rights

are the purpose of this organisation and the foundation of European security, also going forward.

This Ministerial Council has also made clear that there is broad willingness to advance OSCE reform.

It is now up to us  the participating States  to provide direction.

As Chair-in-Office Valtonen said, the OSCE needs a clear vision and mission to guide these reforms. Finland has worked to shape that vision, and we remain committed to it as part of the Troika.

Colleagues,

We must strengthen the OSCE for the future and reinforce its role on the ground.

Already in 2024, as incoming Chair, Finland began leading contingency planning for a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

After intensive preparation, we can say with confidence that the OSCE is ready to contribute. The Organization has deep experience in monitoring and verification, in supporting the withdrawal of forces and weaponry, and in facilitating military-to-military contacts.

We have also worked closely with the OSCE's autonomous institutions to prepare for their post-war roles, and they are ready with concrete plans.

Now two institutional issues require our urgent and decisive attention: the 2026 budget, and the Chairpersonships for 2027 and beyond. We will engage tirelessly  and in close consultation with all participating States  to reach consensus on these issues.

Finally, Finland extends its sincere gratitude to

 participating States

 Partners for Co-operation;

 to the OSCE's executive structures, field operations, autonomous institutions, and

 Parliamentary Assembly;

We also appreciate the civil society, whose cooperation and support has been invaluable.

We, the participating States, carry the responsibility to equip the OSCE for the challenges of the next half-century. The inclusive Helsinki+50 discussions have laid a strong foundation.

We welcome Switzerland's commitment to carry this work forward in 2026.

We wish you every success.

You can count on Finland's firm support. Thank you.



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MANILA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines is confronting the fastest-rising human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, with an average of 61 Filipinos diagnosed every day this year, up 22 percent from last year, prompting urgent calls for more decisive national action.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier identified the Philippines, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea as the countries in the region where HIV infections continue to climb. It said the three now face some of the region's sharpest surges in new HIV infections.

Fiji has recorded a tenfold increase in cases over the past decade, driven mainly by injecting drug use, while Papua New Guinea declared HIV a national crisis in June amid spikes among women of reproductive age and children.

In the Philippines, new HIV infections have risen sixfold from 2010 to 2024, with the WHO estimating a 550 percent jump from 4,400 cases in 2010 to 29,600 in 2024. Young men who have sex with men remain the most affected.

According to data from the Philippines' Department of Health, a total of 149,375 people had been registered with HIV as of September, including 5,583 new cases diagnosed between July and September. Of these new cases, 895 were already at an advanced stage of infection. Most new patients (95 percent) were male, and one-third were aged 15 to 24.

Cases in 2025 ranged in age from 1 to 73, with a median age of 27. People aged 15 to 34 accounted for more than 70 percent of new infections, reflecting a shift toward younger demographics.

An estimated 252,800 Filipinos will be living with HIV in 2025.

Monthly detections continue to climb, rising from an average of 1,435 cases in 2023 to 1,459 in 2024, and further to 1,731 in the third quarter of 2025, 17 percent higher than the same period of last year. From July to September, 61 percent of new diagnoses came from Metro Manila and the outlying regions of Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Central Visayas, and Davao in the southern Philippines.

Since 1984, when the country recorded its first HIV case, males have accounted for 94 percent of all reported cases. Infections have increasingly shifted toward younger groups, with cases among those under 15 rising by 129 percent in the past five years and those aged 15 to 24 increasing by 106 percent.

Sexual contact remains the dominant mode of transmission, responsible for 96 percent of all cases recorded since 1984. Among these, male-male sexual contact accounts for the majority, a pattern that persisted into the third quarter of 2025.

Although the proportion of patients presenting with advanced HIV has declined since 2021, total deaths continue to rise.

From July to September 2025, 125 deaths were reported, mostly among adults aged 25 to 34. Cumulatively, the country has recorded more than 500 deaths annually since 2016, and a total of 9,903 deaths since 1984.

Migrant workers make up 7 percent of all diagnosed cases, nearly all attributable to sexual transmission. Reporting of transactional sex since 2012 has documented 17,577 cases, the vast majority involving men.

Public health advocates are urging expanded testing, youth-focused education, stronger community interventions, as well as greater support for treatment adherence and viral suppression programs.

Experts warn that without decisive and coordinated action, the Philippines risks losing ground in its fight against HIV, jeopardizing the health and future of an entire generation. 
The Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador in charge of Gaza Rebuilding Assistance Mr. OKUBO's Visit to the State of Israel

Ministry of Foregn Affairs of Japan

December 5, 2025

On December 3 and 4 (same day local time), Mr. OKUBO Takeshi, the Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador in charge of Gaza Rebuilding Assistance, visited the State of Israel. The overview of the visit is as follows:

Ambassador OKUBO visited the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) located in central Israel and exchanged views with relevant parties. He explained Japan's position on the situation in Gaza to the relevant parties and stated that Japan would contribute to international efforts for humanitarian assistance, early recovery and reconstruction, and interim governance in Gaza, in coordination with relevant countries and organizations, with a view to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, achieving early recovery and reconstruction, and realizing a two-state solution. They agreed to continue communication and work closely together.

(Reference) Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC)

CMCC is a coordination center established in Kiryat Gat, central Israel, following the Gaza ceasefire agreement between the parties in October this year. Military and civilian personnel dispatched from various countries, including the United States, participate in the activities in the center, which is responsible for coordinating international efforts concerning the Gaza Strip, such as monitoring the progress of the ceasefire and implementing humanitarian and reconstruction assistance.

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Budrys: A strong EU is no longer a choice, but a necessity

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Updated 2025-12-05

On 5 December, Minister of Foreign Affairs Budrys attended the annual conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the European Union (EU), titled 'The European Union - from a project for peace and prosperity towards a defence union', and discussed the key challenges for EU foreign policy in 2026.

"If Europe wants to be a geopolitical actor, it must start acting accordingly. For Europe to have a meaningful voice, we need to have leverage. With it, Europe could also help Ukraine in peace talks. What should we do? We must provide Ukraine with a reparations loan, EU membership, and create a Special Tribunal to ensure accountability for Russia's aggression," the Minister stressed.

In the opening speech, the Minister noted that, against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, in order to become a geopolitical power, the EU must pass a maturity exam and decide for itself whether it has the political will to make the necessary changes in the areas of security and defence and complete long-delayed homework.

"A strong EU is no longer a choice but a necessity. It's high time we took urgent care of the EU's military, financial, economic, and technological capabilities," remarked Budrys.

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OSCE Ministerial Council reaffirms continued relevance of Helsinki principles and sets the path for reforms to strengthen the Organization

OSCE | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Press release

Date: 5 December 2025

Place: VIENNA

Source: OSCE Chairpersonship

VIENNA, 5 December 2025 -- The 32nd meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council concluded today. The Council welcomed more than 1,200 participants from participating States, Partners for Co-operation, international organizations, civil society and media to Vienna. The Ministers and the Secretary General extended their appreciation to Austria for their exceptional hospitality during the Ministerial Council.

The Council reviewed and addressed the security situation across the OSCE region. "Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has affected the core pillars of security for the whole OSCE region and hampered the work of the Organization," said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen.

The Council discussed the future of the OSCE. As the OSCE Chair, Finland has conducted the Helsinki+50 Discussions throughout the year with all participating States, Partners for Co-operation, OSCE executive structures as well as civil society. These discussions have reaffirmed the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, signed in 1975, and underlined that these principles must continue to guide the OSCE and serve as the foundation for European security. They have also strengthened the OSCE as a platform for dialogue and set the path for ambitious reforms.

"Despite the war and the absence of an approved budget, the Organization continues to deliver. The Helsinki+50 Discussions have laid a solid foundation for reforms to strengthen the OSCE further. I welcome the incoming Chair Switzerland's pledge to continue the process also next year," added Valtonen.

To catalyze the reforms, Finland established the Helsinki+50 Fund. The Fund strengthens the OSCE's operational capacity and strategic focus, and has already attracted pledges of over 17 million from 18 countries.

The Council voiced appreciation for the US mediation efforts with Russia and Ukraine.

"I call on all of us to support Ukraine in achieving a just and lasting peace - as soon as possible. I am convinced that the way this war endsand its legitimacy under international law and OSCE principleswill decisively shape the future of peace and stability across the OSCE region and beyond, said Valtonen.

Finland has throughout its Chairpersonship led contingency planning for the OSCE's role regarding possible ceasefire in Ukraine and worked with autonomous institutions on expanding support.

"Switzerland will assume the OSCE Chairpersonship in 2026 with a simple conviction: when diplomacy seems impossible, it becomes indispensable. It is up to us to show that it can meet expectations, by acting with courage and clarity, "said the incoming OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Federal Councillor of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis.

"Built by participating States over fifty years, the OSCE is designed for open and inclusive diplomacy on security issues in Europe. Our founding fathers and mothers proved that even at the bleakest moments, dialogue is possible, even and especially between adversaries - if there is space for it. The OSCE remains that space," said OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioglu

"At this time of deep polarization and war, my message to participating States was that we urgently need to revitalize this unique Organization. With its inclusive membership and its effective tools on risk reduction, transparency, and de-escalation, the OSCE remains the only forum capable of rebuilding trust in Europe through diplomatic dialogue and practical co-operation," he added.

The Ministers and the Secretary General committed to continuing the work to strengthen the OSCE. This includes renewed efforts to reach consensus on the OSCE's unified budget, which has not been adopted since 2021.

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Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Turkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the State of Qatar express their deep concern regarding the Israeli statements concerning the opening of the Rafah Crossing in one direction, with the aim of transferring residents of the Gaza Strip into the Arab Republic of Egypt. The Ministers underscore their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land and stress the necessity of the full adherence to the plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, including its provisions on keeping the Rafah Crossing open in both directions, ensuring the freedom of movement for the population, and refraining from compelling any resident of the Gaza Strip to leave, rather to create the right conditions for them to stay on their land and participate in building their homeland, within a comprehensive vision aimed at restoring stability and improving their humanitarian conditions.

The Ministers reiterate their appreciation for President Trump's commitment to establishing peace in the region, and emphasize the importance of moving forward with the full implementation of the "Trump Plan" without delay or obstruction, in order to achieve security and peace, and to consolidate the foundations of regional stability. In this regard, the Ministers underscore the need to fully sustain the ceasefire, alleviate civilian suffering, ensure the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip, initiate early recovery and reconstruction efforts, and create the conditions necessary for the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip - thereby laying the groundwork for a new phase of security and stability in the region.

The Ministers affirm their countries' readiness to continue working and coordinating with the United States and all concerned regional and international parties to ensure the full implementation of UNSCR 2803 and all relevant UNSC resolutions and to provide the convenient ground for achieving a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in accordance with international legitimacy and the two-state solution, which should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on the lines of 4 June 1967, including the occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Islamabad

December 5,2025

367/2025

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Statement by the Spokesperson on Zangnan (Arunachal Pradesh)

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On media question seeking Pakistan's response to the statements made by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Zangnan (Arunachal Pradesh) and statements by India as well as media commentary on this matter, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tahir Andrabi stated the following:



We have taken note of the remarks made by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan reiterates its consistent support for China on matters concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Islamabad

December 05, 2025

365/2025

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Press Remarks by the Spokesperson on anniversary of the destruction of Babri Masjid

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On question regarding Pakistan's views on the anniversary of the destruction of Babri Mosque on 6th December, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Tahir Andrabi stated the following:

Babri Masjid is etched in our collective memory. On 6 December 1992, this historic mosque in Ayodhya was destroyed in circumstances that continue to evoke deep sadness and concern. The event remains unsettling for all who stand against intolerance and religious discrimination.

Pakistan maintains that the preservation of religious heritage and sacred sites is a shared responsibility of the international community. It is essential that all acts undermining Muslim religious symbols or historical legacy be addressed with transparency, accountability, and a firm commitment to justice.

Pakistan emphasises that the desecration of any place of worship constitutes a violation of the principles of religious equality and undermines the collective sense of security and mutual respect that all communities deserve.

The continued sense of marginalisation and emotional distress experienced by Indian Muslims in the wake of this event remains a serious concern. Emboldened by state patronage, Hindu fascist organisations are now clamouring for the complete ghettoisation of Indian Muslims and other religious minorities.

Pakistan values interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence. We call upon the international community, including relevant UN institutions and influential global voices, to acknowledge the importance of safeguarding Muslim religious heritage and to help ensure that such painful incidents do not recur.

Pakistan also reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights and religious freedoms of minorities within its borders, in line with its legal obligations.

As we reflect on the anniversary of the Babri Masjid's destruction, Pakistan expresses solidarity with Muslims who continue to feel the enduring sorrow associated with this loss. Let this occasion serve not only as a remembrance of a painful event but also as a reaffirmation of the universal values of dignity, justice, and respect for sacred heritage.

Pakistan urges the Government of India to foster an environment of tolerance and inclusivity, ensuring equal citizenship rights and mutual respect among all religious and cultural communities.

Islamabad

December 5, 2025

366/2025

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The New York Times sues U.S. Defense Department over restrictive rules on media

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 16:50, December 05, 2025

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The New York Times on Thursday sued U.S. Defense Department over restrictive rules on media, arguing that the department's policy violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, naming the Defense Department, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell as defendants.

On Oct. 6, the department issued a new policy on Pentagon Facility Alternate Credentials -- also called Pentagon badges or building passes -- vesting department officials with "unbridled discretion" to immediately suspend and ultimately revoke a reporter's credentials for engaging in lawful newsgathering, both on and off Pentagon grounds, or for reporting any information Department officials have not approved, the complaint noted.

"The policy, in violation of the First Amendment, seeks to restrict journalists' ability to do what journalists have always done - ask questions of government employees and gather information to report stories that take the public beyond official pronouncements," the complaint continued.

The department requires reporters to sign a 21-page form that sets restrictions on journalistic activities, including requests for story tips and inquiries to Pentagon sources, The New York Times noted in a report.

"Reporters who don't comply could lose their press passes," it said.

The complaint sought a court order halting enforcement of the rules and a declaration that the provisions "targeting the exercise of First Amendment rights" were unlawful, according to the report.

"We are aware of the New York Times lawsuit and look forward to addressing these arguments in court," Parnell said in a statement.

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18 Naxals, 3 policemen killed in gunfight in India's Chhattisgarh

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:17, December 05, 2025

NEW DELHI, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 Naxals and three policemen were killed and two other policemen wounded in a fierce gunfight in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said Thursday.

The gunfight between Naxals and joint contingents of police and paramilitary forces broke out on Wednesday in the Bhairamgarh forest area of Bijapur district, about 387 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

Security forces also recovered a large quantity of weaponry and explosive material from the gunfight site, according to state-run broadcaster All India Radio.

Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India.

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Niger accuses French nuclear giant Orano of 'mass crimes'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 6:41 PM

French nuclear giant Orano has been accused of "mass crimes" following the discovery of hundreds of barrels containing hazardous radioactive core materials in Niger.

On Thursday, the Niger government announced that the French state-owned Orano nuclear fuel company had dumped "radioactive pollution" near a former uranium site in northern Niger where it previously operated.

Niger's Mining Ministry reported that inspectors found approximately 400 barrels with dangerously high levels of radioactive substances, which could cause respiratory disorders at Madaouela.

The Nigerien government stated that the disposal of these barrels demonstrates "predatory behavior."

Niger's Justice Minister, Alio Daouda, confirmed this week that radiation levels in the area were significantly elevated -- around 7 to 10 microsieverts per hour, compared to the normal level of 0.5 microsieverts.

Daouda announced that Orano will face legal proceedings for "mass crimes," including environmental harm, public health violations, and breaches of national sovereignty.

"This illegal dump highlights Orano's persistent disregard for Niger and its people since uranium mining began," Daouda said, pledging that "Niger will not back down in defending its sovereignty."

To date, Orano has faced numerous environmental pollution claims in Niger, with civil society groups in Arlit accusing the company of irregularities in site rehabilitation in recent years.

Despite increasing pressure since the military coup in July 2023, Orano has maintained its defiance, claiming it holds no operating license for Madaouela and has never worked there.

This accusation against Orano arises amid a broader dispute regarding its uranium operations in Niger. The military-led government revoked Orano's license for the Imouraren deposit in June 2024.

Orano began its commercial uranium mining operations in Niger at the Arlit deposit in 1971, extracting ore with concentrations of 0.30-0.35 percent to depths of 60 meters.





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Lebanon's Parliament Speaker: Talks under fire 'unacceptable'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 5:52 PM

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned that Israel's unilateral strikes on his country could reignite a new war, stressing that negotiations under Israeli fire are "unacceptable."

"It is not acceptable to negotiate under (Israeli) fire," Berri told a United Nations Security Council delegation on Friday, stressing that Israel must abide by the ceasefire agreement reached last year.

"Stability in the south requires Israel's adherence to UN Resolution 1701 and to the ceasefire agreement by halting its daily violations and withdrawing behind the international borders," he added.

The UN delegation also met on Friday with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. It is due to inspect the border area in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

The visit comes as Lebanese and Israeli representatives held their first direct talks in decades.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024. Under the deal, Tel Aviv was required to withdraw fully from Lebanese territorybut has kept forces stationed at five sites, in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the terms of the November 2024 agreement.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has violated the agreement thousands times through repeated assaults on Lebanese territory. Lebanese authorities have warned that the regime's violations of the ceasefire threaten national stability.

Speaking with the UNSC ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said his country does not want war with Israel.

The Lebanese "do not want war again, the Lebanese people have suffered enough and there will be no going back", a presidency statement cited Aoun as saying.

Aoun stressed "the need to pressure the Israeli side to implement the ceasefire and withdraw, and expressed his hope for pressure from the delegation".

Any outcome from these talks "depends primarily on Israel's position, upon which the negotiations will either reach practical results or fail", he added.

In a televised address, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said his group supports the state's decision to choose "diplomacy to end the aggression", but he criticized the inclusion of a civilian representative.

"We consider this measure an additional misstep on top of the sin" of the government's decision in August to restrict weapons to the state by the end of the year, he said.

"This concession will not change the enemy's position, nor its aggression or occupation," he added, urging authorities to reconsider.

He stressed that the aggression doesn't aim to disarm the resistance but to occupy Lebanon and start implementing the so-called "Greater Israel" vision.

The so-called "Greater Israel" vision, which includes the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, was described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August as "a historical and spiritual mission." He told Israeli media that he feels a deep connection to "this vision."





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KABUL, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and three others injured when the roof of a mud house collapsed recently in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, the provincial police office said in a statement late Saturday.

The incident occurred on the outskirts of Musa Qala district, where three members of the same family died at the scene, and three others were injured. The injured were rushed to a nearby health facility for treatment, according to the statement.

Traditional mud-brick homes, common in Afghanistan's rural and remote areas, remain vulnerable to collapse, often resulting in tragic loss of life and significant property damage. 
US airstrike survivors clung to boat wreckage before second deadly attack, video shows

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 5:08 PM

A video shown to US lawmakers depicts an illegal American military airstrike on two survivors clinging to a boat in the Caribbean Sea.

The footage, which key lawmakers viewed on Thursday, shows the US strike on September 2 that severely damaged the boat. Two shirtless survivors clung to the wreckage for about an hour before a second airstrike killed them and sank the vessel.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, accompanied Admiral Frank Mitch Bradley, who led the operation, to Capitol Hill on Thursday to explain the decision to execute the follow-up strike on the incapacitated survivors.

Caine suggested that the alleged "drug boat" might be afloat due to cocaine packets onboard and expressed concern that the survivors could communicate for rescue or attempt to deliver the drugs back to the US.

However, lawmakers noted that the video showed no evidence of radios or satellite phones, and a surveillance plane did not spot any nearby vessels.

Legal experts, including some lawmakers, have indicated that the killing of 87 individuals in the 22 announced US strikes violates American and international law. Some lawmakers label the killings as murder and a war crime.

"You have two individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion who were killed by the United States," said Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

He called the video "one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service."

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, from the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated that the briefing confirmed his worst fears about the military activities of the Trump administration.

Following the briefing, Southern Command announced that US forces had killed another four individuals in their 22nd attack on "drug" boats in recent months.

In a statement and a video shared on social media, Southern Command indicated that the latest airstrike in the Eastern Pacific was directed by War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The strikes have raised questions among House and Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, military appropriators, and have drawn condemnation from legal experts, rights groups, and Democratic lawmakers.

Some have called for Hegseth's resignation over the illegal airstrikes.

Trump administration officials have framed the deployment of US forces in and around Venezuela as part of a broader effort to deter drug smuggling. However, Caracas and analysts say the pressure is aimed at toppling the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

In response, a group of bipartisan senators introduced a war powers resolution aimed at blocking President Trump's unauthorized military actions in Venezuela.

They warned that the administration risks dragging the US into an "unnecessary foreign war."

The resolution would require the president to withdraw US forces from Venezuela unless explicitly authorized by Congress.

Last week, Trump stated that US military forces near Venezuela would "very soon" take ground action against the country.





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Hezbollah chief: Lebanon faces 'dangerous, expansionist' Israeli aggression

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 3:33 PM

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem has stressed that Lebanon is facing a "dangerous, expansionist Israeli aggression" that should be confronted "by all means."

The Hezbollah chief made the remarks in a televised speech during a ceremony paying tribute to martyred scholars on Friday.

Qassem stressed that Israel's actions are "expansionist", noting that the occupying regime didn't abide by the ceasefire agreement reached last year, although Lebanon and its resistance movements did.

The aggression doesn't aim to disarm the resistance but to occupy Lebanon and start implementing the so-called "Greater Israel" vision, he noted.

The so-called "Greater Israel" vision, which includes the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, was described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August as "a historical and spiritual mission." He told Israeli media that he feels a deep connection to "this vision."

Noting that the Beirut government opted to pursue a diplomatic solution to end the Israeli aggression, Qassem stated that Hezbollah has supported efforts made by the Lebanese authorities in this regard.

However, he stressed that the US and Israel should not interfere in the country's internal affairs, or its defense strategy.

The Hezbollah chief stated that the weapons of resistance and the country's defensive capability to confront any aggression are a non-negotiable issue.

"We will defend ourselves, our people, and our country and are ready to sacrifice to the maximum and will not surrender," he said.

Qassem emphasized that the resistance disarmament and any concessions made by the Lebanese government won't satisfy Israel's expansionist ambitions, adding that Israel must abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

His remarks came as Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in August tasked the country's army to develop a plan to restrict weapons to the state by the end of the year, a decision that aims at disarming the Hezbollah resistance movement that has for decades defended the country from external aggression, especially from the Israeli enemy.

The Lebanese government officials also further discussed a US proposal aimed at disarming Hezbollah and endorsed its "objectives".

"They want to disarm [the resistance], dry up financial resources, prevent services, close schools and hospitals, prevent the reconstruction, stop donations, and demolish homes; in other words, they want to abolish our existence," Qassem said, pointing to the importance of unity among the Lebanese people to thwart the enemy's plots.

He noted that Israel's withdrawal from Beirut took place thanks to blows dealt to the occupying regime by the resistance.

The Hezbollah leader urged the Lebanese government to fulfill its responsibilities, particularly in protecting the country's sovereignty, building the country and strengthening its economy, adding that arrogant countries seek to eliminate Hezbollah because of its national project, which calls for liberation, independence, and dignity.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024. Under the deal, Tel Aviv was required to withdraw fully from Lebanese territorybut has kept forces stationed at five sites, in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the terms of the November 2024 agreement.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has violated the agreement thousands of times through repeated assaults on Lebanese territory. Lebanese authorities have warned that the regime's violations of the ceasefire threaten national stability.





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US Navy struck by Yemen: USS Truman disasters expose combat strain

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 11:33 AM

The US Navy has conducted an investigation into four incidents involving the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group during its deployment to the waters off Yemen, saying stress was a key factor behind the naval mishaps.

The investigation, whose results were released on Thursday, covered incidents between December 2024 and May 2025 that involved the loss of three fighter jets in the Red Sea and a collision between the Truman and a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt.

The four incidents cost the Navy more than $100 million in three lost F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft, damage to the aircraft carrier, as well as injuries to multiple sailors.

The probe found that the Truman was not only beset by Yemeni missile and drone attacks that stressed its crew but also other operational demands that put pressure on sleep-deprived personnel.

The pace of Yemen's retaliatory operations exhausted the US sailors, it added, revealing that some of the critical systems and personnel aboard the carrier strike group were not thoroughly prepared for undertaking a combat mission.

Sailors on the Truman told investigators in February that they felt the strain of "a pressurized schedule and a culture of 'just get it done.'"

Bradley Martin, a senior policy researcher at RAND research organization, described the mishaps with the Truman as a "wake-up call" for the US Navy about the demands of battle and the dangers of overextending ships and their crew.

"The clear message from this deployment is that the Navy is not ready to deal with the reality of extended combat," he said, noting that the Truman "was obviously at a point where it was running at a ragged edge."

Martin also said that the level of air threat that was coming from Yemen "was enough to be stressing," resulting in "a lot of brittleness in the readiness and preparation."

The Yemeni Armed Forces began a pro-Palestine campaign, attacking Israeli-linked ships as well as striking targets in the occupied territories in November 2023, a month after the Zionist regime unleashed its genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel and the US have carried out rounds of deadly airstrikes across Yemen in flagrant breach of international law and the UN Charter.

The United States ramped up its illegal aggression against Yemen by deploying aircraft carriers to the region in a bid to dissuade the country from carrying out retaliatory anti-Israel strikes.

In May, the United States and Yemen agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Oman, after repeated bombing of Yemeni cities by Washington and its allies and continued Yemeni retaliatory strikes on US forces in the region.





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Israel conducts violent airstrikes on Lebanon after first direct talks in decades

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 8:05 AM

Israel has carried out a new round of violent aerial assaults on southern Lebanon, a day after the two sides held their first direct talks in decades.

Lebanese media reported on Thursday that Israeli warplanes targeted civilian and residential buildings in the towns of Mjadel and Mahrouna, both located in South Governorate, as well as the towns of Baraachit and Jbaa in Nabatieh Governorate.

No casualties have been reported from the Israeli strikes, which destroyed houses in densely populated areas and displaced a large number of Lebanese people.

Shortly before the attacks, the Israeli military's Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for residents of the four towns on social media.

The Israeli military claimed in a statement that it had "struck several weapon storage facilities" belonging to the Hezbollah resistance movement.

The attacks are the latest violations of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, which took effect in November 2024 following a conflict sparked by the Tel Aviv regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

Israel was forced to accept the truce with Hezbollah after suffering heavy losses on the battlefield and failing to achieve its goals despite killing over 4,000 people in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Lebanese and Israeli representatives held their first direct talks in decades. The meeting, which took place in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura, was part of the US-led ceasefire monitoring committee.

Lebanon appointed former ambassador to Washington, Simon Karam, as its civilian representative. Karam reportedly met with Israeli security official Uri Resnick during the session.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that the meeting "paved the way for upcoming sessions" that will begin on December 19.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut was "far" from diplomatic normalization or economic ties with Tel Aviv and that the talks were focused on "defusing tension".

Lebanon's priorities are the cessation of hostilities, the release of Lebanese detainees held by Israel, and Israel's full withdrawal from its territory, he added.

Salam also emphasized that Lebanon is still committed to the 2002 so-called Arab Peace Initiative that conditions the normalization of relations with the occupying regime on the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, Lebanese news channel NBN reported on Thursday that the talks were held indirectly. "Lebanon is not considering normalization nor signing a peace agreement," added the report.

Last month, Hezbollah rejected any direct negotiations with Israel amid heavy US pressure on Lebanon to enter into such dialogue.

The "negotiation traps" will "only grant further gains to the Israeli enemy," Hezbollah said in an open letter sent to the Lebanese government.





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Final SIGAR report finds decades of US corruption, waste in Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 7:40 AM

The final audit from Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) paints a stark portrait of how tens of billions of dollars ostensibly earmarked for nationbuilding were diverted, misused or wasted.

According to SIGAR's report, from 2002 to 2021 the United States appropriated about $148.21 billion purportedly for Afghan reconstruction. Of that sum, roughly $88.8 billion went to securitysector projects, while other enterprises disguised as development, humanitarian assistance, governance and institutionbuilding consumed the rest.

But the watchdog estimates that between $26 billion and $29.2 billion of those funds were lost to waste, fraud and abusered flags that preceded the Afghan government's collapse and the rapid Taliban takeover in 2021.

The report logged 1,327 separate cases of misuse, mismanagement, or corruption tied directly to USfunded programs.

Among the failures major investments in the Afghan security forces were undermined by inflated troop rolls, ghostsalary schemes, and an inability to maintain complex gear.

As SIGAR's acting inspector general put it, "the government we helped build... was essentially a white collar criminal enterprise."

SIGAR's acting inspector general, Gene Aloise, told reporters that the project was undermined by "early and ongoing US decisions to ally with corrupt, human-rights-abusing power brokers."

This strategy, he continued, strengthened insurgent networks and eroded hopes for stable governance in Afghanistan.

Largescale hardware and infrastructure also went to waste. The United States funded planes, bases, and military assets, many never used or deteriorating rapidly postcontract.

One instance involved transport aircraft bought for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars that were later scrapped or abandoned when maintenance systems collapsed.

Despite almost $90 billion spent on training and equipping army and police forces, Afghan troops disintegrated quickly when US support ended, added the report.

Moreover, even broader cost estimates for the war paint an even more sobering picture.

Estimates put the total US cost  including military operations, veteran care, interest on borrowed funds and other long-term liabilities  at more than $2.3 trillion over the two decades, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University.

Based on the SIGAR's final judgement, the much-hyped mission to purportedly build a stable, democratic Afghanistan delivered neither stability nor democracy.

In September, President Donald Trump sparked a fresh geopolitical firestorm with his calls to reclaim Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base, signaling a willingness to re-establish a US military presence in a country that has warned against any return of foreign troops.

Trump said the United States was "trying to get [Bagram] back" and described it as "one of the biggest air bases in the world," highlighting its strategic runway and location to contain China.

Two days later, he posted on social media that if Afghanistan does not return the base, "BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN."

US military officials warn that retaking Bagram would require "tens of thousands" of troops along with massive logistical and air-defense support to hold the facility, a scenario that could mirror the pitfalls of the long Afghan war.

The United States had invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks, even though not a single Afghan national was among the hijackers.

Over the course of the 20-year US occupation of the Asian nation, hundreds of thousands of Afghans lost their lives.

When Washington and its allies deployed troops in 2001, they claimed their mission was to dismantle al-Qaeda under what became known as the US "war on terror." Yet two decades later, in August 2021, the Taliban quickly retook multiple provincial capitals and then entered Kabul with virtually no resistance.

The rapid collapse of the US-backed government forced Washington into a rushed and chaotic evacuation of diplomats, citizens, and Afghan partners  a scene that drew intense criticism for the US government's mismanagement of its own exit.





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European Meeting on Military Capabilities Coordination and Defence Industrial Cooperation

Romania - Ministry of National Defence

Press release No. 234

05.12.2025

On Friday, December 5th, General Gheorghita Vlad, Chief of Defence Staff, and Brigadier General Ion-Cornel Plesa, Head of the General Directorate for Armaments, will participate, in Paris, in the European Meeting on Military Capabilities Coordination and Defence Industrial Cooperation.

The event, which takes place at the invitation of the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France, is hosted by the Chief of the French Defence Staff, General Fabien Mandon, and the Head of the General Directorate for Armaments, Emmanuel Chiva, and brings together counterparts from the European states.

The meeting aims at accelerating the joint military consolidation efforts at European level, by identifying critical capabilities, increasing interoperability, capitalizing on existing industrial solutions and initiating joint procurement and production projects.

The main objective of the meeting is to harmonize and increase Europe's collective response capacity in the current security context.



The Press Office

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Ranking Member Shaheen Response to the Second Trump Administration's National Security Strategy

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

December 05, 2025

WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the statement below following the publication of the National Security Strategy by the Second Trump Administration.



"The Trump Administration's National Security Strategy is built on a false choice: that America must retreat from the world to protect its people at home. The opposite is true. America is stronger when we use our alliances, our diplomatic tools and our influence to advance America's national interests and values.



"This plan, and the Administration's approach, is riddled with contradictions. President Trump rightly wants our European allies to step up on their own defense but undercuts their ability to do so by actively promoting far-right wing, pro-Russian political parties. By drawing an equivalence between our European Allies and murderers in the Kremlin, this strategy at least explains why President Trump has been so inept at ending the war in Ukraine. The strategy claims to take a realist worldview, but it fundamentally ignores the threat posed by Russia and China. And while the Strategy unironically emphasizes supply chain stabilization and economic security in our hemisphere, the Administration has placed tariffs on friends and foes alike that are raising prices for our families, destroying small businesses and wiping out manufacturing jobs.



"The American people deserve leadership that can deliver security and prosperity. That means strengthening NATO, ensuring that Russia does not gain from its own war of aggression in Ukraine, competing seriously with China and stabilizing our neighborhood through law enforcement, diplomacy and development. Instead, President Trump has pursued a foreign policy that has left the United States isolated globally, hurt our economy, raised prices for Americans, distanced our allies and emboldened our adversaries."



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Secretary Rubio's Meeting with Peruvian Foreign Minister de Zela

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

December 5, 2025

The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela of Peru met today to discuss ongoing efforts to fight transnational criminal organizations and strengthen security in our region. Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the United States commitment to partnering to secure critical mineral supply chains. The Secretary also emphasized that, as we look forward to marking 200 years of diplomatic relations next year, the United States will continue to partner with Peru in trade, space, and security.

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Comment by the MFA of Ukraine on the Signing of the Washington Agreements in the Context of the Peace Process in the Great Lakes Region

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 13:08

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomes the signing of the Washington Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, along with other agreements that took place in Washington on December 4, 2025, with the participation of the Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Rwanda, and the United States of America.

We hope that the agreements signed in Washington will lay the foundation for sustainable peace and security in the Great Lakes Region.

The successful implementation of the Washington agreements package, particularly the Regional Framework Program for Economic Integration, will contribute to strengthening the economic potential and social stability of the states in the region, improving their investment attractiveness, and deepening economic ties with other countries.

We acknowledge the effectiveness of the United States' mediating efforts in achieving this important outcome for international peace and security. It demonstrates that the restoration of sustainable peace and guaranteed security is possible when all parties strive for such an outcome and take tangible steps to achieve it.

For its part, Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to actively enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with the states of the Great Lakes Region, including its willingness to participate in the implementation of economic projects within the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF).



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UNICEF Executive Director calls for urgent action and sustained investments for children in South Sudan

UNICEF

Press release

Climate shocks, conflict and instability are putting millions of children at risk across the world's youngest nation

05 December 2025

JUBA, 6 December, 2025 -- UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell today concluded a visit to South Sudan, urging the Government and the international community to step up efforts to protect children's lives amid escalating conflict, climate shocks and mass displacement in the world's youngest country.

Russell's visit spotlighted the deepening needs of South Sudan's children. More than 2.1 million children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition, and 9.3 million, three-quarters of the population, require life-saving humanitarian support. In addition, nearly 1.3 million refugees and returnees fleeing the war in Sudan have arrived in South Sudan, adding pressure to limited water, food and medical services.

"The impact of conflict and climate shocks is creating a perfect storm of suffering for children in South Sudan, in a context that was already precarious," said Russell, who travelled to Bentiu to speak with communities displaced by violence and flooding. "I spoke to a mother whose five-year-old son is recovering from severe malnutrition. She fled her home with her children when the floodwater came. The only thing she salvaged was a necklace from her deceased father. Her son now wears the necklace as a memory of his grandfather and the life they left behind."

Almost half of all girls in South Sudan are forced into child marriage, and 65 per cent of girls and women (aged 15 - 64) have experienced violence. Russell went to a centre that provides a safe space for women and girls.

"'I spoke with girls and women who have experienced terrible violence. Two of them told me they had contemplated suicide before coming to the UNICEF-supported centre," said Russell. "They told me that having a safe space to receive counselling and peer support was a lifeline," said Russell.

More than one-third of UNICEF-supported safe spaces for women and children have closed this year because of funding cuts.

Russell also spoke with mothers whose children were severely malnourished. Two in five children are at risk of acute malnutrition across the country, particularly in areas hit by flooding, conflict and violence. Insecurity has caused a 25 per cent increase in

humanitarian access constraints this year, leaving communities without the supplies they urgently need.

"I was at the country's only pediatric hospital in Juba, and saw babies and small children suffering from malnutrition and diseases that are fully preventable. It is heart-wrenching," said Russell. "We know how to save these children, and I saw the heroic efforts of health workers in the hospital and in the community. With focus and sustained investment from the government and the international community, we can save many more lives."

2.8 million school-age children remain out of school, one of the highest rates globally. More than half of schools lack safe classrooms, trained teachers, and water and sanitation facilities. Girls are disproportionately affected, often forced to drop out due to child marriage, insecurity, and the absence of safe learning environments.

Investing in education is a moral imperative - and the strongest foundation for peace. Education breaks the cycle of poverty, reduces violence, and builds long-term stability. Public investment must prioritise education - not just to protect children today, but to equip the next generation to rebuild South Sudan tomorrow.

"Donors have been generous over the years, and it has made a world of difference to children and families," said Russell. "Now is the time, not only for lasting peace, but for the Government to increase domestic investment in essential services for the sake of South Sudan's greatest asset - its children."

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This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2025 shows theropod footprints on a rock wall in Dujiangyan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua)

CHENGDU, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Paleontologists have identified more than 20 dinosaur and other vertebrate footprints on a rock wall in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a discovery they say sheds new light on early dinosaur evolution around 200 million years ago.

The tracks were found in the city of Dujiangyan by a hiker last month, and their authenticity was later confirmed by a research team led by Xing Lida, an associate professor at China University of Geosciences (Beijing). It is the first time dinosaur footprints have been reported in Dujiangyan.

Xing said these prints include theropod footprints of different sizes, left by meat-eating dinosaurs, as well as chirotherian-type tracks, which resemble a human hand and are attributed to early archosaur reptiles.

"What makes this site particularly valuable is that at least four layers preserve footprints, suggesting dinosaurs lived here for a long period," Xing explained.

Researchers also found pieces of petrified wood near these tracks, including fallen logs and upright stumps preserved in place, providing additional information about the nature of the local ecosystem more than 200 million years ago.

Jiang Shan, a researcher at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan, said this newly identified material can help scientists better understand the early evolutionary history of dinosaurs in China. 

This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2025 shows dinosaur footprints on a rock wall in Dujiangyan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua)
Khaled Mashal: Resistance and its arms must be preserved

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Dec 6, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- The Hamas leader abroad, Khaled Mashal, has stressed opposition to any form of trusteeship over Gaza, declaring that resistance and its weapons must be preserved.

According to Al Jazeera, Mashal said Israel is attempting "with bullying to make the region submit to its demands," warning that this approach poses "a real danger."

He said that Palestinians must govern Gaza themselves, adding, "We do not accept any form of trusteeship over Gaza."

The remarks came days after US President Donald Trump said the second phase of his so-called Gaza peace plan is "going to happen pretty soon," which involves giving Gaza's governance to an international force.

While the brutal genocide has stopped, Mashal said, Palestinians continue to face hunger, siege, the closing of crossings, prevention of aid delivery, and punishment of the people.

He called for protecting the Resistance, rescuing the occupied West Bank from Judaization, settlement construction, and the displacement of its people, and supporting Palestinians in their struggle.

He also emphasized the need to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, saying that victory cannot be achieved without unity and partnership.

Mashal further called for rejecting any normalization with the criminal Israeli regime, insisting that Israel will never be a friend or ally to anyone and should face international accountability.

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UNGA adopts five resolutions in favor of Palestine

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Dec 6, 2025

New York, IRNA -- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted, by an overwhelming majority, five resolutions in favor of Palestinea move that reflects growing support within the international community for the rights of the Palestinian people as they continue to suffer under Israeli occupation.

During its session on Friday, the UNGA approved a resolution concerning assistance to Palestinian refugees. The resolution passed with 151 votes in favor. Eighteen countries abstained, and ten countries, including the United States, voted against it.

The second resolution commended the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for its efforts to support Palestinian refugees, and renewed its mandate until the end of June 2029. This resolution was adopted with 145 votes in favor.

The resolution underscored UNRWA's vital role in providing essential education, health, relief, and social services to Palestinian refugees, as well as delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance across all its areas of operation in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Al-Quds.

It also warned of the serious humanitarian consequences of any attempt to dismantle UNRWA or restrict its operations. The resolution expressed concern over an Israeli law already enacted to end UNRWA's mandate, urging the regime to adhere to its international commitments.

The third resolution, concerning the property of Palestinian refugees and the revenues derived from it, was approved by 157 votes in favor.

The fourth resolution, regarding Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Al-Quds and the occupied Syrian Golan, was adopted with 146 votes in favor.

The fifth resolution, concerning the work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, was adopted with 88 votes in favor.

Although resolutions passed by the UNGA are non-binding, they reflect the global community's growing support for the rights of the Palestinian people and Israel's increasing isolation on the international stage.

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China's 100-mln-USD assistance to help reduce suffering of Palestinian people: spokesperson

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:22, December 06, 2025

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's latest assistance worth 100 million U.S. dollars to Palestine will help improve Gaza's humanitarian situation and reduce the suffering of the Palestinian people, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.

Lin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked for details of China's consideration on the assistance, which was earmarked for easing the humanitarian crisis and post-conflict reconstruction.

When jointly meeting the press with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, President Xi Jinping announced China will provide 100 million dollars of assistance to Palestine to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support its recovery and reconstruction. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has sent a message of thanks to President Xi.

President Xi also said that China and France will work together for the realization of a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question at an early date, Lin said.

Noting that it has been over two years since the latest conflict in Gaza broke out, which caused unprecedented humanitarian crisis, Lin said China is deeply concerned over that.

He added that since the outbreak of the conflict, China has provided multiple batches of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza strip through the UN, Egypt, Jordan and other channels, which was welcomed and appreciated by the Palestinian government and people.

He said President Xi described the Palestinian question as a test to the effectiveness of the global governance system and called on the international community to look straight at the root cause of the question, step up to the responsibility and take robust action to redress the historical injustice and uphold fairness and justice.

China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and will continue working relentlessly with the international community for a full and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, the easing of humanitarian situation there, and an early political settlement of the Palestinian question on the basis of the two-State solution, the spokesperson said.

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UN voices concern over repeated Israeli strikes near peacekeepers in Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 3:49 PM

The United Nations has issued another warning to Israel regarding its recent airstrikes on southern Lebanon, denouncing the recurrent attacks as blatant violations of Security Council Resolution 1701.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said at a news conference that members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) observed a series of Israeli airstrikes in their area of operations in south Lebanon on Thursday night.

He added that the Israeli attack coincides with the Lebanese Armed Forces' ongoing efforts to regulate weapons and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

"These actions are clear violations of Security Council resolution 1701," the UN spokesman noted.

Dujarric called on the Israeli military to utilise the existing liaison and coordination mechanisms to address these matters.

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon were "approached by six men on three mopeds near the Bint Jbeil area late on Thursday, with one man firing approximately three shots into the back of a UN vehicle," Dujarric said.

He emphasised that "attacks on peacekeepers are unacceptable and serious violations of Resolution 1701."

The resolution, which brokered a ceasefire in the 33-day-long war Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on the occupying Tel Aviv regime to respect Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We remind the Lebanese authorities of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, and we demand a full and immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice," Dujarric said.

Israel and Hezbollah struck a ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on November 27, 2024.

Tel Aviv was obligated under the deal to completely withdraw from Lebanese territory. However, it has maintained a military presence at five locations, openly breaching both UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the provisions of the agreement reached last November.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly breached the agreement with ongoing assaults on Lebanese territory.

Lebanese authorities have cautioned that breaches of the ceasefire by the Israeli regime pose a risk to the nation's stability.

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Foreign ministers of Iran, Egypt urge global action to end Israel's violations in Gaza, Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 3:08 PM

The top Iranian and Egyptian diplomats say the international community must take swift action to put an end to the Israeli regime's ongoing aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.

In a phone conversation on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty said Israel continues to carry out acts of aggression and violate the ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel accepted the Gaza truce deal after two years, following its failure to achieve its declared objectives of eliminating the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and freeing all captives.

The initial phase of the ceasefire plan took effect on October 10 and saw a prisoner exchange, but further stages have not been negotiated yet.

However, the fragility of the 20-point Gaza deal, pushed by US President Donald Trump, was evident from the beginning, as reports from Gaza health officials indicated over 366 Palestinian casualties since the ceasefire's initiation, with the latest incident involving an Israeli airstrike northwest of Gaza City.

A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah took effect in November 2024 following a conflict sparked by the Tel Aviv regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

Israel was forced to accept the truce with Hezbollah after suffering heavy losses on the battlefield and failing to achieve its goals despite killing over 4,000 people in Lebanon.

The Iranian and Egyptian foreign ministers also exchanged views about mutual relations and agreed to hold more discussions about ways to expand ties.

Meanwhile, Araghchi informed Abdelatty of Iran's stance on its peaceful nuclear program.



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Three more Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on northern Gaza despite ceasefire

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 11:14 AM

At least three more Palestinians have been killed in separate Israeli airstrikes targeting the northern Gaza Strip, amid Israel's ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Tel Aviv regime.

Citing unnamed medical sources, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that on Saturday morning, Suhail Dahman succumbed to wounds he sustained the previous day when an Israeli aircraft fired at least one missile at a target near al-Ribat Mosque in the city of Beit Lahia.

Rafiq Muhammad Misbah al-Attar was also killed, and three others sustained injuries in a drone strike near al-Atatra roundabout west of the city.

According to eyewitnesses, several areas east of Gaza City, including the al-Tuffah and Shejaiya neighborhoods, as well as areas east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, were hit by Israeli airstrikes on Friday.

Several Palestinians were also wounded as Israeli artillery shelled Beit Lahia.

Heavy gunfire from Israeli military vehicles and aircraft was also reported in the vicinity of areas where the Israeli army remains stationed east of Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.

At least five Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense, said the airstrike targeted the tent in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, killing all five people inside. The bodies were taken to the nearby Kuwaiti Field Hospital.

The development came on the same day that the Israeli military said five soldiers were wounded during a clash with Palestinian fighters in the southern Gaza Strip.

The army said the fighters emerged from an underground structure in eastern Rafah. One soldier was seriously wounded, while two others and a non-commissioned officer were moderately hurt. All were evacuated to the hospital.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed at least 70,125 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured 171,015 others in a two-year war in Gaza that has reduced much of the coastal sliver to rubble.

The onslaught has resulted in extensive destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, leaving the territory's remaining residents in a desperate situation.





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US pressures European allies to take over NATO duties by 2027: Report

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 10:25 AM

The United States has reportedly set a 2027 deadline for NATO's European members to assume greater responsibility for the bloc's defense capabilities, including intelligence gathering and missile production.

Reuters reported on Friday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, Pentagon officials warned delegations from several European countries this week that if they fail to meet the 2027 deadline, the US could scale back participation in certain NATO defense activities

US military officials in the Pentagon, according to the report, had informed several of their European counterparts to pass on to their leaders that they had until 2027 to bring their militaries up to par with NATO standards.

Pentagon officials reportedly noted in the meeting that Washington remains dissatisfied with European defense gains, which they say have so far fallen short of expectations and will require more investment and effort to meet NATO's requirements and share the military burden with the US.

Some European military leaders have already agreed that their respective governments are obliged to pay for the increased NATO bill.

"Allies have recognized the need to invest more in defense and shift the burden on conventional defense from the US to Europe," a NATO official speaking for the military bloc told Reuters, declining to comment on the 2027 deadline.

Other European officials have described the 2027 target as unrealistic, saying that replacing US military support in the short term would require far more investment than currently planned, sources told Reuters.

Reuters' report came amid the US plan to reduce its considerable direct involvement in European military affairs.

US allies agreed earlier this year to boost their military spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.

The boost in military spending followed mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has long insisted that the Europeans must "pay their fair share" in NATO.

Some European leaders have cited a Russian threat as the pretext for the increased military spending.

Russia dismisses the myth of a Russian threat as "nonsense."

Russia said that European politicians should resist against US war-mongers, and condemned the West's "reckless militarization."





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ICC prosecutor condemns US for equating court judges with terrorists, drug traffickers

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 6:54 AM

The ICC deputy prosecutor has sharply criticized the US government for sanctioning the international court's judges, a move he said mirrors how Washington targets terrorists and drug traffickers.

Mame Mandiaye Niang denounced the administration of US President Donald Trump on Monday, saying, "You can disagree with what we are doing. That happens all the time ... But even if we upset you, you should never put us on the same list as terrorists or drug traffickers. That is the message [to Trump]."

Niang, along with senior ICC judges, is subject to sanctions from the Trump administration in retaliation for the court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Military Affairs Yoav Gallant over Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

On November 21, 2024, after investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza genocide.

Sanctions have a place in international relations, Niang said, but targeting the ICC, the world's only permanent court tasked with prosecuting grave offenses, risks "de-legitimizing" an essential institution.

He added that it is troubling that arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant have not brought the suspects before the court.

The ICC has no police force and relies on member states to detain suspects and transfer them to the Hague.

Nevertheless, Niang pointed to an unprecedented hearing against Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony earlier this year, conducted in absentia.

"We tested it in the Kony case. It is a cumbersome process. But we tried it, and we realized it was possible and useful," Niang said.

Such a hearing helps preserve evidence against war criminals and allows victims to share their experiences, he said.

However, any request for such a proceeding requires judicial approval and would not constitute a full trial, only a confirmation of charges.

Despite the pressure facing the court, Niang said the ICC is prepared to confront these challenges, stating, "At this time when our existence is under threat, the world needs us more than ever."

Mass atrocities are being committed daily, and the court stands to prosecute those responsible, said the Senegalese jurist.

"The court is here and we would love for it not to be needed. Unfortunately, the world is as it is and we still have work to do."

Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians and injured more than 171,000 others, most of them women and children.





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Afghan, Pakistani forces exchange heavy fire, shattering fragile ceasefire

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 6:27 AM

Afghan and Pakistani forces have exchanged heavy gunfire along their shared border, heightening tensions between the two neighbors after recently stalled peace talks in Saudi Arabia failed to produce any progress.

Officials from both sides confirmed the skirmishes, which happened late Friday night, each accusing the other of firing the first shots.

In a post on X, Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces had "launched attacks towards" the Spin Boldak district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, prompting Afghan forces to return fire.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, in a statement, that Afghan forces initiated the confrontation with "unprovoked firing" near the Chaman border.

"Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens," spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi added.

Residents on the Afghan side reported that the exchange of fire began at around 10:30 pm local time (18:00 GMT) and continued for roughly two hours.

Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of Kandahar's information department, told AFP that Pakistani forces used both light and heavy artillery, with mortar rounds striking civilian homes. "The clashes have ended, both sides agreed to stop," he added.

Afghan and Pakistani officials inked a temporary ceasefire deal in Doha on October 19, but the deal has since been followed by several rounds of fruitless negotiations hosted by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in an effort to secure a more lasting peace.

The most recent talks, held in Saudi Arabia last weekend, ended without major progress, though both sides agreed to maintain the fragile truce.

Despite the ceasefire, Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of conducting multiple air raids in eastern Afghanistan in recent weeks.

One such strike, allegedly carried out by the Pakistani military in late November on a home in Khost province, reportedly killed nine children and a woman. Pakistan has rejected the allegation, denying involvement in the attack.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply deteriorated in recent months, amid escalating border tensions and mutual accusations of harboring militants.

Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out drone strikes on October 9 that killed several people in the Afghan capital, vowing retaliation in response.

The following days saw heavy cross-border clashes that left dozens of soldiers, civilians, and militants dead on both sides before Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19.

Since then, two rounds of talks have been held in Turkey, the most recent on Thursday, but both ended without progress after Kabul reportedly refused to provide written assurances that the TTP and other militant groups would not use Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistan has long faced deadly attacks from militant outfits, including the resurgent TTP.





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Spanish Government welcomes peace agreement between DRC and Rwanda

Spain - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

PRESS STATEMENT 121

06 Dec 25

The Spanish Government welcomes the peace agreement signed on Thursday in Washington between the DRC and Rwanda. Spain remains committed to peace in the Great Lakes region and welcomes this significant step towards stability, regional cooperation and overcoming the conflict that has profoundly affected the populations of both countries and the region as a whole.

We highlight the commitment of the parties and the mediation of the United States, Qatar and Togo. Spain encourages the parties to continue to implement the commitments made in a firm and constructive manner.





NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION

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Policemen are seen on alert at the explosion site of a sound bomb in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 7, 2025. An explosion shook the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday, according to local witnesses. Local media said the blast was caused by a sound bomb near the Freedom Bridge -- formerly the President Bridge -- in the heart of the city. No damage or injuries were reported. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- An explosion shook the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday, according to local witnesses.

Local media said the blast was caused by a sound bomb near the Freedom Bridge -- formerly the President Bridge -- in the heart of the city. No damage or injuries were reported.

The explosion came as Syria prepared for events marking the first anniversary of the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Security was tightened in Damascus and other cities as Syrians gathered nationwide to commemorate Dec. 8, 2024, when a lightning offensive by fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied groups swept into the capital after a rapid advance from northern Syria, forcing Assad to flee to Russia. 

Policemen are seen on alert at the explosion site of a sound bomb in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 7, 2025. An explosion shook the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday, according to local witnesses.

Local media said the blast was caused by a sound bomb near the Freedom Bridge -- formerly the President Bridge -- in the heart of the city. No damage or injuries were reported. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)
JAS 39 Gripen

Canadas evolving fighter replacement debate approaches the Saab Gripen E/F proposal not merely as an alternative platform, but as a potential organizing framework for Canadian defense industrial policy, Arctic security, and alliance management. This article examines the Gripen-centered option in policy and academic terms, focusing on its industrial, operational, technological, and strategic implications for Canada, with less emphasis on direct competition narratives.

At the industrial level, Saab has tabled an offer that links aircraft procurement to the creation of a national aerospace production hub. The Swedish firm proposes not only final assembly of Gripen E aircraft in Canada, but also a broader manufacturing center accompanied by a research and development facility dedicated to combat aviation and related technologies. Company representatives have stated that, if Canada commits to a substantial order, the package could support on the order of 9,00010,000 jobs over several years, combining production, sustainment, and R&D activities. The magnitude of this figure has generated both interest and skepticism, reflecting uncertainty about the durability of global demand and the constraints of Canadas defense budget.

Comparative experience informs this caution. Saabs previous international industrialization effort in Brazil, where a local Gripen assembly line was established, began with a much smaller workforce of roughly two hundred employees and has expanded more gradually than initial projections implied. Canadian policymakers and industry analysts therefore must evaluate whether the Canadian market, plus anticipated export demand, can credibly sustain a far larger employment base over the long term. Nonetheless, the presence of established Canadian partnersmost notably Bombardier, which cooperates with Saab on the GlobalEye airborne early warning platformadds practical industrial depth to the concept of a Gripen in Canada ecosystem. In policy terms, the offer aligns with Ottawas recurring objective to leverage defense procurement as a catalyst for advanced manufacturing and high-technology employment rather than as a purely off-the-shelf acquisition.

European security dynamics further shape the strategic calculus behind a Canadian Gripen production line. Saabs industrial modeling appears to assume sustained or expanding demand from European states reacting to Russias war against Ukraine and a broader rearmament trend across NATOs northern and eastern flanks. Public reporting indicates that Ukraine is exploring the prospect of acquiring a sizeable fleet of Gripen E aircraft, which would require expanded production capacity beyond Swedens current facilities if fully realized. In this scenario, a Canadian line could serve both domestic and allied orders, effectively embedding Canada into a European-focused supply chain for tactical aviation while diversifying beyond traditional dependence on U.S.-dominated aerospace programs. From a policy standpoint, this would not replace transatlantic defense ties; instead, it would broaden Canadas role from consumer to co-producer within NATOs emerging industrial geography.

A core question for Canadian defense planners is whether such a Gripen-centered industrial strategy advances long-term sovereignty and resilience. Establishing a domestic assembly and R&D base would allow Canadian engineers, technicians, and managers to accumulate expertise in systems integration, software, and life-cycle support for advanced fighters. Over several decades, this could reduce reliance on foreign-controlled maintenance pipelines and proprietary software regimes, which have been recurring concerns in debates about the governance of fifth-generation aircraft fleets. At the same time, the success of such a strategy depends on sustained political commitment, export viability, and transparent technology-transfer arrangements. Saab has been explicit that deep technology transfer and industrial localization are contingent on a firm Canadian order, which places the burden on Ottawa to decide whether it is prepared to accept front-loaded risk in exchange for potential long-term autonomy.

On the operational side, the Gripen Es design characteristics correspond closely to Canadas geographic realities, particularly in the Arctic and other sparsely populated northern regions. The aircraft is optimized for short takeoff and landing, including operations from relatively austere or dispersed locations such as secondary runways and, in some national concepts, reinforced roadways. These attributes support a doctrine of distributed basing that could enhance survivability and flexibility in crisis scenarios where main operating bases might be threatened or inaccessible. For routine sovereignty patrols, search-and-rescue support, and air policing missions over vast, low-density airspace, an aircraft that can be maintained by comparatively small teams and supported by modest infrastructure offers tangible advantages in availability and cost.

Maintenance philosophy is central to this operational fit. The Gripen program has historically emphasized ease of support, rapid turnaround times, and relatively low operating costs, aiming to keep flight-hour expenses below those of heavier or more maintenance-intensive platforms. For Canada, such characteristics could translate into higher sortie rates within a constrained defense budget, particularly if much of the supply chain and technical expertise is localized. This model aligns with a concept of sustainable presence in northern territories, in which the primary challenge is not high-end contested air combat on a daily basis but persistent patrol and rapid response under demanding climatic conditions.

Technological innovation within the Gripen E program also has significant policy implications, especially regarding humanmachine teaming and software governance. Saabs Project Beyond initiative, conducted in cooperation with the German defense AI firm Helsing, has demonstrated the integration of Centaur, an artificial intelligence agent, into the Gripen E during a series of test flights. In these trials, Centaur processed sensor data in real time, supported beyond-visual-range engagement scenarios, and in some cases assumed direct control of the aircrafts maneuvering under pilot supervision. The tests highlighted the jets modular avionics architecture, which enabled rapid integration of complex neural network algorithms within a relatively short development window.

For Canada, such an architecture offers two strategic advantages. First, it provides a pathway for domestic participation in the evolution of mission systems software, AI-enabled decision support, and integration with unmanned systems, rather than locking Canada into a purely foreign software ecosystem with limited access to core code and data. Second, it supports the development of a national knowledge base in AI-enabled air operationsan area of growing importance as future airpower concepts increasingly rely on swarming drones, distributed sensors, and dynamic data fusion. If integrated with Canadian universities, research institutions, and defense labs, a Gripen-centered R&D hub could serve as a platform for experiments in command-and-control automation, trusted autonomy, and humanmachine collaboration tailored to Canadas operational environments.

Alliance management constitutes another key dimension of any shift toward a Gripen-centric fleet. Canadas air posture is deeply embedded in NORAD and NATO structures, and the current decision review occurs against the backdrop of a substantial planned procurement of F-35 aircraft. Military leaders emphasizing the F-35 argue that its stealth, sensor fusion, and established integration with U.S. systems are crucial for high-end operations and early warning in the Arctic, especially against advanced long-range threats. They also contend that introducing a mixed fleet can fragment logistics and training and impose significant overhead costs, potentially diluting readiness and complicating interoperability.

A Gripen-based solution does not inherently preclude interoperability, particularly as Sweden is now a NATO member and the platform is designed for alliance operations. However, it would require deliberate policy work to ensure that communications, data links, and mission planning tools used by Gripen squadrons integrate seamlessly with NORAD and NATO networks dominated by U.S.-centric standards. This challenge is surmountableit reflects a need for common standards and joint certification rather than an intrinsic limitation of the airframebut it places a premium on political and technical negotiations with key allies. In return, a successful Canadian Gripen program could expand NATOs diversity of tactical aviation options, reduce single-supplier dependence, and contribute to resilience by distributing production and sustainment across a wider set of member states.

From a defense economic perspective, the Gripen proposition intersects with long-running debates over life-cycle cost, opportunity cost, and domestic value creation in Canadian procurement. Analysts note that while unit prices for modern combat aircraft have converged somewhat due to production scale and competition, the dominant cost driver over 3040 years of service is sustainmentmaintenance, upgrades, fuel, and infrastructure. Saab positions the Gripen as comparatively economical to operate, suggesting that lower operating costs, combined with domestic industrial participation, could free up resources for other defense priorities such as maritime domain awareness, cyber defense, or land force modernization. Critics respond that any savings must be weighed against the potential loss of economies of scale and shared infrastructure associated with the large multinational F-35 user community.

These economic trade-offs are closely tied to questions of sovereignty and control over critical capabilities. Participation in a heavily U.S.-governed program can deliver advanced capabilities but may also embed Canada in supply chains and software management arrangements that remain largely outside national control. By contrast, a Gripen-based industrial partnership could allow Canada more influence over upgrade schedules, configuration management, and export decisions involving Canadian-manufactured components. For policymakers, the question is not purely technical: it touches on democratic accountability, the ability to align force development with national strategy, and the resilience of critical systems in a crisis where foreign political decisions might affect access to spares or software updates.

The environmental and sustainability dimensions of a Gripen-centered approach are less prominent but increasingly relevant in contemporary policy debates. Saab and Swedish officials often emphasize fuel efficiency and modular maintenance as contributors to a smaller environmental footprint over an aircrafts life cycle, in line with broader Scandinavian approaches to defense sustainability. While any supersonic fighter remains a carbon-intensive asset, the integration of life-cycle assessments, component reuse, and energy-efficient ground infrastructure into a Canadian Gripen program could resonate with national climate objectives and public expectations. This framing may be particularly important in a political environment where major defense programs are scrutinized not only for cost and utility but also for their compatibility with broader societal priorities.

In strategic terms, adopting the Gripen as Canadas primary or co-primary fighter platform would signal a recalibration of the countrys defense posture within the transatlantic system. It would demonstrate a deliberate commitment to European industrial and technological partnerships at a time when many NATO members are seeking to increase defense spending and build regional defense-industrial capacity. Such a move could reinforce Canadas influence within NATO by positioning it as a bridge between North American and European defense ecosystems, rather than as a purely American-anchored participant. At the same time, it would require careful diplomacy to reassure Washington that NORADs effectiveness and interoperability would not be compromised but rather reimagined through broader standards and integrated planning.

For academic and policy analysts, the Canadian Gripen discussion thus becomes a case study in how middle powers use major procurement decisions to shape their strategic identity. One pathway emphasizes deep integration into a single, technologically dominant alliance architecture, privileging homogeneity for efficiency and interoperability. The alternative, exemplified by the Gripen proposal, stresses diversified partnerships, local industrial agency, and modular, upgradeable platforms that can adapt to evolving technology and threat environments. Both approaches have merits; the choice between them reflects Canadas preferred balance among alliance cohesion, industrial autonomy, fiscal sustainability, and regional security responsibilities.

Ultimately, considering the Gripen E/F in these broader terms allows Canadian decision-makers to frame the fighter replacement not just as a platform contest, but as a long-term policy instrument. A locally integrated Gripen program could support domestic aerospace revitalization, Arctic and northern operational resilience, and participation in cutting-edge AI-enhanced airpower research, while embedding Canada in an expanding network of European defense-industrial cooperation. The costs and risks are real, including the need to manage interoperability, ensure export viability, and maintain political consensus over decades. Yet for a state seeking to combine credible deterrence with industrial renewal and strategic diversification, the Gripen-centered option offers a coherent policy narrative that merits rigorous, academic-level evaluation.





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Russo-Ukraine War - 06 December 2025 - Day 1382

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia is continuing its concerted deep strike campaign against Ukrainian energy critical national infrastructure (CNI), almost certainly seeking to cause a humanitarian crisis amongst Ukraine's civilian population over winter.

In November 2025, Russia launched approximately 5,400 one way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWA UAS) against Ukrainian CNI targets, as well as more than 90 missiles from Long Range Aviation aircraft. Russia has launched over 5,000 OWA UAS in each of the past three months, with the objective of saturating Ukraine's air defence.

Daily reliance on large numbers of cheap, mass-produced UAS, both armed and decoy, is indicative of Russia's attritional approach to the conflict, and affords Ukraine minimal respite. Launch rates are regularly limited by adverse weather conditions and geopolitical considerations; however, lulls are often followed by peaks as perceived conditions improve.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 151 combat encounters. Ukrainian defenders are decisively intercepting the Russian attempts to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression.

Today, Russian troops launched two missile and 27 aviation strikes, used 55 missiles and dropped 49 controlled air bombs. In addition, they engaged 3637 kamikaze drones and carried out 3281 shelling of positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the Russian enemy carried out 122 shelling of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, including three from the jet systems of arson fire.

In the South-Slobozhansky direction, the Russian enemy six times stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of Vovchansk, Sinelnikovy and in the direction of Izbitsky and Kolodiazny.

In the Kupyansky direction, the Russian aggressor carried out offensive actions in the direction of the settlements of Petropavlivka, Pisnete and Kolisnikivka. Ukrainian defenders stopped eight enemy attacks, another confrontation is ongoing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders attacked 13 times the positions of Defense Forces near the settlements of Grekivka, Medium, Tverdohlibove, Zarichne and in the direction of Novoselivka, Drobishevo, Novosergiyivka, New Mir and Pond. The fight is going on in one location.

Twelve assault actions of the Russian enemy's troops were repelled by Ukrainian defenders in the Slavic direction - the occupiers tried to move near Yampol, Dronivka, Serebryanka, Siverska and Fedorivka. Yet another battle is underway.

One Russian attack was repelled by Ukrainian defenders near minkivka, in the kramators komu direction.

In the Konstantinivsky direction, the Russians 21 times went into offensive against the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of the settlements of Konstantynivka, Ivanopilya, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Cherbinivka, Pleshiyivka and towards the settlements of Stepanivka, Sofiyivka and Berestok.

In the Pokrovsky direction since the beginning of the day, the Russian occupiers tried 39 times to advance on the position of Ukrainian units. The Russian enemy attacked in the direction of New Shahovoy, Novopavlivka and in the areas of the settlements Chervony Lyman, Rodinske, Mirnograd, Kotline, Udaachne, Molodetske, Dachne. In some locations, the fights are still being sharpened.

According to preliminary data, today in this direction a total of 110 Russian occupants were defecated, 83 of them - irrevocably. Also Ukrainian soldiers destroyed one automobile unit and six special equipment units, a motorcycle, 26 BPLAs, two personnel shelters, also struck an artillery system, one automobile equipment unit, an artillery system and 12 Russian personnel shelters.

In the Oleksandrivsky direction, Russian forces 16 times tried to break through the defense of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of settlements Yalta, Ivanivka, Green Grove, Vorone, Ribne, Oleksandrograd, Sosnivka, Stepove, Uspenivka, Pavlivka and in the direction of Danilivka. Air strikes were suffered by malomihajlivka and danylivka.

14 fighting clashes were recorded in the area of the settlements of Gulyaipole, Solodke and in the direction of Dobropillya. Under the airstrikes of the Russian enemy were the zaliznycne and gulyajpole.

In the orihivs komu direction, the Russian enemy made one unsuccessful attack in the area of stepovoye, and made an air strike on the veselyanci.

In the pridniprovsk direction the Russian opponent did not carry out offensive actions, but caused an air strike on olgivka.

In the rest of the destinations - there are no special changes.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in response to the terrorist attacks launched by Ukraine against civilian facilities on the territory of Russia, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with long-range air, ground-based high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal air-ballistic hypersonic missiles, long-range unmanned aerial vehicles against the Ukrainian defence industry enterprises and energy facilities that support their work, as well as port infrastructure used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The goals of the strike were achieved. All the assigned targets were engaged.

The Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one infantry brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades close to Alekseyevka, Andreyevka, Ryzhevka, Starikovo, and Khoten (Sumy region).

In Kharkov direction, Russian troops hit formations of one mechanised brigade and one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU near Bayrak, Proletarskoye, Vilcha, and Volchanskiye Khutora (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 285 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, 15 motor vehicles, one artillery gun, and two ammunition and materiel depots.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. The Group's formations inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade of the AFU, and one national guard brigade near Kupyansk-Uzlovy, Shiykovka, Novoosinovo, Blagodatovka, Kurilovka, Novoplatonovka (Kharkov region) and Dibrova (Donetsk People's Republic).

Up to 235 troops and three armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made HMMWV armoured vehicle, have been neutralised.

Eighteen pickup trucks, three field artillery guns, three electronic warfare stations, and eight ammunition depots were neutralised.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian troops hit four mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, one territorial defence brigade, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade were defeated near Stepanovka, Seversk, Chervonoye, Slavyansk, Reznikovka, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 175 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, and two artillery guns. Three electronic warfare stations, an ammunition depot, and five material depots were neutralised.

The Tsentr Group's units improved the situation along the front line and continued to destroy the encircled AFU group in Dimitrov (Donetsk People's Republic).

The Group's units inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, three assault brigades, two assault regiments of the AFU, two marine brigades, one territorial defence brigade, and two national guard brigades close to Rodinskoye, Toretskoye, Grishino, Artyomovka, Belitskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Novopodgorodnoye, and Novopavlovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 465 troops, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, including one MaxxPro armoured vehicle, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, four motor vehicles, and one artillery gun.

The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defence. Russian troops inflicted losses on the formations of one mechanised brigade, one assault brigade, two assault regiments of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades near Kosovtsevo, Belogorye, Gulyaypole, and Priluki (Zaporozhye region).

The enemy lost up to 235 troops, nine armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, one Grad MLRS and two electronic warfare stations.

The Dnepr Group's units inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one mountain assault brigade and two coastal defence brigades of the AFU near Magdalinovka, (Zaporozhye region), Lvolo, Nikolskoye, Antonovka (Kherson region), and the city of Kherson.

Up to 55 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, two electronic warfare stations, five ammunition, materiel, and fuel depots have been eliminated.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, missile troops, and artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have inflicted damage on energy and transport infrastructure facilities used for the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military equipment depot, as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 152 areas.

Air defence systems shot down two U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles and 366 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy has lost: 668 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 100,788 unmanned aerial vehicles, 638 anti-aircraft missile systems, 26,412 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,627 MLRS combat vehicles, 31,740 field artillery guns and mortars, and 48,468 units of support military vehicles.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 07 December 2025 - Day 1383

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 139 combat clashes. Ukrainian defenders are decisively giving a break to the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory.

Today, Russian troops launched two missiles and 32 aviation strikes, used six missiles and dropped 87 controlled air bombs. In addition, 3358 kamikaze drones were recruited for impressions and carried out 3057 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the Russian enemy carried out 131 shelling of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, including one of the reactive systems of arson fire.

In the south-Slobozhans komu direction, Russian forces four times stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the Vovchansk district.

In the Kupans komu direction, the Russian aggressor twice tried to break through the defense of Ukrainian defenders in the area of Pi any.

In the Lyman direction Russian invaders 13 times attacked the positions of Defense Forces near the settlements of Grekivka, Deryilove, Zarichne, Mirne and in the direction of Oleksandrivka, Stavkiv, Torsky. Two clashes are underway.

Six assault actions of Russian troops were repelled by Ukrainian defenders in the Slovak direction - the Russian occupiers tried to move near Yampol and Serebryanka.

One enemRussian y attack was kicked off by Ukrainian defenders in the area of time yar, in the kramators komu direction.

In the Konstantinivsky direction, the Russians 16 times went into offensive against the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of settlements Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshiyivka, Cherbinivka, Kleban-Bik, Yablunivka and towards settlements of Konstantynivka, Ivanopilya, Rusyn Yar, Novopavlivka, Sofiyivka. Two clashes are ongoing so far.

In the Pokrovsky direction since the beginning of the day, the Russian occupiers 46 times tried to advance on the position of Ukrainian units. Russian forces attacked in the direction of New Shahovoy, New Donbas, Bilitsky, Rodinsky, Mirnograd, Molodetsky, Novopavlivka and in the areas of populated areas Novoekonomicne, Grishine, Kotline, Udacne, Dachne, Philia. In some locations, the fights are still being sharpened.

According to preliminary data, today in this direction 88 Russian occupants were disarmed, 51 of them - irrevocably. Also Ukrainian soldiers destroyed two units of automobile equipment, an ATV, 31 AMPLAs, personnel shelters, also hit two AMPLAs control points and 8 enemy personnel shelters.

In the Oleksandrivsky direction, the Russian enemy tried 13 times to break through the defense of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of populated areas of Yalta, Sosnivka, Verbove, Vorone, Zlagoda, Krasnogirske, Privilne, Solodke and in the direction of Cherry.

18 combat clashes were recorded in the Gulyaipil direction, the Russian enemy tried to advance to the settlements of Ribne, Radisne, Varvarivka, Dobropillya, Zelene, Gulyaipole. One combat encounter is underway.

In the Orihiv direction, the Russian enemy made two unsuccessful attacks in the direction of Novoandriivka and Primorsky.

In the Pridniprovsky direction, the Russian opponent unsuccessfully tried to break through the defense of Ukrainian defenders in the area of the Antonivsky Bridge.

In the rest of the destinations - there are no special changes.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the previous night, in response to terrorist attacks launched by Ukraine against civilian objects on the territory of Russia, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a group strike by ground-based precision weaponry, Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, as well as long-range unmanned aerial vehicles at objects of transport and fuel and power infrastructure used by the AFU as well as an enterprise engaged in production of long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles.

The goal of the strike was achieved. All the assigned targets were engaged.

Units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one mechanised brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade near Novye Virki, Andreyevka, Novaya Sech, and Iskriskovshchina (Sumy region).

In Kharkov direction, losses were inflicted on units of two mechanised brigades of the AFU near Staritsa and Vilcha (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 210 troops, 10 motor vehicles, three artillery guns, and three ammunition depots.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces continued to eliminate the encircled group of the enemy's troops on the left bank of the Oskol River. As a result of resolute actions, assault detachments of the 6th Army liberated Kucherovka (Kharkov region).

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades and one assault brigade of the AFU near Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, Podoly, Blagodatovka, and Shiykovka (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 220 troops, seven Western-made armoured fighting vehicles, 11 motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, including one U.S.-made 155-mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system. One electronic warfare station and six ammunition depots were destroyed.

The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Losses were inflicted on formations of one mechanised brigade, one airmobile brigade, one assault brigade, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade near Stepanovka, Seversk, Krivaya Luka, Minkovka, Slavyansk, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 190 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, and one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system. One electronic warfare station, and seven ammunition, POL, and materiel depots were destroyed.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces completed the liberation of Rovnoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and continued to eliminate the AFU group of troops, encircled in Dimitrov, and mop up Ukrainian troops in Grishino (Donetsk People's Republic).

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one airmobile brigade, one jaeger brigade, three assault regiments of the AFU, three marine brigades, two territorial defence brigades, three national guard brigades, and the Azov special operations brigade near Rodinskoye, Svetloye, Torskoye, Udachnoye, Grishino, Dobropolye, Novopavlovka, Sergeyevka, Belitskoye, and Novosergeyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 480 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles.

The Vostok Group of Forces continued to advance into the depths of enemy defences. Losses were inflicted on formations of one mechanised brigade, two assault brigades, and two assault regiments of the AFU near Ternovatoye, Dobropolye, Gulyaipole (Zaporozhye region), Gai, and Andreyevka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 205 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, 10 motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, and one electronic warfare station.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one heavy mechanised brigade and one coastal defence brigade of the AFU near Veselyanka (Zaporozhye region), Lvovo, and Antonovka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 45 troops, one U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicle, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, 10 pickup trucks, two electronic warfare stations, and two ammunition depots.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck infrastructure of a military airfield, POL depots as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 140 areas.

Air defence units shot down two guided aerial bombs, four Neptune long-range guided missiles, and 172 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation the enemy lost:

668 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 100,960 unmanned aerial vehicles, 638 anti-aircraft missile systems, 26,428 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,627 MLRS combat vehicles, 31,769 field artillery guns and mortars, 48,520 units of support military vehicles.

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Joint Statement of the 21st Meeting of the India-USA Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism (JWG-CT) and 7th Designations Dialogue

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

December 6, 2025

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of India on the occasion of the 21st Meeting of the India-USA Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism (JWG-CT) and 7th Designations Dialogue.

Begin Text

India and the United States of America held the 21st Meeting of the India-USA Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) and the 7th Designations Dialogue on 3 December 2025 in New Delhi. Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in the Ministry of External Affairs of India, and Ms. Monica Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Counterterrorism in the United States Department of State, led their respective delegations.

The meetings underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism, reflecting the spirit and breadth of the India-USA Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross border terrorism. They expressed concern over the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and AI for terrorist purposes. They strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, and the recent heinous terror incident near the Red Fort, New Delhi on 10 November 2025, and stressed that those responsible for terrorism should be held accountable.

The two sides reviewed a wide range of traditional and emerging threats and challenges such as terrorist recruitment, abuse of technology for terrorist purposes, and financing of terrorism. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation against challenges, including through training, cybersecurity, exchange of best practices, and information sharing through continued bilateral and multilateral efforts.

Participants from India and the United States discussed strengthening law enforcement and judicial cooperation, including through information sharing and cooperation on mutual legal assistance requests.

Both sides emphasized that confronting terrorism requires concerted action in a sustained and comprehensive manner. Against this backdrop, the two sides renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of countering terrorism including in the UN, Quad and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The two sides called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa'ida affiliates, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and their proxy groups, supporters, sponsors, financiers and backers, under the UN 1267 sanctions regime, ensuring their members face a global asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo. Underscoring the growing convergence between India and the United States on counterterrorism, the Indian side thanked the U.S. Department of State for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

Both sides decided to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Designations Dialogue in the United States on a mutually convenient date.

End Text

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Joint Statement on The 3rd Quad Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting between India, Japan, Australia, and the United States

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

December 6, 2025

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Republic of India, the State of Japan, and the Commonwealth of Australia on the occasion of The 3rd Quad Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting.

Begin Text

The 3rd Quad Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting between India, Japan, Australia, and the United States of America was held in New Delhi on 04-05 December 2025, as a part of India's rotation hosting the next Quad Summit. The Quad CTWG was established during the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in New Delhi in March 2023.

Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West), delivered the keynote address, underscoring the need for forging a common resolve within the Quad to combat the scourge of terrorism, and urged all Quad members to take the necessary steps to make the Quad CTWG a more resilient, robust, and action-oriented Working Group. He thanked Quad member countries for showing solidarity and extending support to India following the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack.

The meeting was led by senior officials in charge of counterterrorism. Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs of India; Ms. Gemma Huggins, Ambassador for Counter Terrorism, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia; Mr. Minami Hiroyuki, Ambassador in-charge of International Cooperation for Countering Terrorism and International Organized Crime of Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ms. Monica Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official for the United States Department of State Counterterrorism Bureau, led their respective delegations.

Quad partners unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They also expressed their condolences for the heinous terror attack on 10 November 2025 near the Red Fort in Delhi. They called for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice and urged all UN Member States to cooperate in doing so.

During the meeting, the Quad member countries exchanged assessments on the terrorism threat landscape, including developments in the Indo-Pacific region. They discussed the full spectrum of counterterrorism cooperation and measures that could be used to address the existing and emerging challenges. They underscored the importance of ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains open and free from the threats of terrorism.

During the meeting, a Tabletop Exercise (TTx) on "Counter Terrorism Operations in the Urban Environment" was conducted. The TTx provided an opportunity for CT experts to share their best practices and identify potential opportunities for joint operational preparedness to respond to complex terrorist scenarios.

Quad partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in multilateral fora. They also emphasized the value of continued information sharing on terrorists, terrorist organizations, and their proxies.

In September 2025, India hosted two Quad CTWG workshops on countering the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for terrorist purposes and on preventing terrorist exploitation of new and emerging technologies for terror financing. These workshops were organized by the National Security Guard and the National Investigation Agency respectively in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs of India.

Quad partners committed to further deepening counterterrorism cooperation within the Quad framework and to convene the next meeting of the Quad Counter Terrorism Working Group in 2026.

End Text

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HMAS Brisbane returns to Sydney from Regional Presence Deployment

Issued by Defence Media

7 December 2025

Royal Australian Navy Hobart class guided-missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane has returned to Fleet Base East in Sydney following a successful four-month deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

HMAS Brisbane sailed over 32,000 nautical miles during her deployment and conducted engagements with partner navies from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Spain, the Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO, RAN, said the ship's company was honoured to represent Australia throughout the deployment.

"This deployment held many highlights for the crew including our participation in several multilateral navy exercises which were extremely beneficial for testing our operational readiness in complex military environments," Vice Admiral Hammond said.

"The time away from home represents a significant commitment by HMAS Brisbane's crew and the sacrifice by their families back home. I am exceptionally grateful to their collective effort in the success of this deployment.

"I also pass on my thanks to the families for their support."

Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones AO CSC, RAN, said that each regional presence deployment reinforced Australia's support for a global rules-based order and strong maritime security.

"These deployments are important to demonstrate our nation's commitment to a peaceful, prosperous and stable Indo Pacific, encouraging free and open access to the sea," Vice Admiral Jones said.

"The more we practise with our regional partners and allies, the better equipped HMAS Brisbane will be to deal with future regional challenges."

HMAS Brisbane is one of three Hobart-class guided-missile destroyers serving in the Royal Australian Navy. It operates with a crew of more than 230 personnel and carries an embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.

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Repression in Belarus: joint statement to the OSCE Ministerial Council 2025

Speech

The UK joins other OSCE participating States in calling for an end to human rights violations in Belarus.

From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Ann-Sofie Nilsson, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Published 5 December 2025

Location: Vienna

Delivered on: 5 December 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Thank you, Mr Chair,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States that are members of the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and my own country Sweden.

The following participating States are also joining this statement: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, San Marino, and Switzerland.

In the 1991 Moscow Document, all OSCE participating States agreed that the commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State concerned. This commitment has subsequently been reaffirmed, including at the level of heads of state and government in 2010 in Astana.

Over five years have passed since the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus in 2020. Since then, the brutal repression and human rights violations have continued systematically and unabated, as documented by numerous international human rights bodies and civil society organizations, targeting political opposition, human rights defenders, civil society, journalists and other media actors, and many more.

We strongly condemn these violations, which target all segments of Belarusian society. We also strongly condemn the Belarusian authorities' involvement and complicity in Russia's unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. We call on the Belarusian authorities to ensure that no Ukrainian children are forcibly transferred to or through Belarus' territory and to provide full transparency on any such cases.

Mr Chair,

The OSCE Moscow Mechanism was invoked in 2020 and again in 2023 in light of a large group of countries' deep concern over 'threats to the fulfilment of the provisions of the human dimension posed by human rights violations and abuses in Belarus'.

The Moscow Mechanism report from 2023 found that Belarus had taken a large number of actions that infringed political rights and the democratic process, freedoms of assembly and association, freedom of expression and the right of access to information, the rights to liberty and security, the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the right to a fair trial, and the right to effective remedies. Regrettably, Belarus has not made any progress on the recommendations of the 2020 nor the 2023 report, thereby underlining its persistent disregard for their international obligations and OSCE commitments.

In July 2024, 38 participating States expressed their deep regret over Belarus' failure to implement the said recommendations, and therefore invoked the OSCE Vienna Mechanism to ask several pressing questions to Belarus.

As we have raised repeatedly in the Permanent Council during this year, Belarus has still not provided a substantial response to the concerns expressed.

On the contrary, the persecution and intimidation campaigns against all segments of society continue, and as highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, the overall human rights situation has continued to deteriorate over the past year, with new forms of repression added.

As of today, 5 December, Viasna has documented 1218 political prisoners. The conditions in detention are appalling, with numerous credible reports about terrible conditions and brutal treatment, including incommunicado detention. The UN Committee Against Torture has come to the inescapable conclusion that torture is a systematic practice in Belarus and women deprived of liberty are subjected to gender-specific ill-treatment. While the release of some political prisoners is a welcome development, we remain deeply concerned that Belarus continues to imprison and detain many more. We are also aware that many former prisoners upon release have been forced to leave Belarus or remain under surveillance and repression, which in practice extends their punishment beyond imprisonment, often leading to exile. We continue to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Ales Bialiatski, Maryia Kalesnikava, Mikalai Statkevich, Viktar Babaryka, Maksim Znak, Pavel Seviarynets and Andrzej Poczobut, and their effective rehabilitation. We reiterate our call on Belarusian authorities to refrain from new detentions and to stop persecuting individuals for exercising their human rights and freedoms. The death penalty is contrary to the inalienable right to life and we call on Belarus to establish a moratorium as a first step towards abolition.

The presidential election in January 2025 took place in the context of widespread repression, with continued pressure on civil society, arbitrary detentions and human rights violations, severe restrictions of political participation and a lack of credible opposition candidates.

We recall that ODIHR made efforts over several months to engage with the Belarusian authorities on election observation. The Belarusian authorities' late invitation -only ten days before the presidential elections - prevented ODIHR's access to key stages of the election process, making meaningful observation impossible. In this context, we reaffirm our full support for ODIHR's independent election monitoring and its globally recognized methodology. It is a valuable tool for the promotion of human rights and democracy across the OSCE area.

Mr Chair,

We urge Belarus to fully implement its international obligations and OSCE commitments in the field of human rights and democracy. Belarus must also stop its support for Russia's illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine.

We will continue to support the Belarusian people's aspiration for a free, democratic and independent Belarus.

Thank you.

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Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov Emphasize the Importance of Safeguarding the Outcomes of the Victory of World War II

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: December 03, 2025 14:45

On December 2, 2025 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

Wang Yi said that since the beginning of this year, the international environment has become increasingly unstable, uncertain, and unpredictable. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia relations dare to brave high winds and choppy waters, and meet challenges head-on, achieving high-level, wide-ranging and high-quality development. The two heads of state held in-depth exchanges twice this year on the occasions commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of World War II, focusing on changes unseen in a century, charting the course for and shaping the future of China-Russia relations, and providing stability and certainty to the world. In particular, both sides agreed to firmly safeguard the outcomes of the victory of World War II, resolutely oppose any retrogressive acts attempting to whitewash colonial aggression, and send a powerful message for upholding justice and fairness in the current era. As permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for the new era, China and Russia should continue to coordinate and cooperate to resolutely curb the provocative acts of Japan's far-right forces that undermine regional peace and stability and attempt to remilitarize.

President Vladimir Putin has just signed a decree granting Chinese citizens visa-free entry to Russia, which is a vivid manifestation of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era. This will further facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields. China is ready to work with Russia to implement the visa-free policy and ensure its successful execution. Noting that next year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, as well as the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, Wang Yi said that the development of China-Russia relations will usher in new historical opportunities. China is ready to continue working with Russia to fully implement the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, and through stronger mutual support, more robust strategic coordination, and more proactive mutually beneficial cooperation, bring more benefits to the people of both countries and contribute to the development of a more just and equitable international order.

Sergei Lavrov said that the two heads of state exchanged visits this year, injecting new impetus into further consolidating the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. Russia abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China's position on the Taiwan question. Russia is ready to take the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation next year as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation, enhance personnel exchanges, and achieve win-win results. Russia supports China's hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and appreciates and supports the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. Russia is willing to work with China to jointly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and its Security Council, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS, safeguard the national interests of both countries, and maintain international security and stability.

Sergei Lavrov shared his views on the Ukraine crisis, commended China's objective and impartial stance, and expressed willingness to maintain communication with the Chinese side. Wang Yi elaborated on China's consistent position, stating that China will continue to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis.

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on other nternational and regional issues of mutual concern.

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Chinese hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" visits Jamaica and provides medical services

Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

Source China Military Online

EditorLi Weichao

Time2025-12-05 21:47:24

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Dec. 5 -- On December 4 local time, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's hospital ship "Silk Road Ark", which is on the Mission Harmony 2025, arrived at Montego Bay, Jamaica, commencing a 12-day friendly visit and medical services.

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica in late October, causing casualties and significant property damage to its southwestern coast, and put the local medical system under tremendous pressure. At the request of the Jamaican side, the Chinese naval hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" will dock at three ports in Jamaica - Montego Bay, Kingston, and Falmouth - to provide medical services to local residents for 12 days.

This marks the second time that a Chinese naval hospital ship has provided medical services in Jamaica since the "Peace Ark" hospital ship visited the country in 2011. This is also the first time that a Chinese naval hospital ship has docked at multiple ports within the same country to provide medical services since the launch of the Chinese PLA Navy's "Harmony Mission" series of tasks, and also represents the longest duration of medical services delivered within a single nation.

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China, UAE to hold Falcon Shield 2025 joint air force training: Defense Spokesperson

Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

Source China Military Online

EditorLi Jiayao

Time2025-12-05 17:42:12

BEIJING, Dec. 5 -- "The militaries of China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will hold the Falcon Shield 2025 joint air force training in the UAE from December 9 to 22, 2025," said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a press briefing on Friday.

According to the spokesperson, this is the third time for the two militaries to conduct the series training, which will help the two sides enhance mutual learning and deepen substantial cooperation in defense field.

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URUMQI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed and seven others injured in expressway collisions on Saturday night in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Sunday.

The accidents happened at around 10 p.m. on different sections of an expressway in the city of Usu in Tacheng Prefecture, where multiple vehicles crashed in succession. In total, five large vehicles and seven smaller cars were involved.

The injured were rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.

Local officials said the crashes happened amid sudden heavy fog, combined with sub-zero nighttime temperatures that caused road surfaces to become wet and icy within a short period of time.

Further investigation into the accidents is underway. 
China deploys largest naval force yet amid Japan's buildup near Taiwan

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 10:46 AM

China has deployed its largest naval presence to date across East Asian waters, coinciding with Japan's accelerated militarization of the Ryukyu island chain, raising tensions in the region amid renewed concerns over Taiwan.

Regional officials and intelligence assessments said China has deployed what they described as its "largest maritime show of force to date," with more than 100 naval and coast guard vessels operating from the Yellow Sea to the western Pacific.

While Beijing has not announced any official exercises, analysts described the activity as a potential demonstration of maritime power in a politically sensitive period.

The heightened tempo at sea comes amid a political clash with Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo could consider military action if China attacked Taiwan, describing such a scenario as a "Taiwan contingency."

Her position marked a break from Japan's traditional adherence to the one-China policy and prompted immediate and strong condemnation from Beijing.

Japan, meanwhile, is reshaping its defense posture across the southwest islands. According to a Wednesday report by CGTN, Tokyo has spent more than a decade transforming the Ryukyu chain into what military planners consider the front line of any Taiwan-related scenario.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Ishigaki and Yonaguni on November 23 to inspect progress on deployments, including a new unit equipped with the Type-03 medium-range surface-to-air missile system on Yonagunijust 110 kilometers from Taiwan.

The system is part of an expanding network of air defense, anti-ship, and electronic warfare installations across the southwest.

Residents of the small Yonaguni community, however, remain uneasy. Many have opposed missile deployments for years, arguing that the militarization makes their island a potential target rather than improving security. Some fear the expansion risks drawing the region closer to conflict.

Japan's shift began in 2010, when Tokyo redirected defense priorities toward mobility and rapid response in the Ryukyus. Since then, missile units have been installed on Amami Oshima and Miyako, and a coastal surveillance unit was set up on Yonaguni in 2016.

A new base opened on Ishigaki last year, and the missile deployment on Yonaguni is scheduled for completion in 2026. By 2027, the 15th Brigade in Okinawa will be upgraded to a division with 4,000 personnel, shifting its mandate from local defense toward island operations.

Against this backdrop, officials offered differing interpretations of China's naval activities

One described the deployment as unprecedented, saying some vesselssupported by aircraftsimulated attacks on foreign ships and practiced access-denial missions intended to prevent outside intervention during a potential conflict.

Two other sources, however, viewed the maneuvers as a large but routine seasonal operation and said Chinese ship numbers near Taiwan had not increased markedly.

China's longstanding position that Taiwan is part of its sovereign territory is recognized by almost all countries under the one-China policy.

Beijing has repeatedly said the issue is a red line for the Chinese government and public. By contrast, Japan's and Taiwan's recent movesincluding Taipei's approval of an additional $40 billion in defense spendinghave introduced new variables into an already sensitive geopolitical environment.

Washington has also been involved. Reuters noted that US President Donald Trump urged Takaichi to lower tensions after her remarks, saying reduced friction with Beijing would help maintain a fragile trade truce.

That message came after Trump's call with President Xi Jinping, who reiterated China's position that Taiwan's future lies with the mainland.

Beijing has not commented publicly on the latest reported maritime operations.

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China, Russia hold third joint anti-missile exercise in Russian territory: Chinese Defense Ministry

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Dec 06, 2025 10:16 PM

In early December, the Chinese and Russian militaries held the third joint anti-missile exercise in Russian territory, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

This joint exercise does not target any third party and has no connection with the current international and regional situation, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement.

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U.S. to deter China through strength, not confrontation: Pete Hegseth

ROC Central News Agency

12/07/2025 01:29 PM

Washington, Dec. 6 (CNA) United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that one of the U.S. military's main priorities is to deter China "through strength, not through confrontation," as he reiterated Washington's stance that it has no intention of changing the Taiwan Strait status quo.

Speaking at the annual Reagan Defense Forum held in Simi Valley, California, Hegseth outlined the Department of War's priorities under President Donald Trump.

"First, defending the US homeland and our hemisphere. Second, deterring China through strength, not confrontation. Third, increased burden sharing for us, allies and partners. And fourth, supercharging the U.S. defense industrial base," he said.

The defense chief said the Washington-Beijing relations under Trump are "better and stronger" as the administration seeks "stable, peace, fair trade, and respectful relations with China."

"This line of effort is based on flexible realism, not naivete, an approach aimed not at domination, but rather at a balance of power," Hegseth said.

Repeating what he said at the Shangri-La Dialogue attended by military chiefs in Singapore earlier this year, Hegseth said the U.S. is not trying to "strangle China's growth."

"We're not trying to dominate or humiliate them, nor are we trying to change the status quo over Taiwan," he said.

U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific are "significant, but also scoped and reasonable," he said.

"This means ensuring none of our allies are vulnerable to sustained, successful military aggression," said Hegseth.

In his address, he also reiterated Trump's push to ensure U.S. allies pay more for their own defense.

"Our allies are not children," he said. "We can and should and must expect them to do their part."

Amid the Trump administration's repeated call for Washington's partners around the world, including Taiwan, to increase defense spending, President Lai Ching-te () has announced a plan to allocate US$40 billion for a special defense budget, and to increase defense spending to at least 3 percent of Taiwan's GDP by 2026, and 5 percent by 2030.

(By Elaine Hou and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/cs

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Egyptian, Russian FMs discuss regional developments

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:29, December 06, 2025

CAIRO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, held a phone talk on Friday to discuss the developments in the Middle East, according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

During the phone conversation, the two top diplomats touched on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Abdelatty emphasized the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and proceed with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan. He underscored the importance of enabling the creation of an international stabilization force in Gaza to consolidate the ceasefire.

The two ministers also discussed developments in Lebanon and Syria. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's support for Lebanon's unity, sovereignty, security, and stability.

He reiterated Egypt's call to uphold Syria's unity and territorial integrity, and rejected actions or interventions that could undermine stability, urging the advancement of an inclusive political process that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.

The discussion further addressed the Iranian nuclear issue, stressing the importance of continued efforts to de-escalate tensions, build confidence, and create conditions conducive to diplomatic solutions.

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Joint Statement Between the French Republic and the People's Republic of China on Enhancing Global Governance.

Elysee - President of France

Posted on 5 December 2025

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic paid a state visit to China from December 3 to 5, 2025. The two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views on multilateralism and the international situation, and, on the basis of the joint declaration between the two countries on the preservation of multilateralism and the improvement of global governance of March 25, 2019, the joint declaration of April 7, 2023 and the joint declaration on artificial intelligence and global governance of May 7, 2024, reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing global governance.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. As founding members of the U.N. and permanent members of the Security Council, France and China reaffirm their commitment to firmly upholding the authority and status of the U.N. in the international system and upholding and safeguarding the international system underpinned by international law and the rule of solidarity in accordance with the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter. The two leaders call for continued efforts to promote multilateralism. Multilateralism is the cornerstone of the international order, and the best way to promote international cooperation, maintain world peace and prosperity and address the evolving problems and challenges.

In this spirit, France and China support the efforts of the U.N. Secretary General under the U.N. 80 Initiative for advancing U.N. reform. The two countries reaffirm their support for increasing the representation of developing countries in all governance platforms as a way to shape a more inclusive international system. The two countries underline their support for the WTO-centered, rules-based multilateral trading system, commit to fostering a free, open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for trade and investment, and state their support for the necessary reform of the WTO. The two countries agree to strengthen cooperation under the G20 framework and work for a G20 that plays its role as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

France attaches importance to and appreciates the Global Governance Initiative put forward by China, which supports the central role of the U.N. in international affairs. France and China stand ready to work together on global governance.

The global economy is currently facing challenges including weak growth momentum, imbalances, and inadequacies in governance structure. The two sides call on all major economies to strengthen dialogue, to coordinate their macroeconomic policies and push for reform of international economic and financial governance, with a view to enabling more balanced and sustainable development of the world economy.

In 2026, France will hold the G7 presidency and China will host APEC. The two sides stand ready to conduct inclusive dialogues to address these challenges. China attaches importance to and appreciates the efforts made by France to this end. France aims to involve major emerging countries, including China, in jointly building a coordinated response, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund.



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Joint Statement between the French Republic and the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in Addressing Global Climate and Environmental Challenges.

Elysee - President of France

Posted on 5 December 2025

At the invitation of Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, paid a state visit to China from 3 to 5 December 2025. Convinced of the importance of a sustained dialogue between the two countries with a view to bringing lasting solutions to address global climate and environmental challenges, the two Heads of State decided to strengthen the cooperation between France and China in this regard :

1. France and China reaffirm their commitment to further implementing effectively and consistently the 2019 Beijing Call for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change, the joint statement of France and China on strengthening biodiversity and ocean cooperation from Kunming-Montreal to Nice, and the 2025 Joint Statement between the French Republic and the People's Republic of China on Climate Change on the occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

2. France and China reaffirm their commitment to strengthening multilateralism and addressing global challenges, and in particular to the implementation of the three Rio Conventions, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, as the fundamental legal bases and central frameworks for international cooperation to address global climate and environmental challenges.

3. France and China reaffirm their determination to defend the role of science as the basis of our action, and support the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) and to safeguard the integrity of information on climate and environmental issues. The two countries call upon all parties to adhere to the objectives and principles established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, including the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. The two countries call upon all parties to adhere to and implement existing commitments, especially on mitigation and adaptation.

They welcome the efforts undertaken by the Brazilian presidency of the COP30 of the UNFCCC and the commitments made in Belem, including the new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while striving to do better collectively and cooperatively. They reaffirm the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that achieving this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. The two countries reaffirm their commitment to jointly fostering a supportive and open international economic system. They continue to enhance cooperation on accelerating the global renewable energy deployment, including making continuous contribution to the global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, and actively pushing forward green and low-carbon socio-economic transformation, and continue to strengthen their engagement on topics such as carbon pricing, climate investment and financing, methane, carbon footprint methodologies, and adaptation. They recognize the importance of controlling and reducing methane emissions and in particular of mobilizing the technological and innovative solutions available.

They support the tripling of nuclear power generation capacity worldwide by 2050. They support the implementation of the 2023 International Maritime Organization Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships in order to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around 2050.

4. Recognizing the interactions between climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, forest loss and land degradation, and degradation and scarcity of water resources, the two countries reaffirm the commitments made by all parties at COP26 in working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation, and making active contributions to the protection of tropical forests in the three major forest basins. The two countries also acknowledge the need to strengthen integrated water resource management at local, regional and global levels, and will aim to promote a shared vision for the next United Nations Water Conference in 2026.

5. The two countries commit to strengthening global ocean governance. They welcome the forthcoming entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, encourage countries to sign or ratify the agreement as early as possible and call for its swift and effective implementation. The two countries will continue the efforts undertaken in the organizations of the Antarctic Treaty system (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources), including with regard to environmental protection, resources conservation and biodiversity.

6. The two countries support efforts to conclude negotiations on an international legally binding instrument aiming to end plastic pollution, in accordance with UNEA Resolution 5/14 (UNEP/EA.5/Res. 14). Both countries are committed to encouraging research and innovation on sustainable and competitive plastic alternatives.

7. France and China intend to cooperate to support developing countries in enhancing their capacity to access financing and to encourage an acceleration of their ecological transition, while supporting their sustainable development. Developed countries will continue taking the lead in providing and mobilizing climate and environmental finance for developing countries by 2035, while developing countries are encouraged to contribute to this global effort on a voluntary basis. They welcome the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. They reaffirm their support to the financing targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. China will continue to participate at an appropriate level in the meetings of the follow-up committee of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact held in June 2023 and is seriously considering the Paris Pact for Peoples and the Planet (4P).

8. France and China are willing to actively explore the possibility of establishing a working group on addressing climate and environmental challenges, and consider convening a meeting in the first half of 2026 to discuss the establishment of this working group.

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Joint Statement between the French Republic and the People's Republic of China on the situation on Ukraine and the situation on Palestine.

Elysee - President of France

Posted on 5 December 2025

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic paid a state visit to China from December 3 to 5, 2025. The two presidents recalled the Joint Declaration between the French Republic and the People's Republic of China of April 7, 2023 and the France-China Joint Statement on the Situation in the Middle East of May 7, 2024, had an in-depth exchange of views on the two major issues concerning international peace and stability, and reached the following common understandings :

As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, France and China are jointly committed to seeking constructive solutions grounded in international law to address the challenges and threats to international security and stability. Both sides are committed to the peaceful settlement of differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation.

On Ukraine, France and China express their support for all efforts to reach a ceasefire and restore peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

France and China reaffirm that favorable conditions must be created for the effective implementation of the two-State solution, which is the only credible way to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples for a just and lasting peace and security. The two countries welcome the adoption of the New York Declaration on September 12, 2025. China has recognized the State of Palestine since 1988, and once again welcomes France's recognition of the State of Palestine on September 22, 2025.

France and China welcome the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on October 9 2025, and call on all parties to immediately honor their commitments they made and refrain from any action that could undermine their fulfillment of commitments. The two countries condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of terrorist violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. The two presidents reaffirm the necessity of large-scale humanitarian assistance under the United Nations supervision and of its rapid, safe, sustainable and unimpeded delivery throughout the Gaza Strip.

France and China underline the importance of continuing to provide material and financial support to the Palestinian Authority and commend the efforts of the members of the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority. France appreciates and welcomes China's assistance to Palestine.

The two countries reaffirm their willingness to maintain close communication on issues concerning international peace and stability.

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Xi, Macron have friendly exchanges in China's Chengdu

Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

Source Xinhuanet

EditorLi Weichao

Time2025-12-05 15:06:18

CHENGDU, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron had friendly exchanges on Friday in Dujiangyan in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Upon their arrival, Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were warmly received by Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. Welcoming them to Sichuan, known as the "Land of Abundance," Xi recalled his visit last year to the Hautes-Pyrenees Department at Macron's invitation. Xi said he believed that Macron's visit will help deepen his understanding of China.

The Dujiangyan irrigation system is the world's only ancient irrigation project still in operation today, and also one of the earliest successful practices of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, Xi said, adding that its construction process fully reflects the Chinese nation's spirit of constant self-improvement, fearlessness in the face of hardship, and courage to forge ahead.

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Transcript of Special briefing by MEA on the State Visit of the President of Russia to India (December 05, 2025)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

December 05, 2025

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to this Special Press Briefing by Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri on the ongoing state visit of the President of Russia.

We also have with us our Ambassador to Russia Shri Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary, ERS Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Shri Mayank Singh. With that, I invite Foreign Secretary to give his opening remarks.

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Thank you, Randhir. Good afternoon, or rather good evening now. Thank you all for being here.

As you all know, the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, is currently on a State Visit to India for the 23rd annual summit between India and Russia. He is accompanied by a high-powered delegation comprising several senior ministers and officials of the Russian Federation, and also a very large business delegation.

You would also be aware that this year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, which was established coincidentally during the first State Visit of President Vladimir Putin to India in October of the year 2000. And in 2010, 15 years ago, the relationship was elevated to the status of a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. In that sense, this visit on the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of the Strategic Partnership is indeed a very special visit.

In a very special gesture, President Putin was received on arrival yesterday evening at the airport by the Honorable Prime Minister himself. The two leaders then rode together to the Prime Minister's official residence, where the Honorable Prime Minister hosted President Putin for an informal dinner, over which there was a frank and candid exchange of views between the two leaders on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.

This morning, President Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honor at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, following which he visited Rajghat, where he paid floral tributes to the father of the nation. Both leaders then convened at Hyderabad House later in the morning to hold wide-ranging discussions in restricted format, followed by a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister.

The leaders thereafter jointly took part in the India-Russia Trade Forum held in Bharat Mandapam just a short while ago, with the presence of key stakeholders from the business community both in India and in Russia. The focus of the forum was on the shared ambition of both leaders to expand the economic dimension of our bilateral partnership by increasing our bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, including primarily by increasing India's exports to Russia, strengthening industrial cooperation, and forging new investment partnerships.

The outcomes of discussions during the business and sectoral discussions that have been ongoing over the last two days were presented to the two leaders this afternoon. For details on these, I would refer you to our Ministry of Commerce, which has been coordinating these events. Later on in the evening today, Honorable Rashtrapati ji will receive President Putin at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and will be hosting a state banquet in his honor.

Now, as to the focus and outcomes of the visit, both sides have adopted a Joint Statement, which you might have had an opportunity to see. The Joint Statement testifies to the India-Russia relationship as a time-tested, progressive partnership that is anchored in trust and mutual respect. It reflects the very special nature of our ties, and provides a comprehensive framework for further deepening our multifaceted bilateral partnership.

In addition to the Joint Statement, there were several agreements and MoUs that were concluded and exchanged during the visit, some of them in the presence of the leaders this morning. These include agreements on labour mobility, on maritime cooperation, health, culture, trade, media cooperation, as well as several business-to-business MoUs. I think the details of these are available on our website as well.

Economic cooperation, I would say, is the driving impulse and the most important focus of this particular visit. As I said just a while ago, expanding bilateral trade and strengthening economic cooperation requires swiftly addressing non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments. Enhancing Indian exports to Russia in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, marine products, and textiles is important to correct the trade imbalance. Each one of these sectors, in considerable detail, was discussed between the two leaders today, with both of them pointing to the opportunities that existed in these areas and what were the steps, that were needed, that could be taken by both sides in order to move towards the mutually shared objective of increasing trade in these areas.

Agreements in mobility, as I said, and these are two agreements in particular. The agreement on temporary labour activity in both states; and the agreement on cooperation in combating irregular migration. They form a centerpiece of the understandings reached during the ongoing visit. Indian skilled workers, especially in IT, in construction, and in engineering, will help meet Russia's labour needs and deepen our bilateral cooperation. In fact, there is increasing interest among Russian businesses and industries to hire skilled manpower from India to support growing economic activities in Russia.

The India-Russia trade forum that concluded just a short while ago, which the leaders attended today, thus becomes a very key element of the visit. You would have followed that. Both the leaders gave a joint call for action to their respective businesses to expand the linkages between them.

In this context, I would like to point to another very significant outcome of this particular visit, which is the program of economic cooperation going up to 2030 that has been adopted during this particular summit. It also serves to give overarching guidance to both sides to expand the scope of the economic dimension of this relationship.

The discussions today also focused considerably on the proposed Free Trade Agreement that is under discussion between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, which is again expected to help address the issue of the trade deficit. It was agreed between the two sides that negotiations should be fast-tracked for early conclusion within the stipulated timelines. The terms of reference for this agreement had in fact been finalized and signed during the visit just a few weeks ago of the External Affairs Minister to Moscow. I think it was in August of this year when he had co-chaired the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Cultural Cooperation with Mr. Denis Manturov, the first Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. During the current visit, both sides also underscored the importance of expediting the discussions and the negotiations on the Bilateral Investment Treaty, which again will help energize investments in both directions.

In addition to this, connectivity initiatives were also discussed including the international North- South transport corridor, the eastern maritime corridor, the Chennai Vladivostok route and also cooperation along the northern sea route. These corridors again are expected to energize economic linkages, reduce transit times, and expand our trade access across Eurasia and beyond.

India - Russia defense and military technical cooperation remains robust. Russia also continues to support India's Make in India initiative in this domain including through joint production and technology transfer. This is also an area that was discussed between the two leaders.

The Prime Minister appreciated President Putin's support in expediting the opening of two new Indian consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg. The plaques for the two new consulates were in fact again unveiled by the External Affairs Minister during his recent visit to Russia for the SCO Heads of Government meeting. These consulates will further deepen our regional outreach in Russia and enhance trade, academic exchange, other kinds of collaboration including culture and people to people ties.

On global and multilateral issues, both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to the reform of global governance. We underlined the imperative to reform the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary realities. And our collaboration in forums where both India and Russia are members, such as the G20, BRICS and SCO, remains forward looking.

Now, President Putin also briefed Prime Minister at considerable length concerning recent developments on the conflict in Ukraine, including on the talks that are currently underway between Russian representatives and US authorities. Prime Minister reiterated India's longstanding position on this conflict, emphasizing India's interest in seeing the earliest possible cessation of hostilities, and a sustainable resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. And, you would have heard the Prime Minister's remarks during the press event earlier today. India stands ready to provide any assistance required in this effort and to play an appropriate role in this effort. The two leaders also discussed the situation in other regional hotspots around the world.

On terrorism, the two leaders reiterated their resolve to fight jointly against all forms and manifestations of terrorism and the Prime Minister reiterated India's zero tolerance stance on terrorism and President Putin reiterated Russia's support for India in this effort.

So, to conclude, I can say that the visit has helped deliver some very substantive outcomes, and the rich discussions between the two leaders have helped deepen the trust and mutual respect for each other's core national interests. As, I said earlier in my remarks, the overarching focus of this particular summit was to expand and strengthen the economic dimension of our partnership to advance towards the shared goal of reaching $100 billion dollars in bilateral trade by 2030.

The India- Russia relationship also remains an anchor for constructive engagement in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, and both our sides are committed to continue to do our part in addressing the challenges that the current environment poses for both countries.

Let me stop here, and if you have some questions, I know we have a hard stop in a short period of time, but I'll be happy to take a few questions.

Pranay Upadhyay, India Today - Aaj Tak: Foreign Secretary this is Pranay Upadhyay, from India Today - Aaj Tak. The Joint Statement mentions about the interoperability of the payment system and the currency exchange system as well in rupee-ruble trade. So what is the mechanism agreed between India and Russia to make it insulated from the Western sanctions, and how many Indian banks are ready to accept ruble as a mode of payment?

Sidhant, WION: Hi sir. So my question is, what is the geopolitical message by both Russia and India in terms of economics at a time when their country is engaging in protectionist policies?

And my second question is, we have extended the visa facility, the 30-day e-visa facility for tourists, Russian tourists. Have they also extended similar facilities for the Indian tourists?

Keshav Padmanabhan, ThePrint: Thank you, Sir. Keshav, here from ThePrint. My first question is on this irregular migration from the Mobility Pact. Is there anything in this pact that deals with the status of the Indians in the Russian army, and was that raised between the two leaders at any level?

And I just wanted a clarification from the Joint Statement. It had a line on Iran and that only through dialogue can the Iran nuclear situation be solved. And we saw that India joined the Joint Statement of the SCO condemning the strikes earlier in June on Iran. Does this signal a sort of change from the original positioning that India took in June when the strikes were taken on the Iranian nuclear facility, as India has deepened its ties with SCO and Russia in the last few months? I just wanted to check on that. Thank you.

Madhurendra, News Nation: Sir jaisa ki Joint Statement mein humne dekha ki terrorism ko ek special mention diya gaya hai. Madhurendra main News Nation se. Aur saath hi statement ke dauran bhi Pradhan Mantri ne mention kiya. Operation Sindoor jaisa ki abhi bhi on hai to kya dono Rashtraadhyaksho ne is baare mein baatcheet ki ki kaise aage terrorism ko tackle karna hai, usko lekar kya joint joint baatcheet hui? Kyuki Pahalgam hamle ka jikra to Pradhan Mantri ne kiya lekin uske thik baad Delhi mein bhi blast hua woh bhi ek bada aatanki hamla tha jismein kafi log maare gaye. Toh kya Delhi blast ko lekar bhi koi jikra hua?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, as we saw in the Joint Statement, terrorism was given a special mention. I'm Madhurendra from News Nation. And even during the press statement, the Prime Minister also referred to it. Since Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, did both Heads of State discuss how terrorism should be tackled going forward? Was there any joint conversation on this? Because the Prime Minister mentioned Pahalgam attack, but right after that there was also a blast in Delhi  that too was a major terror attack in which many people were killed. So was there any mention of the Delhi blast as well?

Kallol Bhattacharjee, The Hindu: Kallol from The Hindu sir. The Prime Minister referred to "Bharat-Roos-Mitrata ek dhruv-taara ki tarah bani rahi hai." Could you please elaborate on what is exactly the meaning of ... could you please expand on the meaning of "dhruv-taara" in this context? Is it really equivalent to Pole star or is there a strategic dimension to it that is actually here in this statement?

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: Pranay, your question on interoperability, payments, the resort to payments in national currencies that is increasingly happening for bilateral trade... Look, both countries are continuing to work together to promote mutual trade in our national currencies. You would be aware that special Rupee Vostro accounts have been opened in significant numbers. They right now form a very effective mechanism in terms of lubricating, so to speak, the trade flows between the two countries. In terms of numbers, I do not know if I recall immediately, but I think there are close to two dozen banks that have opened a large number of these special Rupee Vostro accounts that facilitate the trade between the two countries currently.

We also hope ... as I said, one of the major objectives during this visit was to reach an understanding on how to increase Indian exports to Russia, so that we can better address the trade imbalance between the two countries. I think doing these two things together, handling the trade balance together with expanding opportunities for settlement in national currencies will allow us to move towards this particular objective.

Sidhant, your question on geopolitical messaging... Look, the India-Russia relationship, as I said, is an important relationship, not just bilaterally, but in terms of its regional as well as global significance. I have mentioned that it remains an important anchor for constructive engagement in a very complex geopolitical environment. This particular visit, as I said, its focus was on economic issues, on further building the industrial partnership, the investment partnership between the two countries.

These are issues that have actually risen to the fore in current times. If you look around the globe, supply chains are under stress. Trade relationships are under stress. Investment is becoming more and more unpredictable. Therefore, in this environment, for our two countries to focus on these issues, that is a message in itself.

On the visa facility, we have made these announcements at the present moment in order to promote Russian tourism into India. You would have probably seen the details. We have offered a 30-day e-tourist visa on gratis basis. This is on the basis of reciprocity. And we have also, I think, for the first time, started to look at group tourist visas, and that is also being done with Russia for the first time on a gratis basis.

On the question related to whether the mobility agreement has something to do with the unfortunate issue of Indian citizens being caught up in the conflict in Ukraine by way of recruitment into the Russian army. This particular agreement does not have a specific reference to that. In any case, I can share with you that this issue of the recruitment of Indian citizens into the Russian armed forces was broached by the Prime Minister, and our concerted efforts continue on a regular basis to secure the early release of Indian citizens from the Russian army.

I would just take this opportunity to reiterate once again that our citizens should avoid very, very carefully any offers to join the Russian armed forces. We are seeing several cases of people stranded there, and appealing to be rescued and brought out from there, and as I said, we are actively engaged in that effort.

On the issue of the reference to Iran, the short answer to your question is that there is no fundamental change in our position on this particular issue.

Madhu, aapka prashn tha ki Aatankwad ko leke jo aaj baatcheet hui, aur jo aatanki hamla Delhi mein hua. Aapki baat sahi hai, is vishay par khul ke baatcheet hui dono leaders ke beech. Pradhan Mantri ji ne aaj aapne dekha hoga, aapne press ke vaktavya mein bhi unhone Pahalgam mein jo aatanki hamla hua tha uska varnan kiya. Aur yeh bhi kaha ki pichhle saal Russia mein Moscow mein Crocus Hall mein jo ek aatanki hamla hua tha, in sabhi hamlon ki jad ek hai, ek jagah hai. Aur humein milkar is khatre ka saamna karna hoga. Toh is par baatcheet hui, aur jaisa maine pehle bhi kaha, Russia ki or se hamesha humein is vishay par sahara mila hai, unki sahanubhuti mili hai, unki madad mili hai. Aur humein aasha hai ki aage bhi yeh jaari rahega.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Madhu, your question was about the today's discussion on terrorism and the terror attack that took place in Delhi. You are right  this subject was discussed openly between the two leaders. As you would have seen, in the Prime Minister's press statement today, he also described the terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, and he mentioned that last year in Russia, at Moscow's Crocus Hall, there was also a terrorist attack. All these attacks have the same root, the same source, and we must face this threat together. So yes, this was discussed, and as I said earlier, Russia has always supported us on this issue  we have received their support, sympathy, and assistance  and we hope that this will continue in the future as well.

Kallol, I think, partly the answer to your question is in the translation of Dhruv Taara. But really, seriously speaking, the fact is that what the Prime Minister was trying to convey was to underline the sustained and long-term significance of this relationship. That this relationship is a constant, and it has been there over a period of time. It has been a time-tested relationship. There have been several crises along the way, but they have not affected the fundamentals of this relationship. And, the fact that today we are in a sense also observing the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership, it has come a long way. There has been progress in multiple areas. So, in a sense, the sustainability, the certainty of this relationship, I think this is what the intention was in the use of that term by the Prime Minister.

Rajesh Roy, Associated Press: Good evening, Sir. I am Rajesh Roy from the Associated Press. I wanted to ask if the Russians conveyed their position on the recent US sanction on two of Moscow's biggest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, which is an attempt by them to force countries like India to cut down on imports.

Secondly, did the Indian side seek expeditious delivery of S-400, the remaining two squadrons of the air defense system? Any exploration for purchase of additional units, upgrading Su-30 fleet, and purchase of advanced fighter jets like Su-57?

Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Bloomberg: Sudhi Ranjan from Bloomberg. Foreign Secretary, if you could give us an understanding whether there was any discussion on oil, and whether India and Russia, what they do about the oil trade?

And secondly, in the Joint Statement, we see an elaborate mention of the nuclear power plants on both sides, discussing a second site. If you could elaborate on that, Sir.

Akhilesh Suman, DD News: Sir, main Akhilesh Suman hoon, DD News se. Ek aam aadmi ka sawaal hai ki bahut saare Indian students jaate hain Russia mein medical ki padhai karne ke liye, aur jab ve waapas aate hain to unki degree ko maanyata to milti hai, lekin unko ek saal tak intezaar karna padta hai practice ke liye. Toh aaj health collaboration ki baat hui, academic collaboration ke liye sign kiya gaya, toh kya is issue ko bhi take up kiya gaya hai ya aage kiya jaayega ki unko yahan practice ke liye ek saal ka internship ya phir exam nahin dena pade?

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I am Akhilesh Suman from DD News. I have a common man's question: many Indian students go to Russia to study medicine, and when they return, their degrees are recognized, but they still have to wait for one year before they can practice. Today there was talk about health collaboration, and an agreement was signed for academic collaboration. So, has this issue also been taken up, or will it be taken up in the future, so that they do not have to undergo a one-year internship or an exam here before being allowed to practice?

Ayanangsha Maitra: Excellency, this is Ayanangsha Maitra. Excellency, President Putin has presented a Russian language edition of Gita. We know the history. And is there any discussion on Russian community in Mayapur in West Bengal? There is a big habitat, in fact, which hosts the largest number of Russian community in West Bengal's Nadia district in Mayapur. Is there any discussion on them, as well as any discussion on Rooppur nuclear plant in Bangladesh? Thank you.

Sumita, ET Now: Sir, this is Sumita from ET Now. I have a question, a follow-up question to what Sudhi asked essentially about the energy security. And the Prime Minister stated that this is an essential pillar of the partnership. President Putin stated that we are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments. But can you elaborate on the agreements that were reached as far as the energy security spectrum is concerned? And secondly, on your point about addressing the trade imbalance and the fact that this visit was essentially focused on economic issues, is there a near-term guidance? You spoke about a long-term guidance, but was there any near-term guidance that was given?

Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary: I think, insofar as the Russian position on the sanctions that have been imposed... well, obviously, there was a discussion on what has been happening with regard to energy cooperation between the two countries. And, the Russian side put forth its position on the measures that have been taken by a number of countries. You didn't have to be inside the room to guess what that position is. It's fairly obvious.

But insofar as the discussions related to energy are concerned, and this also goes to, I think, the last question posed on the narrative on energy security, we have been fairly clear in terms of communicating that as a significant importer of energy, our priority is to ensure that 1.4 billion people in India have their energy needs secured. And our energy sourcing policies are guided entirely by this imperative. Ensuring stable energy prices and secure supplies are the twin goals of our sourcing policy. And part of this, therefore, goes into the area of diversifying energy supplies. And our partners, traditional as well as new, understand this and appreciate this.

They also appreciate that Indian companies will take, and I point to the fact that this is something that covers both private companies as well as public companies, because in both cases, these are publicly listed companies. They have fiduciary responsibilities. And therefore, these companies make decisions on the basis of evolving market dynamics on the basis of the commercial issues that they confront, while sourcing their supplies. Within the four corners of this approach, we are continuing our cooperation between the two countries.

On your other question related to various defence platforms... I think you would be aware that yesterday evening, there was a meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries in the framework of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation. I don't have the details or readout of that particular meeting, but I imagine that these issues that you referred to were discussed in that meeting. Between the Prime Minister and President, as I said in my earlier remarks, there was a general discussion on the robustness and the long-standing nature of the India-Russia Defence and Military-Technical Cooperation and the fact that Russia is also participating in several Make-in-India defence related programmes. And a lot of the focus was on, in fact, legacy cooperation between the two countries. But for the specifics, I think you would have to refer to the discussions yesterday that took place between the two delegations of the Ministries of Defence of the two countries.

Sudhi, insofar as your question related to oil is concerned, I think I have already answered. On the nuclear power project, as you are aware, actually, there was a considerable amount of discussion on nuclear-related issues between the two leaders. Kudankulam 1 and 2, as you are aware, are already connected to the National Grid, generating electricity. Work is currently underway on Units 3 to 6, where, in fact, a number of the critical shipments with regard to Units 3 and 4 are underway. And work to conclude agreements for similar things with respect to Units 5 and 6 is already also proceeding in parallel.

When it comes to the second site, this is an issue that has been under discussion between the two countries for some time now. As you are aware, selection of a site for a nuclear power plant is an elaborate and complicated exercise that has to take into account various factors related to siting, including environmental and other related factors. These are all under consideration of the concerned authorities in the Department of Atomic Energy. We will update you whenever there is a further development with regard to this.

Akhilesh, aapne medical students ke baare mein jo sawal poocha hai, jahan tak meri jaankaari hai, Russia mein jo hamare ... kisi bhi videshi mulk mein hamare vidyarthi jab padhne jaate hain jab medicine ki padhai ke liye jaate hain... toh unhe vahan degree milti hai. Lekin Bharat mein as a medical professional practice karne se pehle, unhe ek imtihan pass karna hota hai jise FMGE kehte hain, Foreign Medical Graduates Examination. Aur National Medical Council NMC jo hai Bharat ki ye is imtihan ko is pariksha ko conduct karti hai. Aur ye hamari requirement hai. Ye Bharat ki regulatory requirement hai ki bahar se jo log padh ke aaye unke liye ek hamare regulatory standards ko ye students meet kar sake uske liye imtihan zaroori hai. Iska Russia ke sath koi lena dena nahi hai kyunki ye sabhi deshon ke liye hai. Kisi bhi desh mein bahar se koi vidyarthi padh ke aaye medicine ki padhai karke aaye usko wapas aake ye imtihan dena hi hoga. Toh isme aisi koi specifically roos ko leke koi provision nahi hai.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Akhilesh, regarding the question you asked about medical students  as far as I know, when our students go to Russia or to any foreign country to study medicine, they do receive a degree there. But before they can practice in India as medical professionals, they must pass an examination called the FMGE  the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination. This exam is conducted by the National Medical Council (NMC) of India, and it is our requirement. It is India's regulatory requirement that students who study abroad must meet our regulatory standards, and for that, this examination is necessary. This has nothing to do with Russia specifically; it applies to all countries. Wherever a student studies medicine abroad, after returning to India, they must take this exam. So, there is no special provision related to Russia in this matter.

I really don't have anything on this issue, related to the Russian community in West Bengal. Actually, I have learned something today. I wasn't aware that there was one. Okay, but no, this did not come up in the discussions today. But I'm sure that the Ambassador will probably look into it in much greater detail and probably see where we are.

You asked about Rooppur. There is ongoing collaboration on Rooppur, work is continuing on that. And we remain in touch with both our partners in Russia, as well as in Bangladesh, on taking forward the work that needs to be done on this.

And finally, Sumita, I think the energy security part I answered, but on trade imbalance, in so far as the near term is concerned, I think it might interest you to know that in the recent past, as a response to the stresses that we have faced on several other fronts, we have, of course, engaged with various partners on looking for new markets, new consumers, etc. We have done the same with Russia.

And in fact, in a very positive and I would say gratifying development, there are several sectors primarily related to fisheries, if I am not mistaken, the maritime - marine products, and agricultural and horticultural products, that we have seen new markets being developed. There was a reference to this fact today, that there was uptake of Indian exports in a very short period of time, in terms of the requests being made and the orders being placed and the exports actually being realized. And there was encouragement to take this further. And in fact, the Russian side said that they would be ready to look at other products. In fact, there was a reference that, you know, if we were able to export these products in large quantities to many other parts of the world, there was no reason why they could not be exported to Russia as well.

So, short-term guidance, if you will, was for exporters to connect more intimately with each other and explore opportunities. And that is also what the forum this afternoon was all about in terms of getting the importers and exporters together to explore these very opportunities.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Well, thank you very much. With that, we come to the close of this session. Thank you for your presence, ladies and gentlemen.

New Delhi

December 05, 2025

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Meeting with President of India Droupadi Murmu and state reception in honour of the President of Russia

The President of Russia met with President of the Republic of India Droupadi Murmu. Thereafter, a state reception was held on behalf of the President of the Republic of India in honour of the President of the Russian Federation, which was also attended by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.

December 5, 2025

16:50

Speeches by the President of India and the President of Russia at the state reception

President of India Droupadi Murmu (retranslated): Your Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation,

Mr Vice President,

Mr Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an immense pleasure for me to welcome His Excellency Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and members of his delegation.

This evening's gathering is indeed a momentous occasion, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Indian-Russian strategic partnership. Its foundation stone was laid personally by His Excellency President Putin during his visit to India in October 2000, and this partnership was elevated to the status of a special privileged strategic partnership in 2010.

The partnership between India and Russia is based on a shared commitment to peace, stability, and mutual socioeconomic and technological development. This year has been particularly fruitful for our multifaceted partnership. Significant progress has been achieved across all spheres - high-level political engagements, trade, economy, defence, civilian nuclear energy, outer space, science, technology, education, culture, and people-to-people ties.

The joint communique of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit reflects the unique nature of our bond and provides a comprehensive framework for the further deepening of our bilateral relations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The dialogue between our two cultures spans centuries, from Russian travellers who visited India and Indian merchants who journeyed to Russia, to the inspiring correspondence between Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy, and our mutual admiration for each other's rich cultural, literary, and artistic heritage.

I am confident that our friends from Russia will recognise several familiar flavours and melodies of our shared cultural legacy during tonight's dinner. The spirit of the confluence of two great rivers - the Ganges and the Volga - continues to thrive in our time-tested friendship and will guide our cooperation in all spheres.

Your Excellency, tonight is a celebration of the friendship between our two nations, a friendship which has remained steadfast over the years and is destined to flourish for many more to come.

Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to extend our warm wishes for the good health of His Excellency President Vladimir Putin, continued progress and prosperity for the Russian people, and enduring friendship between India and Russia.

Thank you.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Madam President, Mr Prime Minister, friends,

First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to President of the Republic of India Droupadi Murmu, and, of course, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as to all our Indian colleagues for the exceptionally warm and cordial welcome, for the constructive and open dialogue, and for the fruitful joint work during our state visit.

We sincerely treasure our strong friendship with India. The foundation of this relationship was laid in the middle of the last century, when our country actively supported India's struggle for national liberation.

Soviet specialists played an important role in shaping the future of the Indian people, assisting in the construction of major industrial, energy, and infrastructure facilities, and contributing to the development of the space programme.

It was 15 years ago, in December, that we adopted a joint statement elevating our interstate relations to a new, even more advanced level of a special and privileged strategic partnership. This strategic partnership continues to develop successfully based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and consideration for each other's interests, consistently gaining new, mutually beneficial content.

Our talks with our Indian friends yesterday and today were held in a truly open and constructive atmosphere.

The final policy statement we adopted outlines ambitious plans for future cooperation in politics and security, economy and finance, transport, energy, education, and culture.

I am confident that this document, along with other significant agreements reached, will give a strong impetus to the development of our bilateral ties. Equally important is the fact that Russia and India are working together, shoulder to shoulder, to build a just, multipolar world order.

We firmly believe that such an order must be based on the central role of the United Nations and on a balanced alignment of interests among all members of the international community.

Together with our Indian friends, we coordinate our work within BRICS, which India will chair in 2026, as well as in other multilateral formats.

Overall, we work closely together to foster an atmosphere of security, trust, and peaceful cooperation across the vast Eurasian region: between our countries, among the peoples of this region, and throughout the world.

I know there is a saying in India: "Together we go, together we grow." These words accurately reflect the spirit, nature, and traditions of Russian-Indian relations. We will do everything to ensure that our strategic partnership continues to strengthen and evolve for the benefit of our two nations.

Once again, I would like to express confidence that we will continue to advance our friendship and our special and privileged partnership, and that our nations will enjoy further prosperity. I wish the friendly people of India wellbeing, and I wish Madam President and Mr Prime Minister good health and every success for the benefit of India and its people.

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JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United States and South Africa have been trading barbs, especially after President Donald Trump announced in November that Washington would not send a delegation to the Group of 20 (G20) summit held in Johannesburg, publicly boycotting the host nation.

Tensions further escalated as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola issued pointed open letters on Wednesday and Thursday, highlighting the deepening diplomatic rift.

NEW ROUND OF WAR OF WORDS

The latest round of rhetorical clashes began when Washington openly boycotted the G20 summit hosted by South Africa.

On Nov. 7, Trump wrote on social media that U.S. officials would not attend the summit in Johannesburg and again accused the South African government of discriminating against the white minority. In response, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the U.S. absence was "their loss" and that a boycott would only backfire.

In the days before the summit, the United States formally notified Pretoria that it would not take part and opposed issuing any G20 outcome document based on consensus without Washington's consent. South Africa countered that the U.S. boycott had cost Washington its voice at the meeting and that Pretoria would not bow to American pressure.

The G20 summit opened in Johannesburg on Nov. 22 as scheduled and, for the first time, adopted a joint declaration on the opening day. Because the United States insisted on sending only its charge d'affaires to the handover ceremony for the rotating presidency, South African officials called Washington's failure to send a representative of the appropriate rank "unacceptable" and refused to hold the handover at the summit venue.

The handover was instead held in a low-key manner on Nov. 25. The next day, Trump said South Africa would not be invited to next year's G20 summit in Miami. Pretoria called the decision "regrettable" and said it was based on false information about South Africa.

On Dec. 3, Rubio issued a statement again attacking South Africa's domestic policies and its leadership of the G20, and threatened to replace South Africa with Poland in the grouping.

Ramaphosa said on Dec. 4 that although media reports claimed South Africa had been excluded from the Miami summit, Pretoria had received no formal written notice.

"We are yet to receive anything formally, and we will deal with that when it comes," he said, adding that South Africa would not try to rally other countries to boycott the U.S.-hosted summit next year.

DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS

Since Trump began his second term this year, relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated rapidly. Analysts note that South Africa's positions on major international issues have diverged from Washington's, including Pretoria's 2023 case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and its close ties with Iran.

In February, Trump denounced South Africa's new land law, accusing the government of seizing land in a way that discriminated against white citizens, and issued an executive order cutting off U.S. aid. He later expelled South Africa's ambassador to the United States after the envoy publicly criticized him.

On May 21, during Ramaphosa's visit to the White House, Trump suddenly showed videos and newspaper clippings alleging a "white genocide" in South Africa. Ramaphosa rejected the claims, saying the assertion that white South Africans were fleeing violence and racist laws was unfounded.

In August, the U.S. State Department's 2024 human rights report said South Africa's human rights situation had "significantly worsened," arguing that the new land law marked a "worrying step" toward expropriating white-owned land and further harming minority rights. South African officials dismissed the accusations as baseless and inaccurate.

Beginning Aug. 7, the United States imposed a 30 percent tariff on South African exports, making South Africa the sub-Saharan African country facing the highest U.S. tariff rate.

WILL RELATIONS WORSEN FURTHER

Looking ahead, South Africa may be largely absent from major G20 activities during the U.S. presidency. In the near term, relations between the two governments are likely to feature both political confrontation and limited cooperation in specific areas.

Washington's hostile posture toward the South African government is unlikely to change soon, and further political bullying or economic coercion cannot be ruled out. Pretoria is expected to continue relying on Global South forums and BRICS to counter U.S. pressure. The two countries are unlikely to restore ambassador-level relations in the short term.

At the same time, the two sides share interests in areas such as HIV/AIDS prevention, counterterrorism intelligence, combating transnational crime and developing mineral resources. Cooperation in these fields can help prevent ties from spiraling out of control.

Both countries also have incentives to continue working together on global agendas such as food security, climate change and public health, making a complete "decoupling" unlikely.

Next year's U.S. midterm elections and South Africa's local elections may also influence policy adjustments. The Trump administration may ease tariffs on South African agricultural and automotive products to win support from U.S. voters, while maintaining a manageable relationship with Washington remains essential for stability within South Africa's governing coalition.

Relations between the two countries are likely to worsen to some degree, with political confrontation forming the core of the relationship. Even so, cooperation in certain areas will continue to cushion the impact. 
Putin Thanks Modi for Fruitful Work During His State Visit to India

Sputnik News

20251205

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their fruitful work during his state visit to India.

"[I thank you] for a constructive and open dialogue, for fruitful joint work during our state visit," Putin said during a state reception in his honor in New Delhi.

Russia genuinely values its strong friendship relations with India, the foundation of which was laid back in the middle of 20th century, Putin added.

"It is equally important that Russia and India work hand in hand to establish a just multipolar world order," Putin said, adding that the countries are working closely to create an atmosphere of peace and security in the Eurasian region.

The strategic partnership between Russia and India is successfully developing on the principles of equality and mutual respect, Putin said, adding that he believes that the agreements would give a serious impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

"And we intend to do everything to ensure that our strategic partnership continues to strengthen and develop for the benefit of our two peoples," Putin concluded.

Putin is paying a state visit to India on December 4-5 at Modi's invitation.

 Sputnik

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Russia, India Sign 29 Joint Documents Following Putin-Modi Talks

Sputnik News

20251205

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - Russia and India signed 29 joint documents following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Friday.

Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day visit.

In particular, Russia and India signed a program for the development of strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030 and an agreement on cooperation in healthcare, medical education and science. The countries also signed a protocol on cooperation in exchanging advanced information on goods and vehicles transported between Russia and India.

Moreover, a memorandum of understanding between the Russian Maritime Board and the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and a memorandum on training specialists for vessels operating in polar waters were signed. Russia and India also signed an agreement of intent to build a plant for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in Russia's Kaluga Region.

Russian fertilizer producer Uralchem signed a cooperation agreement with India's Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited, National Fertilizers Limited and Indian Potash Limited. Russian Post, in turn, signed an agreement with the Indian Communications Ministry's Department of Posts.

The documents signed include an agreement of cooperation in the field of data storage, processing and transmission in space systems between the Russian National Research University Higher School of Economics and the University of Delhi, a memorandum of understanding between Russia's Tomsk State University and the Indian Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, as well as an agreement on cooperation between Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Joint-Stock Management Company of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the University of Mumbai.

In the media field, Russia's Gazprom-Media Holding, National Media Group, the RT Channel and the Big Asia Media Group signed several memorandums of understanding for cooperation and collaboration on broadcasting with the Indian Prasar Bharati broadcaster.

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Confederation of Indian Industry signed a memorandum of understanding, while the Russian Export Center signed a memorandum and cooperation agreement with Invest India, the country's national investment promotion agency.

Additionally, the Russian Export Center signed a separate memorandum with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, while Russia's Roscongress Foundation signed a cooperation agreement with the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, as well as the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Russia's Tsaritsyno State Historical, Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve in Moscow and the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy in New Delhi have agreed on the termsfor the organization, implementation and loan of the culture-focused exhibition called "India. Fabric of Time."

The sides exchanged documents during the talks in New Delhi.

 Sputnik

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India Pursuing Independent, Sovereign Policy Under Modi's Leadership - Putin

Sputnik News

20251205

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - India is pursuing an independent and sovereign policy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"I would like to note once again that India is pursuing an absolutely independent sovereign policy under the leadership of Mr. Modi," Putin said at a plenary session of the Russian-Indian Importers Forum in New Delhi.

Russia and India have growing capabilities in many areas, and they are not yet used to the fullest extent, Putin said.

"India has enormous and still growing capabilities in many areas, but they are still not being used as we would like, and we would like them to be used by both sides [Russia and India]," Putin said.

India Strengthening Technological Sovereignty Via Sound Economic Policies

India is strengthening its technological sovereignty through the implementation of sound economic policies, Vladimir Putin said.

"The Indian economy is today one of the most dynamically growing in the world ... Thanks to such sound economic policies and [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi's landmark initiatives, such as the 'Make in India' program, India is strengthening its technological sovereignty," Putin said.

Russia and India have also impressive technological and resource potential, the Russian leader said.

Additionally, Putin said that Russia will send a representative delegation to the artificial intelligence (AI) summit in February 2026, which will be held in India, adding that Russia is ready for a broad partnership with India in field of AI, as countries have advanced developments in this area.

Russian-Indian Trade Continues to Grow at Steady Pace

The trade between Russia and India continues to grow at a steady pace, Putin said.

"Russia and India are long-standing and close trade partners. Trade continues to grow at a steady pace, and over the past three years, growth has been record-breaking - up to 80%. As a result, by the end of last year, Russian-Indian trade reached $64 billion," Putin said.

Russia and India have huge opportunities to further increase mutual trade, the Russian president added.

"Strong and extensive ties between Russian and Indian businesses serve as one of the most reliable pillars of the special, privileged strategic partnership between the two countries," Putin also said.

The program for developing economic cooperation between Russia and India aims to achieve trade between the countries of up to $100 billion by 2030, Putin added.

Indian Economy One of Fastest Growing

The Indian economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, Putin said.

"The Indian economy is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world," Putin said.

Indian entrepreneurs are interested in trading with Russia, and the synergy of this is crystal clear, Putin added.

"Russia is studying the Indian experience with interest and using it in the implementation of our national import substitution and localization programs for high-value-added products," Putin said.

Russia is ready to increase the purchase of goods and services from India, taking into account the surplus in the bilateral trade balance, Putin said, adding that the authorities of both countries pay special attention to the development of multifaceted economic ties.

Using National Currencies in Trade Helps Ensure Stability of Operations

Using national currencies in trade helps ensure the stability of operations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"The use of national currencies also offers tangible advantages. This ensures uninterrupted financial transactions, regardless of the external environment," Putin said.

Joint Russia-India Business Initiatives to Get Support of Russian Authorities

Joint business initiatives between Russia and India will receive full support from Russian authorities, Putin said.

"For my part, I would like to assure the business community that all useful initiatives to develop mutual economic exchanges will continue to receive support from Russian ministries and departments," Putin told the plenary session of the Russian-Indian Importers Forum, adding that Indian entrepreneurs are interested in trading with Russia and have things to offer.

The Russian leader also called for the removal of barriers to the movement of services and capital between the two countries.

"It seems that the early conclusion of a preferential trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union would have a positive effect in this regard," the president said.

Russia, India Need to Improve Industrial Cooperation

Russia and India need to improve industrial cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We need to move forward, improve industrial cooperation, jointly create new modern products, and strengthen new technological alliances," Putin said.

India, Russia Can Reach $100Bln in Annual Trade Much Earlier Than 2030 Target

India and Russia can reach $100 billion in annual trade much earlier than the 2030 target, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

"Based on what I have seen, I do not think we should wait until 2030. We can achieve this goal much sooner," Modi said at the plenary session of the Russian-Indian Importers Forum.

 Sputnik

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Fuel Shipment for 3rd Unit of Kudankulam NPP Delivered to India - Rosatom CEO

Sputnik News

20251205

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - A plane carrying a shipment of fuel for the third unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant arrived in India on December 4, Russian nuclear power corporation Rosatom's CEO Alexey Likhachev said on Friday.

"Literally yesterday, an aircraft arrived with the first fuel shipment for Kudankulam - unit 3. This is the largest fuel contract in the history of humankind - over $7 billion. That's how unique our cooperation is. The largest fuel contract between Russia and India," Likhachev told journalists.

Likhachev also said that the third unit of the Kudankulam NPP in India is at a high stage of readiness.

"Four more units are under construction. Moreover, the third and fourth units of Kudankulam are at a high stage of readiness. Next year, we will start commissioning operations directly on the third unit. And year by year, we will commission the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth power units of Kudankulam," Likhachev said.

The Rosatom CEO also said that commissioning operations for the third unit of the Kudankulam NPP would begin in 2026, and subsequent power units would be commissioned year by year. Two nuclear units of the Kudankulam NPP in India are operating at full capacity, providing stable electricity supply, Likhachev added.

The Kudankulam NPP is located in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The project involves the construction of six power units with a total installed capacity of 6 GW. The developer and technical customer of the facility is the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. The general designer and equipment supplier is JSC Atomstroyexport (part of the engineering division of Russia's Rosatom). The first stage (the first and second power units) was commissioned in 2013 and 2017, respectively. The second stage (the third and fourth units) are under construction. The new power units of the Kudankulam NPP meet the most modern IAEA safety requirements.

 Sputnik

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India, Russia ink pacts in several fields

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:28, December 06, 2025

NEW DELHI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- India and Russia on Friday inked several agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in such fields as migration and mobility, health and food safety, maritime cooperation, and commerce.

The bilateral agreements were signed here in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was on a two-day state visit to India, concluding Friday.

On the occasion, India announced to grant a free 30-day e-tourist visa to Russian nationals on a reciprocal basis.

According to a joint statement, Putin and Modi reaffirmed their support for further strengthening of the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.

The two sides confirmed their intention to broaden cooperation in nuclear energy, including fuel cycle, life cycle support for operating the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, located in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, and non-power applications.

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India, Russia urge dialogue to resolve Iran nuclear issue

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Dec 5, 2025

Tehran, IRNA -- India and Russia have stressed the need to resolve issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program through dialogue, according to a joint statement released on Friday after talks between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The statement, published by the Kremlin and cited by the TASS news agency, said both sides emphasized the importance of addressing the Iran nuclear question through peaceful discussion.

It also highlighted bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, transport, civilian nuclear projects and other sectors.

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IRGC Navy launches ballistic, cruise missile during major drill

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 10:52 AM

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has launched ballistic and cruise missiles from inland sites during the second phase a major military drill, striking predetermined targets in the Sea of Oman with high precision.

Various cruise missiles  Qadr 110, Qadr 380, Qadir  as well as the ballistic missile 303 were launched simultaneously from multiple points deep inside the country during the new phase of the IRGC Navy's "Eghtedar" (authority) exercise on Friday.

All designated targets in the Sea of Oman were struck with high precision.

At the same time, participating drone systems carried out successful attacks against simulated enemy bases, destroying the intended targets.

In another part of the exercise, air defense systems deployed on IRGC vessels conducted intensive drills against hostile aerial targets  targets that, according to the exercise scenario, were attempting to attack Iran's fast boats and coastal areas.

The endurance of combat systems and the evaluation of capabilities to counter enemy electronic warfare are among the main focuses of the large-scale exercise, which began on Thursday.

On the first day of the event, naval units conveyed their firm message by issuing warnings to American ships present in the region.

The exercise, codenamed Shahid Mohammad Nazeri, takes place across the Persian Gulf, the Nazeat maritime zone - Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Siri islands, the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the Sea of Oman.

Advanced air defense systems, including Nawab, Majid, and Misag,h were also deployed in electronic warfare conditions on the first day.

Using artificial intelligence, these systems were able to identify flying and naval targets in a fraction of the time and hit them with high accuracy.

Nazeri was the commander of the elite commando units of the IRGC Navy. He is widely recognized in Iran for his direct involvement in the capture of 10 American sailors - nine men and one woman - who wandered into Iran's territorial waters on January 12, 2016.

The drill conveys a dual message: peace and friendship to neighboring countries, and a clear warning to enemies that any miscalculation will face a decisive response.

Iranian naval forces frequently conduct large-scale drills in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, demonstrating its capabilities and signaling deterrence against foreign powers.

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US yet unwilling to engage in serious talks, must recognize Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy: FM

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 8:29 PM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the United States has yet to demonstrate readiness for "real, serious negotiation," stressing that Washington must first acknowledge Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In an interview with Japan's Kyodo News agency on Saturday, the top diplomat said the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities were "bombarded, destroyed, and heavily damaged" during the unprovoked and illegal Israeli-American war against the country in June.

He described the assault as "perhaps the biggest violation of international law" ever committed against a safeguarded facility monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Araghchi said the strikes had created structural damage and potential radiation risks that Tehran "has never seen before," adding that there was "no precedent of a peaceful nuclear facility being bombarded."

He said the situation had exposed a procedural gap inside the IAEA regarding how to inspect such sites in light of this precedence.

He noted that the Islamic Republic and the IAEA had reached a framework in Cairo earlier this year to define a mechanism for inspecting and stabilizing the damaged facilities, but that the process was undermined when the United States and the three European parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran sought to restore previous UN Security Council sanctions against the nation.

Araghchi called on Japan to share its technical expertise in nuclear safety, citing its experience following Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Fukushima Daiichi disaster.

He emphasized that any cooperation with Japan would be limited to technical safety issues, not inspections, which he said remained an IAEA responsibility. "On the technical aspects of these safety challenges, cooperation with Japan can be very useful," the official noted.

Addressing prospects for nuclear talks, Araghchi said Iran remained open to diplomacy, but wanted guarantees of a "fair and balanced" outcome.

He reiterated that the deadlock affecting diplomacy stemmed from American demands, introduced under President Donald Trump, for the Islamic Republic to halt all uranium enrichment processes, a position Tehran categorically rejects.

The foreign minister said the core issue remained Washington's reluctance to recognize Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology, including enrichment, under the NPT.

According to Araghchi, the Islamic Republic was prepared to accept limitations on enrichment levels and centrifuge types, and negotiations could progress once the United States accepted the country's peaceful nuclear energy program and lifted the illegal and unilateral sanctions it had imposed on the country.

"For the time being [though], we are not convinced they are ready for a real, serious negotiation," he said.

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HISTORIC MILESTONE: ARROW 3 SYSTEM HANDOVER MARKS NEW CHAPTER IN ISRAELI-GERMAN DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP

Israel Ministry of Defense

3/12/2025

Israel MOD Director General: "A ballistic missile defense system developed by the finest Jewish minds, born from our existential necessity, now defends Germany."

Today (Wednesday), at a formal ceremony at the German Air Force base near Berlin, the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) handed over the first operational Arrow 3 system to the German Army. This marks a significant step in implementing the defense export contract signed between the two nations approximately two years ago and is considered the largest defense export deal in Israel's history.

The Arrow 3 system, which is expected to protect Germany's skies, has demonstrated impressive operational capabilities during the war with hundreds of successful interceptions. It is jointly developed and produced by the IMOD's DDR&D and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) serves as the prime contractor for developing the system's radar, interceptors, and detection systems. Elbit Systems developed the command and control system. Tomer, a government-owned company, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are key subcontractors for the development and production of the Arrow 3 interceptor.

The Israeli delegation, headed by the IMOD Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, included Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor; Head of the IMOD's Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, Head of the IMOD's Policy & Pol-Mil Bureau, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dror Shalom, Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) within the DDR&D, Moshe Patel, and other senior officials.

IMOD Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram at the handover ceremony: "As a second-generation Holocaust survivor, I stand here deeply moved because a ballistic missile defense system, developed by the finest Jewish minds in Israel's aerospace industry, out of our existential necessity, will now help defend Germany.

"We Israelis, descendants of Holocaust survivors, want to see Germany strong and prosperous, proud and leading in Europe and throughout the world. We deeply appreciate that Israeli systems are part of Germany's renewed force build-up. Today's handover marks only the beginning for Israel and Germany. Our cooperation will strengthen and deepen - whether in the air, on land, or in space.

"I commend the decision to lift the German weapons embargo on various defense components. Such an embargo should never have been imposed against Germany's ally that is fighting murderous Islamist terrorism, whether it comes from Iran's theocratic regime or from Hamas in Gaza. When Israel acts against nuclear threats, ballistic missiles, and terrorism, we are not only defending ourselves- we are protecting the entireWestern world. We are doing the hard work, sometimes the 'dirty work,' that the entire world should be doing. We will not allow new threats to emerge!"

Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor: "This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany. Our partnership is strategic, and Germany is Israel's most important ally in Europe. Today, we mark another milestone in this relationship. Who could have imagined that only 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, the Jewish state, through the technologies it develops, would help defend not only Germany but all of Europe. My family, who fled Germany on the eve of the Holocaust, could never have foreseen this."

Head of the IMOD's DDR&D, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold: "The Arrow system has protected the State of Israel at high percentages over the past two years, saving lives and preventing damage to bodies and property, enabling the IDF to carry out its missions. We are sharing this capability with Germany. The close cooperation throughout the project between German and Israeli partners has strengthened relations, enabled mutual learning, and allowed us to adapt to the challenges the enemy develops in parallel."

IAI President and CEO, Boaz Levy: "The delivery of the Arrow 3 system to Germany marks a moment of profound national and historical significance. While the world is closely watching the growing threat of ballistic missiles, in the last couple of years Israel intercepted hundreds of ballistic missiles launched from Iran and Yemen. Throughout these attacks, the Arrow system operated with exceptional precision and demonstrated its ability to counter massive and complex barrages.

"Today, Germany is receiving one of the most advanced defense systems in the world, which also boasts proven operational experience from lessons learned over many years. Behind this achievement stand the employees of IAI, who, for over two years, since the outbreak of the war, have worked tirelessly to deliver Germany's defense system on time, while meeting the demands of Israel's defense establishment in safeguarding our homeland.

"This is Israeli technology at its best: a system that protects extended territories, operates outside the atmosphere, and provides a defensive envelope capable of intercepting long-range and complex threats. On this day, as representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the IAI delegation stand on German soil to mark the system's delivery, we are filled with immense pride not only for ourselves, but for all the citizens of Israel, stemming from our ability to provide cutting-edge technology and strategic protection to the citizens of the free world."

Director of the IMDO, Moshe Patel: "Today is a historic day for Germany and Israel. The handover of the first operational capability of the Arrow 3 system to Germany marks a significant milestone in Germany's air defense posture, providing it with a reliable and proven capability to defend against ballistic missiles. The Arrow 3 project for Germany continues to strengthen our close cooperation with our German partners. Together we ensure Germany's missile defense capability and the security of its citizens."

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IMOD Director General Meets Lockheed Martin COO on Enhanced Bilateral Cooperation

Israel Ministry of Defense

4/12/2025

Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram met with Frank St. John, Chief Operating Officer of Lockheed Martin, for a strategic discussion on deepening bilateral cooperation between Israel and one of the world's leading defense contractors. During the meeting, the two officials explored avenues for enhanced technological collaboration and expanded partnership initiatives aimed at strengthening Israel's defense capabilities in the years to come, including the F-35 stealth strike fighters and the CH-53K "Pereh" helicopters.

The meeting also focused on strengthening Lockheed Martin's partnerships with Israeli defense industries in the fields of research and development, innovation, and manufacturing, creating additional opportunities for joint advancement in cutting-edge defense technologies. The dialogue underscores the depth of the defense relationship between the two nations and their shared commitment to addressing evolving security challenges in the region.

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 23 people were killed in a fire at a nightclub in the Indian state of Goa around midnight Saturday, local media quoted officials as saying early Sunday.

Several tourists were among the dead at the tragic event at the nightclub in Arpora in the North Goa district, the Press Trust of India reported.

Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant, who visited the site shortly after the fire, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. "Those found responsible will face the most stringent action under the law -- any negligence will be dealt with firmly," he wrote on social media platform X.

Preliminary investigation showed the fire could have been started by a cylinder blast, according to local police. 
Netanyahu begs Trump for 'more' help for pardon amid corruption case

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 9:30 AM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly pleaded with US President Donald Trump for "more" help to receive a pardon from the regime's president over corruption charges against him and his family at Israeli courts.

The Virginia-based news website Axios cited two unnamed US officials and an Israeli one as saying that Natanyahu made the request during a lengthy phone conversation with Trump on Monday as the two discussed the Israeli premier's ongoing corruption trials as well as Tel Aviv's aggression on Gaza and Syria.

"Trump told Netanyahu he thinks the pardon will work out but didn't commit to any further steps," Axios wrote, citing a US official.

"Netanyahu wants Trump to do more, but the president has done all he can do," a second US official added.

During the call, Trump allegedly told Netanyahu he should be "a better partner" in relationship with Syria under former al-Qaeda and Daesh commander Abu Muhammad al-Jolani.

Trump also told Netanyahu to "take it easy" in Syria after Israeli strikes killed 13 people in the village of Beit Jinn earlier this month.

"The president told Netanyahu that the new leadership in Syria is trying to make it a better place," one of the US officials said.

Last month, the US president sent an official letter to his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, and called on him to issue a pardon for Netanyahu.

On Sunday, Netanyahu's lawyer sent an official letter and 111 pages of documents to Herzog formally requesting a pardon.

The Israeli prime minister claims he needs a pardon to lead Israel's ongoing wars in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, with Herzog saying he is reviewing Netanyahu's request, but the process of reaching a decision could take two months.

Israel's opposition politicians argue that any pardon should depend on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt, while others insist he must call elections, due by October 2026, before seeking a pardon.

On Wednesday, about 400 retired Israeli police officers, including ex-commissioners and deputy commissioners, urged Herzog to reject Netanyahu's request for a pardon in corruption cases, stressing that his request contains "not even a hint of admission of guilt," making it unacceptable.

According to a new survey by Israeli media, a majority of Israeli settlers oppose granting Netanyahu a presidential pardon in his criminal trial without an admission of guilt or an expression of remorse.

The poll, conducted for Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel's Hebrew-language sister site, showed that in response to the question, "Do you support or oppose Netanyahu's request for a presidential pardon without admitting guilt or expressing remorse?" 53.2% said they oppose it, while 42.4% said they support it.

The survey was conducted on December 3-4, and included 500 Jewish and Arab respondents with a margin of error of 4.4%.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust following extensive investigations.

His trial began in 2020, marking him as the first sitting Israeli prime minister to testify as a criminal defendant in the regime's history. He faces three separate corruption cases.

The Israeli premier also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former war minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.

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Should the Japanese side insist on barreling down the wrong path, it shall provoke widespread outrage: Chinese defense ministry

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Dec 05, 2025 03:46 PM

Should the Japanese side insist on barreling down the wrong path, it shall provoke widespread outrage and ultimately face the judgment of both history and justice, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said at a regular press conference on Friday, in response to media inquiry over the reported Japanese government's approval of military defense budget hike and Japan's negotiations with the Philippine side over surface-to-air missile exporting to the Philippines.

According to media reports, the Japanese government recently approved a supplementary budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, increasing its total defense expenditure to $11 trillion yen and achieving the goal of defense spending accounting for 2 percent of GDP ahead of schedule. In addition, the Japanese side is in negotiations with the Philippine side on the export of Japan Self-Defense Force's Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile.

"In recent years, Japan has repeatedly breached its commitments under the pacifist Constitution, substantially increased its defense budget, pushed for the export of lethal weapons, and sought to revise its three non-nuclear principles," Jiang said, "As it fastened the pace of loosening restrictions on military development, Japan's militarism is poised to make a comeback."

As the Chinese saying goes, "Individuals can't establish themselves without being trusted, just as a nation can't thrive without being credible," Jiang said.

We urge the Japanese side to fully meet its obligations as a defeated country in WWII in accordance with international law, stop challenging the post-war international order, refrain from sabotaging peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, and not to say one thing but do another, the spokesperson stressed.

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Japan should make all-out efforts to expedite JACWs disposal process: Defense Spokesperson

Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

Source Ministry of National Defense

EditorHuang Panyue

Time2025-12-05 17:04:20

BEIJING, Dec. 5 -- "The Chinese side urges the Japanese side to conduct serious soul-searching on its crime of aggression, earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, increase input in various aspects, and make all-out efforts to expedite the JACWs disposal process," said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a regular press briefing on Friday.

It's known that the Chinese side recently released the white paper, China's Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation in the New Era, urging Japan to destroy the abandoned chemical weapons (JACWs) thoroughly in a clean manner and at an early date.

When being asked to share comment, the spokesperson said that during the war of aggression against China, in blatant violation of international law, the Japanese militarists used large amounts of chemical weapons, causing over 200,000 Chinese military and civilian casualties.

"To cover up its crime after being defeated, the Japanese side abandoned a large number of chemical weapons on Chinese territory, poisoning over 2,000 people. Until now, the JACWs still gravely jeopardize the safety of people's life and property and harm the environment," the spokesperson noted.

The spokesperson then emphasized that the Japanese side should have destroyed the abandoned chemical weapons in China in a secure, clean and thorough way much earlier. Yet the overall disposal process has been severely delayed due to the lack of proactive efforts from the Japanese side.

"Eliminating the hazards of JACWs is Japan's unshirkable historical, political and legal responsibility, and also an international obligation under the Chemical Weapons Convention," he added.

The spokesperson seriously noted that the Chinese side urges the Japanese side to conduct serious soul-searching on its crime of aggression, earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, increase input in various aspects, and make all-out efforts to expedite the JACWs disposal process.

"We request the Japanese side to spare no effort to collect and provide information about the JACWs for the Chinese side in a timely manner, fully assist us in leads search and identification, earnestly shoulder its responsibility in the treatment of polluted water and soil, so as to restore a safe and clean environment to the Chinese people at an early date, and 'a world free of chemical weapons' for humanity," stressed the spokesperson in the end.

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Japan will provoke widespread outrage if it remains obdurate: Defense Spokesperson

Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

Source China Military Online

EditorChen Zhuo

Time2025-12-05 16:44:56

BEIJING, Dec. 5 -- "Should the Japanese side insist on barreling down the wrong path, it will provoke widespread outrage and will ultimately face the judgment of both history and justice," said a Chinese defense spokesperson on December 5, 2025.

The Chinese Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin made the above remarks at a regular press briefing on Friday, when being asked to comment on media reports that the Japanese government recently approved a supplementary budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, increasing its total defense expenditure to $11 trillion yen and achieving the goal of defense spending accounting for 2% of GDP ahead of schedule. In addition, the Japanese side is in negotiations with the Philippine side on the export of Japan Self-Defense Force's Type 03 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile.

Spokesperson Jiang Bin pointed out that in recent years, Japan has repeatedly breached its commitments under the pacifist Constitution, substantially increased its defense budget, pushed for the export of lethal weapons, and sought to revise its three non-nuclear principles. "As it fastened the pace of loosening restrictions on military development, Japan's militarism is poised to make a comeback," he said.

The spokesperson quoted a Chinese saying that "Individuals can't establish themselves without being trusted, just as a nation can't thrive without being credible," and urged the Japanese side to fully meet its obligations as a defeated country in WWII in accordance with international law, stop challenging the post-war international order, refrain from sabotaging peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, and not to say one thing but do another.

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Transcript of the Weekly Media Briefing by the Spokesperson on Friday, 5 December 2025

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Assalam-o-Alaikum,

Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Let us begin with a roundup of this week's activities.

Yesterday, your covered the State Visit of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Zhaparov.

During the visit, President Zhaparov held meetings with the Pakistani leadership, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President of the Kyrgyz Republic H.E. Mr. Sadyr Zhaparov Nurgozhoevich led their respective sides at a delegation-level talks.



The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan's abiding commitment to enhancing its engagement with the Central Asian states under the "Vision Central Asia" policy.

Both leaders emphasized the significance of expanding and deepening Pakistan-Kyrgyz relations, that were underpinned by historic links, cultural similarities, shared values, and a common vision for regional peace and prosperity. They reviewed progress on existing cooperation frameworks and reaffirmed their shared resolve to further strengthen this partnership, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, connectivity and people-to-people contacts. In the context of connectivity, they expressed satisfaction at operationalization of the road corridor between Pakistan and Kyrgyz Republic under Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA).

Highlighting the need to enhance economic cooperation, the two sides agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, setting a target of USD 200 million bilateral trade volume by 2027-28, through effective implementation of the signed agreements/MoUs and a result-oriented approach.

During the talks, both sides also exchanged views on important regional and global developments. They agreed that disputes must be resolved through peaceful means in accordance with international law including the UN Charter, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and a sustainable future for its people. They agreed that the Afghan Taliban regime must honor its commitments to the international community, and address Pakistan's legitimate security concerns, by taking concrete and verifiable actions against terrorist entities.

Upon the conclusion of delegation-level talks, a total of 15 Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding addressing various facets of Pakistan-Kyrgyz cooperation, including commerce; mining and geosciences; regional connectivity; energy; agriculture; diplomatic and consular affairs; tourism; culture; information exchange; youth and sports, etc. were exchanged by the two sides.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan and the President of Kyrgyzstan also signed the Joint Statement on the Strengthening of Comprehensive Cooperation in the Interests of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The President also addressed the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Business Forum. This year's Business Forum witnessed an unprecedented level of participation, bringing together 20 delegates from the Kyrgyz Republic and 83 Pakistani companies from diverse sectors including pharmaceuticals, education, banking, mining, IT, energy, and logistics. The forum facilitated 120 structured B2B meetings, enabling productive interactions and opening promising avenues for commercial collaboration.

The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, also held meetings with the visiting delegation. He received the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Zheenbek Kulubaev, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3rd December 2025.

The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister also called on President Zhaparov in the morning of 4th December 2025. They discussed bilateral relations, and recent regional and international developments of mutual interest.

The Foreign Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, visited Pakistan from 29-30 November 2025 at the invitation of our Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

You interacted with the visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister at the Joint Press Stakeout last Sunday.

An important outcome of the visit was the decision to establish a new Business Council under the framework of which they would identify 250 Pakistani businesses in the first phase, and 500 businesses in the second phase, for B2B engagement with Egypt. A Ministerial Business Forum in Cairo in the second quarter of 2026 will be convened on the sidelines of the Pakistan-Egypt Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) which would be co-chaired by the Foreign Ministers of both countries. Moreover, the Egyptian Foreign Minister announced doubling scholarships for Pakistani students at the renowned Al Azhar University in Cairo.

The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister inaugurated and addressed the Islamabad Conclave 2025 hosted by the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI) on 3rd December 2025.

The full text of the speech by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister is available on our website. The key take away from the speech was the need renewed dedication to diplomacy and peaceful dispute resolution in the wake of global turbulence, rising major-power competition, climate vulnerabilities, and the erosion of multilateralism.

He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a just, equitable, and inclusive world order, rooted in the UN Charter and strengthened multilateral institutions.

Emphasizing that South Asia cannot remain mired in confrontation while other regions progress, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister stressed that sustainable peace in South Asia is contingent on the peaceful settlement of longstanding disputes, including the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

He called for open and inclusive regionalism, enhanced economic interdependence, climate resilience, and revitalization of regional mechanisms such as SAARC. Pakistan, he noted, stands ready to work with all partners to advance a peaceful, connected, and prosperous South Asia.



On the same day, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister spoke with Malaysia's Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Mohamad Hasan to convey Pakistan's deepest condolences on the tragic loss of lives and displacement caused by the floods in Malaysia.

Reaffirming Pakistan's solidarity with the people of Malaysia during this difficult time, the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister expressed readiness to extend all possible support for relief and recovery efforts.

In wake of the devastating Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, Pakistan has dispatched 200 tons of humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka via sea cargo to support relief efforts.

India blockade of humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka was regrettable. The special aircraft carrying Pakistan's humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka faced delay for over 60 hours while awaiting flight clearance from India. The partial flight clearance issued by India on the night of 1st December 2025, after 48 hours, was operationally impractical: time-bound for just a few hours and without validity for the return flight, severely hindering this urgent relief Mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka.

I thank you all.

***

(Anas Mallick, Capital TV): There have been statements by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Zangnan, which is called and claimed as Arunachal Pradesh by India, as well as statements by the Indian side and its media on the same issue. What is Pakistan's stance on this matter?

Spokesperson: We have taken note of the remarks made by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan reiterates its consistent and full support for China on matters concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

(Azaz Syed, Geo News): There were media reports on talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime in Saudi Arabia. On its part, the Afghan media even shared the delegation composition representative of the Afghan Taliban regime which traveled to Saudi Arabia for these supposed talks. If there any update from your end that you would like to share with us? Secondly, with the 33rd anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in India approaching, will the Foreign Office be issuing a statement on this solemn occasion?

Spokesperson: Babri Masjid is etched in our memory. Thirty-three years ago, this historic Mosque in Ayodhya was destroyed in circumstances that continue to evoke deep sadness and concern. The event remains unsettling for all who stand against intolerance and religious discrimination.

Pakistan holds the preservation of religious heritage and sacred sites as a shared obligation of the international community. It is essential that all acts undermining Muslim religious symbols or historical legacy be addressed through transparency, accountability and a commitment to justice.

Pakistan emphasizes that the desecration of any place of worship constitutes a breach of the principles of religious equality and undermines the collective sense of security and mutual respect that all communities deserve.

The continued sense of marginalization and emotional distress experienced by the Indian Muslims in the wake of this event remains a serious concern. Emboldened by state patronage, Hindu fascist organizations are now clamouring for complete ghettoisation of Indian Muslims and other religious minorities.

Pakistan values interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence. We call upon the international community, including relevant UN institutions and influential global voices, to acknowledge the importance of safeguarding Muslim religious heritage and to help ensure that such painful incidents are neither repeated.

Pakistan also reaffirms its own commitment to protecting the rights and religious freedoms of minorities within its borders, in line with its legal obligations.

As we reflect on the anniversary of the Babri Mosque's shahadat and destruction, Pakistan expresses solidarity with Muslims who continue to feel the enduring sorrow associated with this loss. Let this occasion not only serve as a remembrance of a painful event thirty-three years ago but also as a reaffirmation of the universal values of dignity, justice, and respect for sacred heritage.

Pakistan would urge the Government of India to promote an environment of tolerance and inclusivity and ensure equal citizenship rights and mutual respect among all religious and cultural communities and denominations.

As for your other question, I do not have any information on the talks you mentioned. If I receive any information, I will share it with you.

(Tahir Khan, NNI): The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, during his Press Conference last week, stated that the UN had requested Pakistan to allow the passage of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, in continuation of which the Ministry of Commerce issued a notification, allowing humanitarian aid to flow into Afghanistan. Is there any update on whether the Afghan Taliban regime would grant access to aid cargo in Afghanistan? What other developments could you share on this decision by Pakistan?

Spokesperson: The issue of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan came in wake of formal requests made by certain UN agencies like the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) for facilitation with the movement of containers carrying aid for Afghanistan.

Consistent with our own commitment to humanitarian access and the requests made by UN agencies, the Government has officially approved the movement of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan which will take place in three phases:

i. In the first phase, the containers with food items will be allowed;

ii. In the second phase, containers carrying pharmaceutical products and medical equipment will be granted access; and

iii. In the final phase, containers transporting other essential goods related to education and health will be allowed.

The three phases - we do not intend to categorize them for any other purpose than to ensure that it will be seamless and determine how the movement of humanitarian aid will flow into Afghanistan.

There have been meetings between the Ministry of Commerce, the lead Ministry on this issue, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we have been directed to expedite the procedural formalities which we would abide by.

As for the utilization of border crossings for the resumption of trade and overall movement, as discussed in the previous briefings, will remain closed.

This decision to allow UN aid was taken in line with our obligation to humanitarian access, and, secondly, Pakistan does not have anything against the people of Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan are our brothers and sisters. We intend them no harm.

While the closure of borders, has a specific context and the rationale behind it still stands. On the issue of aid to the Afghan people, we remain positive and engaged.

On the issue of border closure, we would see how far the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul supports our position to stop the flow of terrorism and terrorist elements from their soil into Pakistan.

(Noor Aimen, 365 News): I would like your comment on a recent UN report which mentioned that the growing contact between the Afghan Taliban regime and India is not in favor of regional peace.

Spokesperson: I am not particularly aware of which UN report you are referring to, but yes, this kind of collusion has been there, perhaps since, the creation of the country. It has been well documented now in the annals of history. And this is, obviously, disturbing to the extent that it is anti-Pakistan.

If the two countries cooperate on peaceful issues and have a normal inter-state interaction focusing on legitimate issues of trade, commerce and connectivity, Pakistan has no problem with that.

Our problem starts when a third country views the relationship with Afghanistan in a zero-sum paradigm with Pakistan. So, this is disturbing, and this is an issue which we do not just monitor but over which we also continuously raise our concerns.

(Qurat ul Ain, Independent News): It has been recently reported by Amnesty International, and subsequently by the Pakistani media, that Pakistan has been, or had been using a highly invasive Israeli spyware. I would like your comment on this. And if you could confirm whether Pakistan has been coordinating, or is, perhaps, in contact with Israel on this issue?

Spokesperson: These are all media speculations. This is all rumor-mongering disinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or any tools of that kind. So, I would reject it, quite emphatically so.

(Imran Waseem, Aik News): There are some rumors or, you can say, reports on social media regarding negotiations on border issues between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime in Saudi Arabia. Can you confirm these reports?



Spokesperson: As I stated earlier in my response to Mr. Azaz Syed's question, we are not aware of these negotiations and I have no comment to offer on this.

(Anwar Abbas, 24 News): There were reports that recently 38 Pakistanis were freed in Myanmar. Please provide us with details related to this matter.

Secondly, there are reports that governments of Thailand and Myanmar wrote a letter to Pakistan regarding these freed individuals. If they are free, what procedures will be undertaken for their safe return to Pakistan and did Ministry of Interior or Ministry of Foreign Affairs receive the aforementioned letter?

Spokesperson: We are keeping a close watch on this issue. Pakistanis stranded in Myanmar or along Thailand-Myanmar border. Our two missions are involved in resolving this matter: one in Myanmar, and the other one in Thailand. Some Pakistani nationals were found in Myanmar or later apprehended by Thai security forces at the Thai-Myanmar border. Our mission in Thailand facilitated their return. The presence of these Pakistanis in Myanmar is unfortunate. Two paramount priorities for Pakistan in this matter are, first of all, the safe return of these people to Pakistan, and then to ensure that these incidents do not recur, and these Pakistanis do not fall trap to any scam business enterprises that maybe operating in that region.

As regards exchange of letters, Pakistan is in touch with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand on this matter. There are various forms of diplomatic interaction, exchange of notes, documents, and details of these individuals. So, this is an ongoing interaction.

(Zeeshan Yousafzai, Dunya News): Sir, you have already responded to Saudi talks but my question is, the news which was published or was circulated in this regard, do you consider all these news fake? Your comments on this.

Spokesperson: I can check specific news and call it fake or otherwise. However, I cannot call many news items or sets of information as a blanket fake or a blanket misinformation. Our position on this mediation, as I have expressed it in the last few press briefings and today is that we, in principle, welcome the mediations. We believe that our position on terrorism from Afghanistan is on moral principles strongly rooted in national and international legality. So, any objective mediation would naturally favor Pakistan. As regards any country offering its mediation, we will react if we receive any request for official proposal for a mechanism of mediation process. I have no information about mediation by Saudi Arabia, and this is what have already I mentioned in my earlier statements.

(Azaz Syed, Geo News): Sir, about two weeks back, the President of Turkiye announced formally that a high level delegation will be traveling to Islamabad for mediation between the two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Then there is no news of why the delegation did not come, or even if that delegation arrived, we do not have any clue. What is the exact situation. Kindly appraise.

(Zafar Malik, Mainichi Japanese): Sir, Afghan Taliban Regime Spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid stated that Afghanistan will not open its side of the order until Pakistan provides firm guarantees. Did Afghan regime communicated such guarantees to Pakistan officially and what are those guarantees?

Secondly, if they are imposing such restrictions, will it affect humanitarian assistance?

Spokesperson: First of all, let me respond to this mediation. Pakistan welcomed the announcement made by President Erdogan about this mediation. We stand ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived as yet, and I am not aware of any schedule of its arrival. Pakistan is ready to hold negotiations & discussions. During last week's briefing, I was asked that Pakistan and Taliban regime were not cooperating with this mediation framework initiated by Turkiye and Qatar. Let me emphasize that it is not attributable to Pakistan's cooperation that the Turkish delegation has not arrived yet. Pakistan was open, and stands ready. And I believe that the delegation has not arrived because of scheduling issues, and perhaps by lack of cooperation from the Taliban. This you have to ask the Taliban regime. So, our position on this remains firm, and I think if you match it with my previous question's answers, it is quite consistent.

Regarding Zabiullah Mujahid's statement, I have seen that statement. Look, we close the border because of a certain context, and that context I have explained, I think, quite in detail in the last three, four briefings. Now, the Afghan side has announced the closure of their border. I think, you should ask them the reason for that. For us, the border is closed. We have opened it for humanitarian assistance.

My guess is that maybe the Afghan spokesperson made that statement, by not completely understanding the opening of border offer from Pakistan. So, we had opened the border for dispatch of humanitarian assistance. It is quite possible, I am not sure, but a guess that in reaction to that opening for UN humanitarian assistance, the Afghan spokesman may not have understood the full nuance of opening, and may could have probably reacted as if we have opened the border for trade and in that sense they may have issued the statement about the closure from their side. But now should read the situation as closure of border from both sides if we take the statement of Taliban spokesperson at its value.

(Allah Noor, Mashriq TV): Sir, you might have seen the statement of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in which he stated that including Pakistan, no state has the right to influence Afghanistan's relations with any other nation. How does Pakistan view this statement?

Secondly, did Pakistan asked the government of UK to hand over Adil Raja and Shehzad Akbar to Pakistan and how many such people are wanted by Pakistan and with how many countries Pakistan is in contact in this regard?

Thirdly, many countries fight war with one another but they never close their border but Pakistan has closed border with Afghanistan. What are the reasons behind closure of border? The Afghan regime is also accusing Pakistan of using border as a weapon.

(Abdullah Momand, Dawn News): Spokesperson, yesterday there were reports of meeting of Interior Minister with relevant UK authorities. Is there any treaty between Pakistan and the UK in this regard that deals with the cases of asylum seeker, or so-called anti-Pakistanis as it was stated that they are anti-Pakistani. So is there any treaty that can materialize the handing over of these people to Pakistan?

Spokesperson: Mr. Allah Noor's question about the statement of President Mutaqqi - we are not obliged to react to those statements. Pakistan has never objected to Afghanistan building up its relationship with any third country.

And on the question of these individuals in the UK, I understand the meeting took place between the British High Commissioner and our Interior Minister yesterday, and I will refer you to the Ministry of Interior to answer these questions.

As regards border opening, I have explained that in detail. If the opening of border impinges on the security, and if firing from the other side kills border security guards, kill these trade posts, then closure of border in self-defense is permitted, legal under international law. This exercise is being under the right to self-defense. We do not want our people to be killed. The fact that the borders are closed, and it will remain closed until we receive firm assurances from the Afghan side that violence, violent elements, terrorists from their soil, will not cross over into Pakistan, to perpetrate the crimes that they have committed. And I am not just mentioning TTP and Fitnah al Khawaraj, I am mentioning the Afghan nationals who have been brutally murdering people in our country. So this is where the border closure context should be understood.

(Qurat ul Ain, Independent News): In a response given a bit earlier, you said that the border has been opened only for the humanitarian aid. So can you please tell the date as to when it was opened, either it was today or before. Kindly give the date.

Spokesperson: Well, the decision has been taken. I will have to check the exact schedule of opening and reopening for the three categories that I mentioned. At this stage, I can tell you that the decision has been taken to this effect.

(Aamir Saeed Abbasi, Nukta News): I have a question regarding President Putin's visit to India. I think they are expecting some big defense deal. So, do you have any comments on that? Is this going to start any new arms race in the region?

Spokesperson: These are two sovereign countries. They are free to interact. We have no position as such on their talks or on their interaction. Their states have sovereign rights to pursue their bilateral relations. It is in this context that we view this relation. But I understand the visit is taking place now. Once the visit concludes, and if you have any specific question, I will answer it.

(Waseem Abbasi, Arab News): Recently, the US has made several arrests, including Afghan nationals and one which was described by the US media as Pakistan born. There are concerns in Pakistan that US may expand travel and visa restrictions on many other countries, including Pakistan. Has Pakistan taken up this issue with the US authorities?

Spokesperson: Well as regards that particular individual, I issued a statement yesterday, and I think it was carried by the media across the board. He was an Afghan national, Afghan origin, and grew up most of his life in the US.

On your question of immigration and access of Pakistanis, Pakistani students and businesses in the US, this is a topic of our ongoing regular discourse with the US side, which remains independent of any arrest of a third country national.

(Anas Mallick, Capital TV): Spokesperson, just two quick questions: First is, the Afghan side, we recently saw they have put out a map of so-called greater Pashtunistan on a grave of a famous Pashtun poet and which includes territories from Pakistan's Balochistan and KPK. Do you have any comments on that?

Spokesperson: Well, I can tell you that our national poet, Allama Iqbal always admired Afghanistan, and Afghan people and we follow Iqbal and read him.

      

     

Now if Afghan's have put anything on their grave of their poet it is this action. First of all, it is inappropriate to deface a tombstone, as seems to be the case from your question on substance of it. Pakistan and Afghanistan have a settled international border recognized under international law. So, such theatrics, on a grave or tombstone mean nothing to us.

(Anas Mallick, Capital TV): And very quickly, since you mentioned it in your opening statement as well, with regards to India not allowing the overflights ( to Sri Lanka), the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, reacting to your statement, termed it as anti- India on their part, and they said they contradicted saying that they had allowed, about four hours or five hours after Pakistan had sent in a request. Would you want to state the facts for the record?

Spokesperson: Well, we have documentary evidence of the timeline of request made to India. Our first note, official document that we shared with Indian side requesting the flight clearance. And I think between the sharing of that note and the Indian side, offering us a six-hour window to operate a flight, which would probably take around five hours to operate on one side, would mean that it was an effective negation of the flights, right, because the flight clearance was invalid and impractical, and this is what I said to it. And then eventually, when a flight was agreed, this was at least 60 to 70 hours from our original note, so effectively three hours. So, I think humanitarian assistance is like justice. If it is delayed, it is denied. I do not have any particular comment on anti-India, or pro-India, but I have just stated the facts with the precise timelines.

(Abdullah Momand, Dawn News): Spokesperson, nine universities in the UK have announced that they will no longer accept admissions from Pakistani students. Ultimately, in the longer future, it will bite Pakistani students, because there are thousands of students seeking higher education in UK. So, what is your take on this?

Spokesperson: Yes, we saw this news yesterday from some sources. There has been no official confirmation, no information on this, but our High Commission in London is working on it. Our High Commission in London has not been informed about it. If there is any information on it, I will share it with media.

Thank you.

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Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) flotilla, comprising ROYAL NAVY OF OMAN VESSEL AL RASIKH and AL SHINAS, visited Karachi to participate in the 12th edition of Bilateral Exercise THAMAR AL TAYYIB (TAT) 2025.

Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan

Rawalpindi - December 06, 2025

No PR-400/2025-ISPR

Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) flotilla, comprising ROYAL NAVY OF OMAN VESSEL AL RASIKH and AL SHINAS, visited Karachi to participate in the 12th edition of Bilateral Exercise THAMAR AL TAYYIB (TAT) 2025. Exercise aimed at strengthening maritime security cooperation and deepening longstanding bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Oman.

Exercise TAT-2025 served as an important platform for mutual learning, enhanced interoperability and professional development. Pakistan Navy and Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980 and TAT-2023 was conducted in Omani waters.

The visit included call-ons with senior Pakistan Navy leadership, onboard receptions and visits to key naval installations and training facilities. Personnel from both navies engaged in professional dialogues, operational discussions and exchange of experiences across various maritime domains.

Visit culminated in the sea phase, where naval ships from both forces conducted advanced operational maneuvers and joint exercises encompassing major facets of modern maritime warfare.

Pakistan Navy remains committed to fostering regional maritime cooperation and strengthening ties with partner navies worldwide. Royal Navy of Oman's participation in TAT-2025 reflects the growing defence partnership between the two friendly nations and their shared resolve to promote regional peace, stability, and maritime collaboration.

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On 5 December 2025, nine khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khwarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan

Rawalpindi - December 06, 2025

No PR-398/2025-ISPR

On 5 December 2025, nine khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khwarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

On reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in Tank District. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, seven khwarij were sent to hell.

Another intelligence based operation was conducted in Lakki Marwat District. In ensuing fire exchange, two more khwarij were effectively neutralised by the security forces.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed Indian sponsored khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the Security Forces, Law Enforcement agencies and target killing of innocent civilians.

Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area as relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision "Azm e Istehkam" (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.

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Working visit of Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov to Republic of India

04 December 2025 11:48

In the framework of the working visit to the Republic of India, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attended the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation.

'The Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation contributes greatly to the effective and mutually beneficial decisions. Today we will summarise the results of its work and set new objectives,' said the Russian Defence Minister.

Andrei Belousov noted the strategic nature of the bilateral relations.

'The bilateral relations between the two states has the strategic nature. Partnership with India is the key to balance in the South Asian region and global security in general,' said the Minister.

The Russian Defence Minister said that the meeting would contribute to the consolidation of the Russian and Indian relationship in the defence sphere.

'I am convinced that the meeting will contribute to the consolidation of the Russian and Indian relationship in the defence and security sphere. The two countries are linked by a strong, time-tested friendship based on mutual respect,' concluded the Russian Defence Minister.

Representatives from the Russian defence industry were among the members of the Russian delegation at the meeting.

In turn, Rajnath Singh thanked Andrei Belousov for participation in the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation.

'I am glad and honoured to have you here today. Thank you for making through such a long way here in India to promote bilateral relations in the defence sphere,' said he.

Rajnath Singh stressed that Russia is an important and privileged strategic partner of India.

'Since the Declarations on Strategic Partnership between India and Russia was signed in 2000, they saw impressive progress in our cooperation in the defence field,' highlighted he.

The Indian Defence Minister also added that despite the increasing geopolitical uncertainties, relations between Russia and India continue to develop.

Earlier, the official welcoming ceremony of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov took place. The Russian Defence Minister was welcomed by Minister of Defence of the Republic of India Rajnath Singh at the Army House of Officers with an honour guard company and the military band of the Indian Armed Forces.

The military delegations of the two countries also laid wreaths at the obelisk dedicated to the soldiers who died in the conflicts of independent India at the National War Memorial.

Department of Information and Media Affairs of Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation

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Russia, India move to boost ties amid Putin's visit

Global Times

Russian president says both India, China are Russia's closest friends: Indian media

By Liu Caiyu Published: Dec 05, 2025 09:18 PM

Russia and India on Friday unveiled a five-year plan to bolster economic and trade partnership in the face of Washington's punitive tariff and sanctions regime, following talks between President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Putin is on a two-day visit to India. After the 23rd India-Russia summit talks, the two leaders addressed a joint press conference in New Delhi. Modi said that he discussed all areas of cooperation to further strengthen India-Russia ties and agreed on an India-Russia economic cooperation programme till 2030, according to The Hindu.

In addition to the 2030 economic programme, the two sides also signed multiple agreements to expand cooperation in a number of sectors including health, mobility and people-to-people exchange. The Ukraine conflict was also included in the talks with Modi saying that India has advocated for peace in that country, the PTI reported on Friday.

Modi, referring to the economic roadmap, said taking the India-Russia economic partnership to new heights is now a common priority for both sides, while Putin said that the two sides resolved to prioritize cooperation in areas of security, economy, trade and culture, according to the PTI.

Putin's visit garnered wide attention from international media. Reuters reported that "Putin is on his first visit to India in four years at a time when New Delhi is engaged in talks with the US for a trade deal to cut punitive tariffs imposed by the US on its goods over India's Russian oil purchases."

CNBC reported that "While this visit was planned before US-India ties soured, it signifies that New Delhi is not beholden to the whims of the Trump administration and that it maintains an independent foreign policy."

Amid the current turbulent geopolitical landscape, engagement between India and Russia conveys a clear message to the international community: neither country is isolated, and both demonstrate strong resilience in the face of external pressure or interference, Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

For India, strengthening energy cooperation with Russia and advancing military-industrial collaboration are strategic measures aimed at addressing vulnerabilities in its industrial chain, and these efforts also serve as leverage to counter restrictive measures imposed by the US, Zhang said.

Also gaining considerable media attention is Putin's interview with India Today at the Kremlin published on Thursday, during which Putin said that China and India are Russia's close friends and that Moscow places great value on its relations with both countries.

"India and China are our closest friends - we treasure that relationship deeply," the Russian president said in the interview with India Today when asked how Russia maintains good relations with both countries, according to a report from TASS on Thursday.

Meanwhile, there were some voices in foreign media that are trying to sow discord. An analysis published by the Guardian on Thursday claimed that the increasingly close, "no-limits partnership" between Moscow and Beijing has rattled India, and leaving it hoping to find a way to "prevent Russia from ever getting too close to China and ensure it can count on Moscow to put some pressure on the Chinese."

However, such deliberate voices won't change positive interactions among the three countries. The positive interactions between the two sides also represent normal exchanges among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, contributing to the advancement of global multipolarity, Zhang said.

Both Putin and Modi were in North China's Tianjin Municipality in September for the SCO Summit. Among other outcomes of the summit, the SCO member states issued their first-ever statement supporting the multilateral trading system, according to Xinhua.

Notably, while in New Delhi on Friday, the Russian president also said that Russia, India and other like-minded nations are working toward a just and multipolar world, per the PTI report.

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Putin, Modi sign landmark deals to cement strategic partnership

Iran Press TV

Friday, 05 December 2025 11:29 AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have signed a series of landmark agreements aimed at boosting trade, defense, and energy cooperation.

In his first visit to India since the escalation of war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, Putin on Friday declared that the global balance of power is shifting and reaffirmed Russia's commitment to uninterrupted fuel supplies for India.

The leaders formally unveiled the Vision 2030 economic cooperation framework, setting a roadmap for expanding bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 and mutual investments to $50 billion by 2025.

They also pledged to reshape defense ties, emphasizing joint research, development, and co-production of advanced military platforms to support India's push for self-reliance.

"Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything required for the development of India's energy," Putin said at a joint press conference.

"We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the fast-growing Indian economy," he added.

Modi hailed the commitment, calling energy security "a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership."

The two-day visit comes as India has faced US pressure over its Russian energy imports, including 50% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump in August.

Despite the sanctions, India has continued to import discounted Russian crude, becoming the world's second-largest buyer after China.

Defense cooperation took center stage at the summit. Russia, India's top arms supplier for decades, announced plans to modernize the Indian armed forces, including the army, navy, air defense, and aviation sectors.

Both leaders highlighted a shift toward co-development and joint production of advanced platforms rather than traditional arms transfers, signaling a deeper strategic partnership.

Energy projects were another highlight. Putin said Russia will help build India's largest nuclear power plant at Kudankulam, where two of six reactor units are already operational, with four more under construction.

The project is expected to significantly enhance India's energy capacity. The leaders also discussed the potential for small modular reactors, floating nuclear plants, and non-energy applications such as medicine and agriculture.

The two countries also signed agreements to expand international transport and logistics networks, including the International North-South Transport Corridor linking Russia and Belarus to the Indian Ocean, which could bolster trade and connectivity.

Modi highlighted economic cooperation across sectors including fertilizers, food safety, shipping, and maritime logistics, stressing that the agreements would strengthen trade and business ties.

In a wide-ranging statement, Putin stressed that India-Russia cooperation is not directed against any other country.

"We do not harm others. I believe that leaders of other countries should understand this," he said, before warning that the pace of global change is accelerating.

"The world is developing rapidly. New centers of power are emerging, and the balance of power in the world is changing," he said.

The summit also saw commitments to deepen cooperation in high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, and critical minerals, which Modi said would support India's "Make in India" initiative, create jobs, and expand regional connectivity.

Both countries are also moving toward greater bilateral trade in national currencies, which already account for 96% of transactions, and exploring a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

In addition to strategic and economic announcements, Modi unveiled a 30-day e-tourist visa and a 30-day group tourist visa for Russian citizens to encourage cultural exchange and tourism.

The two leaders emphasized that the Vision 2030 framework and other agreements would deepen cooperation across energy, defense, and trade, setting the stage for a long-term partnership amid a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.

Analysts said the visit reinforces India-Russia ties but may complicate India's relations with the European Union and the United States, particularly in light of ongoing trade negotiations and Western sanctions on Moscow.

Friday's summit concluded with Putin expressing confidence that the agreements and joint initiatives would benefit both nations and their peoples.

"I can express my confidence that the current visit and the agreements reached will help further deepen the Russian-Indian strategic partnership," he said.

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HAVANA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Saturday that the pardon granted to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez shows that the anti-drug war declared by the U.S. government "is a farce."

Hernandez, who had been sentenced in the United States to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and other charges, was released Monday after receiving an official pardon from the Trump administration.

According to Rodriguez, the so-called anti-drug war is an excuse to justify Washington's "costly extraordinary naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea and the threat of military aggression to overthrow the legitimate government of Venezuela."

In a post on X, he said that the pardon exposes "the complicity of the U.S. government and its agencies with a vast drug market that claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in its own country."

The denunciation comes as the United States increases its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. As of Thursday, the Pentagon has carried out at least 22 known strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean since Sept. 2, killing more than 87 people aboard. 
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration of Egypt Badr Abdelatty

5 December 2025 14:56

2030-05-12-2025

On December 5, at the initiative of the Egyptian side, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration of the Arab Republic of Egypt Badr Abdelatty.

The discussion centred on preparations for the second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, which is scheduled to take place in Cairo on December 19-20.

The ministers also reviewed current issues in bilateral cooperation, underscoring the importance of maintaining close coordination to deepen trade and economic ties between Russia and Egypt.

They exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, including developments in the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories, as well as around Lebanon and Syria. At Badr Abdelatty's request, the Russian minister also provided his assessment of recent developments related to the Ukrainian crisis.

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Statement by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko at a plenary session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, Vienna, December 4, 2025

5 December 2025 10:51

2028-05-12-2025

Distinguished participants,

Looking at the way the OSCE Ministerial Council sessions have unfolded in recent years, it is hard to avoid a thought that yet another ministerial meeting with zero outcomes and heavy confrontational atmosphere might as well be the last.

This year, we were preparing to enjoy dignified celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act which enshrined the principles of the postwar order in Europe and the world at large. These principles were intended to be used as a political fuse to avert another major war. Strict adherence to these principles was supposed to guarantee peaceful and stable development for every country that signed them, and to preserve their identity, language, culture, and religion.

However, a group of Western countries has never taken their commitments under the CSCE/OSCE seriously and never regarded them as the rules that everyone must abide by. They ignored these rules every time they did not align with Western ideas of political expediency or the Western rules-based order. The barbaric bombing raids against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, NATO expansion, and countless other moves struck at the very core of the OSCE represented by the principle of indivisible security, which postulates the equal right of every participating state to security and establishes that no country's security should come at the cost of another country's security, and that no group of countries can be entrusted with a privileged responsibility to maintain peace and stability within the OSCE region or to treat any portion of it as a sphere of influence.

Today, the West is focused on preserving its unlimited influence regionally and even globally. A hybrid war has been unleashed against Russia, with an active theatre in Ukraine. The United Kingdom and EU countries have repeatedly and deliberately thwarted all efforts to settle the conflict, and the very prospect of political and diplomatic settlement is perceived as a threat to the West and its international standing. Countries pursuing national interests and striving for a sovereign foreign policy face threats, blackmail, and ruthless pressure, and the most abject methods are used in the process. The OSCE has devolved into an instrument of hybrid warfare and coercion. In the West's eyes, freedom of choice is a one-way ticket towards unquestioning subjugation.

Of note is the fact that the across-the-board Ukrainisation of its agenda has not only distorted the Organisation's foundational principles but also narrowed the range of topics it once addressed. Today, one cannot speak of the OSCE's genuine relevance even in matters where it has a mandate and potential. Actual cooperation has shrunk to tiny "islands."

The long-established arms control regime in Europe, which took decades to form under the OSCE umbrella, has fallen victim to Western aggressive policies. All key agreements in this area have been deliberately destroyed. The "more security with fewer resources" concept has been replaced by a narrative to achieve military superiority in all operational environments and theatres. The Baltic states, the Black Sea region, and the Arctic have been turned by the EU and NATO into zones of confrontation, with no sign of these alliances ever be willing to de-escalate and to go back to peaceful coexistence. On the contrary, they are deliberately priming the economy, society, and military organisation for an "unavoidable" armed clash with Russia, which has been designated a long-term threat and is absurdly accused of intending to attack NATO.

The situation at the Forum for Security Cooperation is teetering on the edge of collapse. Discussions within the "structured dialogue," which was intended to help de-escalate military tensions, were initially frozen and then, in violation of every procedural norm, held without Russia and Belarus, plunging this format into a deep crisis.

This confrontational logic has swamped the urgent task of resuming dialogue and cooperation to combat global transnational threats. Traditional events have not been held for several years now, and some of them have been moved to a limited-access format for select few, which inevitably affected their substance and makes addressing real problems impossible. The economic and environmental dimensions have become victim of confrontation as well.

Why do heads of OSCE humanitarian institutions remain silent in the face of the Kiev regime's legislative destruction of the Russian language and culture? Since 2014, it has designated Russians as "non-indigenous people," outlawed the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and targeted Russian journalists.

Those who accuse Russia of all kinds of sins on the humanitarian track are simply trying to divert attention from lawlessness reigning in their own countries. The decision of official Riga to expel hundreds of elderly people who were unable to confirm their knowledge of the Latvian language or to pass the "loyalty test" is nothing short of barbaric. These people built Latvia's material wealth, worked at factories, plants, and hospitals, and paid taxes. According to the annual report of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights titled "On the Respect of Fundamental Rights in the EU," discrimination, including online, continues to affect millions of residents in Europe. In 2024, 37 percent of Jews and 47 percent of Muslims in the EU were targets of racial discrimination. Persons of African descent, Roma, migrants, and ethnic minorities are at particular risk as well. Please note that these are EU data, not "biased" Russian studies.

Through cancelling culture, rewriting history, and concealing historical facts, a new malleable generation is being formed, which can be given any shape at will, and have any narrative imposed on them without fear of them showing independent thought or questioning the events unfolding around them. That is when everyone will be listening wide-eyed to narratives that "Russia attacked 19 countries, some of them on three to four occasions." Clearly, today is not the day for me to get an answer to a question about when much-needed OSCE events on combatting the glorification of Nazism, manifestations of neo-Nazism, and distortion of historical memory may be held.

In the year marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, we believed it was necessary to once again remind the participating states of the danger of glorifying Nazism and popularising its teachings. I encourage you to read a statement by foreign ministers from like-minded countries, which we put together in a collaborative effort with our allies and partners.

Questionable reform ideas under the Helsinki+50 process are likewise of little avail. A potentially useful initiative to explore ways to boost OSCE efficiency has in practice become a tool for embedding the Organisation into the Euro-Atlantic agenda. The tactic of segmenting discussions into small groups that exclude unwanted countries is clearly aimed at preparing the ground for abandoning the core rule of consensus. As a reminder, there will be no Organisation without consensus.

Colleagues,

The year that marks the 50th anniversary of the Organisation is drawing to an end. Unfortunately, its very survival is now at stake. The OSCE can be saved only if it returns to its original principles, goals, and objectives and resumes equal and mutually respectful dialogue.

Thank you.

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Russia, India promote global influence of BRICS: Putin

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:55, December 06, 2025

MOSCOW, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia and India are working together to promote the BRICS mechanism's global influence.

According to the Kremlin website, Putin made the remarks during an official visit to India, saying that as founding members of the bloc, both countries have consistently worked to enhance its global influence.

Putin noted that Russia will fully support India, which is set to assume the BRICS rotating chairmanship next year, in advancing the group's current agenda.

Putin said that Russia and India adopted a joint statement which outlines priority tasks for strengthening ties in politics, security, economics, trade, humanitarian affairs and culture.

He said countries should cooperate together to achieve further development instead of suppressing opportunities.

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Syria's Alawite Council calls for general strike over HTS religious persecution

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 7:06 PM

The head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and Diaspora, Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, has called for a nationwide five-day general strike in a "peaceful and clear response" to the religious persecution and sectarian violence against members of the community under the ruling Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime.

Sheikh Ghazal, in a statement released on Saturday, announced that the strike will begin on Monday and will end on December 12, in response to the pressures and threats from HTS authorities.

"Our response will be completely peaceful, and will be expressed through a nationwide strike and staying indoors for five days," he noted.

Sheikh Ghazal stated that the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's government late last year was expected to usher in a new era in Syria's history, but it was the collapse of remnants of the homeland under the motto of freedom.

People have experienced arrests, murders, abductions and arson attacks over the past years, and are now facing threats to their livelihoods. They are now forced to take part in a ceremony that is humiliating and arbitrary, Sheikh Ghazal said.

Syria's governing authorities have come under repeated criticism for failing to protect the minorities in the country.

Since the collapse of Assad's government, the Israeli military has also been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria's now-defunct army.

Israel has been widely condemned for the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, and for exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad's downfall to make a land grab.



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Lai praises bipartisan U.S. support for Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act

ROC Central News Agency

12/05/2025 08:04 PM

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te () on Friday thanked the U.S. Congress for showing bipartisan support for Taiwan, as evidenced by the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act signed by U.S. President Donald Trump into law earlier this week.

Lai made the remarks while receiving a delegation led by Susan M. Elliott, president of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP).

The measure aims to ease limits on bilateral engagement and support Taiwan's participation in international organizations, but the U.S. government has not said whether it would relax any of its self-imposed restrictions in its interactions with Taiwan.

Lai also thanked the U.S. government for upholding its commitments to Taiwan by adhering to the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.

He said Taiwan is a member of global governance, a mature democracy and a responsible security partner, but China has been targeting it with military intimidation, gray-zone and economic coercion, and diplomatic bullying.

Referencing a US$40 billion special defense budget he recently proposed, Lai said Taiwan is committed to strengthening its self-defense capabilities -- through weapon systems produced locally and acquired from the U.S. -- and developing whole-of-society resilience.

Taiwan will continue to engage in cooperation with the U.S. and other like-minded countries to defend its liberal and democratic values and way of life, he said.

Elliott noted that the NCAFP has visited Taiwan many times over the past 20 years as part of its annual Asia trip.

She said the delegation looked forward to exchanging views with Lai on issues of shared concern, including regional security and prosperity and Taiwan-U.S. relations.

The delegation also included NCAFP Director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security Susan A. Thornton, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center Karl Eikenberry, and president of the Pacific Century Institute Raymond F. Burghardt.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/ASG



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Opposition takes aim at premier after rejecting reconsideration request

ROC Central News Agency

12/05/2025 05:03 PM

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Opposition lawmakers on Friday criticized Premier Cho Jung-tai's () repeated use of Taiwan's reconsideration mechanism, after voting down the Cabinet's request to revisit amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures.

The request was rejected 59-50 in a disclosed ballot, leaving intact amendments passed on Nov. 14. The Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) hold a combined majority in the 113-seat chamber.

Speaking with reporters, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao () said the vote showed the opposition was "defending the normal functioning of the constitutional system" by rejecting the Cabinet's "baseless" request.

"Whenever the premier sees a bill he doesn't like, he files for reconsideration, treating it like a children's game," Lai said.

Lai said that Cho had filed more reconsideration requests than any other premier in history -- all of which have failed. "This is an executive branch so arrogant it pretends the Legislature doesn't even exist."

TPP Legislator Chang Chi-kai () said the opposition voted to block what it viewed as improper cuts of more than NT$200 billion to local government revenues.

"Today was a battle to restore order and defend local government subsidies," Chang said.

Under Taiwan's political system, the executive branch can order the Legislature to revisit bills it considers difficult to carry out.

The Cabinet approved the reconsideration proposal on Nov. 27, arguing the amendments would strain the central government's finances and force it to take on an additional NT$264.6 billion (US$8.43 billion) in debt next year, exceeding the annual borrowing cap.

The request was the eighth made by the Cabinet in just over a year.

The previous seven, like Friday's, were also voted down.

(By Wang Cheng-chung and Frances Huang)

Enditem/ASG





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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

Issuing AuthorityPolitical Warfare Bureau

2025.12.05

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Date

6 a.m. Dec. 4 (Thu.) to 6 a.m. Dec. 5 (Fri.) (UTC+8)

2.PLA activities

14 sorties of PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 14 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.

1141205_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan [Open a new window]

1141205_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan [Open a new window]

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Taiwan will not allow authoritarian forces to undermine it: President

ROC Central News Agency

12/06/2025 06:56 PM

Taipei, Dec. 6 (CNA) Taiwan will not allow anyone or any authoritarian force to strip away its freedom and democracy, President Lai Ching-te () vowed on Saturday ahead of Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

"Taiwan must never go back, and must not allow any individual or force, including foreign authoritarian forces, to once again deprive it of freedom and democracy," said Lai at an event at the Jing-mei White Terror Memorial Park attended by former political prisoners and their descendants.

When talking about not going back, Lai was referring to the martial law period in Taiwan that lasted for most of the country from 1949 to 1987. During that period, many people were persecuted, smeared, imprisoned, or even put to death to quell any dissent.

Lai was also taking aim at China, which has put steady pressure on Taiwan both diplomatically and militarily to not resist being annexed by Beijing.

Repeated polls have found that Taiwanese, by a vast majority, reject the idea of becoming part of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Lai said the world is witnessing the expansion of authoritarianism, which is posing an increasing threat to democratic nations.

To preserve and strengthen freedom, democracy, and human rights, Lai said his government will also continue efforts to declassify and archive political files, incorporate historical lessons into school curricula, and restore the reputations of former political prisoners.

He said Taiwan was also "willing to share its experience resisting authoritarianism and striving for democracy with those still living in its shadow."

The annual event to honor political victims was attended by former political prisoner Huang Hua (), who served a total of 22 years and 11 months, and Chen Hsien-tsung (), who served 12 years.

Renowned violinist Hu Nai-yuan (), son of political prisoner Hu Hsin-lin (), performed a suite of songs composed by influential Taiwanese composer Hsu Tsang-houei () in 1965 and 1966 to pay tribute to Taiwan's democracy pioneers who lived during the authoritarian era.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/ls

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U.S. national security report shows Taiwan's importance, but also 'shift': Expert

ROC Central News Agency

12/06/2025 12:37 PM

Washington, Dec. 5 (CNA) The latest National Security Strategy (NSS) report issued by the Trump administration demonstrated Taiwan's strategic importance, but also a shift in its commitment towards Taiwan, a former China policy advisor to the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

"The NSS correctly identifies Taiwan's strategic importance beyond semiconductors -- recognizing it 'provides direct access to the Second Island Chain and splits Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct theatersm,'" Ryan Fedasiuk, currently a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told CNA.

According to the NSS, which was released on Thursday, Taiwan's importance went beyond its dominance in the global semiconductor industry, while the importance is mostly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain and splits Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct strategic areas.

"Hence deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority," the report said.

Commenting on the priority suggested by the report, Fedasiuk said it sounded like "strategic logic."

While the report said the United States will continue to maintain its longstanding policy on Taiwan, it changed its wording, saying Washington "does not support" any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, shifting from using the word "oppose" which it had used in the previous NSS issued by the Biden administration.

Fedasiuk said the shift from "oppose" to "dose not support" any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait meant "a meaningful downgrade" as "opposes" implies active opposition with potential consequences, but "does not support" suggests passive disapproval without commitment to take any action.

He described the omissions of "oppose" as significant as the new expression removed these commitments from the U.S. government's formulaic strategic framework, which has created room for President Donald Trump to claim he was not confined by previous formulations, in either direction, but offered "more flexibility for which aspects of its policy the administration would prefer to highlight at any given moment."

He added "does not support" represented "the clearest evidence of policy drift."

Fedasiuk said such a weaker language expression could result in two problems.

According to the scholar, the first is that the shift has softened the commitment of the U.S. against China's unilateral action from active opposition to passive disapproval, while the second is that the change has established downgraded language as the new baseline for future negotiations.

As a result, the scholar expected when Chinese President Xi Jinping () meets Trump next year, the Chinese leader will seek further adjustments.

Under the Biden administration, the 2022 NSS said the U.S. opposed any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, and does not support Taiwan independence, while Washington remained committed to its one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.

During Trump's first presidency, the NSS issued by his administration in 2017 only briefly mentioned Taiwan, saying the U.S. would maintain its strong ties with the island based on its "One China" policy, with its commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide for its legitimate defense needs and to deter coercion.

(By Elaine Hou and Frances Huang)

Enditem/cs

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China urges U.S. to gain clear understanding of highly sensitive Taiwan question

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:19, December 06, 2025

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to have a clear understanding of the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question, and to fully implement the commitments made by U.S. leaders, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday.

Lin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a media query. It has been reported that Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te recently participated in the New York Times DealBook Summit via pre-recorded video and made reckless remarks on the Taiwan Strait situation.

Lin said that certain media outlets in the United States are providing a platform for the leader of the Taiwan authorities to spread false statements promoting "Taiwan independence" separatist rhetoric, which seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, sending a severely erroneous signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

"China firmly opposes this," he said.

He stressed that Lai's relevant remarks and actions once again expose his nature as a separatist advocating for "Taiwan independence," as well as his scheme to seek independence by relying on the United States, once again proving that he is a "peace destroyer" and a "troublemaker."

"Whatever Lai says or does is a futile attempt doomed to fail," the spokesperson said.

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Zakria Sadeq Moradi (R), founder of Max Garment Factory, talks with a worker at Max Garment Factory in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 4, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- In a quiet corner of Kabul, where many people rise each day under the suffocating weight of unemployment, the steady hum of Afghanistan's largest garment factory forms a rare symphony of hope, with its relentless needles weaving not just fabric, but dignity, sustenance, and the fragile dreams of families fighting to survive.

At the heart of this beacon stands Zakria Sadeq Moradi, founder of Max Garment Factory, whose vision transcends mere production.

"The driving motivation and core idea behind this initiative is to create employment opportunities for Afghan youth, while elevating the quality of domestically produced garments and expanding meaningful job opportunities for women across the country," Moradi told Xinhua.

Here, more than 2,000 men and women work across grueling shifts, keeping the heartbeat of the factory alive. Among them, 120 women defy traditional barriers, with their hands transforming imported threads into symbols of empowerment.

All the factory's state-of-the-art machinery and raw materials come from China, a partnership that Moradi praises effusively. "We are fully satisfied with the quality of the materials," he says. "Our suppliers provide the finest products at the lowest prices, not only to us, but also to clients across the world, a factor that has significantly contributed to China's remarkable progress."

Daily shipments flow in from China's bustling textile hubs in provinces such as Fujian and Zhejiang, fueling an operation that proudly emulates Chinese efficiency.

"In our business, we draw substantial inspiration from Chinese companies and closely emulate their methods and practices," Moradi explains, highlighting how this cross-border collaboration is breathing life into Afghanistan's fledgling industry.

For many, the factory is a lifeline pulled from the depths of despair. Take Ramin Hasili, the sole breadwinner for a family of seven, endured endless months of joblessness before finding solace amid the whirring looms.

"I work in the stitching and production department, earning a monthly income of between 30,000 and 40,000 afghanis (450 to 600 U.S. dollars). I am truly overjoyed that such high-quality products are now being manufactured in our own country," Hasili told Xinhua.

His pride extends to the source: "The finest garments we produce here are made using fabrics and materials imported from our friendly neighboring country (China). It is a tremendous source of pride for us to have such a nation as our neighbor."

Yet, the factory's impact runs deeper, touching the most vulnerable. Beyond its core workforce, it hosts heartfelt vocational training programs, offering free sewing workshops to dozens of underprivileged children.

These young souls, often from families shattered by poverty, transform their childhood curiosities into lifelong careers after being hired as apprentices.

In a country where youth unemployment hovers at nearly one in four, according to a recent World Bank report, such initiatives are nothing short of revolutionary.

Ali Sajjad Lalai, a 24-year-old who has spent the past year in the production line, embodies this quiet revolution. Content and optimistic, he dreams of a ripple effect: "I offer my deepest gratitude to the factory owner for creating this space. Young people now have a place to learn valuable skills, build lasting careers, and earn a dignified salary that supports their families."

He urges more investors to follow suit, planting seeds of opportunity in a land starved for growth.

As Afghanistan grapples with poverty and economic isolation, the government actively champions such ventures, inviting domestic and foreign investments to foster jobs and self-reliance.

In Max Garment Factory, people see not just cloth being cut and sewn, but the very fabric of a resilient society being mended, one stitch, one story, one hopeful future at a time. 

People work at Max Garment Factory in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 4, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

People work at Max Garment Factory in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 4, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

Issuing AuthorityPolitical Warfare Bureau

2025.12.07

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Date:

6 a.m. Dec. 6 (Sat.) to 6 a.m. Dec. 7 (Sun.) (UTC+8)

2.PLA activities:

2 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.

3.PRC balloon activities:

1 PRC balloon was detected during this timeframe.

1141207_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan_1

1141207_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan_2

1141207_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan_3

1141207_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan

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Small Business Saturday: 35 million defence funding boosting innovation across the UK

Press release

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) unveils how its financial backing for SMEs has helped take innovations from concept to military deployment, while also transforming other sectors like healhcare, transport and telecommunications.

From: Ministry of Defence, Defence and Security Accelerator and Luke Pollard MP

Published 6 December 2025

As the nation marks Small Business Saturday, MOD reveals innovative ideas across the UK which are being scaled into frontline military solutions, through dedicated defence funding.

SMEs are expanding, creating hundreds of high-skilled jobs nationwide, strengthening supply chains and making defence an engine for growth.

400 million annual ringfenced budget for harnessing commercial innovation, including dual-use technologies.

Small and medium UK firms are being supported to bring innovations, from blast protection blocks to laser detection cameras, to market as the Armed Forces strive to be at the leading edge of innovation in NATO.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), underpinned by the deep scientific and technical expertise at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), has today unveiled how their financial backing for smaller companies has helped take innovations from the drawing board to military deployments. Many of the funded technologies have dual-use potential, serving defence needs while transforming sectors like healthcare, transport, and telecommunications.

These projects have been backed by 35 million funding nationwide since July 2024. This work will be driven forward through the new UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) organisation - created as part of the Strategic Defence Review - which will be focused on harnessing commercial innovation, including dual-use technologies, backed by a ringfenced annual budget of at least 400 million.

Examples of DASA's impact include:

In Scotland, QuickBlock's innovative building block system, which started its life as a civilian product, has been adapted for military use to be a highly effective tool for ballistics and blast protection.

In Wales, Swansea University spin-out Trauma Simulation has developed ground-breaking whole-body training models that transform how Combat Medics and Medical Emergency Response Teams prepare for life-saving interventions.

In the South West of England, Sentinel Photonics has been supported to grow from a founder-led startup of former Dstl scientists to a 20-strong team, whilst their attachments for rifle scopes - which shield users' eyesight from lasers and prevent detection by laser surveillance - have now been integrated into the Armed Forces' KS1 rifles entering service.

Earlier this year, a new report revealed that companies funded by DASA have generated nearly 1 billion in economic value and created 1,800 jobs across the UK, underlining how defence is an engine for growth. In 2024 alone, DASA-funded firms raised 174 million - defying wider market trends and making defence an engine for growth, delivering on the government's Plan for Change.

The MOD is a major investor in innovation and technologies through the Defence Industrial Strategy that drives productivity and growth across the economy. The creation of the Defence Office for Small Business Growth will boost opportunities and access, supported by a target to increase spending with SMEs by 2.5 billion by May 2028.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said:

We are backing small businesses up and down the UK that are the backbone of our economy, creating good jobs across the regions and the UK and easing the cost of living. Our government is committed to supporting businesses to grow and prosper - supporting British security and local communities. From advanced satellite systems developed in Oxford to innovative ballistic defence structures in Scotland, defence funding is helping these businesses bring transformative technologies into service. Through our Defence Industrial Strategy, we are supporting local businesses, creating high-skilled jobs and ensuring our Armed Forces have the best tools to keep our nation secure at home and strong abroad.

Innovation thrives in every region of the United Kingdom, from established tech clusters to industrial heartlands, historic urban centres to rural communities. Reflecting this, the Strategic Defence Review set out that 10% of the MOD's equipment procurement budget will be spent on novel technologies each year.

By investing across the breadth of the nation, DASA ensures defence and security benefit from the unique perspectives, specialised knowledge, and industrial traditions that characterise different regions. This approach delivers cutting-edge technologies for defence and security while creating high-skilled jobs and strengthening local economies.

Head of DASA, Anita Friend said:

Innovation knows no boundaries, and these case studies demonstrate that breakthrough defence and security solutions are being developed in every corner of the UK. UKDI-DASA is committed to finding and funding the best ideas, wherever they originate. By investing across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we're not only delivering cutting-edge capabilities, but also strengthening local economies and building a resilient, nationwide innovation ecosystem.

DASA is part of UKDI and are proud to fund and nurture this nationwide ecosystem of creativity, recognising that breakthrough ideas can emerge anywhere. Today's progress reflects DASA's mission to 'find and fund exploitable innovations to support UK defence and security quickly and effectively, and support UK prosperity'.

This year the number of small businesses in the UK grew for the first time since 2020, to 5.64 million.

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Undersecretary for Global Affairs Minna-Liina Lind: The future of the OSCE depends on Ukraine's fate

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

05.12.2025 | 11:38

Yesterday, 4 December, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Undersecretary for Global Affairs Minna-Liina Lind represented Estonia in Vienna at the 32nd meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe (OSCE), where the focus was on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and support for Ukraine.

In Estonia's national statement, Lind stressed that the OSCE must remain true to its core values - defending peace and upholding the rulesbased international order. "Russia's imperialist ambitions and its ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, including grave crimes against Ukraine's civilians, infrastructure and environment, are in direct contradiction with the OSCE's founding document. Such actions cannot go unpunished. It is essential to swiftly launch the special tribunal on the crime of aggression under the auspices of the Council of Europe," Lind said. She added that the future of the OSCE is directly linked to Ukraine's future. "By supporting Ukraine, we are defending all of Europe."

The Undersecretary emphasised that Russia's disregard for the freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring states does not give other OSCE participating states the right to follow the same pattern of behaviour. "We are particularly concerned about the situation in Georgia, where the banning of the opposition and the silencing of civil society and independent media do not reflect the will of the Georgian people."

In addition to the Ministerial Council meeting, Undersecretary Lind also took part in a side meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in support of democratic Belarus. "Estonia believes in the possibility of a democratic Belarus," Lind stated. "We have kept developments in Belarus in focus on the international stage since 2020 and plan to continue doing so as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 period."

Minna-Liina Lind also attended a side event dedicated to Ukrainian children deported to Russia. "Russia has by now illegally deported nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children, whose Ukrainian identity is being systematically undermined through propaganda and by destroying their ties to their homeland," Lind noted. "We must continue efforts to ensure that every single Ukrainian child can return home."

The Undersecretary also participated in an event addressing the fight against illegal migration and border security, condemning the use of migration in hybrid operations and highlighting practical areas of cooperation within the OSCE to respond more effectively to the situation. She also met with Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Asein Isaev to discuss cooperation between Estonia and Kyrgyzstan.

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Vice-Minister Plepyte at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna: Russia's war against Ukraine violates all the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, and Russia will be held to account

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Updated 2025-12-05

On 3-5 December, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Audra Plepyte, attended the 32nd Ministerial Council meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria.

By starting the war against Ukraine, Russia has violated all the fundamental principles of the Helsinki Final Act, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, inviolability of borders, and respect for human rights, and disregarded its commitments to the OSCE and UN, violating the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and its obligations under international law. Russia is directly responsible for undermining the entire rules-based world order," the Vice-Minister said at the plenary session of the Ministerial Council meeting.

Plepyte also expressed her full support for Ukraine, its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stressed that Russia must be held to account for its crimes of aggression and the war.

The Vice-Minister condemned the ongoing Belarusian hybrid attacks against Lithuania, which violate the Lithuanian state border and pose a threat to the security of civil aviation, and the continued economic pressure by hijacking and holding the property of private companies registered in European Union countries hostage.

"We must also bear in mind the role of the Belarusian regime in enabling Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, including the involvement of Belarusian authorities in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children," Plepyte noted.

On the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council, the Vice-Minister met with the OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioglu, the Director of the OSCE for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Maria Telalian, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Jan Braathu, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Christophe Kamp, and the Director of the OSCE's Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC), Kate Fearon. The meetings highlighted the need to maintain support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, to continue documenting Russian war crimes in order to seek Russia's accountability, and highlighted the Belarusian regime's hybrid attack against Lithuania.

Plepyte also participated in a side event, which was organized by Lithuania together with Ukraine and other countries to draw the attention of the international community to the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia. In a discussion with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the future of democratic Belarus, the Vice-Minister presented Lithuania's actions aimed at holding the Lukashenko regime accountable for violations of international law and human rights, and called on other countries to support the Belarusian democratic community.

The OSCE is the world's largest regional security body, established in 1975 to foster comprehensive security and stability, human rights, and to address economic and environmental issues across 57 diverse European and Central Asian states.

The organisation is currently chaired by Finland and will be chaired by Switzerland in 2026.

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Press release on the UN International Court of Justice's acceptance for hearing of the matter of Ukraine's responsibility for genocide and related crimes

5 December 2025 20:08

2035-05-12-2025

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has upheld the Russian Federation's position and accepted its counter-claims against Ukraine for hearing under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. All objections raised by Kiev regarding the alleged inadmissibility of Russia's counter-claims have been dismissed in their entirety, and the Russian Federation's submissions have been accepted by the Court in full.

The ICJ's ruling, rendered on December 5, marks a logical development following Ukraine's futile attempts to hold Russia accountable for initiating the special military operation. This litigation was instigated by the Kiev regime and its Western sponsors as far back as February 2022. At that time, Kiev, backed by 33 Western-aligned states, lodged a claim with the ICJ alleging that Russia had violated the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

On February 1, 2024, the ICJ issued a judgement that wholly rejected all of Ukraine's accusations against Russia. The sole remaining matter before the Court was whether Ukraine itself had committed genocide.

On November 18, 2024, the Russian side submitted to the Court a substantial body of evidence, exceeding 10,000 pages, which substantiates the criminal Kiev regime's perpetration of genocide against the Russian and Russian-speaking population of Donbass. The evidentiary materials included documentation of over 140 incidents of deliberate targeting of civilians in Donbass, corroborated by testimonies from more than 300 witnesses and victims, as well as expert analyses and investigations.

The West-backed Ukrainian government, driven by genocidal intent, employed a broad arsenal of war crimes and other violations of international law against civilians: mass murders, torture, indiscriminate bombardments, and shelling. Across Ukraine, a policy of forcibly erasing Russian ethnic identity has been implemented - banning the Russian language and culture, persecuting the Russian-speaking Orthodox Church, while simultaneously glorifying collaborators of the Third Reich and obliterating the memory of the Victory over Nazism.

Moscow demanded that Kiev answer for these atrocities, advancing counter-claims not only concerning the Ukrainian authorities' state-sponsored genocide but also numerous other breaches of the Convention - complicity in genocide, incitement to genocide, and failure to take measures to prevent and punish genocide.

By affirming today the legal admissibility of Russia's claims, the ICJ has signalled its readiness to assess the full scope of crimes committed by the Kiev regime and its accomplices.

The West's hopes of wielding "legal weaponry" against Russia have once again been dashed. On the contrary, this weapon is now turned against Kiev's "plaintiffs." Against this backdrop, Western support for Kiev has already begun to dwindle sharply: a third of the states previously aligned with Ukraine in this process have hastily withdrawn, evidently recognising the futility - and even the risks - of continued participation. Other Western nations should likewise cease shielding this criminal neo-Nazi regime and exerting pressure on the ICJ.

The Russian Federation, in upholding international law, maintains that the impartiality and objectivity of international judicial bodies are critical to the peaceful resolution of international disputes. Moscow hopes that the UN International Court of Justice will continue to demonstrate balance and impartiality in its future judgments.

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Foreign Ministry statement on the vote by UN General Assembly on the Return of Ukrainian Children resolution

5 December 2025 11:05

2029-05-12-2025

On December 3, the UN General Assembly reviewed the draft resolution titled Return of Ukrainian Children as part of its 11th emergency special session.

Drafted by the Kiev regime, its European curators and the Canadians, this document is filled with lies and hypocrisy and turns reality upside-down. It professes outrageous statements against Russia by accusing it of what it refers to as deporting Ukrainian children, speaking about their 'forcible adoption' and erasing their identity. No evidence has been presented to back these groundless allegations. Not a word was said about what happened to Ukrainian minors who were taken to Europe and lost all contact with their families.

It is obvious that this resolution primarily aims to divert attention from the fact that the Kiev regime has been in total disarray, corrupted at the core and suffering one defeat after another on the battlefield. It is also part of an effort to discredit our country.

The debate on the resolution demonstrated a lack of unity among UN member states on this topic. Western delegations kept talking about what they called the deportation of Ukrainian children, while representatives of the Global Majority spoke out against targeting children with speculation of this kind and called for relying on political and diplomatic tools.

President of the UN General Assembly's 80th Session, Annalena Baerbock, made an appalling and outrageous statement. It is clear that she has forgotten that the days when she served as Germany's foreign minister are long gone. Today, she is an international official and must meet a high standard of professionalism, impartiality and follow an equidistant approach. By framing her speech in the Goebbels propaganda mould, Annalena Baerbock has blatantly abused the trust many member states placed in her when they chose to elect her in June.

The resolution received 91 votes in favour, along with 12 votes against, 57 abstentions, and 33 countries were not present during the vote. In other words, more than one half, or 102 of 193 member states denied their support to this document, in one way or another. Therefore, this draft received the least number of votes in favour of all the resolutions resulting from the 11th emergency special session. It is obvious that this is not what European and NATO countries expected, considering their unwavering efforts to make the Ukraine conflict last for as long as possible for serving their vested and selfish political agendas.

Russia emphasises yet again that any accusations it faces of deporting Ukrainian children are totally groundless and misleading. This was exclusively a matter of evacuating from combat zones minors whose lives were at risk. Today, Russia is diligent and consistent in its efforts to reunite families and stands ready to cooperate on the children issue with constructive international mediators.

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Minister Sajovic concludes his official visit to Ukraine

Republic of Slovenia

5. 12. 2025

Ministry of Defence

The Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Sajovic, accepted an invitation from the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, to pay an official visit to Ukraine on 3 and 4 December with his delegation that also included the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Robert Glavas. After Minister Sajovic and his delegation were welcomed at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence in Kyiv, the two ministers and their delegations held official talks.

Minister of Defence of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal briefed Minister Sajovic on the current course of military operations in Ukraine. Russian aggression against Ukraine both through military operations and hybrid activities has recently focused primarily on attacks aimed at destroying critical infrastructure and intimidating the population through indiscriminate targeting of urban areas ahead of the coming winter, which poses serious problems for Ukraine, particularly in terms of supplying the civilian population with electricity and heating.

Minister Sajovic stressed that Russia's deliberate shelling of civilians and civilian infrastructure is unacceptable and contrary to international law, which Russia has persistently violated since the beginning of its aggression against Ukraine. The minister pointed out that Slovenia's contribution to the PURL initiative, specifically focused on Ukraine's air defence to protect against attacks on civilian targets, was a clear sign of our solidarity and strong political and moral commitment to Ukraine. Slovenia remains firmly committed to implementing all elements of the Agreement on Security Cooperation and Long-Term Support Between Ukraine and the Republic of Slovenia. Minister Sajovic added that we seek long-term bilateral cooperation in the field of defence.

Minister Sajovic assured that our support for Ukraine was based on the clear conviction that it is a matter of defending fundamental European values - sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law, emphasising that Slovenia consistently, clearly and vocally advocates lasting and just peace as well as all efforts and initiatives in this direction. It is our shared responsibility to enable Ukraine to defend itself independently and to prevent Russia from imposing itself upon the international community with its aggressive policy. Slovenia remains committed to helping Ukraine with the aim of defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom, Minister Sajovic emphasised.

He assured his Ukrainian counterpart of continued support and assistance, with which we are cooperating in various projects and initiatives with an open, pragmatic and constructive approach. The Republic of Slovenia's assistance to Ukraine has been ongoing since the very beginning of the war, with a clear consensus at the political level that a rapid response to Ukraine's key needs is necessary. We are cooperating in a pragmatic and constructive manner in providing assistance at the level of the European Union and NATO. We also aim to focus our long-term cooperation with Ukraine on rehabilitation and the defence industry, Minister Sajovic added during the talks. The upgrade of humanitarian aid to Ukraine is expected to be completed by the end of this year with the implementation of a civil-military cooperation project by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia to equip a rehabilitation room in the city of Drohobych.

The ministers also discussed opportunities for cooperation in the defence industry, which is expected to be mutually beneficial. The experience of Ukraine and its defence industry is particularly valuable, as it is constantly and extremely quickly adapting to new military tactics and requirements for national defence, thus setting new standards and milestones in military tactics and technology. Our country's interest is mainly focused on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, air and anti-drone defence, cyber defence, armoured vehicles, and artillery. Minister Sajovic invited his Ukrainian colleague Shmyhal to the SIDEC fair, which will be organized again next year in Celje. The organisers hope that Ukrainian companies from the defence industry sector will participate with their products and expertise. At next year's fair, one of the central panels will be dedicated to the experiences of the Ukrainian defence industry and its effective adaptation to the requirements of national defence.

As part of an official visit to Ukraine, the Minister of Defence, Borut Sajovic, and members of the delegation from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia were received by the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Oleksander Korniienko, on Wednesday, 3 December. Minister Sajovic paid tribute to the defenders of Ukraine and all victims of the war, which has unfortunately been going on for four years, at Mikhailivska Square in Kyiv before the official talks.]

As part of the visit, on Thursday, 4 December, the delegation from the Ministry of Defence visited a neighbourhood in Kyiv] to see the aftermath of the destruction of a residential area that was hit by a Russian missile and a Shahed drone in September this year. After that, the Ukrainian hosts in Borodianka showed how a special state service is working to rebuild the town, build special modular shelters for the town's residents, and clear huge areas of Ukraine of mines.

Minister Sajovic and his delegation also visited a military hospital and rehabilitation centre in Irpin, where the most seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers are treated and cared for during their rehabilitation and return to society. The day before, the minister was also a guest of a non-governmental veterans' organisation that helps Ukrainian veterans rehabilitate and reintegrate into everyday life outside the battlefields including those from areas previously under occupation.

At the end of the visit, the minister and members of the Slovenian delegation paid tribute to the Ukrainian defenders who fell during the Russian aggression at the beginning of the war at the memorial centre in the village of Moshchun and to the victims of the Russian massacre in the village of Bucha, and lit candles in memory of all the killed residents of Bucha who were killed at the memorial centre next to the Church of St Andrew.

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Kremlin Aide Calls Tone of Putin's Meeting With Witkoff Constructively Friendly

Sputnik News

20251205

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The tone of Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff was constructively friendly, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Friday.

"The tone, I would say, was constructive and friendly. Putin knows Witkoff well, he has already met with him six times. They had a really friendly conversation, they understand each other perfectly well," Ushakov told Russian media.

Putin received Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday. Besides Putin, Russia was represented by Ushakov and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) head Kirill Dmitriev.

The negotiations signal the latest attempt by the Trump administration to find a peace deal in Ukraine and improve relations with Moscow. Separately this week, the White House released a new National Security Strategy dropping traditional language referring to Russia as a 'threat' to US national security.

 Sputnik

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Russia Remains Open to Ukraine Settlement Talks, Interested in Continuing Them - Kremlin

Sputnik News

20251205

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia remains open to negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine and is interested in continuing them, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"We remain open to negotiations and are interested in continuing and launching serious work on the basic draft document prepared by [US President Donald] Trump's team. So in this sense, we are ready and waiting," Peskov said in an interview with RT.

There has been no change in Moscow's position on the Ukrainian settlement, but it is prepared to be flexible so that a solution can be found, the official said.

When asked what will happen if Kiev rejects Moscow's demands, the official said that the special military operation will continue, adding that Russia will do everything to protect its interests.

We have a fairly positive outlook. We see significant momentum among Russian troops 'on the ground,'" the official said.

At the same time, if Russia fails to achieve its goals in Ukraine by peaceful means, the special military operation will continue, Peskov said.

 Sputnik

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Russian Forces Liberate Bezymyannoye Settlement in DPR

Sputnik News

20251205

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Yug Battlegroup has taken control of the settlement of Bezymyannoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"As a result of coordinated actions by units of the Yug group of forces, the settlement of Bezymyannoye in the Donetsk People's Republic has been liberated," the ministry said.

Russia's Yug Battlegroup has also liberated the settlement of Klinovoye in the Donetsk People's Republic. Russia's Yug battlegroup has eliminated over 1,085 Ukrainian soldiers

has also liberated the settlement of Klinovoye in the Donetsk People's Republic. Russia's Yug battlegroup has eliminated over 1,085 Ukrainian soldiers Russia's Sever Battlegroup has destroyed 12 armored combat vehicles, 73 automobiles, four field artillery pieces, three electronic warfare stations, and six material depots. Ukraine has also lost over 1,195 military personnel in battles with Russia's Sever Battlegroup

has destroyed 12 armored combat vehicles, 73 automobiles, four field artillery pieces, three electronic warfare stations, and six material depots. Ukraine has also lost over 1,195 military personnel in battles with Russia's Russia's Zapad Battlegroup has eliminated over 1,575 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 16 armored combat vehicles, including six produced by NATO countries, 93 automobiles, and 10 field artillery pieces, 29 ammunition depots and 55 electronic warfare and counter-battery stations over the past week

has eliminated over 1,575 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 16 armored combat vehicles, including six produced by NATO countries, 93 automobiles, and 10 field artillery pieces, 29 ammunition depots and 55 electronic warfare and counter-battery stations over the past week Russia's Tsentr Battlegroup has eliminated over 3,265 Ukrainian military personnel over the past week

has eliminated over 3,265 Ukrainian military personnel over the past week Russia's Vostok Battlegroup has eliminated 1515 Ukrainian military personnel over the past week

 Sputnik

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by Xinhua writer Wang Aihua

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- November in China traditionally saw a lull in tourism, but the iconic theme parks in Shanghai had a different experience this year. The Disney Resort, Legoland and other familiar attractions in this east China metropolis were bustling with children enjoying their autumn school breaks last month.

Guo Jie and her seven-year-old son from Ningbo, a city in the neighboring Zhejiang Province, were among the numerous family explorers that could be spotted at Shanghai's kaleidoscope of theme parks. "Compared with peak seasons like summer vacation or the National Day holiday, this trip was a total steal," Guo told Xinhua. "Plus, the weather is more pleasant at this time of the year."

This trend of off-season family traveling reflects broader policy shifts across China to introduce staggered holidays for children, aiming to reduce their academic pressure, promote hands-on learning beyond classrooms, and notably, to increase consumption.

A series of central policies unveiled this year aim to encourage local authorities across the country to add short breaks in spring and autumn to allow more time for tourism and leisure spending.

This October, Zhejiang, of which the capital city Hangzhou pioneered the introduction of spring and autumn breaks for primary and middle schools over two decades ago, became the first Chinese province to implement such a policy across all its 11 prefecture-level cities.

Other Chinese regions, such as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest and Jilin Province in the northeast, have also joined this seasonal school break initiative, recently declaring "snow breaks" for students to boost the ice-and-snow economy.

Throughout November, a multitude of scenic spots across Zhejiang extended complimentary admission to visitors on autumn breaks. The municipal government of Shaoxing, a city in Zhejiang, further enhanced the holiday experience by distributing consumption vouchers amid autumn break festivities.

In the southwestern province of Sichuan, the Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan Irrigation System scenic area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, generously offered free entry to primary and secondary school students from all over China.

Chen Yuebo, head of an association of agritainment resorts in Ningbo, said they worked nonstop during this year's autumn break. "We collaborated with tourist attractions in the town, as well as homestays and campsites. This made us more competitive as a whole."

Legoland Shanghai Resort said its tickets were sold out on multiple days last month, while Legoland Hotel remained fully booked at the time. According to the resort, the number of visitors from Zhejiang had tripled during the autumn break week, compared with the week before, making that province the largest source of visitors to the park in recent times.

Travel agencies in Shanghai, meanwhile, revealed that the number of family tourists that booked tickets for the city's major theme parks during the autumn break had even surpassed that of the traditional peak season in October.

Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai-based Spring Tour, said the autumn break had driven consumption growth across related industries, including air tickets and hotels, effectively invigorating the traditional off-season market.

In Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, ski resorts have been in full swing this past week thanks to the city's complimentary admission policy for all primary and middle school students in this autonomous region. Students in Urumqi and Altay Prefecture, a prestigious ski destination in Xinjiang, embraced their first official snow break this December, which ended on Sunday.

Fan Lanlan, a manager at a ski resort in Urumqi, said student reservations at the resort had exceeded 10,000 during this snow vacation, marking a peak in tourist arrivals.

Li Xia, head of a ski school in Altay, said that tens of hundreds of teenagers had gathered at the school during the holiday. "The first day of the snow break was as busy as that of the peak season during the annual Chinese New Year holiday," Li remarked, adding that they had to make adjustments to the ski equipment and ski run in advance, to specifically set up counters for these students.

Industry insiders are suggesting that regions across the country further leverage their own resource endowments to launch unique tourism products and services, and that they should try to prevent their off-season school breaks overlapping with those in other regions. They have also called for further efforts to refine supporting policies and improve supervision.

Professor Lou Jiajun from Shanghai-based East China Normal University has suggested that cultural and tourism enterprises launch differentiated products tailored to children of different age groups and their families.

Xue Ping, an education official in Zhejiang, meanwhile, has proposed efforts to prompt enterprises and institutions to facilitate paid leave for parents.

While the central government plan mandates strict enforcement of paid annual leave for parents, local authorities across the country have also been exploring and introducing various approaches, allowing students to attend care sessions offered by their schools or residential communities, and school-organized research and study programs.

Kong Yongguo, a leading education official in Hangzhou, said that free after-school care services are not simply about students studying or resting in classrooms, but require that sports, cultural, artistic and sci-tech activities be organized, thereby offering students more opportunities to gain practical experience.

Mr. Zhu, parent of a third-grade student in Hangzhou, said free after-school care services are crucial, while voicing his hope that residential communities and other entities can also contribute to enriching children's lives during holidays. 
UK Ready to Transfer Frozen Russian Assets to Ukraine, But Lacks Process - Reports

Sputnik News

20251205

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK government is ready to release 8 billion pounds ($10.6 million) from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, but such a mechanism has not yet been developed, the Times newspaper reported, citing government sources.

On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the commission is ready to use Russia's frozen assets to cover 90 billion euros ($105 billion) of Ukraine's financial needs for 2026-2027. The final financing decision will be made at the EU summit in December, following consultations.

"We need a co-ordinated plan to draw on those Russian sovereign assets in order to be able not only just to support Ukraine in the short term, but share that overwhelming message to Russia," UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was quoted by the Times as saying.

A government source said that a specific process for unlocking 8 billion pounds of Russian assets held in the UK and transferring them to Ukraine has not yet been devised.

The European Commission is seeking to get EU countries to use the Russian Central Bank's assets to finance Ukraine's war effort. On November 8, Belgian news agency Belga reported that around 140 billion euros in Russian money could be used as a so-called reparations loan, which Ukraine would only repay if it receives "compensation for material damage" from Russia. Belgium opposes the plan over fears of legal consequences.

Following the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in 2022, the European Union and the G7 nations froze nearly half of Russia's foreign currency reserves, totaling approximately 300 billion euros. Around 200 billion euros are held in European accounts, predominantly in Euroclear, a Belgium-based securities depository.

 Sputnik

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Russia Encouraged by Progress in Talks with US on Ukrainian Settlement - Kremlin Aide

Sputnik News

20251205

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - The Russian side is encouraged by progress in negotiations with the United States on a settlement in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday.

"After all, in the main negotiations, in which our president [of Russia Vladimir Putin] is participating, in my opinion, we are moving forward. This gives us encouragement, and we are ready to continue working with this American team [of US President Donald Trump]," Ushakov told Russian broadcaster Zvezda.

At the recent meeting with US representatives in the Kremlin, all issues were discussed on the basis of the understandings that were reached in Anchorage, the Kremlin aide added.

A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump may take place in the near future, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov also said.

"It could happen, of course," Ushakov told Russian broadcaster Zvezda, when asked whether a meeting between Putin and Trump could take place in the near future.

Other statements:

Russia remains ready to work with the Trump administration's team

Europeans aren't helping to achieve settlement, they constantly put forward demands that are unacceptable to Russia

 Sputnik

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Meeting Between Special Envoy for Peace Steven Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Ukrainian Secretary of National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, and Chief of General Staff General Andriy Hnatov

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

December 5, 2025

Over two days, Special Envoy for Peace Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian Secretary of National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of General Staff General Andriy Hnatov for constructive discussions on advancing a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace in Ukraine.

Today, the group had their sixth meeting over the past two weeks. Secretary Umerov reaffirmed that Ukraine's priority is securing a settlement that protects its independence and sovereignty, ensures the safety of Ukrainians, and provides a stable foundation for a prosperous democratic future.

The participants discussed the results of recent meeting of the American side with the Russians and steps that could lead to ending this war. The American and Ukrainians also agreed on the framework of security arrangements and discussed necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace.

Both parties agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings.

Parties also separately reviewed the future prosperity agenda which aims to support Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, joint U.S.-Ukraine economic initiatives, and long-term recovery projects.

American and Ukrainian parties underscored that an end to the war and credible steps toward ceasefire and de-escalation are necessary to prevent renewed aggression and to enable Ukraine's comprehensive redevelopment plan, designed to make the nation stronger and more prosperous than before the war.

Parties will reconvene tomorrow to continue advancing the discussions.

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We must stand with Ukraine in defending its future generations: UK statement at the UN General Assembly

Speech

Statement by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN General Assembly Emergency Special Session meeting on Ukraine.

From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Archie Young CMG

Published 5 December 2025

Location: United Nations, New York

Delivered on: 3 December 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Today is a moment to reflect on the plight of Ukrainian children who have become victims of Russia's illegal invasion. We all have an obligation to protect children and must not allow Russia to use them as pawns of war.

According to the Government of Ukraine, corroborated by independent mechanisms, more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia or within the temporarily occupied territories.

Furthermore, the UN High Commissioner's report describes widespread violations of Children's rights: more than 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian occupation, forced to study Russian curricula, and subjected to a policy of indoctrination and militarisation.

This is clearly a systematic, despicable attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. We must stand with Ukraine in defending its future generations.

But this is not the only challenge Ukraine's children face. They are growing up in the shadow of Russian aggression, experiencing Moscow's relentless aerial bombardment, of the nearly 53,000 verified civilian casualties from the start of the invasion, more than 3,000 have been children.

358 educational institutions have been destroyed by aerial bombardments, and just a month ago strikes hit a kindergarten in Kharkiv. No one should spend their childhood witnessing death and destruction.

The UK calls on Russia to comply with international humanitarian law, end the forcible transfer of children from occupied territory; and immediately withdraw its troops to stop this unjustifiable invasion and children's suffering.

We demand the safe, immediate return of all Ukrainian children, with the UN and international community facilitating and verifying the process.

Every member of this Chamber has a duty to uphold peace and security; we must use every lever to pressure Russia to end their invasion of Ukraine, cease these vile deportations, and return all Ukrainian children.

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Russia's systematic attacks against Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure: Joint statement to OSCE Ministerial Council 2025

Speech

UK and others condemn Russia's systematic strikes against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and urge Russia to cease its attacks and engage seriously in genuine negotiations.

From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Neil Holland

Published 5 December 2025

Location: Vienna

Delivered on: 5 December 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Mr Chair,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the following participating States:

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and my own State, the United Kingdom.

OSCE Partners for Co-Operation Australia and Japan also join this statement.

Russia's deliberate missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure constitute a clear pattern in its full-scale invasion that began in 2022 and has intensified in the fourth year of the war. Russia has carried out deliberate strikes across the country, leading to significant civilian casualties, massive damage to residential and energy infrastructure and causing emergency power outages across most regions of the country. Tens of thousands of civilians in major cities and population centres are left without proper access to essential services. The arrival of winter makes these strikes even more egregious.

It is of particular concern that electrical infrastructure, identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency as essential for the off-site power supply of nuclear facilities, continues to be the target of Russian strikes. Such attacks represent a direct threat to nuclear safety and security and increase the risk of a nuclear accident with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and beyond.

We condemn Russia's systematic strikes against civilian infrastructure in the strongest possible terms. The unlawful targeting of civilians and civilian objects is a breach of international humanitarian law, in particular principle of distinction, enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, and may therefore constitute war crimes.

Russia must be held accountable for its actions. There must be no impunity for crimes, including war crimes and the crime of aggression. And victims must receive justice.

Russia's actions further highlight the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire. We urge Russia to cease its attacks on Ukraine and engage seriously in genuine negotiations.

We support efforts towards ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and achieving a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine based on international law, including the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act.

Ukraine and its people have demonstrated outstanding resilience during Russia's war of aggression. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to protect, repair and restore civilian infrastructure affected by the war, with the aim of safeguarding the population's access to essential services, including electricity, heating and water. Building upon broad Ukrainian experience in bolstering the resilience of critical infrastructure we remain open to exchanging Ukraine's lessons learned.

We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

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Joint Statement by Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Odesa Triangle - the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 19:34

In the context of the debates of the OSCE Ministerial Council held in Vienna, 3-5 December 2025, the ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine reaffirm their unwavering adherence to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and to the principles of commitments of the OSCE.

Amidst Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the constant hybrid actions undertaken by Moscow in the Republic of Moldova and Romania, as well as across Europe, we reaffirm our strong commitment to continue pursuing measures aimed at consolidating security and resilience in our region and beyond.

We reiterate our unwavering support to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.

While Russia conducts combined strikes against Ukraine, its drone attacks also increasingly affect the security of other states, including through repeated violations of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova and Romania. In this context, close coordination within bilateral and multilateral formats, including the "Odesa Triangle", remains a cornerstone of our joint efforts. Russia also increased its violations of Allied airspace in response to which NATO launched EASTERN SENTRY and is strengthening Allied capabilities on the Eastern flank.

Our three countries will continue to deepen practical cooperation aimed at strengthening resilience in the region and beyond. We will further enhance coordination in countering hybrid threats from the Russian Federation, including disinformation and foreign information manipulation, cyber attacks and energy threats, and attempts to destabilise our societies through political or economic pressure. In light of Russia's intensified malicious activity in the digital space, we consider it important to advance our dialogue on the establishment of a Trilateral Cyber Alliance.

Energy remains a key pillar of our cooperation. We will continue working together to strengthen the region's energy security, reduce vulnerabilities to external pressure, and counter Russia's ongoing weaponization of energy. By enhancing interconnectivity, improving resilience of energy systems, diversification of sources and ensuring stable and reliable supply routes, we aim to build a secure regional energy space resistant to any attempts at coercion or disruption.

Our countries will also continue close cooperation to prevent the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia. Ensuring that no covert channels, opaque ownership structures or any other schemes are used to undermine sanctions regimes is essential to our national and European security.

We underline the importance of expanding cross-border transport infrastructure as a strategic priority for our three countries. Ukraine welcomes the continued support of Romania and the Republic of Moldova for the Solidarity Lanes Initiative. Given Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure, it remains essential to further increase the capacity of transport corridors from Ukraine through the Republic of Moldova and Romania in order to maintain the flow of goods, secure vital export routes, restore safety and freedom of navigation and further strengthen regional cooperation among like-minded states.

We highlight the importance of the election of our three countries to the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2025-2029 term, which reflects our shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication.

We remain firmly committed to advancing our European and Euro-Atlantic integration, reinforcing the Black Sea region as a space of peace, security and prosperity, and upholding the effectiveness and credibility of the OSCE as an important regional security organization.

In this spirit, we call on all OSCE participating States and institutions to support the Chairpersonship-in-Office and the host country, the Republic of Moldova, in ensuring the full, uninterrupted and effective functioning of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, in strict accordance with existing procedures and with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. Noting that the relevant 1999 OSCE Summit commitments remain unfulfilled, we urge the Russian Federation to fully, unconditionally withdraw all military forces, ammunition and equipment stationed on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

United in purpose and united in action, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine will continue to stand together against Russia's aggression and to work jointly to protect their citizens.

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Joint Statement of Ukraine and the Benelux countries following the Ministerial Meeting OSCE 2025

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 19:26

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Benelux countries  Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg  as well as Ukraine, in the framework of the Ukraine-Benelux format.

We reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, including its territorial waters. We firmly and unequivocally condemn the ongoing war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

During their visit to Odesa on 26 August, the Benelux Ministers of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to Ukraine. Their visit sent a strong and unambiguous political signal of solidarity, and reconfirmed the firm and consistent position of the Benelux countries in the face of Russia's aggression. The Ministers witnessed first-hand the scale of destruction and the gravity of the security situation, while commending the remarkable resilience of the Ukrainian people.

We wish to restate here the key principles guiding our position:

Russia must immediately end its war of aggression against Ukraine and comply with the UN Charter and the Helsinki Principles, through the establishment of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace that ensures the security and stability of Ukraine and of Europe, and is grounded in the norms and principles of international law. We welcome any genuine initiative aimed at ending this war and reaffirm the principle: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Ensuring accountability for all crimes committed against Ukraine and its people, including the crime of aggression, is essential. We fully support all efforts to secure justice and reparations for the victims. We remain firmly committed to the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine has the inherent right to freely choose its own destiny  and its allies  in accordance with the UN Charter and international law. The Benelux countries remain fully committed to supporting Ukraine on its path towards EU membership and its Euro-Atlantic integration.

Ukraine urgently needs our continued and intensified military and financial support. Therefore, Ukraine can count on the Benelux countries to remain steadfast as we will continue to provide political, humanitarian, military and financial assistance to Ukraine, for as long as needed and in close coordination with our international partners.

In conclusion, we reaffirm that Ukraine's security is inseparable from Europe's security. Guided by the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the core commitments of the OSCE, we remain determined to uphold the rules-based international order and the respect for the sovereignty of States.

Thank you.

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Joint Ukraine-Nordic-Baltic Statement. OSCE Ministerial Council 2025

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 19:18

Thank you, Chair,

I deliver this statement on behalf of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Ukraine.

After nearly four years, Ukraine is still defending itself against Russia's brutal and unprovoked full-scale invasion, the consequences of which are felt not only in Ukraine but across Europe. Ukraine has every right under international law to defend itself. .

We have from the outset of Russia's war of aggression stood by Ukraine's side and we will continue to do so. Our resolve comes from the fact that we know that this is not only about Ukrainian security, it is also about the wider security of Europe, and about the fundamental principle that sovereign borders cannot be changed by force, as enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

We will therefore continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen Europe's defense to deter further Russian aggression. As long as Russia continues its war against Ukraine, we will also support strengthening sanctions and wider economic measures.

[Mr./Ms] Chair,

Ukraine has continuously shown that it is serious about peace. Ukraine remains ready to negotiate. Russia has so far not committed to a ceasefire or any steps leading to peace. Instead, Russia continues its brutal attacks against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

Russia must immediately cease its illegal attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia must be held accountable for its actions. There must be no impunity for crimes, including war crimes and the crime of aggression. And victims must receive justice.

[Mr./Ms] Chair,

Solutions that respect Ukraine's sovereignty and that will bring Ukraine and Europe greater security and stability have our full support.

A just and lasting peace requires justice, accountability, and the full respect of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders

The Nordic and Baltic countries will continue to stand with Ukraine - now and in the future.

I thank you, chair.

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Joint Statement on Russia`s deliberate attacks against Ukraine`s civilian energy infrastructure

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 19:14

Madam/Mr Chair,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the following participating States:

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom.

OSCE Partner for Co-Operation Australia and Japan also join this statement.

Russia's deliberate missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure constitute a clear pattern in its full-scale invasion that began in 2022 and has intensified in the fourth year of the war. Russia has carried out deliberate strikes across the country, leading to significant civilian casualties, massive damage to residential and energy infrastructure and causing emergency power outages across most regions of the country. Tens of thousands of civilians in major cities and population centres are left without proper access to essential services. The arrival of winter makes these strikes even more egregious.

It is of particular concern that electrical infrastructure, identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency as essential for the off-site power supply of nuclear facilities, continues to be the target of Russian strikes. Such attacks represent a direct threat to nuclear safety and security and increase the risk of a nuclear accident with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and beyond.

We condemn Russia's systematic strikes against civilian infrastructure in the strongest possible terms. The unlawful targeting of civilians and civilian objects is a breach of international humanitarian law, in particular principle of distinction, enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, and may therefore constitute war crimes.

Russia must be held accountable for its actions. There must be no impunity for crimes, including war crimes and the crime of aggression. And victims must receive justice.

Russia's actions further highlight the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire. We urge Russia to cease its attacks on Ukraine and engage seriously in genuine negotiations.

We support efforts towards ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and achieving a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine based on international law, including the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act.

Ukraine and its people have demonstrated outstanding resilience during Russia's war of aggression. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to protect, repair and restore civilian infrastructure affected by the war, with the aim of safeguarding the population's access to essential services, including electricity, heating and water. Building upon broad Ukrainian experience in bolstering resilience of critical infrastructure we remain open for exchanging Ukraine's lessons learned.

We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

Thank you, Madam/Mr Chair.

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Andrii Sybiha held a meeting in Presov with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Juraj Blanar

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 18:51

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "In Presov, I had a productive meeting with my Slovak colleague Juraj Blanar.

I informed my colleague about the battlefield situation, Russia's strikes against our energy system, and most recent developments in peace efforts.

We noted the active dialogue between President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Fico, as well as positive outcomes of the recent joint intergovernmental commission. Our relations have a positive dynamic and we are committed to strengthening them in all areas, from joint infrastructure projects to cooperation in the Demining and Shelter Coalitions.

Grateful for Slovakia's 500,000 support to our energy sector and the progress on the Bilingual Ukrainian School in Bratislava.

We appreciate Slovakia's consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty and our path toward EU membership. We count on Slovakia's strong voice for a just and lasting peace and for further sanctions against Russia. I also underlined the importance of the decision to enable the full use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

Together, we strengthen both of our nations, regional security, and our European future".

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Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee casts his ballot at a polling station in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2025. Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's HKSAR kicked off Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

HONG KONG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) kicked off Sunday morning.

Long queues had already formed outside multiple polling stations across Hong Kong before the polls opened at 7:30 a.m. local time. At polling station entrances, staff and volunteers attentively assisted voters with the procedures.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee cast his ballot around 8:30 a.m. at Raimondi College on Robinson Road. Speaking to the media, Lee hoped that all voters would come out to vote, noting that each ballot represents a push for reform and a collective effort to move forward together.

The new term of LegCo will be composed of 90 members, including 40 elected by the Election Committee, 30 elected by functional constituencies, and 20 elected by geographical constituencies through direct elections. A total of 161 candidates are contesting the election, with competition for every seat.

Outside a polling station in the Kowloon Central constituency, a woman assisted an elderly person into the station, while some voters posed for a photo holding a thank-you card given by staff after casting their ballot.

Near the Election Committee Constituency polling station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Wan Chai, voter Ms. Huang said she hoped the new term of the Legislative Council would usher in a new atmosphere for Hong Kong.

Mr. Lau, a resident of Tai Po, where a deadly fire hit a residential complex last week, came to vote with his wife in the morning, as they did in the previous elections.

"After the disaster struck, in addition to engaging in mutual assistance and support, we also came to a clearer realization that actively exercising the right to vote in the LegCo election is a crucial action for building a better Hong Kong, helping disaster-affected people rebuild their homes, and enabling them to return to normal life as soon as possible," Lau said.

According to the HKSAR government, voting will conclude at 11:30 p.m., with more than 600 polling stations open across Hong Kong to serve approximately 4.13 million registered voters.

The eighth-term LegCo of the HKSAR will commence its four-year term on Jan. 1, 2026. 

Citizens arrive at a polling station in Tai Po of Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2025. Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's HKSAR kicked off Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Citizens arrive at a polling station in Tai Po of Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2025. Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's HKSAR kicked off Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Citizens arrive at a polling station in Tai Po of Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2025. Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's HKSAR kicked off Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

This photo taken on Dec. 7, 2025 shows a view of the Election Committee Constituency polling station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Hong Kong, south China. Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) kicked off Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)

Voters arrive at a polling station at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 7, 2025. Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) kicked off Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)
Statement by the MFA of Ukraine on the Imposition of Sanctions against the GRU

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

05 December 2025 18:50

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomes the decision of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to impose sanctions against the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU), as well as personal sanctions against GRU officers involved in the organisation of terrorist attacks and cyberattacks on the territory of Ukraine and in European states.

This decision is an important and timely contribution to joint international efforts aimed at countering the Russian state terrorist machine, which systematically employs sabotage, cyberattacks and other methods of hybrid warfare against Ukraine, its partners and the democratic world as a whole.

Ukraine highly values the role of the United Kingdom in implementing key international initiatives aimed at strengthening the global security architecture, its consistent position in favour of exerting maximum pressure on the Russian Federation and holding it accountable for the crimes it has committed, as well as its principled stance in resolutely responding to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This is clearly illustrated by last year's decision of the UK side to impose sanctions on the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Russian Federation and their command for the use of chemical weapons against Ukraine.

We commend the efforts of the international community, which for the third year in a row has unanimously blocked attempts by the Russian Federation to join the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, thereby clearly and consistently reaffirming its assessment of Russia's unlawful actions: an aggressor state has no place among the countries that shape the modern non-proliferation regime for weapons of mass destruction.

Ukraine supports steps aimed at increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, which is an important element in reducing its ability to continue its war of aggression against our state. Increasing pressure on the aggressor state, combined with greater assistance to Ukraine to strengthen its defence capabilities, is an effective tool on the path towards restoring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

Ukraine will continue to work closely with the United Kingdom and other partners to strengthen international security, protect critical infrastructure and counter all forms of Russian aggression. Only a resolute, coordinated and comprehensive response by the international community can stop Russia's aggressive behaviour and ensure that all those responsible for crimes against the security of states and their citizens are held to account.

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Government approves draft law introducing motivational contracts in the Defence Forces

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

5 December, 2025, 6:08 PM EET

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft law developed by the Ministry of Defence to transition the Defence Forces to contract-based staffing through the introduction of motivational contracts.

The document was approved during a Government meeting held on Friday, 5 December.

The new contract system is intended to become a key factor in strengthening personnel motivation and ensuring the stability of a professional military.

The adopted draft law provides eligibility to sign contracts with enhanced motivational benefits for:

reservists liable for military service;

service members currently serving under mobilization.

The draft law introduces more flexible contract durations for the special period. The duration of the initial contract with enhanced motivational benefits ranges from 1 to 5 years. The duration of subsequent contracts ranges from 1 to 10 years, provided it does not exceed the statutory maximum age for military service.

An important social guarantee provided by the draft law is the introduction of a new ground for deferment from conscription. The draft law amends the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization," establishing the right to a 12-month deferment from conscription from the date of discharge from military service under a motivational contract (except for one-year contracts). This will give service members the necessary time for rest, recovery, and for undergoing medical and social rehabilitation.

"We expect a prompt adoption of the draft law by members of parliament. We anticipate that the new contract system will begin operating in the first quarter of 2026," said Minister of Defence Denys Shmyhal.

The introduction of more flexible and transparent mechanisms for concluding and extending contracts will contribute to building a stable and effective staffing system, reduce dependence on mobilization measures, and strengthen the social protection of service members.

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U.S., Ukraine agree on security framework: state department

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:03, December 06, 2025

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Department of State said on Friday that U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators met over two days and agreed on the framework of security arrangements.

"Over two days, Special Envoy for Peace Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian Secretary of National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of General Staff General Andriy Hnatov for constructive discussions on advancing a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace in Ukraine," the U.S. Department of State said in a statement.

"The group had their sixth meeting over the past two weeks. Secretary Umerov reaffirmed that Ukraine's priority is securing a settlement that protects its independence and sovereignty, ensures the safety of Ukrainians, and provides a stable foundation for a prosperous democratic future," the statement said.

The participants discussed the results of recent meeting between the U.S. side and the Russians, and the two parties also agreed on the framework of security arrangements and discussed necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace.

Both parties agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings.

The two sides also separately reviewed the "future prosperity agenda" which aims to support Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, joint U.S.-Ukraine economic initiatives and long-term recovery projects.

The parties will continue the discussions on Saturday, the statement said.

The meetings were held in Miami, Florida, according to earlier media reports.

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Chechen leader vows retaliation after Ukrainian drone hits tower block in Grozny

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 06 December 2025 10:49 AM

The head of the autonomous Republic of Chechnya has vowed a forceful response after a Ukrainian drone struck and damaged a tower block in Grozny, the capital of the Russian region, escalating what Moscow warns is Kiev's increasingly reckless cross-border operations.

Ramzan Kadyrov issued a sharp warning to the Kiev government on Telegram on Friday, saying that in the coming week, Chechen forces would respond while avoiding the Ukrainian practice of targeting civilian sites.

"Starting from tomorrow and in the course of the week, the Ukrainian fascists will be feeling a stern response ... Except, unlike them, we will not be making a cowardly strike on peaceful targets," he wrote.

Kadyrov said the drone caused no casualties but stressed that the strike on a civilian complex deep inside Russia and far from any military position "made no tactical sense."

Ukrainian attacks have previously hit several locations in Chechnya, including a police barracks and a military training academy; actions that regional officials say serve no military purpose and are intended primarily to cause fear.

This is not the first time in recent weeks that Ukrainian forces have targeted civilian infrastructure far inside Russian territory using drones.

On November 26, Russia's Ministry of Defense released a statement saying that as Moscow's forces continue their progress along the frontlines, Kiev has attempted to manufacture panic within Russia by striking non-military locations.

The ministry added that in the early hours of November 26, Russian air defenses repelled more than 136 drone attacks launched by the Ukrainian armed forces.

On November 25, the ministry said Russian air defenses intercepted 249 Ukrainian drones, but several drones hit civilian areas inside the Rostov and Novorossiysk regions, injuring 18 civilians.

The conflict in Ukraine began in 2022, after years of Western political and military interference in Kiev that generated instability along the Russian border and ultimately compelled Moscow to intervene to protect its national interests and regional security.

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US, Ukraine Discuss Peace, But No Immediate Breakthroughs Seen In Miami Talks

By RFE/RL December 06, 2025

US and Ukrainian officials met for a third straight day of talks, with no early announcements about any potential breakthroughs, even as Russia and Ukraine conducted air strikes on the opposing side's territory as the all-out war edged near the four-year mark.

As of late afternoon local time on December 6, no official statements had been released out of the Miami meeting, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he joined his negotiating team for a "constructive" call with US representatives involved in the talks.

"I've just had a long and substantive phone call with [US representatives] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside [Ukrainian negotiators] Andriy Hnatov and Rustem Umerov," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

"I am grateful for a very focused, constructive discussion."

"We covered many aspects and went through key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of a new Russian full-scale invasion, as well as the risk of Russia failing to honor its promises, as has happened repeatedly in the past," he added, without indicating the precise timing of the call.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv "is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace" and that "we agreed on the next steps and formats for talks with the United States."

He cautioned, though, that "not everything can be discussed by phone" and that he was awaiting a personal briefing from his team, potentially ahead of his planned trip to London on December 8 to meet with Ukraine's main European backers.

Earlier, a US summary of the first two days of talks reported that "both parties agreed that real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps toward de-escalation and cessation of killings."

Ukrainians Briefed On Moscow Talks

Hnatov, chief of staff of Kyiv's armed forces, and Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's national security council and lead negotiator, met with the US envoys for the third day of talks after Ukraine's delegation was briefed on earlier discussions in Moscow between President Vladimir Putin and Witkoff and Kushner.

Witkoff reportedly spoke with Putin for nearly five hours on December 2 at the Kremlin, but Russian officials said that "no compromise" had been reached in the talks.

The recent flurry of diplomacy around ending the war was sparked when a US 28-point peace plan was leaked to the media in November. That original proposal appeared to heavily favor Russia, although it has since undergone several changes to take Kyiv's concerns more into account.

The most recent version of the proposal has not been shared publicly.

Following the talks in Russia, Putin said he was ready to continue meeting the Americans "as many times as needed."

In other statements this week, the Russian president took a more defiant tone, telling India Today on December 5 during a trip to New Delhi that Ukrainian troops should fully leave the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine this week or Russia would "liberate these territories by force."

Zelenskyy Due In London For Talks

Also on the diplomatic front, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany are scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy in London on December 8 to discuss the peace process.

"Ukraine can count on our unwavering support. That is the whole point of the efforts we have undertaken as part of the Coalition of the Willing," French President Emmanuel Macron said on X ahead of the meeting, to be hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"We will continue these efforts alongside the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which there can be no robust and lasting peace.," Macron wrote.

"Russia is locked into an escalatory approach and is not seeking peace," Macron wrote, adding, "We must continue to put pressure on Russia to force it to make peace."

Major points of contention remain between the two sides, including about providing security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal and territorial concessions.

Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, including large portions of the Donbas that is made up of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.

Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy sector and infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting power stations and railway hubs as winter temperatures fall.

The Ukrainian military said on December 6 that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles on Ukraine overnight, with Ukrainian forces downing 585 drones and 30 missiles.

Power and heat generation facilities in Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhya, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions were main targets, Ukraine's Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories said, adding that 9,500 customers were without heat and 34,000 without water supply in the southern Odesa region on the morning of December 6.

Meanwhile, unverified footage circulated on Russian Telegram channels that appeared to show a Ukrainian strike on Russia's Ryazan oil refinery.

Ukraine's military said it hit the refinery to reduce "the capabilities of the Russian armed forces," calling the facility "one of the largest oil refineries in Russia."

Ukraine's military also said it hit the Alchevsk metallurgical plant in the Russia-occupied Luhansk region. It said the facility is being used to manufacture components used in shells being launched against Ukrainian cities.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-peace-plan-witkoff- kushner-putin-zelenskyy-miami/33614965.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.

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Can Europe Push China To Help End Russia's War In Ukraine?

By Zoriana Stepanenko and Reid Standish December 06, 2025

BRUSSELS -- French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up a trip to China where he sought Beijing's help in pressuring Russia to agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine amid a recent burst of diplomacy over a US proposal to end the war.

But analysts and European officials who spoke to RFE/RL doubt that Beijing will heed to Macron's calls for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to push Russian President Vladimir Putin to drop his maximalist demands to settle the nearly four-year war.

While rich in symbolism and focused on trade opportunities, Macron's visit was low on tangible outcomes. Experts say China's sustained support for Russia throughout the war is unlikely to waver and that Xi has few reasons to expend his influence with Putin on a peace plan that the Russian president has essentially dismissed.

The original US 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine appeared to heavily favor Russia, although the proposal has since been revised to take Kyiv's concerns more into account.

"I don't think there is any incentive for Beijing to step in and try to end the war," Claus Soong, an analyst at the Berlin-based MERICS think tank, told RFE/RL. "Europe is not worth as much to China as Russia."

Following a red-carpet welcome and military honor guard in Beijing on December 4, Macron warned about the pressure on the international political system brought by the war in Ukraine and the need to reach a lasting peace during his meeting with Xi.

"We are facing the risk of the disintegration of the international order that brought peace to the world for decades, and in this context, the dialogue between China and France is even more essential than ever," Macron said.

The French president also urged Xi to join European efforts to "to achieve, as soon as possible, at the very least a cease-fire in the form of a moratorium on strikes targeting critical infrastructure." Xi did not directly respond to Macron's call but said that "China supports all efforts that work toward peace" and called for a deal that all parties will accept.

Beijing has never referred to Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion as a war, instead calling it a "conflict." And while multiple European officials have called for China to rein in Moscow, Beijing's position has remained static.

"China can inflict very serious economic damage on the EU," Yurii Poita of the Kyiv-based Center for Army, Conversion, and Disarmament Studies told RFE/RL. "That's why Macron's calls for China to influence Russia are mostly symbolic. Nobody in Europe believes Beijing will comply."

Why Macron Went To China

Those economic ties were also a key reason for Macron's visit, which concluded on December 5 with a sightseeing tour of the southwestern city of Chengdu with Xi.

Ahead of the trip, French officials shared new data with reporters in Brussels on the "significant" trade imbalance between France and China, pointing to a 47-billion-euro ($54 billion) deficit, double what it was a decade ago.

Those officials said that their "goal is to rebalance these [trade] flows" during the visit, with Macron accompanied by 35 heads of major French companies -- from cognac producers to luxury retail brands.

A meeting in the Chinese capital on December 4 only resulted in 12 cooperation agreements covering areas such as population aging, nuclear energy, and panda conservation, and no monetary total was disclosed.

The 27-member EU, overall, runs a massive trade deficit with China: over 300 billion euros ($348 billion) last year.

Analysts say that Beijing may use friendly ties with France to expand its influence within the EU but is currently constrained by its inability to offer Paris major concessions.

A long-anticipated 500-jet Airbus order is not expected to move forward, as it could affect Beijing's leverage in ongoing trade talks with the United States, which is pressing China for new orders of US-made Boeing planes.

Xi also made no commitments to ease conditions for French cognac makers or pork producers, as doing so would weaken Beijing's negotiating position with Brussels over tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Despite those headwinds, Soong of the MERICS think tank says that Macron still has "an obvious incentive" to appeal to Beijing as officials in US President Donald Trump's administration increasingly call to shift attention toward the Western hemisphere.

"Macron needs to leverage his ties with China and see what he can get from this relationship," Soong said.

China And Russia's 'Friendship of Calculation'

China remains a top market for European exports -- from aviation to industrial chemicals -- and has become even more crucial after US tariffs were imposed on European imports.

China is also Europe's main supplier of raw materials and rare-earth elements, making it indispensable to the continent's strategic supply chains.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who visited Beijing in early November, told RFE/RL that dialogue with China still serves a purpose, even if Beijing is "the main enabler" of Russia's ability to wage war, a comment he relayed to his Chinese counterparts during his trip.

China has maintained that it is neutral in the war but also continued to deepen its political and economic ties with Russia. Kyiv and its Western allies have long complained that Beijing has supplied dual-use items to Moscow that can be used on the battlefield against Ukraine. China is also the top customer for oil from Russia.

Despite that, China remains deeply invested in Europe, which is one of its largest markets for goods. "That's a leverage we need to push with as well for China not to support Russia anymore," said Tsahkna.

How Europe can apply that leverage remains an open question.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Moscow this week and met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, even popping by to greet US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on December 2 as they met with Russian officials for talks over ending the war in Ukraine.

China's top diplomat was at the Kremlin for what was billed as routine strategic talks, but its timing coincides with the new US diplomatic push to end the war.

"This is a friendship of calculation," Nataliia Butyrska of the Kyiv-based New Europe Center think tank told RFE/RL. "China has no interest in Russia returning to the Western camp. It needs Russia's resources -- and its role in jointly opposing the West."

Nicolas Tenzer, a former French official and senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, says "China is using Russia as a tool to fragment the West."

"[Xi] certainly wants to completely rewrite the international order," Tenzer said. "Xi also fears a kind of democratic contagion, like all the dictators. And for this reason, I think that Xi is backing Putin."

Tenzer added that China is eager to maintain its strong economic links to Europe, as that would help shield Beijing from possible sanctions if it attacked Taiwan -- the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own and has vowed to unify, including by force if necessary.

Beijing looked to France for support over Taiwan during Macron's trip amid a deepening diplomatic spat with Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested last month that a conflict over Taiwan could pose an existential threat to Japan.

Macron did not address Taiwan publicly during his trip, but European officials are closely watching tensions in the region, mindful that a prolonged war in Ukraine could weaken Russia and the West simultaneously and divert attention away from China and the Indo-Pacific.

"China is developing its military capabilities far beyond what it needs for self-protection or self-defense. So, the question always is why?" Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Braze told RFE/RL on the sidelines of the NATO foreign minister meeting in Brussels on December 3.

"We also clearly see that China is enabling Russia's war in Ukraine. It's important to present these challenges to China in an open dialogue. Russia is not China, China is not Russia"

Ukrainian Service correspondent Zoriana Stepanenko reported from Brussels. China global affairs correspondent Reid Standish reported from Prague.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-peace-plan-witkoff- kushner-putin-zelenskyy-miami/33614965.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.

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1,091 Children Injured and 237 Killed by Ukrainian Attacks Since 2022

Sputnik News

20251206

Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory have resulted in over 1,000 children injured and 237 fatalities since the beginning of the special military operation, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large on the Kiev Regime's War Crimes Rodion Miroshnik told Sputnik.

"Since the start of the special military operation through November 30, 2025... a total of 1,091 children were injured, and 237 children were killed [in Russia]," Miroshnik said.

Overall, "since the beginning of the conflict in 2014, the number of civilian casualties has already reached 41,000, of whom about 13,000 have died" due to Ukrainian strikes, according to the ambassador.

Russia has been conducting its special military operation since February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime." The ultimate goal of the operation is to completely liberate new Russia's regionsDonbass and Novorossiyaand create conditions that guarantee Russia's security: Ukraine must undergo demilitarization and denazification.

Moscow says arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement and directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will be a legitimate target for Russia. The Kremlin has said Western arms supplies to Ukraine hinder peace talks.

 Sputnik

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Andrii Sybiha condemned the latest overnight Russian attack on Ukraine

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

06 December 2025 10:55

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "Overnight, hundreds of Russian drones and missiles caused more damage and casualties across Ukraine.

Russia continues to disregard any peace efforts and instead strikes critical civilian infrastructure, including our energy system and railways.

This shows that no decisions to strengthen Ukraine and raise pressure on Russia can be delayed. And especially not under the pretext of peace process.

To the contrary, bold steps  particularly the decision to enable the full use of Russia's frozen assets  are as urgent as ever.

We discussed this and other necessary decisions this week at NATO and OSCE ministerial meetings. I urge partners to put them into action without delay".

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Denys Shmyhal joined official observances of the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

6 December, 2025, 3:47 PM EET

Minister of Defence of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal participated in the ceremonies marking the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A minute of silence was held, with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, government officials, and service members paying tribute to the warriors who gave their lives for Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy bestowed awards on defenders and their families, and presented battle flags to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Ukraine's military holds thousands of unique stories. Different lives are united by a shared responsibility to defend Ukraine and to protect what is most personal: loved ones, a home, childhood dreams, and plans for the future  a future where war has no place. Serving in the military demands an exceptional inner strength  a strength born from love for what is most precious. It is thanks to you that Ukraine stands and will continue to stand. It is thanks to you that a future without war is certain," the Minister of Defence said.

Denys Shmyhal also participated in a joint prayer for Ukrainian service members and for the free future of the Ukrainian people.

The Minister of Defence thanked all defenders for their strength and bravery, their courage and steadfastness, and their determined will to fight.

"Ukraine and Ukrainians desire peace more than anyone. And we seek a peace that will guarantee security and calm for many years to come," he said.

Denys Shmyhal also expressed gratitude to all who are bringing peace closer: the President of Ukraine, our diplomats, our American and European partners, and all people of goodwill.

"Today, we also pray for the wounded, remember those held in captivity and those missing in action, and stand with every family touched by this difficult war. I bow my head before the fallen Ukrainian warriors. May God bless Ukraine and protect all those who defend peace, security, and freedom," the Minister of Defence concluded.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Together With Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov, Had a Call With Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner

President of Ukraine

6 December 2025 - 18:48

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with the head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andrii Hnatov, had a long and substantive phone call with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump's team, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The parties covered multiple aspects and went through key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of a third Russian invasion, as well as the risk of Russia failing to honor its promises, as it has done repeatedly in the past.

The President emphasized that Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace.

The interlocutors agreed on the next steps and formats for talks with the United States. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Donald Trump for such an intensive approach to negotiations.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is awaiting Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov with a detailed report. It is necessary to work closely with the teams on ideas and proposals.

"Our approach is that everything must be workable - every crucial measure for peace, security, and reconstruction," the Head of State said.

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BELGRADE, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Momir Dunjic, chairman of the Serbian Association for Integrative Medicine, has called for expanding the reach of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Europe, highlighting its potential in clinical practice during an interview with Xinhua.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 6th Annual International Advanced Training Program in TCM, which opened here on Saturday, Dunjic said cases from his long medical career have shown the value of combining TCM with Western medical approaches.

He recalled a case in which a young woman from Greece regained arm mobility after years of paralysis following acupuncture treatment. He also cited positive findings from early work on male infertility.

"These experiences reinforced my belief that integrative approaches can offer important options for patients," he said.

A gynecologist and professor of integrative medicine, Dunjic first encountered acupuncture as a medical student in Belgrade and later completed clinical studies in China.

He noted the global impact of artemisinin -- discovered by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou and derived from traditional herbal medicine -- saying it has strengthened international understanding of TCM's scientific value.

Dunjic said the training program in Belgrade equips participating doctors with the knowledge and evidence needed to apply TCM appropriately in their home countries, adding that such exchanges help deepen people-to-people ties.

"Medicine has always served as a bridge between nations," he said. "I am pleased that Belgrade has become a regional hub for this kind of cooperation, fostering professional dialogue and friendship."

He expressed confidence that the program will further boost interest in integrative medicine across the region.

Co-organized by the Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences; the Serbian Association for Integrative Medicine; and the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade, the 6th Annual International Advanced Training Program in TCM has brought together nearly 200 doctors, professors and researchers from Serbia, Slovakia, Poland and other countries.

Under the theme "Intelligent Integration: Integrative Medicine Leading a Healthy Future," participants are engaging in exchanges through expert lectures, practical workshops and other activities. 
Russia Has Violated Everything Long Ago: The Norms of International Law, the Rules of Common Sense, and All of God's Commandments - The President During the Second Military Prayer Breakfast

President of Ukraine

6 December 2025 - 14:35

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the second Military Prayer Breakfast held on the occasion of the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The event brought together the heads of churches and religious organizations, military chaplains, Ukraine's defenders, and international guests.

"You truly know what we are fighting for in this war. Above all, for our state, for its life, which means for independence and freedom," the President said.

The Head of State noted that today is a special day, marked by a double significance: the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Saint Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 6 by Christians in many countries across Europe and the world - a time when faith in miracles is strongest, and when, for Ukraine, the greatest gift would be peace.

"A just, dignified, and - as everyone says - honest. And in my view, it is crucial that it be lasting. And only such a peace will be blessed with the non-recurrence of this war and the non-recurrence of enemy aggression. They are who they are - we have no illusions. But we know that no one will grant this peace to us; we must win it," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President thanked everyone for supporting Ukraine, for their prayers, their unity, every good deed, and every kind word.

Military chaplains said prayers for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and all other branches of the Security and Defense Forces, as well as for the fallen defenders of our country.

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The President Had a Call with the NATO Secretary General

President of Ukraine

6 December 2025 - 13:44

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The Head of State thanked the NATO Secretary General for his kind words about Ukrainian servicemembers on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as for his support.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mark Rutte exchanged assessments of the diplomatic situation. The President briefed him on the talks between Ukrainian representatives in the United States with President Donald Trump's team.

The President and the Secretary General also agreed on further contacts.



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Issued on behalf of GoldHaven Resource Corp.Equity Insider News Commentary - Gold re-emerged trading above $4,200 per ounce, marking sustained strength in the precious metal as investors maintain safe-haven positions. Drilling programs across multiple jurisdictions are advancing systematic resource expansion efforts, with explorers reporting high-grade intercepts and development milestones throughout November. These conditions create opportunities for investors to gain exposure to companies positioned to convert ounces and advance projects toward production, including GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF), Liberty Gold Corp. (TSX: LGD) (OTCQX: LGDTF), West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF), Scottie Resources Corp. (TSXV: SCOT) (OTCQB: SCTSF), and Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF).

Federal Reserve rate cut expectations now stand at 87% for the December 9-10 meeting, following October's 25-basis-point reduction that brought rates to the 3.75-4% range[3]. Wall Street forecasts point to $4,900 gold by late 2026, with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan both projecting the $5,055 level as lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets and the weakening dollar makes gold more attractive to international buyers[4].

GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF) has expanded its maiden diamond drilling program at the Copecal Gold Project in Brazil to nine holes after intersecting encouraging sulphide mineralization at the East Target. The company has reported that eight diamond drill holes totaling 889.55 meters have been completed across both the East and West targets, with the ninth hole now in progress to follow up on the promising pyrite-chalcopyrite interval discovered in hole COPE-PDH-004.

"We are encouraged by the progress made during this initial drill campaign at Copecal," said Rob Birmingham, CEO of GoldHaven Resources. "The sulphide interval intersected in Hole COPE-PDH-004 is the strongest subsurface evidence we've seen to date supporting the robust gold anomalism outlined at surface. Our decision to add a ninth follow-up hole is a direct response to this promising development and underscores our disciplined approach to advancing high-priority targets."

The program has delivered GoldHaven's most significant subsurface confirmation to date that surface gold anomalies are connected to a deeper mineralized system. Hole COP-004 successfully cut through disseminated fine-grained pyrite and chalcopyrite across a 21.25-meter interval from 79 meters to 100.25 meters depth, occurring within a sheared biotite granitoid that displays phyllic alteration characterized by quartz-muscovite-sericite-calcite assemblages. This geological signature indicates that GoldHaven has penetrated the hydrothermal system driving gold mineralization in the region.

The reconnaissance drilling tested high-priority gold targets outlined by soil and auger geochemistry supported by geophysical surveys. Four holes at the East Target totaled 441.7 meters, while four holes at the West Target totaled 447.85 meters. The current ninth hole is designed to test the depth extension of the mineralized zone intersected in hole COPE-PDH-004 and is planned to reach 200 meters downhole. Once completed, all drill cores will be geologically logged, sampled, and submitted for assay.

Beyond its Brazilian operations, GoldHaven continues expanding its footprint in British Columbia. The company is advancing its Magno Project in the Cassiar region, recently securing the Hamel claims to consolidate a district-scale land package exceeding 36,000 hectares.

GoldHaven now commands a diversified exploration portfolio spanning 123,900 hectares across two premier mining jurisdictions. With sulphide mineralization confirmed in drill core and an expanded drilling program underway, the company presents investors with substantial scale paired with active discovery momentum, all underpinned by a comprehensive 43-101 Technical Report.

CONTINUED Read this and more news for GoldHaven Resources at:

https://equity-insider.com/2025/10/02/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-historic-gold-district-exploration-2/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market include:

Liberty Gold Corp. (TSX: LGD) (OTCQX: LGDTF) has achieved a major permitting milestone as the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management determined its Mine Plan of Operations for the Black Pine Oxide Gold Project in southern Idaho is administratively complete under federal regulations. The completeness determination confirms the MPO meets applicable requirements to advance through the US federal permitting process, with Stantec appointed as independent third-party contractor to prepare the Environmental Impact Study.

"Acceptance of our Mine Plan of Operations is a major permitting achievement for Liberty Gold and for Idaho," said Jon Gilligan, CEO of Liberty Gold. "It is the product of years of technical, environmental and community work culminating in a high-quality submittal that meets the rigorous federal standards for mine development. This milestone brings us one step closer to a construction decision as we continue to demonstrate that Black Pine is one of the most significant oxide gold development opportunities in the Great Basin."

The USFS and BLM will publish the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, initiating formal stakeholder engagement and drafting of the EIS over a 24-month period. Liberty Gold continues to advance Idaho state-level permits in parallel, including water rights, air quality, mine reclamation, and cyanidation permits under Idaho's Strategic Permitting, Efficiency, and Economic Development Act.

West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) has commenced a fully funded 3,000 metre drill program at its 100% owned Fork Deposit located approximately 250 metres southwest from its Madsen Mine in the Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario. The Fork Deposit currently contains an Indicated mineral resource of 20,900 ounces grading 5.3 g/t gold with an additional Inferred resource of 49,500 ounces grading 5.2 g/t gold, with infill drilling focused on a shallow, high-grade, low-plunging zone of gold mineralization defined over an area of 400 metres by 250 metres.

"Once considered a somewhat diffuse, intermediate-grade portion of the satellite resource inventory at Madsen, the core of Fork has been re-envisioned as a high-grade near-mine resource expansion target that is a priority for immediate advancement," said Shane Williams, CEO of West Red Lake Gold. "As an unmined and near-surface deposit sitting just 250 metres from Madsen, Fork offers a non-remnant zone of mineralization that could be accessed within a few months of development and sequenced into the mine plan with ease, providing additional optionality and ounces in the near term."

The shallow nature of the deposit will allow for systematic and efficient infill and expansion drilling from surface with holes averaging 170 metres depth. With Madsen nearing commercial production in Q1 of 2026, the company is actively pursuing a hub-and-spoke growth model with simultaneous surface drilling programs at Fork and Rowan to advance additional high-grade gold opportunities within the Red Lake district.

Scottie Resources Corp. (TSXV: SCOT) (OTCQB: SCTSF) has successfully completed its Bulk Sample program at the Bend Vein pit, generating approximately $9 million in net revenue while demonstrating the scalability of its Direct Ship Ore pathway at the Scottie Gold Mine Project in British Columbia. An estimated 4,588 wet tonnes have been prepared for export to an Ocean Partners facility in Taiwan with better-than-expected average preliminary assays of 15.89 g/t gold and 42.28 g/t silver, with a 90% upfront payment to be received five days after sailing at a gold price of US$4,100/oz and silver price of US$49.50/oz.

"We are extremely pleased with the success of this season's Bulk Sample program," said Dr. Thomas Mumford, President of Scottie Resources. "In addition to generating approximately $9 million in net revenue, we've gained invaluable technical and logistical insights. From permitting to mining, crushing, transporting, shipping and sale of the product, we will have executed the project in under a year, effectively demonstrating a scaled 'dry run' of our DSO concept. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund our upcoming Feasibility Study and permitting work."

The vessel has been booked and is expected to be loaded between December 10th and 12th 2025, with the Bulk Sample tonnage representing roughly 10 days of full production when the Scottie Gold Mine Project reaches full production. The company also completed valuable engineering test work including Bond Rod Work Index measurements and grade-to-size fraction analysis to optimize future processing design and sorting performance.

Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF) has closed an upsized private placement through the issuance of 16,665,868 units at $0.15 per unit for gross proceeds of $2,499,880.20, increasing the offering from 13,333,333 units due to strong investor demand. Each unit consists of one common share and one-half warrant exercisable at $0.25 per share for two years, with an acceleration clause if shares trade at or above $0.35 for ten consecutive trading days after the four-month hold period.

Gross proceeds from the offering will be used for general working capital purposes and exploration at the company's Santa Fe Mine and West Santa Fe Projects. The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 ounces gold equivalent grading 0.99 g/t gold equivalent and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 ounces gold equivalent grading 0.76 g/t gold equivalent, all pit constrained, with past production of 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995.

Article Sources:

https://equity-insider.com/2025/10/02/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-historic-gold-district-exploration-2/ and https://equity-insider.com/goh-profile

CONTACT:

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DISCLAIMER: : Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. Equity-Insider is wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). This article is is being distributed for Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY"), who has been paid a fee of $75,000 for an advertising campaign. MIQ has not been paid a fee for GoldHaven Resources Corp. advertising or digital media, but the owner/operators of MIQ also co-owns BAY. There may also be 3rd parties who may have shares of GoldHaven Resources Corp. and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ on behalf of BAY has been approved by GoldHaven Resources Corp. The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document have been reviewed and approved by two Qualified Persons (QPs). The Copecal Technical Report identifies Jean-Marc Lopez, B.Sc., FAusIMM, as the Qualified Person responsible for the report. The report "GoldHaven Resources Completes Summer Exploration Programs" states that the technical information has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, B.Sc. Hons, FAusIMM, an independent Qualified Person and Country Manager of GoldHaven. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

SOURCES CITED:

https://fortune.com/article/current-price-of-gold-12-01-2025/ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/11/25/3194676/0/en/Drilling-Programs-Define-New-Zones-as-Gold-Still-Targets-5-000.html https://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/article/marketminute-2025-12-1-fed-rate-cut-hopes-ignite-gold-and-silver-rally-a-new-dawn-for-precious-metals https://www.mining.com/why-analysts-see-5000-gold-price/

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("GERMANIUM MINING", "GMC", OR THE "COMPANY") (CSE: GMC; OTCQB: EMSKF; FSE: 1I30) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into agreements with several specialized firms to support its awareness and PR initiatives. These engagements are intended to enhance visibility of both the strengthening global Germanium market and the Company's 100% interest in the Lac du Km 35 Germanium Property in Quebec, Canada, as well as its portfolio of critical and precious metals assets.

Market Making Services

The Company will retain Venture Liquidity Providers Inc. ("VLP") to initiate its market-making service to assist in maintaining a consistent and orderly trading market for its common shares. The market-making service will be undertaken by VLP through a registered broker, W.D. Latimer Co. Ltd., in compliance with the applicable policies of the CSE and other applicable laws.

For its services, the Company has agreed to pay VLP, CAD $5,000 per month, commencing on December 8, 2025. The agreement has an initial term of three months, following which it will renew for successive one-month terms, provided that after the initial three-month term the agreement may be terminated by either party at any time. The Company and VLP act at arm's length, and VLP has no present interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities. The fee paid by the Company to VLP is for services only.

VLP is a specialized consulting firm based in Toronto providing a variety of services focused on CSE-listed issuers. VLP's CEO, JC Cunningham, can be reached by telephone at (416) 891-4349 or by email at info@vlpinc.net with an address at: 1 McGuire Crescent, Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1G7.

Web & PR Services

The Company announces that it has entered into an agreement dated December 5th, 2025, with Frank Haentjes ("Haentjes") of Unit J3, Mango Green Village, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines (Phone: +63-977-382-7332) (e-mail: tbg01consultant@gmail.com). Under the terms of the agreement, Haentjes will provide business development and general corporate awareness services, starting December 8th, 2025, to support and enhance the Company's online presence. Compensation will be up to EUR 15,000 per month, on a month-to-month basis at the discretion of the Company. Haentjes and the Company are arm's-length parties, and Haentjes has no present interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities.

Market Awareness

The Company is pleased to announce that it has entered into a marketing agreement with Plutus Invest and Consulting GmbH ("Plutus") (address: Buchtstr. 13, Bremen, 28195, Germany; e-mail: contact@plutusinvest.de, telephone: 49-421-1754-0174), pursuant to which Plutus will provide the Company with marketing and communications services (the "Media Services") for the period from December 4th, 2025 to June 4th, 2026. The Media Services provided by Plutus will be in consulting with the Company's management in building corporate awareness through Plutus's network in Europe. The Company has agreed to pay Plutus an initial fee of EUR 50,000 upon the provision of the Media Services and up to 200,000 if the Company requests to extend the initial campaign. The Company will not issue any securities to Plutus as compensation for the Media Services. Plutus and the Company are arm's-length parties, and Plutus has no present interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities.


BAGHDAD, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Sunday pledged to step up efforts to combat drugs and criminal networks as he opened the 3rd Baghdad International Conference on Drug Control.

A statement from his office said delegations from 12 countries were attending the two-day meeting in the capital.

Al-Sudani said drug use and trafficking posed growing threats to societies and states, and called for closer coordination to curb and eventually eliminate related risks. He said Iraq had signed several memoranda of understanding to boost cooperation and information-sharing aimed at dismantling trafficking networks.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in November that security forces had broken up 1,201 drug trafficking and promotion networks over the past three years, including 171 international rings, and had seized more than 14 tonnes of narcotics.

Years of chaos and conflict since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion have hampered Iraq's counter-narcotics efforts. In May 2023, al-Sudani said the drug trade remained a major source of financing for militant groups. 
I am writing to express a serious and urgent concern: pedestrian safety on our island is unacceptable, and we cannot continue to ignore the growing risks on our roads.

The days when visitors relied heavily on tour buses are over.

Tourists now rent vehicles, walk through our villages, and use the same sidewalks and roadways as our residents.

This shift has exposed a harsh truth: our pedestrian infrastructure is dangerously outdated, and every delay in addressing it puts lives at risk.

I urge our policymakers to take immediate action with possible solutions.

Construct continuous, uninterrupted sidewalks in high-traffic tourist areas, school zones, and village centers. Patchy or nonexistent walkways are unacceptable.

Install physical safety barriers in areas where vehicles commonly drift too close to pedestrians, especially along main corridors and narrow village roads.

Implement raised crosswalks and improve roadway lighting to ensure pedestrians are visible at all hours.

Increase enforcement against speeding, distracted driving, and illegal parking on sidewalks.

Require pedestrian-safety plans for all future roadway projects, ensuring that no project advances without clear protection for pedestrians.

Pedestrian safety is not a luxury it is a basic responsibility of the government.

Our residents and visitors deserve to walk our island without fear of being injured or worse.

Recently the Guam Youth Congress has proposed that all bus stops be fitted with barriers to protect our school children. I would take that idea further and advocate barriers at all transit bus stops as well where applicable.

I would think the high pedestrian traffic areas be prioritized with sidewalks installed immediately.

I respectfully ask that we make this issue a legislative priority. The time for discussion has passed; what we need now is decisive action.

Lives depend on it.




Haiti - Colombia : Specialized training concludes for 23 Haitian police officers





On Thursday, December 4th, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Director for the Americas, Ambassador Rafael Orozco, participated in the closing ceremony of a training program provided by the Colombian National Police at the Colombian International Police Training Center in San Luis, Tolima, for 23 Haitian police officers. https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-46205-icihaiti-security-23-police-officers-undergoing-specialized-training-in-colombia.html



This training is part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Police, and the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC Colombia), and reaffirms the commitment of the government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro to strengthening institutions and security cooperation with the Haitian people.



This program is part of the Colombia-Haiti Work Plan and the commitments made by President Petro during his official visits to Haiti in January (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44119-haiti-politic-brief-visit-of-colombian-president-gustavo-petro.html) and July 2025 (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45371-haiti-flash-colombia-will-train-1-000-fad-h-soldiers.html), aimed at developing bilateral cooperation and supporting efforts to stabilize and strengthen Haitian institutions.



Designed by specialized instructors from the Colombian National Police, the course focused on five priority areas designed to strengthen the operational and strategic capabilities of the Haitian National Police (PNH) :



 Citizen security;



 Criminal investigations;



 Tactical operations in urban and rural environments;



 Intelligence;



 Combating smuggling.



Through this training, Colombia reaffirms its role as an ally of Haiti and its ongoing commitment to supporting initiatives that contribute to strengthening security, peace, and stability in the country, through constructive, respectful, and mutually beneficial technical cooperation.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-46205-icihaiti-security-23-police-officers-undergoing-specialized-training-in-colombia.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45378-haiti-colombia-details-on-the-training-of-haitian-military-and-police-officers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45371-haiti-flash-colombia-will-train-1-000-fad-h-soldiers.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Student Attempts to Drug His Classmates

In Jeremie, in the Grand'Anse department, a student was arrested for attempting to drug his classmates. He allegedly contaminated popcorn he was selling at his school by mixing it with marijuana. Several students who consumed the product on November 21st experienced dizziness, loss of balance, and various other symptoms. The investigation conducted by the Haitian National Police (PNH) led to the arrest of the young vendor, who confessed during questioning to deliberately putting marijuana in the popcorn.



Death of the Mayor of Petit-Goave

The Petit-Goave town hall announces the death of Mayor Jean Bertrand Subreme, which occurred on December 6, 2025. The municipal administration pays tribute to a dedicated leader, respected for his commitment to development, peace, and the unity of the community.



En Lisant Theatre Festival (Program)

The 10th edition of the En Lisant Theatre Festival will take place from December 8 to 18, 2025. This anniversary edition has a special resonance in 2025, the year of the passing of the renowned writer Franketienne. The 10th edition of En Lisant will commemorate the bicentennial of the payment of the ransom for independence. This historical event, often overlooked or minimized, serves as a reminder of the heavy price Haiti paid for its freedom and the complexity of its post-independence journey. Download the Festival program (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/programme-en-lisant-2025.pdf



Investigative Journalism Training

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) provided five days of investigative journalism training on corruption and financial crimes.



Cap-Haitien : Rehabilitation of the Price-Mars School

In Cap-Haitien, the Ministry of National Education, the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), the UN Peacebuilding Fund, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are partnering to rehabilitate the Price-Mars School. This project aims to provide deported children, students displaced by violence, and the local community with safe and functional classrooms, as well as improved educational infrastructure, thereby strengthening community support.



New Ambassador of Colombia

On Thursday, December 4th, Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste received Ms. Vilma Rocio Velasquez Uribe, Ambassador of Colombia to Haiti, for the presentation of her credentials. This meeting provided an opportunity to review cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of security and sustainable development.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Amazon is releasing its new Kindle Scribe models on December 10th  but initially only in the USA. This was confirmed by an Amazon spokesperson upon inquiry by heise online. At the announcement at the end of September, the company initially left it open as to when its first pen tablet, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and the new Scribe versions would be released. Only with the new Kindle Scribe without front light is patience required. The cheapest version is not expected to be released until 2026.

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For Germany and Austria, there is still no delivery date. According to the company, interested parties can register on the respective product pages and will receive a notification as soon as they can be preordered.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is expected to last several weeks on a single battery charge. The tablet costs 649.99 euros. The stylus is also included in the scope of delivery. At its presentation, Amazon emphasized that the device dispenses with common distractions from apps or notifications. This should allow users to focus better.

New Rendering Engine in the Device

Technically, according to the manufacturer, light guides with nitride LEDs and a color filter are used. This is intended to display colors optimally without details appearing washed out. In addition, there is a new rendering engine. This is also intended to improve color reproduction and make device inputs appear smoother and more natural.

The Kindle Scribe has received a new quad-core chip, which is said to be 40 percent faster. The device is 5.4 mm thick and weighs 400 grams. Using the Scribe with its 11-inch display without a mirror effect should feel like writing on paper. The Kindle Scribe costs 519.99 euros with a front light and 449.99 euros without.

Extended Productivity Features

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The new Scribe models offer extended productivity features: users can import documents via Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive and export annotated PDFs. Notes can also be transferred to OneNote. AI features enable natural language search in notebooks and simple summaries. Ten pen colors and five highlighter colors are available for writing, and a new shading tool allows for smooth transitions.

(mki)

Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
CHENGDU, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Like stepping into a quaint French vignette, visitors are greeted by sun-drenched red-brick walls, pastel-hued facades, arched windows and steep mansard roofs, a captivating ambiance reminiscent of a tranquil bourg in the French countryside.

Yet this scene unfolds not in provincial France, but in Bailu, a mountain town less than two hours' drive from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The French influence first took root here during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when missionaries arrived and built churches, schools and other facilities, planting the early seeds of cultural convergence.

After more than a century, the town's unique legacy of Sino-French cultural exchange endures, a heritage that weathered the devastating 2008 earthquake and now serves as a cornerstone of its revival, symbolizing cross-cultural ties between the two countries.

In 2008, the Wenchuan earthquake reduced much of the town to rubble, but swift reconstruction efforts laid the groundwork for a revival centered on its distinct cultural identity.

"The post-quake reconstruction plan prioritized leveraging Bailu's cultural heritage and historical sites to boost tourism," said Liang Xiao, Party chief of Bailu. "Schools, hospitals and streets were redesigned in European architectural styles to create a coherent French ambiance for visitors."

Today, Bailu stands as a national 4A-level scenic spot and a vibrant hub of Sino-French cultural exchanges, particularly in music.

On Sept. 25, the Bailu Sino-French Classical Music Festival launched its 13th edition, kicking off three months of musical events featuring performances by renowned artists from both countries. Through music, the festival harmonizes with the symphony of Sino-French ties, striking a resonant chord.

"We gather here out of a shared love for music," said Pierre Reach, a French pianist who has participated eight times. "The festival is truly unique. Our goal is to bring richer and more diverse French music to audiences here."

Vinciane Beranger, a visitor from France, was captivated by the town's French-infused charm and immersive musical atmosphere. "This small town brims with character," she remarked. "It offered a delightful gateway to experiencing China."

In 2018, Pengzhou City, where the town is located, formalized a sister-city partnership with France's Seine-et-Marne and has since fostered active exchanges and collaboration in the fields of economy, trade, tourism and education.

To date, China and France have established 114 pairs of sister provinces and cities. Stories like that of Bailu continue to unfold, as people-to-people ties endure and deepen.

Liu Jiecheng, an associate researcher at Peking University's Institute for Cultural Industries, stated that the Bailu music festival has already established itself as a signature cultural IP in western China. The next strategic focus, he noted, should be expanding the industry chain with music as the core, encompassing creation, education, leisure and digital content development.

"By cultivating a multidimensional ecosystem," Liu said, "the town can sustain and amplify its 'French romance' cultural identity."

Moreover, the story of this small mountain town mirrors a broader trend of enduring and deepening Sino-French exchanges, Liu said. 
Nutanix used its well-attended NEXT on Tour roadshow in Darmstadt to demonstrate that the final gaps in its portfolio are being closed. The message to the nearly 1000 visitors: whether it's a classic VDI desktop, an AI cluster, or connecting existing SAN storage  the platform stands on solid ground. But Nutanix, the VMware challenger, is not only positioning itself technically but also in terms of personnel.

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Omnissa Horizon on AHV: The Wait is Almost Over

Native support for Omnissa Horizon 8 on the Nutanix hypervisor AHV is close to general availability. The limited availability phase is expected to conclude as early as January 2026, and features like Instant Clones, App Volumes, and GPU support are now being integrated directly into AHV. Together with the new option to run Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) on premises on Nutanix, AHV is positioning itself as a universal foundation for virtual desktops.

Breaking the Taboo: External Storage Arrays Connected

The strategic shift in Nutanix's course was already hinted at with the support for Dell PowerFlex since spring 2025. Next, AHV will natively support Pure Storage, with integration also nearing GA. This development is particularly novel, as Nutanix had preached for years that SAN (Storage Area Networks) storage was dead and everything had to be stored on hyperconverged servers (HCI).

Why this step now? The reason is pragmatic: many companies want to move away from VMware but have only recently invested heavily in new storage arrays. Writing off this hardware to switch to HCI is usually economically nonsensical. Nutanix is building a bridge here: customers can switch their servers to Nutanix AHV (and save on VMware licenses) while continuing to use their expensive storage. Technically, Nutanix introduced the concept of Compute-Only Nodes for this purpose. These are servers that run AHV but do not have their data storage. However, greenfield installations should still opt for the HCI variant  it remains Nutanix's architecture of the future.

AI Factories and Sovereignty

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Nutanix is also upgrading for high-performance workloads. To eliminate virtualization overhead in AI applications, Nutanix is collaborating with Nvidia to offload the network stack onto BlueField DPUs. The principle behind this is that the Software-Defined Networking layer (Flow) no longer runs on the server's CPU but directly on the network card. This leaves the CPU cores exclusively available to the AI application.

For German medium-sized businesses, Nutanix is bringing Deutsche Telekom on board. A joint offering for a sovereign hybrid cloud will guarantee data storage in Germany and GDPR compliance. Operation will be as a managed service, with customers able to seamlessly access resources from the Open Telekom Cloud during peak loads.

Furthermore, customers can now also obtain Nutanix HCI from OVHCloud  in addition to the American hyperscalers AWS, Azure, and Google, this is the first European cloud provider to support the deployment of Nutanix Cloud Cluster (NC2).

Personnel Changes as a Strategy: The "New Old" VMware?

Behind the technical scenes, an equally exciting organizational shift is taking place. It's an open secret in the conference halls: numerous senior executives from VMware Germany's upper management have joined Nutanix lately. Thomas Herrguth, General Manager at Nutanix Germany, appears to have a clear plan: professionalizing the German subsidiary. By deliberately building structures reminiscent of VMware Germany's organization before the acquisition, Herrguth is creating a familiar point of contact for enterprise customers. The brain drain at the competitor is thus being used to directly build competence and sales power within Nutanix  a declaration of war that goes beyond pure product features.

In line with this, the distributor TD SYNNEX has been appointed as a Service Provider Aggregator. This allows system houses to procure Nutanix licenses on a consumption basis  a flexible model that many partners in the new Broadcom cosmos currently lack. Fundamentally, Nutanix aims to strengthen its service provider business, which VMware is neglecting.

Conclusion

The in-house trade fair in Darmstadt showcased a mature challenger. With upcoming support for Omnissa, opening up to external storage, and the integration of DPUs, Nutanix has overcome many technical hurdles. At the same time, the restructuring of the German organization under Thomas Herrguth sends a clear signal: Nutanix is ready to take on the role of the market leader, not only technically but also structurally.

(olb)

Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
As soon as public exploit code is circulating, the first reports of attacks on React servers are emerging. Security patches are available.

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Background

The "critical" vulnerability (CVE-2025-55182 CVSS Score 10 out of 10) has only been known for a few days and exclusively affects React servers. Attacks are said to be possible remotely and without authentication. By sending prepared HTTP requests, attackers can push malicious code onto systems, thus completely compromising them.

The developers assure that they have closed the vulnerability in React versions 19.0.1, 19.1.2, and 19.2.1.

Ongoing Attacks

As a post by a security researcher on X shows, exploit code is now circulating. During the same period, Amazon AWS's IT security team is already reporting the first attacks. They state in a post that their AWS services are not affected by the vulnerability.

The AWS security researchers attribute the attacks to state-sponsored Chinese or China-friendly threat actors such as Earth Lamia and Jackpot Panda. These groups are primarily targeting government institutions and critical infrastructure in the energy sector worldwide.

The groups are said to proceed extremely professionally and swiftly. According to researchers, they use automated scanning and attack tools for this purpose, among others. They also constantly refine their attack techniques to increase the success rate of their attacks. The extent to which the attacks are taking place and whether they are territorially limited is currently unknown.

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Admins should act immediately and protect their React servers with security patches. In their post, the security researchers list parameters (Indicators of Compromise, IoC) that admins can use to identify already attacked systems.

(des)

Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
According to Kela, his next of kin reported that he is recovering and will travel home once doctors approve. The agency said it and Lehtonens family request privacy during his recovery.

Kela confirmed in a statement that Lehtonen was admitted to hospital due to physical health issues. His return to Finland is expected in the near future, subject to medical advice.

Lasse Lehtonen , Director General of Finlands Social Insurance Institution (Kela), is receiving medical care in Brussels following an incident at the citys airport on Friday.

The incident at Brussels Airport took place on Friday morning. Multiple eyewitnesses interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat saw Belgian police escort a disoriented man from gate A45, where a Finnair flight to Helsinki was scheduled for departure at 11.25 local time.

Belgian federal police confirmed that a Finnish national was prevented from boarding a flight after failing to present a boarding pass and showing signs of confusion. The police described the interaction as brief and peaceful and said the individual was directed to airport medical services.

Kela did not directly confirm the identity of the individual involved, but multiple eyewitnesses identified Lehtonen at the scene. He was travelling on a work assignment and had originally been expected back in Finland on Thursday. He did not attend a planned evening event where he had been scheduled to host.

The Finnish public was first informed of his condition on Sunday when Kela released a statement. The agency said that his condition does not affect the daily operations or services of Kela. Director Kari-Pekka Maki-Lohiluoma is acting as his temporary replacement.

The organisation added that Lehtonen had been on sick leave starting Monday of the same week, despite his presence in Brussels on official business.

A person close to Lehtonen told Ilta-Sanomat that they had spoken with a doctor at the airport and confirmed the matter was related to health. According to them, there was no indication of substance use.

HT
The fire was reported shortly after 8:00 on the morning of 6 December. Emergency services arrived to find the house fully engulfed.

Police suspect the victims were the residents of the home, which according to public information had recently been rented by a mother and her three young children.

Four people were found dead after a detached house burned down in the village of Louhi, Savonlinna, on Finlands Independence Day.

Efforts to control the blaze continued into the afternoon. The house was destroyed.

Police said the remains of the four individuals were discovered inside the structure. Identification of the victims will be carried out by forensic experts. Investigators have not confirmed whether the dead were all from the same family.

We suspect the deceased are the people registered at the address, Markku Karpanen, the lead investigator from the Eastern Finland Police Department, told Yle. Final confirmation will come from the forensic autopsy.

A neighbour, interviewed by Iltalehti, reported hearing shouting from the house minutes before the fire was visible. First I heard a man yelling, then a woman calling for help, said Auri Kahkonen, who placed the emergency call at 8:03. After that, I heard the sound of breaking glass, and then saw smoke rising from the building.

Kahkonen said she had walked past the property the previous evening and noticed many people and parked vehicles outside. She recalled hearing childrens voices from inside.

Karpanen told Yle that no suspects had been detained, and all investigative lines remain open. He also said that the possibility of a criminal act has not been ruled out.

The property had been listed for sale and later rented. According to Iltalehti, the mother and her children had moved into the house less than two months before the fire.

HT
Senate race in N.C. likely to be costliest ever

The race to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, is set to break records.

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Political strategists anticipate it will be the most expensive US Senate race in history  between $600 million and $800 million will likely be spent, according to Politico. Currently, the 2022 Georgia Senate runoff race holds the title of most expensive Senate race, with $472 million spent by the candidates and outside groups.

Former Gov. Roy Cooper will face the winner of the Republican primary. Michael Whatley, former chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and Republican National Committee, secured President Donald Trumps endorsement against Navy veteran Don Brown in the primary election. Many observers think Whatley is likely to cruise to the general election.



A lack of competitive Senate races nationwide, North Carolinas history of expensive campaigns and the current political climate all contribute to the level of expected spending, according to political experts who spoke to Carolina Public Press.

Money talks, loudly and often. Voters should anticipate an avalanche of political ads as candidates attempt to convince their supporters to get out and vote, sell their vision to persuadable voters and weaken their opponents.

One of few Senate battlegrounds



The level of anticipated spending on North Carolinas Senate election starts with a simple math problem: national donors have a lot of money to burn, and very few places to effectively spend it.

Fewer truly competitive Senate races are expected in 2026 than would have been the case a few decades ago. Voters have geographically sorted themselves based on their political ideologies. State politics has also become more nationalized, and as a result, US Senate race outcomes match presidential election results most of the time.

Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer said three battleground Senate races are scheduled in 2026  in Maine, Georgia and North Carolina.

Currently, Democrats effectively hold 47 seats in the US Senate, with the votes of two Independents. Republicans have 53 seats. To stand any chance of gaining a majority, Democrats have to keep Georgia and Michigan, pick up North Carolina and Maine and pull off an upset in at least one Republican-leaning contest  in Ohio, Iowa or Texas, Bitzer said.

Republicans, on the other hand, need to stand their ground. With so few seats to fight over, much of the national donor money will flow to North Carolina.

A costly precedent has also been set in North Carolina Senate races, said Douglas Wilson, a political consultant who has worked for Hagan, former President Barack Obama, Jeff Jackson and other state Democrats.

In 2014, the race between Tillis, then Speaker of the NC House, and Democratic incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan was the most expensive of the cycle, at $121 million in spending.

The next time around, in 2020, groups supporting Tillis and Democrat Cal Cunningham spent $296 million, enough for third-highest spending. While Tillis won that race easily against the former state senator, the race had been close before a sex scandal cratered Cunninghams campaign in the final weeks before the election.

Next year's race for an open seat is on another level. Wilson blames that on the current political climate, economic headwinds and the threat of losing Medicaid expansion in North Carolina  ground zero for health care.

Campaign finance



Past and future Supreme Court rulings may also contribute to spending levels. In 2010, the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in Citizens United that effectively opened the floodgates to unlimited outside spending on elections.

The court ruled that corporations had a First Amendment free speech right to spend money as they wished, as long as it didnt flow directly to candidates. As a result, corporations and outside groups can launch political ads, get out the vote campaigns and more on behalf of favored candidates without financial barriers.

More recently, the Supreme Court heard a case that would loosen restrictions on certain political party spending. If the court sides with the political parties, as expected, it would probably extend the amount by which the Senate race in North Carolina breaks spending records, Heberlig said.

But the parties already have quite a bit of flexibility, he added. It wont be a revolutionary change.

These rulings impact who is backing candidates. Campaign finance watchdog and former Democracy North Carolina Executive Director Bob Hall thinks its for the worse.

The whole political process is warped by private money, he said. Its a public election, but unfortunately, private money has an enormous impact, and its just the result of Supreme Court decisions that protect the rights of campaign spenders.

There may be a point of diminishing return; a time when candidates have squeezed as much as they can with their money, and it becomes less effective.

When you have so many ads, it just becomes noise to the average voter, Heberlig said. Practically speaking, what all these groups are doing is just offsetting the spending and advertising of the other side. You dont want to leave the other side to dominate the air wars, because then people are only going to receive information from one perspective, and therefore are more likely to go with that.

Early bird gets the worm



As soon as Tillis announced his departure from Congress, all sights were set on Cooper. Among politicos, it wasnt so much a matter of whether the former governor would run for U.S. Senate, but when he would declare his intention to do so.

He did so early. On July 28, Cooper announced that he would run for office  nearly a year and a half before the 2026 general election, and four months before filing opened. Three days later, Whatley followed suit.

By the end of September, both had garnered millions of dollars to support their campaigns. According to the latest Federal Election Commission filings, Coopers campaign and associated committees raised about $14.5 million, while Whatleys raised $5.8 million, by the end of September.

Starting early offers an advantage, said Eric Heberlig, UNC-Charlotte political science professor.

Early spending gives you the ability to define yourself positively and your opponent negatively before people have any other sources of information, he said. If you can do that over long periods of time, that means people get more hardened in the information they have and are less persuadable as we get closer to the election.

Cooper is already well-known in North Carolina, as a two-term governor, four-term attorney general and longtime state lawmaker. His reputation will make it harder for Republicans to change peoples perception, Heberlig said.

However, Whatley is relatively unknown to voters, despite holding very powerful positions in the Republican Party. Cooper may be able to use Whatleys lower name recognition, as well as the tendency for the presidents party to perform poorly in midterm elections, to his advantage, Heberlig added.

Despite those handicaps, Whatleys certainly still a formidable opponent, Wilson said. After all, Trump won North Carolina three times, if only by a small margin.

Republicans have a pretty good infrastructure here from their wins in General Assembly races, judicial races and statewide races, so hes going to be able to run a pretty aggressive campaign, Wilson said. The primary election could help Whatley warm up and test out messaging before the general election, he added.

At the end of the day, it probably wont matter who raises or spends more money; its about how candidates target their spending that makes the difference, Wilson said.

If it were up to him, hed focus on a broad media spectrum, from traditional television advertisements to local and national podcasts to social media platforms.

I would also be physically present in a lot of these communities that are suffering economically, and present a plan that folks can understand and grab hold to, he said. If you can do that, you can win this race.

* * * * *

Sarah Michels is a staff writer for Carolina Public Press specializing in coverage of North Carolina politics and elections. She is based in Raleigh. Email her at smichels@carolinapublicpress.org to contact her.






HONG KONG, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Police Force said earlier that the professional rescue equipment provided by the Central Government has offered crucial support for carrying out high-intensity and demanding rescue and recovery operations following the Tai Po blaze.

Coordinated by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, multiple batches of professional rescue equipment and medical supplies were delivered to Hong Kong, providing vital logistical and technical support for the search and recovery work.

Lui Kam-ho, director of operations for the Hong Kong Police Force, thanked the Central Government for its support. He said that after the fire, mainland units supplied more than 30,000 items, including tents, goggles, special lighting systems, and exoskeleton mechanical equipment. This assistance proved highly effective and was a great morale booster for frontline crews.

The rescue environment was extremely harsh, with the affected buildings heavily flooded, power cut off, and the site in total darkness, making search tasks difficult and dangerous. Among the equipment provided to Hong Kong, the exoskeleton mechanical gear and specially designed high-brightness lighting systems were described by frontline personnel as the most practical aid, Lui said.

Lui emphasized that the Central Government's timely assistance not only provided tangible material support but also conveyed the deep affection of the mainland people, strengthening Hong Kong society's confidence in overcoming the difficulties.

The Hong Kong Police Force, as one of the main rescue units in the Tai Po fire, has remained on the front line. Lui added that recovery and investigation work is proceeding in an orderly manner. 
TEHRAN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran supports the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) counter-terrorism plans and cooperation efforts, a senior Iranian diplomat has said.

Mehrdad Kiaei, director general for SCO and BRICS Affairs at Iran's Foreign Ministry, made the remarks during a meeting with Ularbek Sharsheev, head of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), on the sidelines of a joint anti-terror exercise, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Kiaei highlighted the central role of the SCO and RATS in Iran's foreign policy, calling RATS a "window into the region's future security architecture."

He said Iran's experience in combating terrorism enables its security and military institutions to play a "constructive and pivotal" role within the SCO's counter-terrorism framework.

Sharsheev praised Iran's hosting of the five-day drill, Sahand-2025, held in East Azarbaijan Province, and noted Iran's "active and influential" participation in RATS activities.

Sahand-2025 was the second joint counter-terrorism drill conducted by the SCO member states. The first, coded "Interaction-2024," was held in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in July last year.

The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and international security organization grouping China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. 
COLOMBO, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to India from Thursday to Friday marked his first trip to the country since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, sending a clear signal of Moscow's intent to reinforce ties with New Delhi amid mounting geopolitical strain.

The two-day visit coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Russia-India strategic partnership and unfolded against a complex backdrop: Washington has been pressing India over its imports of Russian oil, while diplomatic manoeuvring has intensified among Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Europe around a U.S.-backed "peace plan" for Ukraine.

During the visit, Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to deepen cooperation in traditional pillars such as energy and defense, while also outlining plans to expand collaboration into emerging fields, including technology and innovation.

Analysts observe that, under geopolitical pressure, including the U.S. factor, and driven by pragmatic interests, both nations are adopting a noticeably warmer posture in advancing bilateral ties -- a move aimed at bolstering the resilience of their strategic partnership and securing greater diplomatic space.

POSSIBLE SIGNAL TO U.S.

Although neither Putin nor Modi explicitly mentioned the United States in their remarks, analysts widely interpreted the strategic signals sent by the talks as a nuanced response to Washington's posture.

At present, U.S.-India tariff negotiations have dragged on without resolution. Indian government sources said that a U.S. trade delegation is expected to visit India next week for further discussions.

Ashok Malik, an analyst with the Asia Group, said India is using Putin's visit to further strengthen cooperation with Russia and demonstrate the country's pursuit of economic diversification.

Some Indian media noted that Modi's response at a press briefing to Putin's mention of oil supplies was relatively cautious, with Modi placing more emphasis on cooperation in nuclear and clean energy. Experts said that India continues to seek a balance between Russia and the United States and appears to be reminding Washington that New Delhi still "has cards to play" by reinforcing ties with Moscow.

Han Lu, deputy director of the Department for European-Central Asian Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said Russia's efforts to deepen cooperation with India reflect three considerations. Economically, Russia needs stronger cooperation with India to bolster fiscal revenues and ease pressure from Western sanctions. Diplomatically, as major emerging economies, both sides can gain more space through closer ties, and in terms of security, India is a key partner in Russia's push to build a Eurasian security architecture.

DEEPENING COOPERATION IN PRIORITY AREAS

Putin arrived in New Delhi on the evening of Dec. 4 and was received at the airport by Modi. The two leaders then rode in the same vehicle to the prime minister's residence for a dinner meeting.

Indian media said the host side paid special attention to arrangements for the visit. Notably, given Europe's sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, the car used by Modi and Putin to leave the airport was not Modi's usual European-brand vehicle.

Energy and defense cooperation were the two focal points of Putin's visit. After talks on Dec. 5, both leaders said that cooperation in these fields would be strengthened.

On energy, Putin told a press briefing after the talks that Russia is willing to continue supplying oil to India "uninterruptedly." "Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal and everything that is required for the development of India's energy," he said.

"Energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership," Modi responded.

On defense, a joint statement issued after the meeting said the two sides would encourage technology transfers and the establishment of joint ventures to jointly produce components of Russian-origin weapons and defense equipment in India.

BROADENING COOPERATION INTO EMERGING FIELDS

Russian and Indian media interpreted the visit as a signal that Moscow and New Delhi are working to expand bilateral cooperation beyond traditional areas such as energy and defence into "new tracks," including technological innovation, connectivity and local currency settlement, in order to build a more resilient framework capable of withstanding external shocks.

During the visit, Putin said Russia hopes to strengthen cooperation with India across all sectors, not only in traditional fields, and that both sides aim to raise annual bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars by 2030 and gradually expand settlement in national currencies. Modi said India would prioritize elevating its economic relations with Russia to a new level.

The India-Russia Business Forum, which the two leaders attended after their talks, was a major event on the visit agenda. Modi said India and Russia are "on a new journey of innovation, co-production, and co-creation," highlighting cooperation opportunities in high-tech industries, clean energy, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, textiles and other strategic and livelihood-related sectors.

Shishir Priyadarshi, president of Chintan Research Foundation, said that bilateral trade has reached an unprecedented level but remains structurally imbalanced. India's exports to Russia are insufficient: of the 68.7 billion dollars in bilateral trade during the 2024-2025 fiscal year, India's exports to Russia accounted for less than 5 billion dollars.

He added that trade remains heavily concentrated in the energy and defence sectors, and the two sides need to significantly expand cooperation in non-energy goods, services and industrial chains to cushion external shocks from the West.

On connectivity, Russia and India signed several agreements in the fields of transport and logistics, and stressed in their joint statement that they would deepen cooperation to build "stable and efficient transport corridors." Key directions include the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok (Eastern Maritime) Corridor, and the Northern Sea Route.

Multiple media outlets said these initiatives aim to reduce reliance on Western-dominated shipping systems and reflect Russia and India's pursuit of greater autonomy amid the global restructuring of supply chains. 
DOHA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned on Saturday that the Gaza ceasefire has reached a "critical moment" and risks collapse without immediate progress toward a permanent peace deal.

Speaking at the Doha Forum, the prime minister said a lasting truce required a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the restoration of stability and freedom of movement for Palestinians.

The warning highlights the fragility of the agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States, which came into effect on Oct. 10. While the truce initially halted fighting, the implementation of its second phase has stalled over key sticking points, including the disarmament of Hamas.

Under a plan endorsed by the United Nations in November, Israel is to withdraw from its positions while Gaza is administered by a transitional governing body known as the "Board of Peace." The plan also calls for the deployment of an international stabilization force.

However, the makeup of that body remains uncertain. While U.S. President Donald Trump would theoretically chair the board, the identities of other members have not been announced. Furthermore, reports indicate that Arab and Muslim nations have expressed hesitation about the stabilization force, fearing it could lead to involvement in combat with Palestinian militants.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told the forum the primary goal now "should be to separate Palestinians from the Israelis."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty echoed the call, proposing that the force be deployed along "the Yellow Line" to verify and monitor the cessation of hostilities.

The two-day Doha Forum opened Saturday under the theme "Justice in Action," convening policymakers to discuss the precarious truce as Israel and Hamas continue to accuse each other of breaching its terms. 
PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday that Thai soldiers opened fire on Cambodian armed forces, but the Cambodian forces did not fire back. On the same day, the Thai military accused Cambodia of firing first, claiming that Thailand was forced to retaliate.

Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, said in a press release that at 2:15 p.m. local time, Thai military forces initiated an attack against Cambodian forces at the border area in Preah Vihear province. Without retaliating, the Cambodian side promptly contacted and urged the Thai side to cease fire immediately. Subsequently, Thai military forces stopped firing at 2:32 p.m.

Cambodian forces are closely monitoring the situation with utmost caution and vigilance, and Cambodia has also informed the ASEAN observer team about this incident and plans to request the team to investigate this matter, according to the statement.

Thailand's Second Army Region said in a statement on Sunday that Cambodian forces began the attack at Thailand's Si Sa Ket province at the Cambodia-Thailand border at 2:16 p.m., prompting Thai troops to respond in line with standard rules of engagement. The clash ended at 2:50 p.m., but border units remain on high alert amid fears of broader escalation, it said.

Thai media reported that two Thai soldiers were injured, one suffering a gunshot wound to the leg and the other to the chest.

Thai government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is closely following developments along the border and has instructed the defense ministry and the armed forces to take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and ensure public safety. 
BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China sternly urges Japan to immediately stop its slanderous and defamatory acts and strictly discipline its front-line operations regarding China's Liaoning aircraft carrier formation, which recently conducted normal flight training for carrier-based fighter jets in the sea area east of the Miyako Strait, a military spokesperson said on Sunday.

Wang Xuemeng, a spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, said hype by the Japanese side is completely at odds with the facts because the sea and air training zones were announced by China in advance of the training.

During the training period, Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft repeatedly approached the Chinese Navy's training zones, harassing the Chinese Navy and seriously affecting the normal training activities of the Chinese side, and severely endangering flight safety, Wang said.

The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests, Wang added.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, expressed strong indignation and resolute opposition to Japan's provocative actions and attempts to mislead public opinion.

Noting that China's far-sea training exercises east of the Miyako Strait fully comply with international law and established practices, Zhang urged the Japanese side to conduct thorough self-reflection, rectify its errors, and completely abandon any unlawful attempts.

"Japan has recently escalated its provocations and disturbances in the military security domain -- what are its true intentions? The international community is fully aware of the answer. Should Japan revert to the perilous path of militarism, it will inevitably plunge into an abyss from which there is no return," Zhang said.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao on Sunday lodged stern representations and a strong protest with Japan's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi over the matter.

"Japan's actions are grossly irresponsible," Wu said. "China solemnly urges Japan to cease its defamation and slander, rigorously regulate its front-line operations, and prevent such incidents from recurring." 
KHARTOUM, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a drone strike on civilian areas in Kalogi, South Kordofan State, southern Sudan, on Thursday has risen to 114, the state government said on Sunday.

"So far, the number of victims has exceeded 114 deaths, including 63 children, along with around 71 injured," Governor Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Karim said in a statement. He added the toll could rise further, as some critically injured victims have been transferred to hospitals outside Kalogi due to limited local medical services.

Sudanese authorities accused the opposition Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, of coordinating with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to carry out the strike, which they said targeted a civilian area.

Volunteer groups initially reported nine deaths and seven injuries from the attack, blaming the RSF and the SPLM-N, which control large areas of South Kordofan. On Friday, the state government raised the toll to 79. Neither the RSF nor the SPLM-N has commented on the strike.

Fighting between Sudan's army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. UN agencies have warned that violence in the Kordofan region has recently escalated, driving large-scale displacement and civilian suffering. 
Temporary tents are seen at Khirbet al-Joz refugee camp in Idlib, Syria, Nov. 20, 2025. (Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- A year after Syria's prolonged civil conflict ended with the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, many Syrian families are finding that while the fighting has ceased, displacement persists.

Across Aleppo and parts of Idlib provinces in northern Syria, families who spent years in camps have begun returning to their hometowns only to find them unrecognizable: flattened, emptied, and lacking the basic infrastructure that gives meaning to the word "return."

In the village of Ain Daqneh, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, entire neighborhoods that once housed hundreds of families have been reduced to collapsed stone walls and tangled concrete.

Yousef Mohammad Deeb, a man in his 40s from Ain Daqneh, shared with Xinhua his experience returning from the Bab al-Salam camp, a major Syrian refugee settlement near the Turkish border north of Aleppo, after 10 years of displacement.

"When we came here, we saw the destruction. The whole village is demolished, and there is nothing here. There are no houses to live in, and until now we are still in the camps," he said.

"The good thing is that the war has stopped, but we still don't know what the future holds for us," he added.

For most refugees and displaced people, returning has revealed a harsh reality: the war may be over, but reconstruction has barely begun. Many are unable to rebuild or even find temporary shelter beyond the tents they once hoped to leave behind.

Mohammad Yassin Ibrahim, also from Ain Daqneh and in his 30s, who likewise spent nearly 10 years in Bab al-Salam camp, told Xinhua that returning is only the beginning, and the road to reconstruction remains incredibly long.

"The infrastructure is destroyed. We hope for help from any side to assist residents in returning by repairing the infrastructure, the schools, the streets, in any way," he said.

Aside from the destroyed homes, local officials said families returning are now confronted with new dangers such as unexploded ordnance and collapsing buildings.

"After so many years, we were happy that the war, the destruction, and the killing ended, and that we could return to our village. But there's nowhere to live. If we set up a tent, we're afraid for the children because of the tunnels and landmines," said Khaled Othman, head of Ain Daqneh.

He added that the economic toll of years of displacement has made rebuilding nearly impossible for ordinary people.

"People can't handle it. After years of displacement, those who once had a good income now have nothing, and some are in debt. With these sky-high costs and living expenses, no one can afford to rebuild their homes," Othman said.

Throughout the village, cracked school walls, shattered electricity poles, and destroyed water networks lay bare the extensive work needed before families can truly return.

The situation is even harsher in the camps of Idlib, where thousands of internally displaced Syrians still live in tents with no timeline for returning.

Fadi Mohammed Sbeqji, displaced from Jabal al-Akrad in Latakia, expressed his frustration. Speaking to Xinhua, the 30-year-old father of two said his struggle is far from over.

"I have been displaced from Latakia for 12 years, and I don't own a house. We begged people to lend us a place so we could leave this place," he said. "Nothing has changed for us. Yes, the fighting ended, but we haven't felt any difference."

According to the UN refugee agency, more than 3 million Syrian refugees -- abroad or internally displaced -- have returned since late 2024. However, many are returning to places with no functioning infrastructure, no schools, no health services, and limited livelihood opportunities.

The return will not be sustainable without funding to restore vital infrastructure such as electricity, water, schools, and health facilities, said Kelly Clements, the UN deputy high commissioner for refugees, calling for international support to avoid renewed displacement.

"We want to return to our homes, but all our houses are destroyed. My brothers and I are all old, and we have no income to live on," said Ilham Jilaq, 63, from Idlib. 

This aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 4, 2025 shows damaged houses in Ain Daqneh, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, Syria. (Xinhua)

Children are seen at Karama refugee camp in Idlib, Syria, Sept. 25, 2025. (Xinhua)

Temporary tents are seen at Khirbet al-Joz refugee camp in Idlib, Syria, Nov. 20, 2025. (Xinhua)
BERLIN, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Germany's new left-wing political force, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), adopted a new name and elected a new dual leadership during its federal party congress held in Magdeburg on Saturday and Sunday.

Delegates voted to rename the party "Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason" while keeping the abbreviation "BSW." The name change will officially take effect on Oct. 1, 2026, according to a statement from the party's website.

In addition to the re-branding, the congress elected a new executive duo. Amira Mohamed Ali was confirmed in her office as co-chair and member of the European Parliament Fabio De Masi was elected as the new co-chair.

The party was founded in early 2024 after some political figures including Sahra Wagenknecht broke away from the Left party (Die Linke).

As announced last month, party founder Sahra Wagenknecht will step down as leader of the political party that bears her name.

The BSW narrowly missed the 5-percent threshold to enter the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, during the elections in February. It is currently seeking to re-brand itself and attract more voters. 
BAGHDAD, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Sunday that the Iraqi government is surprised at Barrack's recent statements regarding Iraq's internal situation, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

In recent interviews on the U.S. Middle East policy, Barrack said decentralization has never really worked anywhere in this region, citing Iraq as an example.

He also asserted that while the Iraqi prime minister was elected, he has "zero power" as the prime minister "can't form a coalition of the parliament."

During their meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the 23rd Doha Forum in Qatar, Hussein stressed that the choices of the Iraqi people are respected, and that democracy and the federal system are enshrined in the Constitution and have become a firmly established path with no alternative, despite the challenges, read the statement.

Barrack said that "the U.S. administration views the Iraqi experience with respect," and that his remarks "relate to the American experience in Iraq," read the statement.

The two officials also discussed bilateral relations and Syrian affairs, read the statement. 
MassDOT Extends Deadline for 'Name A Snowplow' Contest

BOSTON  The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing an extended deadline for the fourth annual "Name a Snowplow" contest for students in Massachusetts.

The contest seeks to solicit names for 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service for the upcoming 2025/2026 winter season. Submissions will now be received through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to help recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during the winter season. Winning names will be announced on Friday, Dec. 19.

Applications for the contest are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, and can be submitted by using an online portal: https://www.mass.gov/forms/name-a-snowplow-contest-submission . The contest winners will be invited to participate in a scheduled snowplow unveiling event.

A selection panel composed of MassDOT employees will choose two elementary school classroom winners that are located within each of the six Highway Division districts. The winning submissions will be evaluated based on two grade-level categories: 1) kindergarten through fourth grade; and 2) fifth grade through eighth grade.

During the third annual snowplow naming contest last winter, the winning names were: Snowana, Control-Salt-Delete, Taylor Drift, Ice S'now More, Ice Ice Baby, It's Snow Problem, Mac N'Freeze, Blizzard Buster, C 3 P Snow, Snow Force One, Abominable Plowman, and Meltin' John. These names, which were placed on the sides of plow trucks a year ago, remain on those vehicles.